tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43571661683243953162024-03-05T05:20:34.926-08:00Nature Trek Photo SafarisThis is a blog about my travels and photo expeditions and workshops in the Smoky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, and other various places of interest to me photographically, such as Hocking Hill, Ohio, W. Virginia and Virginia, Florida birding sites as well as following migratory birds and birds of prey. We like to be in the woods and mountains and solitude with our friends.Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-73306050468877102172018-03-21T12:01:00.001-07:002018-03-21T12:01:08.990-07:00<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/" target="_blank">West Virginia Waterfalls Book</a></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrkT5QhQBpWdNIjThiVEG27WaJucUxOCU1nWdhN4Mx3pq4Aohb8CNzo8eoGJOGcwGnuvkTPaf1Zujy0BB1F-uxfBzMeyJMb16qnB0OgJJ15932U-H-eVdVeQMtxGmuPP3PQJGXDmmQOs/s1600/PrintCoverwebcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="451" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrkT5QhQBpWdNIjThiVEG27WaJucUxOCU1nWdhN4Mx3pq4Aohb8CNzo8eoGJOGcwGnuvkTPaf1Zujy0BB1F-uxfBzMeyJMb16qnB0OgJJ15932U-H-eVdVeQMtxGmuPP3PQJGXDmmQOs/s400/PrintCoverwebcopy.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> The
book, "West Virginia Waterfalls" is a directory of waterfalls, with
directions and GPS coordinates for over 200 waterfalls in the state of
West Virginia. It is now available for purchase on Amazon.com, but you
can get it here for less.</span></b> </span></div>
<b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> After
more than six years of traveling and compiling information, I have
finished my book "West Virginia Waterfalls". It is 134 pages, w</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">ith 137 color images, and is a directory for over 200 waterfalls in the state of West Virginia.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Each wa</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">terfall
listing is accompanied by directions and GPS coordinates, as well as
whatever information I might have compiled about the specific spot or
area and it's accessibility. The book is divided into seven different
regions, some with subheadings for different specific areas of interest
within those regions.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> There is a short section in the back about
photographing waterfalls and some suggestions on recommended gear, that
will help you be prepared for your adventures.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/" target="_blank">Visit my website to purchase and find out more about the book. </a></span></b></div>
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Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-50852057059258771942016-12-19T06:26:00.001-08:002016-12-19T06:35:20.604-08:00W.V. Waterfalls Webpage Update<div style="text-align: justify;">
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I’ve just done a major update to the <a href="http://wvwaterfalls.com/index.php">West Virginia Waterfalls website.</a> Many new falls have been added.</div>
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There is a new map menu with links to a
Google map of W.V. waterfalls which I have been working on for a long
time. Each spot on the Google map links back to a page on the site with
more comprehensive information and photos. There are also locations
with no information, other than, we know they exist but don’t have
accurate or comprehensive information or photos as yet.</div>
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Also added a link to the NPS trails map
with trail descriptions, etc. The NPS map is a .pdf and is quite
comprehensive. I haven’t seen anything that rivals it for the New River
Gorge Trails System. It’s a great tool and I think you will like it.</div>
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Look for more maps to be added as well.</div>
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I have also started a new menu section
called “Day Trips”. Here I will be sharing what I think are great ways
to spend the day seeing waterfalls and other great things of interest
along the way. Only three items there at the moment, but when I finish
editing all the others, there should be at least 10 entries for you to
choose from.</div>
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I hope you make use of all the information and enjoy yourselves in the Great State of Wild and Wonderful West Virginia.</div>
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Happy Waterfalling.</div>
Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-32949591679452291362014-07-18T15:00:00.005-07:002014-07-18T15:00:46.057-07:00Some Flowers and BugsJust a walk around the yard at lunch time. The light was pretty good for the yellows and they didn't blow out so much.<br />
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<a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/flowers" target="_blank">More flowers here.</a>Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-23124776808393066442014-07-13T18:21:00.002-07:002014-07-13T18:21:09.965-07:00Belterra Park Is Not The River Downs Of Your Daddy's DaysYou know, my grandpa used to take me down to River Downs a lot. We'd ride the bus from Government Square to the track and I always loved hangin' with gramps. Not just for the free sodas and hot dogs he'd buy me, but for the whole atmosphere of the track and Coney Island next door. You had the crowd, the announcer, the bugle to signal the start of the race, and then, "they're off" and the monstrous beasts would fly around the track with reckless abandon until someone came across and grandpa would lament the loss of his $2.00 or the fact that the quinella was backwards, and we'd board the bus back to Cincy and the walk back up the hill to Clifton and hit the Clifton Cafe for a quick beer before returning to grandmas most excellent home cooked dinners and the stories of the almost, and the could have beens. All in all a most excellent time for a child. I loved that time.<br />
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I miss the old days, of course, but it has been a blast visiting the track these last 15 years with my camera and reminiscing about how things used to be. Just being around the track was something that made me feel comfortable, and I guess there is comfort in what is familiar.<br />
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Enter Belterra Park and the end of an era. River Downs is no more and she will be missed. However, even with the changes, there is still a feel of the old track. The grandstands are about 1/3 the size of the old, but they have the same feel. Concessions and wagering windows have been drastically decreased and access around the track is a bit more limited, but all in all, it felt comfortable and inviting for the most part. I guess the thing I will miss the most is the 360 access to the perimeter of the track. Still in effect are free entry and free parking, though the beer selections have not changed much. lol<br />
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Here's a couple shots from last Saturday with Ohio Valley Camera Club.<br />
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<a href="http://rickhartigan.com/horses/">More horse racing and equestrian shot can be seen here.</a> Thanks for looking.Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-226244344745435702014-05-22T10:58:00.003-07:002014-05-22T10:58:57.912-07:00Pyramid Hill Sculpture ParkMy first visit to <a href="http://www.pyramidhill.org/">Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park</a> was an amazing experience. I had heard of the place. Even seen a photo or two, but never visited. Thanks to Fred Haaser of Ohio Valley Camera Club, I am now experienced. We spent the evening photographing the area then had a wine and cheese reception at the museum on the property. It was a very enjoyable evening. Here are some of the images I brought home.<br />
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Having a little fun here, I replace a blank sky with one from my recent
trip to West Virginia. This was certainly not what we saw that evening,
but I think it makes for a curious image and certainly more interesting
than it's original form below. <br />
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I think this was the most imaginative and best placed sculpture in the park. At different angles it almost seems to float and some of the backgrounds and foregrounds that can be captured are excellent.<br />
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This last one was kind of interesting. I treated it with a soft effect in PS and thought that combined well with the evening light. There are a few more on my website<a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/pyramidhill">, here.</a> Hope you enjoy them.<br /><br />Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-27853962183084966212014-05-18T09:07:00.004-07:002014-05-18T09:07:52.509-07:00Sunday for a few sunrise shots. I woke up at friend at 0500 and we met at a local overlook but the ceiling was too low there. Off to another place across the river and Devou Park for these shots.<br />
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We also dropped down to the river in Covington to shoot the historic John Roebling Bridge with the fog.<br />
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Not the best morning for a sunrise, but it was an enjoyable way to start the day. More Cincinnati photos can be found in the album <a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/cincy">here.</a>Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-51573932091315352612014-05-01T18:01:00.002-07:002014-05-01T18:01:52.444-07:00New River Gorge Spring 2014We made a four day trip to Fayetteville, W.V. on 25 April with Jim Kearns and Tim Meredith. Jim and I stopped in on Peachtree Falls on our way to Fayetteville. It was well worth the diversion, though it is located at the end of a dirt road where there are two residences, and there was some concern about intruding. Relying on the directions given, we stopped and asked this crusty old vet if it was O.K. to park and he proceeded to regale us with stories of coyotes and how many he had killed (68) and said it was O.K. and the falls was down the road. A 1/4 mile walk and a steep scramble later found us in the creek in front of a magnificent waterfall. The skies were perfect and the water was flowing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peachtree Falls</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Tim joined us on Friday night and we were gone first thing Saturday morning to Babcock State Park.<br />
It was a bright sunny day but we got lucky and arrived before the sun came into the valley. I went down river a bit for this shot.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Babcock State Park - behind visitor center.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Glade Creek Mill</td></tr>
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We then proceeded to Sandstone Falls. We were able to get out pretty far and ventured to the edge of the rocks off the end of the path. There were several streams to ford, but the view is much better. This is my favorite shot of the day from Sandstone.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandstone Falls</td></tr>
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After lunch, we drove up to Thurmond. It was photographically not so interesting with the sun blasting but we saw some interesting birds, a prom couple getting their photos taken, and a bunch of CSX coal trains came through while there, and, it was Saturday, so there were lots of tourists. It's always a good day to go to Thurmond though, because Dunloup Creek and it's falls are right along side the road. So we stopped and the sun was kind enough to dip behind the clouds for a few minutes. I shot one of my first videos there as well.<br />
Here's Dunloup Falls.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Falls on Dunloup Creek</td></tr>
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We tried for a sunset that night on the overlook of Fern Creek Trail but it was closed, and, with sunset upon us, ventured to the nearby "Adventures on the Gorge" where we set up just outside of Smokey's. The sunset was lack lustre and difficult to shoot and there were all sorts of people all over.<br />
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The following morning found us bound for Laurel Creek Falls. We were lodged fairly close to Saturday Rd., which is the access to the falls. It was about a 10 mile drive with the last two miles on a pretty bad rock road. We left Tim's car where the pavement ended and good thing. This is definitely 4WD country.<br />
Once parked it took a while to decide how to proceed down into the creek. It's not easy, and actually, quite dangerous, no matter where you descend. We went downstream about 100 yards and scrambled down some pretty loose rocky walls till we finally hit bottom, then walked up stream to the falls. The walk in the creek was a breeze after the descent.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laurel Creek Falls</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Following Laurel Creek Falls, we ventured to Laurel Creek along CR16, where there are a number of falls in a short span of highway. I didn't shoot there, as the sun was out of control and I already have some nice shots, but went exploring downstream a ways while Jim and Tim shot. Later we went to Cathedral Falls, where we parted company with Tim. Jim and I proceeded to Kay Moor and Marr Branch. Here are a couple from there.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Falls below bridge at Kay Moor trailhead.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I believe this last one is called Upper Marr Branch Falls, but not sure. Both of these last two required some work to get to, with Marr Branch being the more difficult. It's pretty rocky on the descent, but we found a trail on the other side of the creek that gives access to the top of the falls and you can cross the creek there when it's low.<br />
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All in all, a rewarding day. I was pretty beat by the end but it was worth it,if, for nothing else, to visit Laurel Falls. It was a beautiful place and I'll never forget that day.<br />
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The next morning Jim and I went for a hike on the Endless Wall Trail. It's the same as for Fern Creek, which was closed the day before. We found out that it was closed for a fire investigation. You couldn't see anything from far away, but when you hike the trail, you can see the damage that was done, probably by some careless hikers, as we found a large camp fire on Diamond Point. It's not hard to imagine that someone kicked fiery logs over the cliff, or something even more nefarious. Just glad it was confined.<br />
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Following our hike, it began to rain cats and dogs. We settled in at a local restaurant for some food and then hit the road. It was obviously not going to be a good day to photograph. Pretty gnarly weather. It rained off and on all the way back home, as it did on the way there. I guess you could say it was our cue to make a move. All in all, a rewarding four days with good friends, a number of new visits and some returns to cool places, like Sandstone Falls. Looking forward to the next trip already.<br />
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<a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/westvirginia" target="_blank">All my West Virginia shots are in this gallery.</a>Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-3543581260618558352014-05-01T13:20:00.003-07:002014-05-01T13:20:49.849-07:00Acadia National ParkI'm about a month home from this trip and just getting around to writing about it. It's amazing how many things get sidelined in the fall, in favor of taking photographs and traveling, but that's the way of it when you want to go adventuring.<br />
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I started planning this trip almost a year ago this month. I had been there once in the early 70's, but just for a day, with no camera and no real time to explore. I always remembered what a beautiful place the loop road was and wanted to return. It had passed into the nether regions of my memory until a friend brought it up one day during a phone conversation. Her family is from Bar Harbor and she gave me many great tips to get me going.<br />
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A house was rented for a week and it was a spectacular place located right at the top of Sommes Sound. Seven other people made up our company, and a grand company it was. Some of the nicest folk I have met in quite some time, spending a week together with much fellowship and photographic comradery. Basically, we had a blast.<br />
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My twelve day adventure began with a trip to <a href="http://www.blackwaterfalls.com/" target="_blank">Blackwater Falls State Park</a> where I stayed in the park lodge for one night (great place), followed by a stop at <a href="http://www.fallingwater.org/" target="_blank">Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Fallingwater</a>, which had been on my bucket list for decades. My posts on those stops are <a href="http://naturetrekphotosafaris.blogspot.com/2013/10/blackwater-falls-state-park.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://naturetrekphotosafaris.blogspot.com/2013/10/fallingwater-by-frank-lloyd-wright.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Arriving at the rental, all the folks were out shooting sunset, but, there wasn't any regret at missing anything. My first few shots in the area consisted of sunset shots from the back deck of our rental. The rocks in the forground are just a couple feet from the edge of the deck. Great location.<br />
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The next couple of days consisted of our touring the park with the majority of our time being spent on the loop road along the coast. Good thing too, because they shut the park down two days into our trip. However, all managed to achieve some memorable photos of the coastline, with Otter Cliffs being a prime subject.<br />
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Evenings had us celebrating an outstanding day with the local delicacy. Nuff Said!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich Sears with the evenings repast. Photo by Constance Sanders</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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We ate a lot of lobster, and make no mistake, it's easier, more fun, and cheaper to cook 'em yourself.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobster, boiled and buttered garlic potatoes, corn on the cob, broccoli and a great tossed salad. Don't forget the Pinot.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Partying aside, I spent a lot of quality time with some quality individuals. We had a great group, and even when they closed the park, we all made the best of it. We visited all the surrounding harbor towns and even took a sunset cruise on the Margaret Todd.<br />
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The ladies of our group enjoying a nice sunset. <br />
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Mornings were spent shooting sunrises. Evening, doing sunsets. I think my favorite shot from the trip was from one of the last days we were there, and we ventured to the shores of the Schoodic Peninsula. Naturally, it was closed as well. There was however a small fishing village with a rather picturesque lighthouse. We had to walk out on a field of rock to get the proper angle, but it was worth the effort. This is the Prospect Harbor Light near the village of Corea. This place definitely offers some perspective about life in these parts. One of our crew spotted a Bald Eagle and chased it down with his long lens. Mine, naturally, was too far away.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prospect Harbor Lighthouse</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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You can see all my photos from the trip, which included Blackwater Falls, Fallingwater, and Bennington, VT<a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/piwi/index.php?/category/26" target="_blank"> in my photo album</a>. Hope you enjoy and if you think you might like to go with us this year,<a href="mailto:ntps@fuse.net" target="_blank"> drop me a line. </a> You're sure to have a great time.Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-70587623751488550572013-10-12T09:23:00.000-07:002013-10-12T09:23:21.137-07:00Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd WrightOn 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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cucumber Falls in Ohiopyle State Park</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<br />Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-75134769492290863762013-10-12T09:05:00.001-07:002013-10-12T09:05:12.768-07:00Blackwater Falls State ParkStop 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Lindy Point</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elakala Falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elakala Falls</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blackwater Falls</td></tr>
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<br />Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-64991380940150064312013-08-29T21:40:00.001-07:002013-08-29T21:40:47.188-07:00Spring and Summer Flowers 2013 w/ TexturesSpring 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Jack-in-the-Pulpit"</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/dahlia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/dahlia.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/DSC_7513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="470" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/DSC_7513.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helleborus niger or CHRISTMAS ROSE</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span></span></span>Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-44860408424690202012013-08-29T20:32:00.000-07:002013-08-29T20:32:12.875-07:00Dayton Air ShowI 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/DaytonAirShow/DSC_9429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/DaytonAirShow/DSC_9429.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">B-29 "Fifi"</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/DaytonAirShow/DSC_9533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/DaytonAirShow/DSC_9533.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Airlines "Flagship Detroit" DC3</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/DaytonAirShow/DSC_9504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/DaytonAirShow/DSC_9504.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">U. S. Army "Huey" UH-1H MEDIVAC helicopter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/DaytonAirShow/DSC_9475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/DaytonAirShow/DSC_9475.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">U. S. Army AH1 Cobra Gunship</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/DaytonAirShow/DSC_9655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/DaytonAirShow/DSC_9655.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wright "B" Flyer replica</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/DaytonAirShow/DSC_9813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="378" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/DaytonAirShow/DSC_9813.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Korean War Era North American F-86 Sabre Jet</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_52200de1c31106e02893412">
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 rela<span class="text_exposed_show">te 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.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/JaneWicker/DSC_9897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="440" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/JaneWicker/DSC_9897.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane and Charlie seconds before their final pass.</td></tr>
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<span class="text_exposed_show"> <a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/daytonairshow">You can see the rest of my photos from my four hours at the Dayton Air Show here.</a></span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/janewicker">More of Jane and Charlie here.</a></span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show">Thanks for stopping by. </span></div>
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<br />Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-20091348422695085012013-08-29T19:27:00.003-07:002013-08-29T19:27:27.342-07:00Lake Hope and Zeleski State ForestI 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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hibiscus moscheutos, aka Crimson-eyed Rose Mallow, Breast Root, Mallow Rose, Muskplant, and Wild Cotton</td></tr>
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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. <a href="http://trekohio.com/2013/08/21/kings-hollow-tunnel/"> Here's an article from TrekOhio regarding this tunnel with some more in depth info and directions.</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/lakehope/DSC_1414HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/lakehope/DSC_1414HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to King Hollow Tunnel</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/lakehope/DSC_1351HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="374" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/lakehope/DSC_1351HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The far side.</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/lakehope/DSC_1167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="638" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/lakehope/DSC_1167.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water Lilly and bees at Lake Hope</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/lakehope/DSC_1185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/lakehope/DSC_1185.jpg" width="576" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite shots from the trip.</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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If you would like to see the rest of my images from the two day trip, please look<a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/lakehope"> here.</a>Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-5724523867758914882013-05-11T12:08:00.000-07:002013-07-27T07:12:27.090-07:00Rainy Days in West Virginia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Babcock State Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/piwi/upload/2013/05/10/20130510181045-db1dcc04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/piwi/upload/2013/05/10/20130510181045-db1dcc04.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandstone Falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/piwi/upload/2013/05/10/20130510181152-4d5a14c1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/piwi/upload/2013/05/10/20130510181152-4d5a14c1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Thurmond RR Station</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unnamed falls on the road to Thurmond</td></tr>
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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. <a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/piwi/index.php?/category/24" target="_blank">See the rest in my gallery.</a>Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-78341814046149671072013-04-20T13:59:00.002-07:002013-04-20T13:59:44.072-07:00Zoo Blooms at Cincinnati ZooSpent 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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/zoo/DSC_7827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/zoo/DSC_7827.jpg" width="538" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bird of Paradise</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/zoo/DSC_7853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="483" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/zoo/DSC_7853.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some sort of funky looking tulip which I cannot identify.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/zoo/DSC_7829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/zoo/DSC_7829.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hungry squirrel.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/zoo/DSC_7963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/zoo/DSC_7963.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun drenched bed of tulips.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/zoo/DSC_8012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/zoo/DSC_8012.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peacock in the garden.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/zoo/DSC_7929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/zoo/DSC_7929.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And our friendly neighborhood Orangutan. "Right turn Clyde". (If you don't know, Google it!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thanks for looking. If you want more, <a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/zoo" target="_blank">check out the album on my website</a>.<br />
<br />Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-7758528273463910612013-04-07T20:18:00.002-07:002013-04-07T20:18:38.992-07:00Cincinnati 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.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7483.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Field of daffodil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7468.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helleborus niger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="454" src="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7506.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grouping of White Trout Lilly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="462" src="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7503.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lonely White Trout Lilly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7480-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="498" src="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7480-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birth of Virginia Bluebell</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7473.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grape Hyacinth</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="466" src="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7509.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unknown</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="544" src="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7471.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Periwinkle</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And the Siberian Squill.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="504" src="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7512.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Siberian Squill</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That's all for this week. Stay tuned for what's to come and thanks for looking.<br />
<br />Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-43555878199555308982013-03-31T11:39:00.002-07:002013-03-31T12:58:35.867-07:00Cincinnati Nature CenterSpring 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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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We were greeted by this gal, who put on quite a show for a few minutes.<br />
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<a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7384.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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I was beginning to think the only thing growing were these little yellow flowers. They were abundant.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7427.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lesser Celandine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7389.jpg" width="492" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Trout Lilly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We also found these little guys poking up through the dead leaves. Noone seemed to know the name.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7404.jpg" width="580" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unknown variety.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7410.jpg" width="446" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salt and Pepper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A little further down the trail, we ran across this nice little waterfall.<br />
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<a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="524" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7399.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7428.jpg" width="536" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daffodil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7432.jpg" width="608" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glory of the Snow</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="506" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7438.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sky Blue Aster</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7444.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Siberian Squill</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7445.jpg" width="284" /></a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="508" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7422.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Periwinkle (I think)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7441.jpg" width="520" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow Drop</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7446.jpg" width="528" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowflake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7412.jpg" width="628" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring Beauty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7454.jpg" width="604" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter Aconite</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7418.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Funky Blue Fungus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="532" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/flowers/cnc/DSC_7424.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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.Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-74354756261725302412013-01-29T08:12:00.002-08:002013-01-30T10:45:59.742-08:00Winter Camp - Red River Gorge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/redrivergorge/DSC_7135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<br />
