Stony Brook - Harriman State Park

 I took a short hike along the aptly named Stony Brook today and got these great photos.  It was cloudy which helped with the lighting.  I also used an 8x neutral density filter to slow most of them down and make the water blurred and silky.  I am really happy with these and am smiling thinking that my old friend Dave King would have called them a 'gob-smacking treat'.  I sure do miss seeing his enthusiastic comments and reading his poems.  I hope his heaven has some amazing scenery for him to capture with his pen.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Minisceongo Creek - Another Visit

The photos of Minisceongo Creek from my previous post made me go back again on Monday morning.  The sunny conditions, spring colors and the slowly moving water in small pools led to the most amazing reflections.  This is why I will photograph the same place several times.  The more you know of a place the better your chances of capturing it at its most beautiful.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Hoolihan Creek - Long Eddy, NY

I was scouting new locations about a week ago and found Hoolihan's Creek near Long Eddy, NY.  This is a great little spot.  I will go back here again and follow it along where the road hits the Delaware river.  There is a 40 mile stretch from here to Port Jervis, NY that looks really promising along rt 97.

Keep Makin' Art!
Carl

PS tomorrow - More old cars I found recently.

CS

A Spring Sunday Morning in the Woods

After her long winters slumber... Life and color return to the woods and are playfully reflected in the streams and brooks that are closely followed by the foot paths.
It was a wondrous morning to be out with my camera hiking, saying hello to everyone I passed and enjoying solitude with my camera!

Keep Makin' Art!
Carl

The Celery Farm - Nature Preserve Allendale, NJ

We have had unusually warm weather here in NY this winter so far.  This morning I took a walk with my camera around the Celery Farm Nature Preserve in Allendale, NJ.  It was more of a walk and to check the place out.  The Celery Farm is home to more than 250 varieties of birds and waterfowl.  I will definitely go back several more times and plan to take more serious photos.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Downy Woodpecker

Mallard Duck

Post Thanksgiving Ramble

We were away in upstate NY for Thanksgiving this year.  Spending time with Wendy's family and some of our dearest friends.  I have a little tradition when we are upstate for the holiday to get up early the following day and head to Mendon Ponds Park.  I walk the old orchard trail and then take my camera to birdsong trail.  The titmouse's (or is it titmice?) and the chickadees were fun this year and posed for me a little once I offered up some birdseed.  It was a great trip in many ways.  One of the things I am thankful for is being able to get out and hike with my camera.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Sunday Oct 23th Harriman State Park

This past Sunday I went for a hike and photo jaunt with my Mom in Harriman State Park.  We followed one of my favorite streams for a while.  It was nice to see so many people in the park and on the trails enjoying nature on that fine Sunday morning.  This park is a treasure and it never fails to recharge my batteries walking along its many paths and streams.  We are supposed to get some snow here tonight so i amy be able to get some snow photos with some fall color left.  It is these moments that make the most striking photos when you are able to show something unexpected.  I will be moving into the studio this weekend as well as I can not ignore the call of my watercolor paints and brushes much longer.  There are paintings from our Italy trip last year still screaming to be painted.  They waited patiently as I set a hectic pace with the camera running around New York and Cape Cod this year..... the paintings will not wait much longer.  It is important to follow your art when the muse calls you... If you ignore the muse it will simply call to another who will serve its means..... For now the muse has been in the streams, waterfalls and gorges of New York, but the studio now calls.  Maybe just one more hike.....

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Autumn Workshop with Nick Zungoli at Indian Brook Falls.

Well today was a great day!  I went another workshop with Nick Zungoli.  We picked up a location that on a foggy or snowy morning will be fun to shoot.  We ended up at one of my favorite spots... Indian Brook Falls.  The reflected color at around 10am was simply awesome!!  We all ended up with some killer photographs.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Minisceongo Creek | Trash

I am a pretty mild mannered guy, but when I find scenes like this on hiking trails it just makes me furious.  This trash was not just at the top of the trail, but down the slope all the way to the streams edge. It was like a dump truck backed up and dumped its contents right there.  I took what i could, but we'll need a work party to go back and clean this mess up....

OK.  My rant is over.  I got to the creek a little later in the morning and got some nice color to play with. I did have to use a 4x Neutral Density filter because it was too bright for slow exposures to blur the water, but it was nice to work in a different light than I am used to... More directional and strong than when i am out at 6 am.  I generally prefer the early morning, but I am pleased with the images I was able to capture.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Mom's photos from Stonybrook

I mentioned recently that my Mom (Pat) has been joining me on some of my hikes and bringing her camera.  The shots below are ones Mom tot and we edited together on my computer.  Great job Mom.  I am very proud of you for picking the camera back up.  You are taking some great shots.

You can see more of my moms photos on her blog Shared Musing.

Keep makin' Art!

Carl

Looking Back...

I started reviewing images from Harriman State Park over the years.  This is from the first time I took my first digital SLR out on a hike along StonyBrook in 2006.  I may have to go back over the 20 plus times I have photographed there and see what else I shot and did not edit.  There may be more winners in there waiting...

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Harriman State Park - The One That Almost Got Away.

I was going thru the raw captures from Sunday Morning's shoot with Mom at Stonybrook.  I just wanted to make sure I had not missed any images that were worth looking at when I stumbled on this little Gem.  I really love the orange color of the rocks in the shallow water and the green gold at the little waterfall.  It really packs a punch.  I am reminded again to wait a few days after initial editing and review my images with fresh eyes!  I am glad this one did not get away.

Keep Takin' Pictures!

Carl

Harriman State Park- Tiorati Brook

Saturday was a 'two-fer' I got back out into the park a second time and hike up along Tiorati brook.  I have enclosed color and black and white images to show the differences.  Which way do you prefer them?

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl