Category: Finger Lakes Region of New York State

Frozen Ithaca Falls

human scale against a frozen waterfall

MichaelStephenWills41 Comments

Here I am, deep in a past February, in front of an Ithaca Falls frozen but for a small waterfall behind me.

“photo by Pam”

Ice Bells

Noticing small miracles, taking the time and effort to capture them…..

MichaelStephenWills10 Comments

These icicles were formed along Fall Creek during the coldest months of February in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State.

The transient nature of these forms is suggested by the thinness of the pedicle joining each bell to the ice lobe of the ledge. Note the golden crystals in the ice lobe.

A visualization of the symbolic power of the numeral three, reflected on itself.  Question: what do “threes” mean to you?

Captured with the Sony DSLR-A700, DT 16-105mm F3.5-5.6 lens, hoya circular polarizing filter, mounted on the Manfrotto tripod with ball head.

Click the photograph for my online gallery Ice Bells listing.

Winter Dream Homestead

Fall Creek Winter

The magic of ice, water, light

MichaelStephenWills44 Comments

This January 2005 morning dawned cold, the risen sun low to the south of a forested esker ridge, as I suited up for this long planned for photograph.  A Sony DSC-F828, a UV filter and tripod were all I needed to capture this.  That camera model has a integrated flex lens.  I needed to stabilize the lens to achieve this image clarity, depth and sharpness.

The shimmering gloss was achieved by waiting until the sun was above the ridge, shining light shafts through the trees, lighting the water obliquely.

As late as January the stream carries enough heat to create a fog or mist as the air chills after sunset.  This causes twigs to frost up to create those white stick figures on the far bank.  Snowfall from the previous day clings to trees.

Fall Creek freezes from the bottom up.  First the water smoothed boulders accumulate a glaucous ice coat.  Slowly moving water freezes from the edges, in stages, the middle stage an ornate filagree.  The stream narrows downstream where the surface ice first joins.  As the year progresses through February the creek gradually recedes under the ice, replaced by an ice road.

What is an esker ridge?  As the last glaciers melted 10,000+ years ago, the channels carrying meltwater and sediment, under the glaciers, deposited these winding ridged hills.  One of the outcomes was the channel of Fall Creek was altered to flow through the field of eskers among which, in the 19th century, a dam and water mill were created.  It made barrels and furniture.  My former home, in this photograph, was converted from the workshop of that mill.

Hoary Elm

MichaelStephenWills14 Comments

This day, as our hill turns to snow globe, I remember this early morning, March 2007, on the edge of spring.  

Hoary as in covered in frost to appear bleached with age. 

As winter changed to spring I noticed the first greening of the limbs and, each November, the eerie form of the limbs revealed.  I call the tree an “elm” though I am not certain.  There are other lone survivor elms nearby, the leaves are right for an elm.  Some elm species/specimens have the same shape.

Across the Plain

Across the Plain

Sere grasses

MichaelStephenWills3 Comments

The Finger Lakes are formed by a series of inclined planes spread across central New York State.

Here we look northwest across the land between Cayuga and Seneca lakes, all forests and farm land. Seneca Lake is not visible,15 miles distant, and the Finger Lakes National Forest in between.

The only town is Hector, New York, population 4,854 in the 2,000 census. The foreground are sere grasses, a field of beef cattle and pond.

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  • Across the Plain
    Across the Plain
Click to view this series on Getty.

Autumn Apple Orchard, landscape orientation

compare portrait vs. landscape orientation.

MichaelStephenWills10 Comments

Unharvested apples on the ground and branches of this apple orchard off Black Oak Road on the slopes of Connecticut Hill, Newfield in the Finger Lakes of New York.

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  • Autumn Apple Orchard, portrait
Click to view this series on Getty.

Autumn Apple Orchard, portrait orientation

apples cling into winter

MichaelStephenWills5 Comments

Unharvested apples on the ground and branches of this apple orchard off Black Oak Road on the slopes of Connecticut Hill, Newfield in the Finger Lakes of New York.

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  • Autumn Apple Orchard, portrait
Click to view this series on Getty.
Connecticut Hill Autumn View with Cayuta Lake

Black Oak View

Autumn Ridge

MichaelStephenWills1 Comment

Black Oak Road approaches Connecticut Hill from the north. At this point a long view to west opens up that include Cayuta Lake and the distant highlands of Seneca Lake.

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Click to view my Finger Lakes photography on Getty.
Bostwick Road, October

Autumn Road

A Long View

MichaelStephenWills14 Comments

Here we have a vista of Bostwick Road descent off West hill into the Enfield valley and, then, in the distance, up Harvey Hill. Late autumn foliage graces the scene.

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  • Bostwick Road, October
    Bostwick Road, October
Click to view this series on Getty.
Cayuga Lake Bench View

Last Hike

A sllideshow

MichaelStephenWills26 Comments

Thank You for exploring the South Rim trail of Taughannock Falls State Park on the last perfectly sunny autumn day of 2019.

A sunny November Walk

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  • Autumn Oak Leaves, detail
  • Acorn Still Life
  • Chipmunk eating acorn
  • The Brink
  • The Why for the Bench
  • Welcome Summertime Shade
  • Left Behind or an Offering?
  • Leaf Carpet on South Rim Trail
    Leaf Carpet on South Rim Trail
  • Oak Leaves, forest floor
    Oak Leaves, forest floor
  • Understory Autumn
  • Hemlock Shadows
    Hemlock Shadows
  • Rock Elm, autumn
    Rock Elm, autumn
  • Glimpse of Cayuga Lake
    Glimpse of Cayuga Lake
  • Gorge View with Oak Leaves
    Gorge View with Oak Leaves
  • Glory on Gorge Road
    Glory on Gorge Road
  • Cayuga Lake Bench View
    Cayuga Lake Bench View
  • Taughannock Gorge, November
    Taughannock Gorge, November
  • Three Sisters, Taughannock Falls gorge wall.
    Three Sisters, Taughannock Falls gorge wall.
  • Into the Gorge
    Into the Gorge
  • Distant View with Hemlock
    Distant View with Hemlock
  • Oak and Hemlock
    Oak and Hemlock
  • Gorge Road, early November
    Gorge Road, early November
  • Upper Falls
    Upper Falls
  • South Rim Trail, early November
    South Rim Trail, early November
  • Last Flower with Moss, early November
    Last Flower with Moss, early November

Click me for the first post of this series, “Cuteness Break.”