Step into an early spring morning where sudden frosts adorn the Waterfall by the Old Mill with fleeting icicles, capturing nature’s delicate balance between freeze and thaw.
New icicles formed overnight from seeps through the sedimentary walls around the Waterfall by the Old Mill. On an early spring day, after a sudden frost, we walked the Rim Trail to capture the moment.
Here icicles formed during the quick April freeze hand above Fish Kill. Kill is an old Dutch word for creek.
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Sedimentary Walls
Here a mix of frost and lichen mottle the rock layers.
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 a slideshow of this Waterfall of the Old Mill sequence
Falls by the Old Mill, early spring
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Join me on a frost-kissed journey along the Rim Trail, capturing the transient beauty of falls freed from winter’s grip, where nature’s power remains untamed and vividly alive.
A day the falls run free of ice. On an early spring day, after a sudden frost, we walked the Rim Trail to capture the moment. Here are three captures of the same waterfall, the first visitors to the upper park encounter and the most visited and photographed right off the parking area.
Fish Kill was captured at this point to provide power to grind grain. Today neither nature nor man control the flow. Kill is the old Dutch word for creek.
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Falls by the Old Mill, early spring
I have never counted the waterfalls from this one to the grand sweep of lower falls. The falls are uncountable because no two people could agree on how small a fall to credit.
Of these three versions, i prefer this one for the foreground inclusion of the enormous limestone blocks set to protect visitors from the drop. This scene is challenging photographically, bifurcated as it is by the bright sun over the fall brink. I prefer to shoot these falls early morning, for this reason, before the sun illuminates the area at all. Long exposures required demand a rock solid tripod, as it is just off the parking lot I use my studio Manfrotto for the work. Here all shots were handheld.
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 a slideshow of this sequence of the Waterfall of the Old Mill
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Discover the charm of Cocoa Beach’s enchanted sunset where Olaf, the endearing snowman from “Frozen,” joins athletes in a celebration of imagination and sport on Florida’s magical Space Coast.
Olaf, with his carrot nose and coal-button smile, is the epitome of the whimsy and innocence that fills the hearts of those who dare to dream. He’s the spark of childlike wonder that persists even as the day gives way to night. As the sun dips below the horizon at Cocoa Beach, the playful contrast of a snowman who loves warm hugs stands out against the backdrop of Florida’s Space Coast—a place known for its rocket launches as much as its sun-soaked shores. It’s here, on this stretch of sand, that imagination and reality dance in the twilight, blurring the lines between a tale from the silver screen and the tangible joy of a beach evening.
The presence of Olaf in this coastal setting is an unexpected delight, akin to the wonder of snowflakes in summer. He is more than a snowman; he is the manifestation of Elsa’s magic, a symbol of enduring friendship and the embodiment of the happiness that comes from simply being alive. His creation, a whimsical result of Elsa’s ice powers, speaks to the capacity we all have for creation and transformation. The Olaf suit, worn by a young athlete, represents not just a beloved character, but a beacon of joy and the power of sportsmanship that enlivens the USSSA National All State Championship.
Don DeDonatis, CEO of USSSA, speaks of the excitement of hosting a tournament that is a “celebration of talented softball players from around the country.” Indeed, it’s a parallel to the celebration of life that Olaf represents—where each athlete, like each snow crystal, is unique and contributes to the beauty of the whole. The tournament at the Space Coast Complex in Viera, Florida, is a tribute to the hard work and dreams of young athletes, much like the dream that brought Olaf to life.
The sunset photograph of Cocoa Beach, snapped in December 2023, is not just a capture of a moment in time, but a timeless reminder of the enchantments that life offers. The beach becomes a stage where each footprint tells a story, and each wave sings a song. It’s a place where memories are made, where the spirit of characters like Olaf can leap out of their fictional realms and into our world, if only for an evening.
Brevard County’s Space Coast is a junction where the vastness of space meets the intimacy of earth, where shuttles launch into the cosmos while children build sandcastles, and where a snowman can stand on a beach without melting, embraced by the warmth of the setting sun rather than the chill of winter. It’s a testament to the human spirit’s boundless creativity and our ability to find joy in the juxtaposition of opposites.
This enchanted evening is a tapestry woven from the threads of fantasy and reality, sport and art, the cosmos and the coastline. It’s where the horizon kisses the sea, where the sky becomes a canvas for the sun’s parting masterpiece, and where Olaf, our friend from “Frozen,” reminds us that magic is not just in the realm of fairytales but all around us, in every grain of sand, in every sunset, and in every heart that believes in the wonder of one enchanted evening.
Copyright 2024 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Join me on a serene Christmas Eve stroll around Beebee Lake, where winter’s bite and the stillness of nature blend into a captivating scene. Through the simple lens of my iPhone 7, witness the frozen beauty of the lake, the historic backdrop of Cornell University, and the timeless dance of nature and history. Experience the quiet awe of this winter day.
Wednesday, June 15th, we were on a turn to heat and humidity with this day of light breeze, temperature in the 70s making hiking around Tremen Park a joy.
These snapshots, taken on the fly with an IPhone 7, are the high points.
The first is a dandelion look alike with yellow flowers, petals shaped like teeth, though on a long hard stem and multiple flowers on a stalk. Known as meadow hawkweed, yellow hawkweed, field hawkweed, king devil, yellow paintbrush, devil’s paintbrush, yellow devil, yellow fox-and-cubs, and yellow king-devil with two scientific names: Pilosella caespitosa and Hieracium caespitosum.
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Pilosella caespitosa
Click for slideshow.
Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Michael Stephen Wills Photography 