Tree at Rockwood Hall

by Posted in Landscapes Leave a comment
treerockwood-1

According to my research it’s a Sycamore. It’s much lighter than any of the trees around it and the bark is very smooth and has interesting patterns. It’s also unusually symmetrical. I’ve always thought there was something different about this tree, but didn’t know exactly what it was. I recently read that the main trunk had broken off (maybe in a lightning strike) and I believe it’s this that gives the tree it’s “different” appearance.

I’ve taken pictures of this tree many times and liked none of them. I didn’t start off with high expectations today either. My wife has a dance class at 11:15 am on Saturday and I’m usually walking the dog between 11:30 and 1:00pm – hardly the best time of day for photographs: very bright harsh light with very high contrast leading to dark shadows. This time, however, the sun was hidden behind a layer of thin clouds which softened the light considerably. I also managed to find a better angle than I had before.

Hiker on the Appalachian Trail

by Posted in Landscapes, People Leave a comment
hikerappalachian-1

Went for a walk along Sunken Mine Road in Fahnestock State Park with side trips along the Old Mine Railroad Trail and a portion of the Appalachian Trail. All told we walked for about two hours.

This picture was taken along the Appalachian Trail where we came across a rather picturesque waterfall. While I was taking pictures a hiker came by. Unlike me he seemed to be serious about his hiking – with proper hiking boots, a large rucksack and the like. I managed to get off a couple of pictures as is crossed over the stepping stones at the top of the waterfall. Unfortunately, the best picture of him (striding confidently across the stones) was somewhat blurred. In my excitement I must have jerked the shutter release. Still this one’s not too bad.

Horse and Rider

by Posted in Black & White, Landscapes, Wildlife & Animals Leave a comment
horse&rider-1

In an earlier post (Approaching Rockwood Hall) I mentioned that we (myself and our dog, Harley) had an encounter with a horse and rider. I don’t think he’d ever seen a horse before and he was very excited – so much so that I had to pull him back to stop him from running in front of the horse. Possibly his only term of reference was the deer that we see in the meadow in front of our house, and I suppose there are certain similarities. Maybe he thought the horse was a big deer. The horse and rider took it in their stride with no sign of fear or panic.

Ice on Roaring Brook

by Posted in Landscapes Leave a comment
iceroaring-1

It’s been quite warm of late (near 60F/15C), but the lake is still frozen solid and there’s still ice on Roaring Brook even if the water is flowing freely. I like the contrast between the brightness of the ice and the dark (with colorful highlights) of the flowing water. The slow(is) shutter speed used captures a little of the movement of the water.