Tag: July

Taughannock Gorge with the kids – part 2

MichaelStephenWills

Several possible sources have been proposed for the name Taughannock, all of which describe Native American origins. One translation suggests that the name is derived from a combination of Iroquois and Algonquin terms meaning “great fall in the woods”.  An alternate theory suggests that the name may refer to a Lenni Lenape (Delaware) chief named Taughannock who died near the falls during a battle.

A nice lady offered to take the photo….challenged to keep it straight.

During the second half of the nineteenth century, steamboats, railroads and Victorian hotels were built in the region to serve tourists who traveled to view the falls. By 1925 the hotels were failing due to a decline in tourism, and New York State began acquiring land to form a park.

Pollywogs!! Catch and release

J.S. Halsey built a two and a half story hotel in 1850, known variously as the Cataract Hotel or Taughannock House (or simply as Halsey’s Hotel) at the Taughannock Falls Overlook.

Visitors could reach the hotel by taking a train to Cayuga Lake, take a steamboat across the lake to Goodwin’s Point, then finally board a stagecoach to reach the hotel. The hotel site today is the location of the park visitor center and parking lot.

Enjoy!!

Oak Creek Reflections

early one still morning

MichaelStephenWills4 Comments

The fault of Oak Creek changes direction, here it turns east/west through Schnebly Hill Formation red sandstone for which Sedona is famous.

West Fork (108) Trail, Sedona, Yavapai County, Arizona

“Hello” from Oak Creek Canyon, “Photo by Pam Wills”

Click this link for my Fine Art Photography gallery. You can find Oak Creek Mandala in the Arizona gallery.  The gallery description gives more information about the site.

Click this link for another Arizona post, “Cochise Dawn.”

Sandstone Gallery

early one still morning

MichaelStephenWills5 Comments

The fault of Oak Creek changes direction, here it forms a north/south gallery through Schnebly Hill Formation red sandstone for which Sedona is famous.

West Fork (108) Trail, Sedona, Yavapai County, Arizona

“Hello” from Oak Creek Canyon, “Photo by Pam Wills”

Click this link for my Fine Art Photography gallery. You can find Oak Creek Mandala in the Arizona gallery.  The gallery description gives more information about the site.

Click this link for another Arizona post, “Cochise Dawn.”

Summer Garden

2021

MichaelStephenWills5 Comments

Pam requested photographs of hosta flower stalks with blooms and developing buds. I setup the Manfrotto tripod, the Canon dslr mounted with an Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6L lens at ISO 1600 and these are the results.

Native to northeastern Asia, In 1812 the genera Hosta was named for the European botanist Nicholas Thomas Host. Also called plantain lily for the habit of the herbaceous stalks to grow radially from a center.

The name “Hydrangea is derived from Greek and means ‘water vessel’ (hydria), in reference to the shape of its seed capsules. The earlier name, Hortensia, is a Latinised version of the French given name Hortense, honoring French astronomer and mathematician Nicole-Reine Hortense Lepaute.” _wikipedia


The common name “Marigold” refers to the Virgin Mary.

Begonias come in so many shapes and colors.

Garden Gnomes, Bird Bath and Sculpture

Copyright 2021 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

Hosta

Hosta Blooms on a cloudy, still summer dawn

MichaelStephenWills4 Comments

On July 17, 2021 Ithaca was socked in with heavy clouds obscuring sunrise, a perfect moment to capture Pam’s hostas flowering with the upper stalks still budding. I setup the Manfrotto tripod, the Canon dslr mounted with an EF 50 mm 1:1.2 L at ISO 800 and these are the results.

Native to northeastern Asia, In 1812 the genera Hosta was named for the European botanist Nicholas Thomas Host. Also called plantain lily for the habit of the herbaceous stalks to grow radially from a center.

  • 0.5 sec at f / 16
  • 1/4 sec at f / 16
  • 1/5 sec at f / 16
  • 1/6 sec at f / 16
Slide show overview of the hosta and blooms

  • 1/100 sec at f / 4.0
I enjoy the balance of background bokeh, foreground sharpness

This series moves from the lens diaphragm starting at the smallest opening, greatest depth of field and longest exposure, to the widest, most shallow depth of field and shortest exposure. The air was very still this morning, allowing me to experiment.

  • 1/5 sec at f / 16
  • 1/10 sec at f / 11
  • 1/20 sec at f / 8.0
  • 1/100 sec at f / 4.0
  • 1/100 sec at f / 3.5
  • 1/250 sec at f / 2.5
  • 1/400 sec at f / 2.0
  • 1/1000 sec at f / 1.6
  • 1/1000 sec at f / 1.2


Here is my favorite version from the above experiment. Do you have a favorite? Named it in comment and please explain your choice.

  • 1/20 sec at f / 8.0

Copyright 2021 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

Blooms: Hosta and Echinacea

Hosta and Echinacea Blooms in a summer dawn

MichaelStephenWills8 Comments

My wife, Pam, requested photographs of her hosta taken in the first sun of a summer day. Just after the sun broke the clouds this Summer 2017 morning I had the Manfrotto tripod set up, the Canon mounted with my new EF 50 mm 1:1.2 L, and this is the result.

Overview of the hosta and blooms. These are also called Plaintain Lilies. Over the years, Pam has propagated three plants by splitting them and replanting. In 2016r we invested in a fence around the front yard to prevent the deer from browsing them to the ground. In pandemic year 2020, Summer, another fence was installed for the backyard. Pam plans more hosta propagation in celebration.

Study of hosta flowers.

Purple cone flowers, aka Echinacea.
HostaEchinacea-0093

Copyright 2021 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved