Autumn Contemplation

Most of the time it’s nice to have a central theme. However, for the most part, this post just meanders through early autumn and celebrates the time of year in some of our central Ohio parks. I continue to enjoy shooting a portion of my photos with a Sony A7, adapter, and legacy Canon FD lenses. It’s nice to have so much control over…

A Journey Into Autumn

I have to admit that autumn sometimes leaves me feeling a little beside myself. It’s truer this year because the weather has been beautiful, it’s been great to be outdoors as the landscape transforms, but the very dry conditions have made it a real challenge to capture beautiful images. Past experience tells me that trying too hard usually leads to failure. The picture needs…

An Early Autumn Paddle

Early autumn is one of our favorite times of the year. There are usually fewer people on the trails, rivers, and lakes as many have moved on to other things; football games, school, etc. September often has a period 0f sunny windless days making time spent in the canoe a pure joy. The landscape still mostly green is accented by the brilliant reds and…

Beauty Seen

Below are a series of photos taken over the past few days representing my humble attempt to capture the beauty of Griggs Reservoir Park near our home. . Unless the sky is particularly interesting I prefer to shoot landscapes on overcast days or even on days where there’s off and on rain. This helps eliminate problematic shadows while at the same time controlling dynamic…

An Almost Perfect Disguise!

Caterpillars can be hard to believe. In recent weeks my wife’s “eagle eye” has spotted one that certainly seems to confirm this. Along with interesting caterpillars there have been other August insects and wildflowers to fascinate. Each season offers up it’s own treasures. . As an aside, my old Canon manual focus glass has found new life mounted on a Sony A7 body so…

While I Was Fishing

My wife had to carry most of the load in central Ohio over the past week or so while I was on my annual Michigan fishing trip. Based on the following pictures, many of which are hers, she had no trouble discovering things of interest. . First there were the birds, a few of which when captured in unusual or even comical poses. Some…

On The Shoulder of Very Small Giants!

Recently we were thinking about all the birds that nest in Griggs Reservoir Park or in the immediate environs. A list of some of the more interesting ones would go something like this: White-breasted Nuthatch, Cardinal, Northern Flicker, Kingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue Jay, Yellow-throated Warbler, Black-crowned Night Heron, Northern Parula Warbler, Protonotary Warbler, Kingfisher, Wood Duck, Baltimore Oriole, Cedar Waxwing, Mallard Duck,…

It’s Their Eyes

We continue to see Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, and other birds in the parks near our home. However, this post celebrates the wildflowers, butterflies, and other insects seen recently. . When presented with two equally good photos, one of a bird and the other of a insect I usually find myself more attracted to the bird. It’s not to hard figure out why,…

Cliff Swallow Close Up

We often see Cliff Swallows when paddling central Ohio’s reservoirs. While seeing them is not rare, getting a good picture of one is. During a recent outing on Griggs Reservoir we had the opportunity to use the canoe to our advantage. We positioned ourselves so that, sitting motionless, a light breeze propelled the canoe toward swallow nests located on the bridge support structure. By…

Late Spring Celebration; A Warbler and Much More

Nature unfolds and reveals itself like a flower, first reluctantly and then with grace. Armed with just a little curiosity, looking with intention, and allowing yourself  to be in the moment and place, rewards one with new wonder. Seeing and appreciating more each time. <<<>>> In the past few days, still interested in finding warblers, we visited Prairie Oaks Metro Park and closer to…