Buttermilk Falls State Park
Reviewing more images from my June trip to Buttermilk Falls State Park…
The Narrows
Nikon D7100, Tokina 12-28mm f/4, 0.5s, 25mm, f/20, ISO 100
Steps
Nikon D7100, Tokina 12-28mm f/4, 0.8s, 28mm, f/20, ISO 100
Watkins Glen State Park
Cavern Cascade
Nikon D7100, Tokina 12-28mm f/4, 1.6s, 28mm, f/16, ISO 100
My attempt at a close-up of the cascade failed this year but here is an image from two years ago.
Cavern Cascade
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, (0.8, 3, 13s bracket), 26mm f/13, ISO 100
Buttermilk Falls State Park
Another view of the gorge trail at Buttermilk Falls State Park. This view is just after the Slip -n- Slide image I posted a little over a week ago. I really enjoyed seeing all the water but I will definitely return once the levels drop a little. My last trip to this park was almost two years ago and I look forward to improving on these images… Buttermilk Falls – Gorge Trail.
The Curve
Nikon D7100, Tokina 12-28mm f/4, 2s, 17mm, f/20, ISO 100
Fillmore Glen State Park
The Cowsheds
Nikon D7100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, 1/2s, 21mm, f/16, ISO 100
Watkins Glen State Park
Today was another State Park day. The confluence of events all worked out for me. No work for me or either of the kids. No commitments. Beautiful weather. I decided last night to take off early in the morning for Watkins Glen and Fillmore Glen State Parks. I arrived at Watkins Glen a little after 8am and was starting the Gorge Trail before 8:30.
It was a good thing I am an early bird. By the time I walked the 1.5 mile trail it was getting very crowded and my photographic opportunities on the return walk were slim to none (that is if I wanted the view people free). Patience does win out on a few occasions and this view of Rainbow Falls was captured on the return trip. If you look closely you can spot a few people on the stone bridge. 🙂
Rainbow Falls
Nikon D7100, Sigam 17-70mm f/2.8-4, 1.3s, 26mm, f/16, ISO 125
Throwback Thursday
I see all these posts across various social media sites concerning Throwback Thursday or something similar and I thought maybe I will start this tradition here on my blog. My initial thought (which could evolve as I go) was to re-process an old image from when I was just starting this journey with photography. This re-processing could involve a different look or style for an image. It might be a different composition to bring out a better view of the subject. Whatever it ends I being I’m hoping the process (OK, that one was intentional) of reviewing the image will help me improve my current photography.
When I began exploring photography I was intent on learning everything I could about my old point & shoot camera. I had a Sony DSC-H20, 10.1 MP, 10x zoom camera that lasted another 9 months while I learned about exposure, composition and post-processing. It wasn’t until I could not achieve the effects I wanted (long exposures, proper DoF, etc.) that I upgraded to my D5100.
During this learning period I was making trips to Potsdam, NY to bring my son back and forth to college. Along the way there was a nice waterfall visible from the road and in August 2011 I was determined to stop and grab an image. This is the original JPEG I processed with Lightroom 3.
Sugar River – Original
Sony DSC-H20, 1/25s, 44mm, f/9, ISO 100
At the time I hadn’t wrapped my head around white balance or how to properly use the tools within Lightroom. Not to mention that a ND filter was totally unknown to me. At least I was heading in the right direction as I did use a tripod… 🙂
There isn’t a lot of room to play with the JPEG output from the camera. Some of the obvious fixes are the white balance, a better distribution of the tonal range and the ability to use a few of my (now normal) processing plugins. Do not zoom in too much on either image, the noise will scare you! 😉 A saving grace for me is the composition. I like the balance I used with the trees on either side of the water and the placement of the falls in the image. If I took my camera up to Sugar River today I would probably come away with a very similar picture, of course, the water would be more silky looking after 3+ years of waterfall fascination.
Sugar River – Rework
Sony DSC-H20, 1/25s, 44mm, f/9, ISO 100
Buttermilk Falls State Park
On my state park day a few weekends ago, my trip to Buttermilk Falls was especially enjoyable due to the amount of people I met. It was definitely a different type of trip for me. I was able to get a lot of photography done on my hike along the gorge trail but I also managed to meet a lot of people. I kept checking for the sign I must have been wearing because I was approached/engaged by more people than I usually am. Maybe it was me that changed and I was projecting a more open aura!
As I was setting up my tripod for this image I was watching this guy work the scene trying to get the shot he wanted. He apologized for stepping into my frame but I explained I was still composing and I was not in any hurry. He told me he was just starting out and made an excuse about not being at my level (probably due to all my gear). I explained how I was just out having fun too and that we all learn everyday. I told him to take his time and get all the shots he wanted. I couldn’t help myself and grabbed this image as he was getting his. He thanked me and we went our separate ways.
This new budding photographer was typical of the interactions I had this day. I also used quite a few iPhones for people to grab a picture they couldn’t get together without the classic one-arm selfie look. All in all it was a great hike.
Photographer in the Making
Nikon D7100, Tokina 12-28mm f/4, 0.8s, 12mm, f/20, ISO 100
Taughannock Falls State Park
Cascade Star
Nikon D7100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, 2s, 32mm, f/20, ISO 100
MLCreations Photography 