As I sit here and glance over at the thermometer it currently reads 25 degrees and falling. So continuing with the “I wish it was warmer” theme. I’m posting a photo I took this past summer in Ohiopyle State Park. For this shot I used a D300 and a fisheye lens. I then made adjustments in Lightroom 4 and Photoshop.
So here’s to warmer weather, bicycle rides, and relaxing in the sun.
Tonights post takes us back to the warmth of summer, flowers, and butterflies. I’m including two photos from a trip this past summer to Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, Pa. Every summer they have a butterfly garden with many different types of butterflies. If your in the area be sure and stop by the butterfly garden.
Hope you enjoy.
As I watched the snow fall and the wind blow today I thought back to the warm summer days, as I’m sure many do when faced with the bitter cold of winter. So today I’m posting some photographs from a spot in Ohiopyle State Park along the Youghiogheny River. The river runs through the heart of the park and people come from all over to kayak the section know as the lower Yough. I spent one summer on the river working as a photographer taking photos of the rafters and kayakers. And from time to time I’ll venture back to the old spot and take a few shots and enjoy a peaceful day in the park.
Hope this warms your bones if your in the dead of winter.
Well once agin the temperature in in the teens and tomorrow will be no exception. So I got to thinking what can one do to feel like its warm and tropical yet not spend a small fortune on a plane ticket to Fiji? Well in Pittsburgh (current temperature 16 degrees F) you could visit the National Aviary. It’s a really cool place to visit and see some really amazing birds up close and personal. I visit the aviary every year in the winter months as it is fairy warm and it gives you a chance to get out and take some photos on one of those cold winter days.
Below are a few of the photos I have taken at the aviary. Hope you enjoy!
For tonights post I am showing you a photograph that I took last summer in the middle of the day in bright sunlight. By stacking Neutral Density filters on top of one another I was able to get the exposure down to 35sec at f22 with 100 ISO. This is a digital photo and I found with longer exposures and more filters I was getting a strange red cast to the photographs.
Let me know your thoughts and if you have ever experimented with this type of filter stacking before.
Today the photography club that I belong to visited Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, Pa. I am working on the photographs and will be posting several tomorrow but here is a small teaser. Tune in tomorrow for flowers and miniature railroad photos.
With the slightly warmer temperatures today I started thinking about a place that I haven’t visited in several years. Located in the Monongahela National Forest is the ever beautiful Dolly Sods Wilderness. Covering over 17,000 acres and with elevations reaching over 4,700 feet. This is one of my favorite places to visit in the summer and a great lace to photograph some amazing sceneries. If you have never visited the area I highly recommend taking a trip. Nearby attractions such as Seneca Rocks and and Smoke Hole Caverns make the trip even more rewarding.
Hope you enjoy and I’ll let you know when I’m planning to journey to this amazing place again.
As I was driving home from work this evening I had the privilege of seeing a beautiful sunset. Unfortunately, I was unable to stop anywhere to get a shot. But, it got me thinking of several photos that I have taken over the last couple of years and I thought I would share them with you. I leave you with this poem that I found about sunsets:
The Sunset
The sunset glistens upon the land,
with people standing hand in hand,
the beauty that it brings to them,
the magic that it sings to them.The sunset shines upon the ground,
with people standing, staring, astound,
the colors soaking into them,
the art evoking heart in them.The sunset of life and love,
the sunset soaring in the heavens like a dove,
the sunset fills us up with mystery,
the sunset with an irreplaceable history.
Bette Kayley Jones
Wow I was just noticing that I haven’t posted since July. Wow how the time flies. Well I guess a small update is in order, since the last posting I have received a promotion at work which has taken all of my fun time away. Isn’t it funny how that happens? We work so that we can do the things that we want to do but then work gets in the way of all the things that we want to do. What a vicious cycle….
Well I did manage to get out one day and took a ride to one of my favorite places to visit, Gettysburg, Pa. I have spent many days wandering around the battlefield and always manage to see something new or different. This trip was no exception. I managed to come across a statue of a solider hiding behind a rock near the bottom of Little Round Top. Now the exciting thing about this is that I have been driving past this spot for years now and I have never seen this statue before. It goes to show you that sometimes we miss the obvious when looking for the extraordinary. And sometimes the obvious turns out to be the extraordinary.
Well I hope you enjoy the photos and I’ll try to post a little more frequently.
This is the view that a Union Soldier would have seen from atop Little Round Top during the battle of Gettysburg in July 1863.
One of my favorite statues in Gettysburg is this one of General Warren which is found on Little Round Top
This is the hidden treasure I was referring to in the beginning of this post. I like the shadows in the black and white version of this photograph.
Recently I had a little free time and decided to stop by the outdoor gardens at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The inside always proves to have great flowers, patterns, and details to photograph. In my opinion the outside has some very interesting things to photograph as well. Included are just a few shots from the walk but I think I was able to come up with a few interesting photos.
If you in the area I would recommend stopping by and taking a walk around the outside of the building. The best part is that there is no charge to visit the outside gardens.
2Eight Photography 