Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright

On the way to Fallingwater, and also very close by, is Ohiopyle State Park.  Most known for rafting and kayaking, there are also a couple of waterfalls.  We visited one called Cucumber Falls.  Low water but quite photogenic.

Cucumber Falls in Ohiopyle State Park

Fallingwater is a place I have wanted to visit for many, many years.  Just the few photos I had seen over the years made me want to visit there in person.  I seems like such a magical place and it is.  Some of the sheen is diminished by the crowds however, but that's the price to pay if you want to see this magnificent piece of architecture.  It is really quite grand and even with the crowds, it's not so bad.  Advance reservations are a must.  Though walk ins are allowed, it will depend on whether there are vacancies.  From what I can tell, there aren't many of those.  Tour groups are limited to 14 and run in 1/2 hour intervals, so there may be three to four groups in the house at any one time.  They do manage the people very well and it was a fun and interesting tour.

The payday for us was that we were the last tour of the day at 4PM and then had until 6PM to shoot around the grounds.  It was nice that most of the people cleared quickly and we were able to get the iconic shots with lights on and no people in the way.  It was also necessary to wait until the sun had gone behind the hills, as there was quite a contrasting light on the balconies.   It was a very worthwhile diversion on our way to Maine.

Blackwater Falls State Park

Stop number one on a trip to Acadia National Park was Blackwater Falls State Park in the panhandle of West Virginia.  The color was satisfactory, but only just beginning, and it hadn't rained recently, so things were a bit slow in the water flow department.  My main reason for stopping here was to photograph several waterfalls, mainly, Elakala Falls.  We booked quarters at the park lodge.  It was a very nice lodge, with typical hotel style rooms.  We looked out over the Blackwater River gorge from our room, which was reasonably priced and in line with any hotels in the region.  Breakfast buffet was exceptional and easily priced.  The food really was good.

Dawn found us shooting a sunrise from Lindy Point.  It's a fairly easy walk to a wooden deck overlook.  However, not being satisfied, I was over the railing to better vantage points for my shots.  There are several spots where people have been going out on the rocks to view the gorge and though it can be tricky in some spots, it was fairly easy going to get out a bit.  The sun rises over your shoulder as you look out on the gorge and that can be a problem on a really sunny day, like the one we had.  I did what I could to tame the brightness and even worked out some HDR.  Here was the best shot from the morning.

From Lindy Point

We shot here awhile, then headed to the lodge to grab a bite to eat.  After breakfast we walked over to Elakala Falls, which is right near the lodge.  A short walk to the top and a bridge crosses the creek there, but getting down in was a bit tricky.  It was unfortunate for us that there had been some damage from storms and the water level was low.  There were a number of fallen trees, and from images I had seen prior to our visit, there seems to have been some caving of the rock walls on one side as well.  I didn't get the shot I wanted, with the swirling current in front of the falls, but I think we did alright for what was there.

Elakala Falls

Elakala Falls

Blackwater Falls, itself, was so bathed in sunlight, that it was not worth the trouble or the time to go down into the gorge for photos, so, we just settled for a snapshot from the overlook.  Besides, we had an appointment with Frank Lloyd Wright and some miles to log in the process.

Blackwater Falls

Spring and Summer Flowers 2013 w/ Textures

Spring always livens up our lives and no more so than if you are a photographer.  I always look forward to all my garden blooms popping out in the spring and watching as they develop.  It's always a fun time.  I just wish I had more time to spend with the camera and less time with the shovel and hoe, not to mention the Deer Scram and Liquid Fence.  It's said that hostas are analogous to "deer crack", and I can bear witness.

At any rate, I shot quite a few flowers this spring and seem to still be shooting them almost everywhere I go.  One thing that has changed this year is that I have started to blend my shots with some textures.  I originally started using other folks textural renderings to meld with my work, but have created, and continue to create, a collection of my own textures.  It's interesting how easy it is to do this once you have an idea of what works and what doesn't.  Anyway, I've got several hundred texture files to work with now and I really like some of the results.  Hope you do too.

This first one is a "Jack-in-the-Pulpit" with two different textures combined.  One of the textures is a shot of some burnt up grass with a vignette shot with a macro lens close up, overlayed by a shot of a Fiddleback Fern.  The grass shot was condensed to fit the frame and tighten the texture, and the fern was stretched to reduce it's dominance.  Of course the opacity has been reduced on both textures (15-25%).  I've created a mask of the flower so that is shows through with no textures overlayed on the flower and sharpening has been applied to the flower only.

