Tag: portrait orientation

Point Lookout at Dawn, Mesa Verde

Dramatic Entrance

MichaelStephenWills9 Comments

This dramatic butte at the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park, golden in the first light of a July morning.  My wife, Pam, and I were on this road in the pre-dawn hours.  Our delight with this surprise view was worth it.

Click me for more Mesa Verde works in my Fine Art Gallery

In this Point Lookout area, near the park’s entrance, the Mancos Shale is about 2,000 ft thick, and this is what this butte is composed of. Mancos Shale is the lowest formation of the park and is a thick sequence of gray to black marine shale containing minor tan siltstone and fine sandstone beds. On steep slopes, such as those near the northern and eastern boundaries of the park, this formation is prone to landslides and debris flows. This is the base of the butte. The lovely golden rock is Point Lookout Sandstone of the Mesaverde Group, a predominantly yellowish-gray or pale-orange, fine- to medium-grained marine sandstone, approximately 300-400 ft thick. The Point Lookout Sandstone forms much of the cap rock in the northern park area.

I reworked the above image into this Fine Art image of Point Lookout.

Reference: http://esp.cr.usgs.gov/info/meve/

Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
South Rim Trail, early November

Lone Elm

Among Hemlocks

MichaelStephenWills13 Comments

A Rock Elm, late to turn in autumn, stands among a hemlock grove on the South Rim Trail of Taughannock Falls Park, Finger Lakes Region of New York State.

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  • South Rim Trail, early November
    South Rim Trail, early November

Oak and Hemlock

Pure Nature

Bird’s Eye View

MichaelStephenWills22 Comments

Early November trees, Taughannock Gorge, Finger Lakes Region, New York State walking the South Rim Trail we are among the upper reaches of trees clinging to the steep gorge walls.

Happy Birthday to my dear wife Pam.

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  • Oak and Hemlock
    Oak and Hemlock

Two Views

  • Distant View with Hemlock
    Distant View with Hemlock
  • Oak and Hemlock
    Oak and Hemlock

Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Cayuga Lake Bench View

Distant Sapphire III

blue sky reflected in lake waters

MichaelStephenWills5 Comments

Cayuga Lake from the south rim of Taughannock Gorge, seen through a veil of hemlock and oak. From a place of rest with a comfortable bench. The trail descends to the lake, here we are lower and closer to Cayuga Lake.

I stood in front of the bench, resting the camera body on the fence and braced with my fingers.

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  • Cayuga Lake Bench View
    Cayuga Lake Bench View

A gallery of the three Cayuga Lake photographs for comparison.

  • Glimpse of Cayuga Lake
    Glimpse of Cayuga Lake
  • Gorge View with Oak Leaves
    Gorge View with Oak Leaves
  • Cayuga Lake Bench View
    Cayuga Lake Bench View

Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Gorge View with Oak Leaves

Distant Sapphire II

Cayuga waters reflect a blue November sky.

MichaelStephenWills

Cayuga Lake from the south rim of Taughannock Gorge, seen through a veil of hemlock with a carpet of fallen oak leaves, foreground. This is a companion to the previous post, both were handheld. For this the foreground was included to increase interest. For added stability, I rested the camera body on the fence bracketed with my fingers.

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  • Gorge View with Oak Leaves
    Gorge View with Oak Leaves

A gallery of the two photographs for comparison.

  • Glimpse of Cayuga Lake
    Glimpse of Cayuga Lake
  • Gorge View with Oak Leaves
    Gorge View with Oak Leaves

Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills