Hepatica from April 2007
Yesterday you saw a grouping of Hepatica flowers and seed heads. (Click me for another Hepatica posting from this season).
Here you see two seed heads in selective focus, one still has flower petals attached.
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during New York PAUSE for COVID-19
I spotted this sign May 5, 2020 on the way to Fillmore Glen New York State Park.
Stopped on the way home to document this message.
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The Sky Island Experience
The Rincons are one of 42 Sky Mountain islands isolated from each other by the gradual warming and drying climate changes since the last ice age, 10,000 years ago. While this marvelous environment of oak and pine forests only accessible with much effort on foot, it is literally visible from every point of the Tucson valley and million human inhabitants.
….Click me for more story and photographs.
Copyright 2020 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Eranthis hyemalis
A fellow blogger, Audrey Driscoll’s Blog, provided the correct and exact species name for the post “Wildflowers Late Winter / Early Spring.” The posts are updated. Thank You, Audrey.
Unexpected Beauty
Coronavirus is raging this March 20th (I schedule posts several weeks ahead now), on this day of our anniversary, easy for me to remember falling close to or on the Spring equinox. Earliest spring flowers were up for a week when I spied this group of crocus blooms on a hill. We do not remember them being there, so I called Pam to enjoy them.
These are extra special, Pam’s parents planted them years ago. The above images are the same photograph. On the left, white balance is set to “cloudy.” At the time, late afternoon, the sun was behind low clouds, providing back light. Perfect lighting for flowers, which is why I interrupted springtime yard cleanup to run inside for the camera.
My intent was to increase the f-stop to over 20 for the following photograph. Metadata on the photograph shows I was only successful in increasing it from 5 to 5.7. ISO was increased from 100 to 400. There was an intermittent breeze and my intent was to avoid blur.
In retrospect, I neglected to change to Aperture mode so any change to F-stop I made was reset. This is a beginners mistake, so photograph turned out well. The colors are richer in the f/5.7 shot.
from the moss
The entire wall above the Cliff Stair is a ground water seep caught here by a sudden April frost.
When the icicles melt, the moss is there relishing the moisture. Here is a link to some fascinating information from an earlier post, “Finger Lakes Water Chemistry.”
Robert H. Treman New York State Park.
Click for macro slideshow.
Visible Groundwater
The fascinating walls above the 224 steps of the Cliff Stairs are a constant wonder in all seasons.
These shots were hand held. I used a Sony Alpha 700 dslr with a variable “zoom” lens, great for framing compositions.
Robert H. Treman New York State Park.
Click for macro slideshow.
Each wall is support for the next flight of stairs
I walked the Rim Trail after a sudden April frost.
These shots were hand held. I used a Sony Alpha 700 dslr with a variable “zoom” lens, great for framing compositions.
Robert H. Treman New York State Park.
Click for macro slideshow.
Dusted with light
Snow clings to the rough tree bark surface graced by late afternoon vernal sunshine.
These shots were hand held. I used a Sony Alpha 700 dslr with a variable “zoom” lens, great for framing compositions.
Robert H. Treman New York State Park.
Click for macro slideshow.
Fern Generations
Spent and green fern frond with moss and icicles formed during an early April frost.
Fern generations are here with the spent fronds from earlier years, pale green survivors of this season.
These shots were hand held. I used a Sony Alpha 700 dslr with a variable “zoom” lens, great for framing compositions.
Robert H. Treman New York State Park.
Michael Stephen Wills Photography 