"Jack-in-the-Pulpit"

This second one is a Dahlia with a mask and the texture is a photo of a piece of white cloth shot on a white background.  I have no clue what type of cloth it is, as it does not appear to be a woven fabric, but very random in nature.  I used the multiply blend mode in Photoshop on the texture layer and an opacity of 14%.  I think I stretched it a bit as well, but don't really remember.

This last one is called a Helleborus niger or CHRISTMAS ROSE.  It is a full frame shot with a very slight smokey background.  I cannot remember which texture I used on it, as the .psd file seems to have vanished at this point in time, however, I believe it was a yellowed piece of parchment, stretched and probably had a blending mode incorporated.  I do remember that the mask was only applied to the very center where the bud lives.  At any rate, it printed out magnificently and I actually sold a copy of it on Fine Art America.  Love it when that happens.

Helleborus niger or CHRISTMAS ROSE

Dayton Air Show

I haven't posted much on my blog recently.  Pretty much because of some changes in my life and a few disturbing things which have caused me to reflect on life, the things I do and see, and how I handle them.  One of the more dramatic things that has happened recently occurred during my visit to the Vectron Dayton Air Show.

It was a pretty hot day, over cast/cloudy, and I wasn't that excited to be going because of the lack of military air power at the show (no Blue Angles, etc.) due to govt. cuts and so forth.  However, I was offered press credentials in exchange for photos, and shared a ride with some other local photographers, so, it was going to be a fun day.  I started out touring the grounds and viewing the static displays.

B-29 "Fifi"

As I walked around, I was totally oblivious to the drama that was about to unfold.  I walked about and saw a few things I had not seen before, such as the American Airlines "Flagship Detroit" DC3, a pretty impressive display of history.  I also watched the U.S. Army giving helicopter rides.  That was kind of cool.

American Airlines "Flagship Detroit" DC3

U. S. Army "Huey" UH-1H MEDIVAC helicopter

U. S. Army AH1 Cobra Gunship

Some of the flying displays were really outstanding, such as the F-86 and the Wright Brothers replica, which flew very close by to our location in the press area.

Wright "B" Flyer replica

Korean War Era North American F-86 Sabre Jet

There were a lot of great displays, the company was good and the flying was great.  Everything seemed to be going along swimmingly and I was watching the wing walking and flying of wing walker Jane Wicker and pilot Charlie Schwenker as they maneuvered their vintage biplane close to the crowd.

It's not often in our lives that we personally witness true tragedy and death. Standing in the shadow of darkness and bearing witness to the ending of a vital and vibrant life is not easily digested. It's hard to watch and it's hard to relate what happens to those who are not witness, so sometimes, maybe, a picture truly is worth a thousand words. In that spirit, I offer these meager photos. They are of persons who loved what they did and who performed with zeal to fascinate those of us who live more mundane lives. They are of Jane Wicker, (wing walker),and her pilot, Charlie Schwenker, who tragically died in a crash, while performing at the Dayton Air Show. I stood close by as they made their final pass, raising my camera to catch them as they flew past, but paused in horror as I witnessed their end. I pray they are now flying with the angels. RIP Jane and Charlie.

 

Jane and Charlie seconds before their final pass.

 You can see the rest of my photos from my four hours at the Dayton Air Show here.

 

More of Jane and Charlie here.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

Lake Hope and Zeleski State Forest

I learned something new this trip, and discovered a new (to me) flower which totally surprised me when I came upon it.  I was in Zeleski State Forest with my friend Dan, where we were visiting an old abandoned railway tunnel in the middle of the forest.  It was the King Tunnel.  On the way in, I noted several wetland areas with some large flowers growing along their banks.  They were pretty far off the roadway, which made it all the more intriguing, as they were so obvious from a distance.  Not what I was expecting at all.  I made a note and determined to investigate on the way out.  That, however, was not going to be necessary, as there was another wetland on the far side of the tunnel we were visiting and I was able to walk right up to these flowers.  However, they all faced outward from the shoreline, so Dan was nice enough to pose one for me to photograph.

Hibiscus moscheutos, aka Crimson-eyed Rose Mallow, Breast Root, Mallow Rose, Muskplant, and Wild Cotton

The tunnel was interesting, in that it was constructed of 12"x12" in post and beam configuration.  What was most interesting about the tunnel was it's age in relation to it's integrity.  I did not see any rot in any of the wood.  There was some soil erosion at the base on one end, but other than that, it looked perfectly fit.  It measured approximately 20'W x 30'H x 300'L.  Here's an article from TrekOhio regarding this tunnel with some more in depth info and directions.

The entrance to King Hollow Tunnel

The far side.

I spent the better part of my first morning driving around on the forest roads, not knowing much about where I was going or what I would see.  I eventually ended up in Athens, Ohio, the home of Ohio University, where, as I found out after returning home, I had just missed one of the biggest street parties of the year.  Thank goodness for that, but driving around in the woods was pretty cool and there were many wildflowers and bugs to shoot.  It was extremely cloudless the entire time, so trying to find subjects in the shade was a priority and not always possible.  At any rate, it was interesting.

Water Lilly and bees at Lake Hope

One of my favorite shots from the trip.

We also visited Moonville Tunnel on this trip, though I have not processed any of these images yet.  It's interesting to find such places stranded in the middle of the forest.  I run across places like this, it seems, most places I go.  The history of our forests and wilderness areas is never very obvious at first glance and finding treasures like the King Tunnel, Moonville Tunnel,  all the wetlands and the various flora that exist in these areas is not only surprising but a great reward for the time spent.  I will definitely be visiting Zeleski again.  Being that it is in close proximity to Hocking Hills, it will not be a stretch to do so.

If you would like to see the rest of my images from the two day trip, please look here.

Rainy Days in West Virginia

West Virginia is a beautiful place and I love to go there, but last week was really, really, wet.  In spite of that, I had a great time and managed a couple of decent shots in spite of the pouring rain.

Stayed at the Glen Ferris Inn, again, so it was hard not to stop by Cathedral Falls, which is right down the U.S. 60 (Midland Trail) in Gauley Bridge.  This is one of my favorite falls.  It's a really cool location and it was really running well this day, and I got a break from the rain to shoot here.

We also visited Fayette Station, Babcock State Park, Sandstone Falls, and Thurmond.  I took a few side trips to some other places that I like, but the water was so high and fast that it was impossible to venture into some of these places.  I heard that there was 8" of rain in North Carolina the couple days before, thus all the high and rapid water on the New River.  For those who don't know, the New River originates in North Carolina and flows north into W. Virginia.  I'm not sure how much control the dams have over the flow, but it was right at flood stage everywhere in the bottoms.

Babcock State Park

Sandstone Falls

At Thurmond RR Station

Unnamed falls on the road to Thurmond

It's hard to describe how loud and violent the water was last week.  You would have had to have been there to see it to get an idea.  It seemed like everywhere I drove, there were "volunteer" waterfalls that just popped up on the side of the road.  More than I could count or photograph.  A lot of them were quite picturesque, but almost impossible to shoot, with traffic and all.  But I did do some snaps from the truck, and you can tell which ones they are because they don't have the "silky" effect, like most of my waterfall shots.  See the rest in my gallery.

Zoo Blooms at Cincinnati Zoo

Spent the morning and early afternoon at the Cincinnati Zoo.  I hadn't been in several years (shame on me) and boy has it changed.  Many new arrangements and there is a major construction project going on in the old main parking area.  The new entrance and parking area, umbrella-ed with solar panels is really nice and worth seeing in itself.  I had a great time meeting with many members of the Ohio Valley Camera Club today.  Here are some images from today.

Bird of Paradise

Some sort of funky looking tulip which I cannot identify.

Hungry squirrel.

Sun drenched bed of tulips.

Peacock in the garden.

And our friendly neighborhood Orangutan.  "Right turn Clyde". (If you don't know, Google it!)

Thanks for looking.  If you want more, check out the album on my website.

Cincinnati Nature Center (Trip 2)

Week two of my search for the perfect blooms of spring, brought me back to the Cincinnati Nature Center.  Hoping to see the glory of a sea of daffodil, I was a bit disappointed to find that most were not in bloom yet.  I'm feeling like a mid week visit might be in order, so that I can catch the best of the blooms, however, it will probably be the weekend before the majority are showing.  That said, there were a few fields in bloom, though the sun was so bright at the time I shot this, that I don't have the feeling of satisfaction, photographically speaking.

Field of daffodil

Most of what I saw was the same as last week, but I did find a couple of additions to the collection for this spring.  Here is a Helleborus (Lenten Rose) of which I have many in my garden.  It is an impressive plant, in that it is long lasting and the deer don't eat it.

Helleborus niger

A lot of the time I was on the lookout for the extremely gorgeous White Trout Lilly, of which there was an abundance last week.  Of course, I was on a different part of the trail this week, so I didn't see them until I was on my way out and then found this group and a few more on the stone steps.  Mostly, those that I observed were on the wane, so I was glad to find these prime examples hanging out in the crotch of a stone wall.

Grouping of White Trout Lilly

Lonely White Trout Lilly

On the previous week's visit, there were ladies raving about the Virginia Bluebells and that we should keep an eye out for them.  I had no idea, and forgot to look them up, so I didn't even know that I was looking at them early on.  They appear as a small clump of purple little buds hiding in the midst of an unfolding leaf clump.  Unless you looked closely, they just looked like a green vegetation with no flower.  But, they were in there and the word is that they are spectacular and plentiful.  I will be visiting more often in expectation of their arrival.  Some say a week, others two weeks.  I'll probably be stopping by during the week as well as the weekend, just to make sure I don't miss these spectacular blooms.  Here's a shot of what's showing as of today.

Birth of Virginia Bluebell

I also found a few grape hyacinth poking out from between some rocks in the herb wall.  They are really cute, but hard to photograph.

Grape Hyacinth

I also found these little guys.  I don't know what they are and they were very few and far between, but none the less, an extremely attractive flower.  I love their delicate appearance and the cool blue stripe in the center of the petals.

Unknown

Lastly, I revisited several of the blue flowers from my previous visit.  I love the deep center of this first one and hope to shoot it again, as I'm sure it can be captured to better display it's splendor.

Periwinkle

 

And the Siberian Squill.

Siberian Squill

That's all for this week.  Stay tuned for what's to come and thanks for looking.

Cincinnati Nature Center

Spring is here (still hard to tell) but the flowers think it is, so who am I to argue.  Off to CNC for a look.  I'm not the best at flower ID, so, if you know the names of some that I don't, please make a comment and let me know.

It was pretty bare looking, with no leaves on the trees and just a hint of green buds, a lot of fallen limbs and trees, but the ground was showing signs of life.  Here are all we found on our four hour hike around the GEO trail and the lake.

We were greeted by this gal, who put on quite a show for a few minutes.

 

I was beginning to think the only thing growing were these little yellow flowers.  They were abundant.

Lesser Celandine

But, as we continued into the woods, numerous other types began to be evident.  We found a lot of these White Trout Lillies.  It was not immediately evident that there was a abundance of these as they are not easy to see.  Once you notice them and look for them they become more visible.  I was then surprised to notice them in bunches.  In certain areas, they abound.  They seem to have little neighborhoods all along the trail.

White Trout Lilly

We also found these little guys poking up through the dead leaves.  Noone seemed to know the name.

Unknown variety.

Salt and Pepper

A little further down the trail, we ran across this nice little waterfall.

 The daffodil is the subject of much conversation as pertains to this nature center, and no small wonder.  The forest floor is covered with seas of these plants, just on the verge of blooming.  There is going to be a wonderful show in about a week.  For the time being, though, there were just a few early bloomers.

Daffodil

Further on down the trail, blue seemed to be the order of the day.  Aside from the Celandine, which were everywhere, there were a lot of these.

Glory of the Snow

Sky Blue Aster

Siberian Squill

Periwinkle (I think)

Lots of little white flowers as well, though I had to look hard to find a Snow Drop that was still blooming, I got lucky at the top of the trail and there was a large patch which were still blooming.

Snow Drop

Snowflake

Spring Beauty

This was one of the last things I saw and it was the only one that I saw all day.  It was tucked in beside a rotting log, just growing quietly by itself.

Winter Aconite

I also ran across a couple of other things.  This odd blue fungus was growing on a decaying log.  Very funky looking stuff.  Almost looks like a piece of coral.  And then there was this dead leaf looking like it had some sort of disease.

Funky Blue Fungus

That's all for now.  I'll be heading back next weekend for what's sure to be a bit more spectacular.  Looking forward to seeing a sea of daffodils.  That should be amazing.