White Blanket

Monochrome
Haiku

It was snowing a little on Sunday, not enough for much accumulation but it did place an image in my head. I didn’t have anything recently but I searched through my library and found the appropriate image from 2017 where I trekked up to the Egypt Road Trails near Boonville. I wanted an image to go with another attempt at being creative…
 

White Blanket

Frozen water falls
The animals take shelter
A blanket for all

 

White Blanket
Olympus E-M1 Mark I, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 1/1000s, 28mm, f/5.6, ISO 200

Idyllic

Monochrome
Haiku

Yesterday was a very long day. I drove down to Philadelphia to deliver a dresser for my daughter. I also had to bring back a load of stuff to store for her. It was almost ten hours of driving. I left around 5am and returned by 6:30pm. I’m a little tired today.

I listened to the Classic Vinyl station on SiriusXM most of the way. I’ll admit there was some singing, well, I’m not exactly sure what you would call what I do, but it helps on the long drives. Apparently, my mind wanders, sometimes to places I’m not sure how it got to. After I got home I let out a little creative(?) steam… this is the result.

Idyllic

Along the river
Stepping on protruding rocks
Feet wet, body shivers

And this is the type of image that was in my head at the time, from a trip last August to the Mulholland Wildflower Preserve in Ithaca.

 

Idyllic
Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 2.5s, 15mm, f/11, ISO 100

 

I’m pretty positive there is more rambling around in my head, I’ll have to explore and see where it takes me…

Consistency

Bellamy Harbor Park

I realized what the appeal of Bellamy Harbor is for me, consistency. Don’t get me wrong, the unexpected is fun, trying something different is exciting but there are times when we need a little consistency. I know I can stop at the park at any time and find something interesting. Although not much actually changes the mood and feeling of the place is as fluid as the water flowing through the canal. This isn’t a particularly exciting image but it is a calm, consistent start to the new year.

 

Consistency
Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 1/30s, 25mm, f/11, ISO 100

A Way Through

Monochrome Winter
Delta Lake Dam

The image a couple of days ago was down at the water’s edge in front of the canal aqueduct. This is the big view of the damn as scene from the bridge over the river. As much as I like the dam, I’m more fascinated by the aqueduct. When building the dam, there still needed to be a way for the Black River Canal to be accessible so a series of locks was built on the right side of the dam and the aqueduct was constructed over the Mohawk River. I found this image on the Low Bridge Production website.

 

Low Bridge Production

 

It would have been something to see this canal in operation. It has been close to a hundred years since there was travel on the Black River Canal. At least I can still explore this area and show a glimpse of the interesting history.

 

A Way Through
Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 1/20s, 15mm, f/11, ISO 200

Holding Back

Monochrome Winter
Delta Lake Dam

I was asked yesterday about the titles of my images. I generally add a title that conveys a feeling or a thought about the image. Not always, but generally. For some images the title is in my head as I compose and before I activate the shutter. Others come to me as I am processing the image. Today’s image spooked me a little.

After I set the title in Lightroom and exported the image I was asked if I wanted to over-write the existing file. I searched through my blog posts and found the original image titled Holding Back from 2012. When I opened up the post I was surprised by the subject. I guess my mind is still working the same way eight years later.

I’m certain the meaning of the image eight years ago is different than the one I’m posting today. Today’s image sums up a nagging feeling I am a little settled. I’m not a fan of change, although, in the past few years I have experienced some big ones. There are a couple more I want to pursue, changes, that is but I haven’t focused on them yet… I know I’m holding back. I need to figure out why…

 

Holding Back
Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 1/30s, 12mm, f/11, ISO 200

Morning Cold

Bellamy Harbor

I will admit, going out for the sunrise yesterday was a last minute decision. The temperature was only 2 degrees. I was not really excited to experience the cold. I was reading in my big comfy chair when the color of the sky caught my attention. Dang it!

I quickly threw on some warm clothes, switch out the macro lens for my go-to landscape lens and headed to Bellamy Harbor. I didn’t expect as much ice as there was. Normally the flow from the Mohawk River keeps the ice from forming so completely, but I guess at this low temperature it is hard to resist. I grabbed a few images from the water’s edge and then found some interesting views on the snow/ice covered foliage. Once my finger tips started to feel the cold, I knew it was time to get back to the warmth of the car. I quickly drove to the diner for some coffee and breakfast…

Morning Cold
Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, 1/20s, 19mm, f/11, ISO 200