Todays post comes to you from Blackwater Falls, Wv. This is one of those places that is a must see and well worth the visit. The falls are located in Blackwater Falls State Park in Davis, Wv.
Hope you enjoy.
Tag: photos
An Intimate Portrait of an Orchid
As some of you may have noticed I like to photograph flowers. I’m really not sure what the allure os but I have always found them to be amazing. Then, one day, I started taking photos of orchids and haven’t stopped since. There is just something about the orchid that catches my eye. I guess it’s their delicate nature that I try to capture in a photograph. I have photographed many different types, colors, shapes, and sizes of orchids but have definitely fallen in love with the white orchid. Todays post is an intimate look at a white orchid.
I hope you enjoy. Which view do you like the best?
Reflection in the Window
Tonights post is a reflection shot that I took while ago in Pittsburgh. One of the things that I like to look for is what you would normally walk right by and never notice. This particular photo is a reflection in an area where literally thousands of people walk by. I wonder how many have stopped to take a look?
In your personal travels I highly recommend stopping and taking a look at what the world has to offer. You might just be amazed.
Something Amazing in West Virginia
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.
Remembering The Past
For todays post I would like you to think back to when you were a kid and try to remember something that stood out to you. Today, I was close by one of the towns that I grew up in and decided to take a ride down main street. As I rode down the street I remembered asking my dad to ride my bicycle “uptown” to go to the 5 and 10 store for some candy. At the risk of dating myself I can remember when you could get a bunch of candy for a quarter and imagine how much I was able to get with a dollar and our local 5 and 10 had penny candy. I now know that this was one of the few places left that was still selling penny candy. I can remember leaving my bike on the sidewalk, running into the store with my friends and picking our candy. (there once was a time when you could leave you bike on the sidewalk and it would still be there when you came out) Then my friends and I would ride back home with our brown bags filled with candy.
As I rode through the town today I was amazed at how things have changed and, at the same time, how things have stayed the same. The 5 and 10 store, although long ago closed, is still standing. Another place that I remember was the local barber shop. In this case we are talking about Mr. Ugliks. I can remember sitting there in the yellow chairs that lined the walls listening to all the older men talking about, well just about everything. I think Mr. Uglik spent more time talking than cutting, it was an experience that many will never have. To this day I can remember the sound that the razor made when he sharpened it on the leather strap hanging from the chair and the feeling of the shaving cream on my neck. And by-the-way the price for a hair cut was $6 and that included the shave. But the entertainment was free and priceless. I have to mention, just in case someone from the area reads this, the one man that was always there, “The Captain”. If you’ve ever spent any time in Masontown, Pa, I’m positive you ran into “The Captain” at some point.
So I leave you with this, remember the old times, tell the young people about them, for they are gone and if we don’t share our memories how will they live on?
Some things from the past are worth remembering….
Weekly Photo Challenge: My 2012 in Pictures
This is my 2012 in photos. Some of these photos were taken with projects in mind such as the abandoned buildings, some were just subjects I came across, and others were planned trips to some of my favorite places like Gettysburg. I hope that you have had a great 2012 and are looking forward to an even better 2013. Enjoy and let me know which photo you like the best.
Down the Barrel
Taking Cover
The Lightning Strikes
4th of July
Just Another Corner
Is Anyone Home
A Lilly in the Water
Pennsylvania Monument
A Christmas Tree
I Can’t Believe It
Return to Nature
Pittsburgh Church
Cucumber Falls
Heinz Chapel
Nemicolin Mine
The Butterfly and the Ant
4Th of July
Abandon
You Can’t See Me
Snacking
Pittsburgh Foreworks
Nemicolin Mine Abandon
Homestaed Stacks
Protecting the Fallen
General Warren
Take Off
Hoemstead Stacks
Tied Up
An Angel in the Sun
Gone but not Forgotten
Things you see when your out and about…..
As a photographer I often leave the house with a preconceived notion as to what I’m going to photograph. For me this is one of the hardest things to work around. Reason being, very often I don’t look at the many other photographic opportunities that are just around the corner. I know this is a problem, so lately I have been trying hard to work around this issue. So, yesterday I had the opportunity to take a ride through the mountains around my area. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, just went for the ride and stopped and took a few photographs along the way. I found the day to be very rewarding and was able to get a few neat shots. I would appreciate any comments about the photos.
A Trip to the Zoo…
Recently the photography group that I belong to took a trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. I’ve ben there several times in the past, but each time I manage to find a different view, expression, or animal to photograph. So if you have time this summer plan a trip to the zoo and have a nice day out. Let me know what you think of the photos.
Abandon Coal Mine in HDR
Some of you may have noticed that I have a fascination with abandon buildings and houses. Now I am adding industrial sites to the mix as well. The shots in this post were taken at the Nemacolin mine in Nemacolin, Pa. Nemacolin mine was in operation from 1917 through 1985-6 when it was closed for good. In 1919 Nemacolin mine was considered to be the largest coal mine in the country. The town, built by the coal company, had a theater, tennis courts, amusement hall, and a swimming pool. They also had their own hospital and elementary school, both of which have gone by the way side. It was said that the town was considered to be the model mining town in the country and the mine was considered to be the model mine for the entire world to look towards. To give you an idea of how advanced the town was, in 1917 the town had its own sewage treatment plant.
On a personal note, two of my family members worked in this mine. My grandfather worked in this mine his entire coal mining career. I was not aware of this until after visiting the mine and taking the photographs. I was talking with my mother and had mentioned that I was at that mine taking photos. She got really excited and told me the story of how she would go with my grandfather on Saturday mornings to pick up his pay check. They lived across the river, in Messmore, and would drive to the Nemacolin ferry and cross over to the mine to pick up his check. She also told me of the stories that my grandfather would tell about walking out of the shaft when there would be a problem in the mine. Apparently if there was a problem or the electricity would go out the miners would have to walk a set of steps from the bottom of the mine up the entrance shaft. The other member of my family that worked there was my father. He worked there a short period of time until transferring to the Buckeye mine in Carmichaels Pa. She also told me that the miners were able to travel underground between the two mines, which are approximately 2-3 miles apart.
For the photographers reading this the are all HDR photos processed using HDR Efex Pro.
I hope that everyone enjoys the photos and the short history lesson about this mine. Feel free to leave comments and ask questions.
“Desolation” the Photography Exhibit Arrives…
As some of you may have seen I have been working on a series of photographs which I have been referring to as “Desolation”. The series is based on abandoned buildings and houses throughout the region. I started this series last year with the intentions of just getting a few interesting shots from an old house that I had come across. I can certainly say that I instantly was fascinated with the idea of the these forgotten places. Since then I have been photographing and visiting as many places that time allows and the series has been growing. Starting tomorrow night I will have an exhibit of some of this series at the Allegory Gallery in Ligonier, Pa. The opening will be Friday, February 10, 2012 from 5pm to 8pm. The show will run through March 8, 2012. If you are in the area please stop by and take a look at the show and let me know what you think.
The photographs that will be on display consist of Black & White and Color HDR (High Dynamic Range) images. I decided to take this series in a “digital altered” direction to add some dramatic effect to the photographs. Also, to better show some of the amazing textures and detail that can be found in these capsules of time. It is always interesting to look inside these places and wonder why did the owners leave, where did they go, and why did they leave so many of their belongings behind? I have seen everything from pianos to a business check book that contained a un-deposited check. Some of the places look as though the people just gathered up some of their belongings and walked out the door. And then I come along all these years later and take the photos of the emptiness and desolation of these places. And even though the places are abandoned and without people, to me, they have somehow managed to take on a personality or life of their own. And this series captures some of the “life” that I have come to call “Desolation”.
I hope that you have a chance to stop by Allegory Gallery and take a look at the show.
2Eight Photography 