Helton Creek Falls

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

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Just north of Walasi-Yi at the bottom of Blood Mountain, flows Helton Creek. Following a gravel road filled with ruts and rivulets leads to Helton Creek Falls. I’ve been to the falls on a handful of occasions, but only in mid summer. During the warm season, the creek is well behaved and though great to visit, the falls themselves are not awe inspiring. However, during my visit in December, the rain was relentless for several days before the sun came out.

With the sun cooperating, Josh and I drove over the blood to see the the water and hike a little on the Appalachian Trail. As you can see, the upper falls were spectacular. The water flew over the top and thundered into the pool at the bottom. Josh pointed out the sun caught in the mist and we both started shooting.

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Just as wonderful were the lower falls. While the upper falls are vertical, the lower falls have a shallower slope. However, they were just as amazing as they roared by. We had better access to the lower falls and I could feel the strength of the water as it flowed by.

I’m glad we had the day together.Getting out with our cameras is always something that we both enjoy. Downtown, in the mountains, or in the forest, we always manage to have a great time.

winter of my discontent

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Steamed Up

 

Packed in the barn for the winter, these ewes and their lambs live in a sort of dim twilight. Light but not light. Warmer but not warm. I feel as though I have something in common with the sheep. I am tired of the winter. I am tired of being packed inside. I am tired of not being warm, even in my own home. I am tired of the damp. I am tired of the wind. I am tired of the dark. I am tired of the ice and snow.

 

I am tired.

 

winter farms

Posted on by Tim McMurdo
Winter barn

 

 

 

The weather has been horrendous here in Ohio. This is the winter that just won’t quit. We’ve long been into record breaking cold and snow territories. Grey skies are the norm and those of us that suffer from the winter blues have been struggling.

Fotununately, this past Saturday was one of the rare clear days. The blue skies were gorgeous. The sun made the freezing temperatures feel bearable, if just for a single day.

I couldn’t resist the temptation to go for a nice long drive deep into the farm country. Mile after mile of snow covered fields were punctuated with the occasional barn or farm house. With every passing minute, I could feel my own grey mood lifting and by the end of the long drive, I felt recharged. I’m good for a few more weeks of winter.

 

ice fishing

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Ice Fishermen

 

Here in Springfield. Ohio, we don't normally get enough cold to freeze the lakes over completely or thick enough to support ice fishing. In the 20 years that I have lived here, this is the first time that I have seen ice fishing.

While I have been thinking that I am not stupid enough to sit on the cold ice and fish, I just realized that I was stupid enough to stand there and take pictures. I think it's all a case of perspective.

Have a wonderful day, folks.

 

lake lines

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Last weekend, was a cold foggy one. My usual walk at the lake was not in the east bit comfortable. Still, it was beautiful in its own right. As I walked along the ridge overlooking the beach, I saw this scene:

 

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What caught my eye was the way the tree broke the parallel lines of the beach. However, when I began processing the image, I was pretty dissatisfied. The lines were not as parallel as I had thought. There was ice floating in the water that was distracting. So I gave the problem some thought and opened up Photoshop.

 

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The first step was to re-crop the image to provide some better balance and focus on the tree. I then straightened the shorelines and removed the distracting ice. Finally, I straighened the tree line and applied some basic adjustments.

Sometimes our images need a little help to get them to be what we envisioned when we snapped the shot. Is it cheating? Is putting makeup on a pretty woman cheating?

 

 

sycamore reflection

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Icy Reflection 2

 

This image combines two favorites in one photo; sycamore trees and fog.  I am always looking for a good sycamore scene. The white trunks are gorgeous, especially in the winter. The problem is that I struggle to find scenes in which the tree contrasts nicely with the background.

When I wake up and see fog in the morning, I always run out with my camera. I am intrigued by the way the fog shrouds the landscape, hiding details or coyly revealing brief glimpses.

Imagine how excited I was to see both a nicely contrasting sycamore sitting in a foggy scene. The reflection…pure bonus!

 

the big ball – 2013

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

The Waltz King of South Charleston

 

New Year's Eve means the big charity ball in South Charleston, Ohio. Every year, a Civil War period ball is held to benefit the South Charleston Opera House.

I've shot the ball a few times and every time, I struggle to take good images. The light is low and there is a lot of motion. Still, it is beautiful to see and one of my favorite events of the year. Those of you with very good eyes might notice that my good friend Debbie is playing in the band. That woman has skilz!

You can see the entire set of photos at this link.