<a href="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/redrivergorge/DSC_6851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/redrivergorge/DSC_6851.jpg" width="320" /></a> The first full moon of the year always gets me out of the house and down
to the Red River Gorge for a few days of primitive camping. Primitive
is a pretty good word for it, as there are no facilities to speak of and
the natives tend to get a bit restless as well. 32 was the count this
year and the nights got kind of long, as there was never a dull moment. Morning found the gorge pot percolating with some pretty bad coffee and us frying bacon and scrambling eggs to get started.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/redrivergorge/DSC_6838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://rickhartigan.com/images/stories/redrivergorge/DSC_6838.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After breakfast we headed out for a hike, but with the steep icy roads, the crew got bogged down. I turned around and headed back up the hill to wait for the rest and spent some time at the Sky Bridge Overlook. I took a series of 210 photos (42 shots x 5 bracketed) and selected 18 of them to create this photo, which represents the sun's passage, as it peeks through a break in the clouds, from the horizon to the foreground. Images were stacked in Photoshop to get this rendering.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlook at Sky Bridge - 26 January, 2013 (11:43 A.M. - 12:23 P.M.)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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After leaving here I made a wrong turn on the Mountain Parkway. I realized this right away but it was too late and by the time I got to where I could turn around, I decided to make my way back though the back roads and see what I could see. I got off at Lacy Creek Rd. and began the trek back. It was slow and I wasn't too sure about where I was going, but I had a full tank. I ran across a lot of barns. I shot a bunch, but only a couple are nice shots. I turned this one black and white to take advantage of the frosty surroundings.<br />
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I kind of like this one as well, but it's hard to draw any color out of things when the light is so bland.<br />
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I eventually made my way back into the gorge and caught up to the crowd as they were heading back to camp. I stopped in at Gladie Creek Historical site and shot a few there. By this time the clouds were gone and the sun was burning bright. I think this is a very scenic place and I plan to go back here for more shots in the future when I have more time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabin at Gladie</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span id="goog_1330234311"></span><span id="goog_1330234312"></span><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabin at Gladie</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the barns at Gladie</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Saturday night was clear at the beginning of the evening and I was hoping to get some night time captures. I have never done star trails during a full moon. Everyone says you can't, but, I think you can if you have the patience and the right exposure, but the moon is definitely an issue. I shot Half Moon Rock during a 4 minute exposure. I was mostly just playing around but when I processed this I noticed the star trails. This is only one image and the trails are short, but I think a good stacking of several hundred shots would make a nice star trail here. I'll be back for this shot.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half Moon Rock from Drunk Man's Bluff (Horizon lights are from Berea and Somerset)</td></tr>
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It was another good year at the gorge for the annual trip. I always look forward to this event, even though a lot of folks think we're all crazy. It's one of the best times of the year for me. Great time.<br />
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<a href="http://rickhartigan.com/redrivergorge" target="_blank">See all the gorge shots here.</a>Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-25845961034369325342013-01-07T14:00:00.002-08:002013-01-07T14:00:53.834-08:00A bit of Winter WonderlandAs I sit here a week and a half later, it's hard to believe it's 45 degrees and sunny and all the snow is gone. That's pretty mild weather for January, though last year was quite mild as well. Probably speaks to the quantity and variety of bugs invading my space this year. But I digress.<br />
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Saturday, December 29, I headed out around 5 AM. It had been forecast to snow the night before and it surely did. I guess we got about four inches here.<br />
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I had been waiting for this event since last year, when I missed an opportunity to get a shot I had been wanting for awhile. That being a shot of our suspension bridge in the pristine snow with night lights shining in the gloom and blow. That, however, was not to happen, as the bridge was a mess with footprints and traffic and the lighting was terrible. I'm going to have to pursue this shot with more zeal at another time and definitely get out of the house earlier. Seems the joggers around here can't sleep either. I'm betting midnight is probably a better time, but we're subject to when the snow comes down, aren't we.<br />
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All that aside, being disappointed with my initial location, I headed up stream to the Purple People Bridge. It was not much better, but I took this shot there.<br />
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It's pretty muddy looking and post processing wasn't making it any better, so it is what it is and I decided to move on.<br />
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Eden Park is usually a good place as there is an overlook and a reflecting pond and a gazebo I had never used as a subject before. It was looking pretty good this morning, and, as I jockeyed for an angle that pleased me, I noticed the sky starting to clear and the sun lighting the trees in the background. I stood for a long time waiting for the light to be right and it never did really come to my expectations but this shot came from that time and I'm happy with it.<br />
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After Freezing here for awhile (I didn't really dress appropriately), I headed up the hill past the conservatory to the over look, where there is always a good shot. My favorite tree was waiting as were the benches and the bridge and pond. Here they are.<br />
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Later, on my way out of town, I passed by Music Hall. I parked right in the middle of the street, jumped out and popped off five bracketed shots to render this HDR of the iconic landmark.<br />
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<br />Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-81509114649514983482012-11-17T14:16:00.002-08:002012-11-17T14:16:55.000-08:00North Carolina Waterfalls and Fall Color Trip 2012 (Part 3)Well, caught up with me, as it usually does whenever I go out of town, and I've been so busy I've barely had time to check my email. So, here's the third and final entry from our fall color adventures.<br />
For part one, <a href="http://naturetrekphotosafaris.blogspot.com/2012/10/north-carolina-waterfalls-and-fall.html" target="_blank">click here.</a><br />
For part two, <a href="http://naturetrekphotosafaris.blogspot.com/2012/10/north-carolina-waterfalls-and-fall_30.html" target="_blank">click here.</a> <br />
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Thursday morning arrived with a thick fog, and, having missed Whitewater Falls the previous evening, we headed there first, hoping the fog would lift. Our hopes turned out to be wishful thinking, as by 12:30 P.M., the fog was still thick. I managed to salvage the morning with this shot of a lone tree in the fog at the Whitewater Falls parking area. It's not fantastic but I like it and it sure shows the conditions we had to deal with.
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We decided to head on to Maggie Valley, where we would spend two days to witness the Elk rut in the Cataloochie Valley. Along the way, we stopped to photograph a number of old barns and a covered bridge. There are but one or two covered bridges left in North Carolina from the old days, so it was nice to see this one, which gives at least an aura of old times, even though it's probably less than 10 years old and looks newer. A charming little bridge along NC 107.</div>
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Friday morning found us driving the super dusty and bouncy, pot hole encrusted, 8 mile long dirt road approach to the Cataloochie Valley. I hadn't seen this road this bad before and it took almost 45 mins. to get through it. Bad road or not, it's always a rewarding experience to see the elk and visit this valley. Even when crowded, as it was this day, it's a good time.<br />
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We witnessed some decent size herds this year and there were a lot of bulls out and about during the day, which is kind of unusual. I witnessed a short fight, but was unable to catch it with camera. I think next trip out, I'm going to camp out in Oconoluftee and wait for the morning herd to cross the river back into the woods after their breakfast. I saw this happening but no matter how fast I ran to get a pic, it wasn't to be, and only caught the tail end of the last elk. So, next year, I'll be just sitting and waiting.</div>
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I did enjoy a bit of exploring this year and found it somewhat rewarding looking for old barns and deserted buildings on the backroads. Here are a couple.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Found on the roadside along N.C. 107</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old barn at Oconoluftee, Great Smokey Mountain National Park.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along U.S. 25E near Cumberland, Kentuck. On the edge of a stormy evening.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mingus Mill in Great Smokey Mountain National Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A brief stop at Berea College on the way home and the iconic Draper Building.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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So ends another trip to wonderful mountainous N. Carolina and vicinity. Sunrise and sunsets were not so noteworthy or photographable this trip, as there was much haze and not much of the heavy fog normally attributed to the mountains this time of year. This was about the best we saw in seven days. Lots of early mornings with not much to show and sunset was no better, as there was a lot of haze our whole trip.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Blue Ridge Parkway, north of Big Witch Gap.</td></tr>
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Good bye for this year and looking forward to next year.</div>
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<a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/fall2012/DSC_6226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/fall2012/DSC_6226.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/ncfall2012" target="_blank">Go here for all the images from this trip and thanks for looking</a>.</div>
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Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-60893232448205537522012-10-30T13:22:00.002-07:002013-01-07T13:26:55.158-08:00North Carolina Waterfalls and Fall Color Trip 2012 (Part 2)If you haven't read part one of this adventure, <a href="http://naturetrekphotosafaris.blogspot.com/2012/10/north-carolina-waterfalls-and-fall.html">go here</a>.<br />
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After Dupont, we traveled over to Pisgah and Looking Glass Falls and lunch before heading off into the forest on one of the service roads. I had heard of a falls there that actually turned out to be a hike to disappointment. Even though it's never a disappointment to be in the mountains, I was led to believe there was something there, other than what I found. So, I did some macro work on the trail back. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close in at the bottom.</td></tr>
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To finish out the day, and there is no better way to finish the day, we drove over to Eastatoe Falls, which just happened to be on the way home. This place has got to be my favorite of them all. There are many great ones, but this place is very serene and usually I am all alone here. This waterfall is 80 feet of splendor and magic, and is right in some guy's back yard. He has to be a cool guy to allow tourists and he does. Thanks to him. I've met him once but never even got his name, and somehow, that seems appropriate, as I just love the beauty and magic of this place. Two shots from Eastatoe. The small one is a close cropped section from the bottom of the falls and the second is an overall view from the pool at the base. There is another view from further down the creek as well, but I think these two will suffice to show the beauty of this place. So quiet and peaceful. Just the water and you.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the main pool.</td></tr>
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The next day took us to a couple of falls I had not visited yet. I had seen pictures and I wanted to go, so go, we did. First up was Secret Falls. It was not that hard to get to, but the trail head was not so obvious and it was a bit arduous. Some pretty steep uphill climbs in both directions, but mostly coming back. Not for the faint of heart, but worth the trip for sure.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Secret Falls</td></tr>
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After that, another very hard hike. Really easy going down into this 500-600 foot deep gorge. Not so easy coming out. It's only 3/4 of a mile one way, but you will feel it. Despite the burning muscle tissue, an all in all rewarding hike, as we visited three falls in one plunge. This is Glen Falls and it starts out as a long cascade at the top and then there is a big falls in the middle and another at the bottom.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glen Falls Middle Falls</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glen Falls - Lower Section</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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After Glen Falls, we decided to go on down the road (U.S. 64) a bit further, as there are a number of falls right on the side of the road. We passed by Bridalveil Falls, an interesting place but not much for photography, and pulled in at Dry Falls, which has a newly reconfigured parking area and concrete sidewalks and railings going down into the gorge. This place is really cool. Lots of good angles to shoot and walking behind the falls leads you to more at the end of the trail.<br />
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These two images are from the approach (left) and then from the end of the trail, where there is a viewing area.<br />
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Then there's the view looking down the gorge with mountains in the distance as you are leaving.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down the valley from Dry Falls.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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After leaving Dry Falls, it was time for the grand daddy of them all, however, it proved not to be, as nightfall was swiftly setting in on us. We would never make it in time, and decided to try for first thing in the morning, prior to heading to Maggie Valley.
<a href="http://naturetrekphotosafaris.blogspot.com/2012/10/north-carolina-waterfalls-and-fall.html">
See part one of our adventure here.</a><br />
<a href="http://naturetrekphotosafaris.blogspot.com/2012/11/north-carolina-waterfalls-and-fall.html" target="_blank">See part three here. </a>
Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-63057863631354133772012-10-25T15:43:00.001-07:002012-10-30T13:26:53.428-07:00North Carolina Waterfalls and Fall Color Trip 2012 (Part 1)Saturday morning, 6AM. I'm sitting in the cabin in Maggie Valley.....cup of coffee and getting ready to pack up and head home. Thinking about the past week and what a wonderful time was had by all. Starting out in Hocking Hills, Ohio, we spent three days wondering the trails and photographing fall color mostly, as the creeks and streams were dry as a bone. I've never seen it this dry. We managed to visit almost all the iconic places that Hocking has to offer and a few others as well. The color was seemingly at it's peak, so the fall color vistas were looking good.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hocking Hills - Rock House and some light painting.</td></tr>
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Cantwell Cliffs was probably the most difficult of the hikes, as we covered every trail in the place, stopping to shoot the two most prominent land features, as well as a bit of macro/closeups of some of the rock faces. It's a wonder how some of these very abstract looking rock faces evolved.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hocking Hills - Cantwell Cliffs</td></tr>
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Finishing up at the lower falls at Old Man Cave, I was disappointed to note that the park people have put up split rail fencing in front of the falls and also signs prohibiting closer approach to the falls, such as the large bolder I have shot from in the past. It also wrecks what I thought was a very nice shot of the falls looking through the underside of the foot bridge at the end of the trail. Oh, well. Things change.<br />
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Monday morning had us heading south to N. Carolina, travelling via I-75 to US-25E through Cumberland Gap and over I-40 into MaggieValley where we picked up the Blue Ridge Parkway. First up was Soco Falls, which is close to the entrance to the parkway. Couldn't not stop here, but I was hesitant to drag my charge into the riverbed for full effect photos, so we shot from the deck.<br />
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Along the way, we discovered Woodfin Cascades, situated right along the side of the parkway. There's an overlook there, so we stopped and shot and had some lunch. This is a place that deserves much more exploration, but that's for another trip. <br />
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Next we traveled down the parkway to County Road 215 to visit one of my favorite places, Courthouse Falls. The falls is situated about four miles in on an old U.S.Forest Service road and the hike is simple and a short 1/4 mile. On the way out, we worked along the Courthouse Creek for a bit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along Courthouse Creek - Devil's Courthouse</td></tr>
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After Courthouse we stopped at the Living Waters where there are three sets of falls. We didn't have much time so we only shot one.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Falls at Living Waters Ministry</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Finishing up at Living Waters, we headed for our lodgings in the town of Brevard which is situated on the edge of the Land of Waterfalls (primarily Transylvania County). Dinner and a look at the shots from the day and some sleep.<br />
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Tuesday had us heading out for Dupont State Forest with a short stop at Conestee Falls. I was delighted that this place was finally accessible, as it had been closed on my several previous visits. The county did a great job of creating a viewing platform, but they also denied access to the base of the falls,where the best shots could be had. Still it was worth the stop to see this great falls and I could see why they restricted access to the base, as it is a very deep gorge of approximately 100 feet or more. The shame is there is no view of the falls from the front, where they would be most beautiful. As you can see, there is another waterfall coming into the gorge at the bottom of this photo and it would be a great shot with both falls tumbling into the gorge, but I suppose it would be unsafe to get that shot. <a href="http://www.connesteefallshomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/connestee-falls-022008-cut-down-1024x477.jpg" target="_blank">Here's a shot from below by a realtor from before the county construction.</a><br />
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The sun was burning brightly when we reached Dupont, and it was extremely difficult to shoot anything but we visited High Falls and Triple Falls. If nothing else, we got some good exercise and there were lots of people about to meet and converse with. No wall hangers here, just good times and nice folks.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dupont State Forest - Tripple Falls from the overlook.</td></tr>
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Thanks for looking. This concludes part one of our Fall 2012 adventure to the Land of Waterfalls. You can see the rest of the adventure by continuing to the next post. Hope you enjoyed and please comment.<br />
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The adventure continues in part two. <a href="http://naturetrekphotosafaris.blogspot.com/2012/10/north-carolina-waterfalls-and-fall_30.html" target="_blank">See it here. </a>Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-53055169875296759772012-09-23T09:18:00.001-07:002012-09-23T09:18:30.805-07:00Fireworks FunI spent the evening with some friends at the First Annual Fireworks Competitions at Coney Island in Cincinnati, Ohio. Coney Island is one of my favorite local places, as I was a regular there during my childhood. It's good to see that the place is coming back from retirement, as I was afraid it would disappear entirely some years ago. Now there are lots of ride back in the park, but I think they need to work on the concessions a bit. Anyway, it was good to see good old Moonlight Gardens, where I spent some time dancing in my twenties.<br />
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This is apparently the first nationally held competition of it's type. Represented were: Mexico, Canada, and U.S.A. Canada won hands down with Mexico bringing up the rear. Then there was an encore from Rozzi, which stole the show. They would have won, if they had competed. It was a chilly evening and I didn't get home till about midnight but it was a fun time. Here are a few images from the evening. <a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/cincy/fireworks" target="_blank">The rest are on my website here,</a> where you can see I took some liberties in Photoshop.<br />
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Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-35537914049043937872012-09-16T18:14:00.001-07:002012-09-16T18:22:55.299-07:00Fall TripsWe're leaving on October 12th for Hocking Hills State Park. We'll spend the weekend there and photograph falls, water features, forest scenery and landscapes as well as whatever macro and floral features we encounter on the trails. You can join us if you like by checking out the event page <a href="http://www.naturetrekphotosafaris.com/hocking-tour" target="_blank">HERE.</a><a href="http://www.naturetrekphotosafaris.com/hocking-tour" target="_blank"></a><br />
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After the Hocking Hills event, we will be heading directly to North Carolina for approximately 10 days of working in the western N. Carolina and eastern Tennessee mountains, shooting waterfalls, forest scenery, antique architectural, rutting elk, sunrise and sunset atop the Blue Ridge Parkway from my favorite sites, as well as a couple of adventurous side trips deep into the forests for some special sites that few ever see.<br />
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<a href="http://www.naturetrekphotosafaris.com/elkrut1" target="_blank">Check out the website for details here</a>, and, <a href="http://www.naturetrekphotosafaris.com/ncwf-fall" target="_blank">here</a>. If you can't make it during the times listed, contact me. We'll be there from 15 - 25 October, and longer if necessary. We'll accommodate you if you just want to come for a couple of days. Drop a line and ask what's available and we'll be flexible during that time period.<br />
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This is a great opportunity to capture some wonderful images. Hope you can join us there. <br />
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Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357166168324395316.post-69532492075328882722012-08-22T19:05:00.002-07:002012-08-22T19:14:55.997-07:00HummersI recently had the opportunity to visit a place where there were more hummingbirds than I had ever seen in one place. I'm sure this is small news to some people, but I had never seen 20-30 hummers flying around in the same place before. Normally, at my house, we're lucky to see three or four at the same time.<br />
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Anyway, we drove like three hours one way to visit some folks in Terre Haute, Indiana. They live on a residential lot that backs up to a corn field with neighbors on either side. Apparently, they have been putting out the feeders for many years, so they had a "reputation" with the birds. It is also getting time for migration, so the place was literally swarming with birds.<br />
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<a href="http://nancysphotographyblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/sunflowers-n-hummingbirds.html" target="_blank">I'd like to thank my friend, Nancy</a>, for including me in her adventure. We had a great time there and meeting her friends with the hummingbirds. Other than two half hour traffic jams on the way home, it was a spectacular day. Make sure and check out her page at the link above for more hummers and sunflowers.<br />
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Here are a few of my favorite shots from the day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/hummers/DSC_3107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/hummers/DSC_3107.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/hummers/DSC_3110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/hummers/DSC_3110.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/hummers/DSC_3118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="526" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/hummers/DSC_3118.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/hummers/DSC_3193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/hummers/DSC_3193.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I shot all of these with my Sigma 50-500mm lens in manual mode. Some were shot at 1/250th with a flash and the rest at aperture priority f6.3. There was a lot of available light, so, it wasn't too hard to grab one or two in focus, as I was able to get some shutters up to 1/2000. It was interesting to note that there was only one male who was visiting all during our shooting, but as soon as we went inside, half a dozen more showed up. It was amazing to see so many birds at one time.<br />
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Here are some shots from a few years ago, shot with my old Nikon 70-300mmG version $150.00 clunker in available light as well. That was a miserable lens, but occasionally, I wish I had it back. That's on my bucket list, but this time it will be the newer VR version.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/hummers/DSC_1783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/hummers/DSC_1783.jpg" width="483" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/hummers/DSC_1799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.rickhartigan.com/images/stories/hummers/DSC_1799.jpg" width="576" /></a></div>These were shot from my back deck. We had a good amount of visits that year, but this year was pretty sparse. Maybe I should grow corn in the back yard and more birds will come. lol<br />
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If you want to see all my shots, <a href="http://www.rickhartigan.com/birds/hummers" target="_blank">check this link.</a> I'm currently combing the archives for more decent shots of hummers from the past, so maybe check back later and see if there are any additions. Thanks for looking, and don't forget, the correct formula for hummers is 1:4 sugar to water. Excess sugar is not good for them.Rickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03828531809173021402noreply@blogger.com1