Fall Workshop Prep

This collection of images was taken this week in preparation for a fall photography workshop I am teaching with Julie Sholz on Saturday.  The students are in for a real treat.  The locations are perfect and conditions look really good.  They shoot get some amazing photos.  I'll post some here on Sunday.

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

Waterfalling Part Four - a Few Final Images and Impressions

I think I am done reviewing the photos from this past weekend.  I hope you enjoyed seeing them as much as I enjoyed getting out into the woods and photographing them!  This time of year every stream and trail has something for me to see and shoot.  I realized the other day that I had photographed in 6 locations in the span of 8 days!  That was so much fun.  I will be getting out again for a little while this weekend I hope.  I have other things I have to take care of as well but hope for a bit of time on Sunday.  Soon it will be time to turn inward to the studio and really focus on painting again.  So you may see some of these images again re-incarnated as watercolors!  I hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful season full of color before the snows of winter set in.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Waterfalling Part Three - the Black & Whites

 I picked three images from both Watkins Glen and Buttermilk Falls to do as black and whites with a nice warm tone.  I am at a loss for which I like better.  The color shots are quite nice, but I think there is something very special about how they look in B&W.


What do you think?  Color or B&W?


Keep Makin' Art!
Carl

Waterfalling Part Two - Watkins Glen

Here the images from the second half of my Finger Lakes fall shoot yesterday.  These images are from Watkins Glen.  This maybe the most beautiful two miles of trails anywhere in the world.  Even the paths and stairs blend into the environment beautifully.  I don't mind when they are in the photograph.  I had the perfect combination of freshly fallen leaves still with color, some nice vibrant green and gold leaves still on the trees and wet conditions that helped bring out the most detail and color.  Rainy at Watkins Glen is even better than sunny.  In sunny conditions gorge is very contrasty and it is hard to manage the light and the exposure.  On a day like yesterday with clouds and rain I could skip the polarizing filter there was no need for it and the low light levels guaranteed long exposures.  Below are some must haves for photographing a place like Watkins Glen.

TIPS:

1. Have extra shoes and socks in the car... your feet will get wet and there is nothing worse than driving home with cold wet feet.
2. Be patient.  There will always be people walking or running on the trails.  You will have to wait for people to clear out of your way to get the shot as the trails go right thru and under some of the falls.
3. Bring a tripod!  You will be shooting long exposures (generally 1-8 seconds at iso 100 on a wet cloudy day)
4. Consider skipping the camera bag.  I have been to Watkins Glen a few times and am not sure why I carry my backpack full of gear.  It always ends up I shoot the whole day with my widest zoom lens (and maybe my fisheye) on the camera mounted to the tripod.  Wide angles are best to show off the curves in the gorge walls.
5. Bring plenty of lens cleaning cloths and keep them as dry as possible in a plastic baggie.  On the dryest of days you will get droplets and mist on your lens.  

So put on your hiking shoes and grab your walking stick and get out there and enjoy this wonderful place.  if you can not get there in person I hope these photos will help you feel some of the magic of the place.

Watkins Glen is surely the most famous of the Finger Lakes Glens.... but there are hundreds of them it is a great area to get out and explore.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Waterfalling Part One - Buttermilk Falls Gorge

Here are the images from the first part of my Finger Lakes photo trip this weekend.  these were taken at Buttermilk Falls Gorge.  I got there at the perfect time.  I don't think i could have waited another week or the trees might have lost all of there leaves.  This is a really beautiful trail.  I enjoyed it completely!

I'll post the second half of the trip (Watkins Glen!) tomorrow.  For now I am happy to be home and dry and warm.  It was really cold and rainy for the second half of my trip.

Keep Makin Art!

Fall photo weekend in the Finger Lakes

Watkins Glen will be one of the spots I go to this weekend for some fall photos.  I am taking a road trip to the finger lakes section of New York to shoot at Buttermilk Falls and Watkins Glen and some of the scenic spots in the area.  I will be home Saturday night and will get busy editing on Sunday.  I hope to have some great new images to share by Sunday.

Keep Makin' Art!
Carl

Foggy Morning Minisceongo Creek

 I was faced with a dilemma this morning.... do I have the second cup of coffee or do I grab my camera and get out and shoot in that amazing fog..... I love my coffee as many of you know, but the tug to get out there with my camera won and I am glad it did!


I am so ready for shooting in Ithaca and Watkins Glen this weekend.


Keep Makin' Art!
Carl

A Morning of Waterfalls

This morning I headed to two of my favorite waterfalls with two of my favorite people!  That is Dover Stone Church Falls and Indian Brook Falls with my Mom and my Cousin Marie.  Thank you both for heading out for an early hike with me!  We broke the law..... hehe Dover Stone Church is closed from the recent storms, but it seamed fine so we just trudged on... I was rewarded at Indian brook with a sight I have never seen.  For the first time in five years of photographing this waterfall there was not a tree trunk stuck in the middle of this beautiful waterfall.  Thanks for the great company!  It made a great hike even better.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl