Driving home from a long day trip to Cleveland when I saw this storm hovering over the field streaming by my window. The sun was setting and lighting up the field and trees, making for some wonderful light and contrasts.
Light is Wonderful
There are times when the quality of light is a pure joy to me. On a recent visit to the farm, the sun and clouds combined in a way that seemed to defy the overcast sky.
Here is a second example. The scenery behind Jason and Charley almost looks as though it’s been painted on canvas. To me, the light feels surreal.
Do you ever experience light in a new or amazing way?
The color crunches under my feet.
The sound of the fall color always lifts my spirits. Fall hikes in the cool crisp air of the deep woods puts me in touch with Ma Nature.
I hope that each of you is enjoying your fall/spring weather, be you north or south of the equator.
This week, I saw this…
Sometimes you can see something in a way that is like seeing it for the first time. This is a glass installation hanging in the lobby of CMoA, the Columbus Museum of Art in Columbus, Ohio. I’ve created images of it before, but this time I saw something completely different in the work. What led to this new appreciation of the forms? I looked up.
Checking on the New Calf
Catching Melinda checking in on the new calf that was born two weeks ago. The wee bull is a male and is not normally named as they will be sold at market.
Melinda on the other hand is a keeper. Big Laugh, bigger heart.
Joshua Thomas McMurdo
Josh recently surprised me with a week visit. You can safely bet that I was out of my mind with excitement. He and I share the passion of photography and we spent the week shooting all over southern Ohio and parts of Kentucky. Here he is ready to roll before one of our daily adventures. Yeah, I think I’ll claim him.
We Had a Ball
Last year was the first in a number of years, that I was not able to shoot the New Year’s Eve Grand Ball, held in South Charleston, OH. The ball raises money to preserve the local opera house as well as a number of other local landmarks. You can imagine how excited I became when I found that I could make it to the ball this year.
This is a stunning event. Live music, gorgeous dresses and uniforms, wonderful ball room, and more. For a photographer, the event is also a real challenge. The lighting is dim and the dancing means plenty of motion. Bring your fastest gear because you will need it. I struggle with the low light. Most of the night, I shot with an 85mm prime set around f1.7, ISO 1600 and speeds in the 1/30 – 1/80th of a second. Unfortunately, my camera body can’t create usable images at higher ISOs.
Want to see the rest of the pictures from the ball?
I thought you might, so I created a Flickr album. You can find it here.
Huffman Prairie
In 1903, the Wright brothers successfully flew for a handful of seconds at Kitty Hawk. The next year, the brothers started experimenting and flying at Huffman Prairie, northeast of Dayton, OH in an effort to learn how to control their airplane and improve its design so that it would become a practical machine. Later, the prairie became the first permanent flying school, where the brothers charged $750 per student to teach them how to fly.
Even today, the prairie is impressive, though it no longer contains the cows that the wrights had to dodge.
Jim and Charlie and Charlie and Jimmy
Yesterday, Jim and Charlie hitched up Charlie and Jimmy to plant corn using the old 1930s era IH seeder. Farm tractors did not become common until after the Second World War and this would have been a common sight until the late 1940s. Trivia behind us, yesterday was a perfect day to be outside in the sunshine. The sky was full of big puffy clouds and there was a cool breeze. And of course, with Charlie around (the man, not the horse), there were plenty of jokes to keep us entertained.
The Charlies and Jims were planting butcher blood corn. I included a picture of the seed so that you can see how beautiful it is.
Every so often, Charlie and Noland would check the seed to ensure the old machine was working as it should. Old machines need constant watching and adjustment.
I know that you are wondering about the horses’ names. Legend has it (we only have the word of Jim and Charlie), they were visiting an Amish farmer while looking for a new pair of draft horses. When the farmer mentioned the horses were named Charlie and Jimmy, they bought them on the spot. I think it is just as likely that the two jokesters named the horses on the way home. You never know with those two.
Have a great day.
a walk in the spring woods
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| Virginia Bluebell |
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| Dutchman's Breeches |
In yesterday's post, I mentioned that Thursday included a long hike in Clifton Gorge. The gorge was carved out by the Little Miami river, whose banks are heavily wooded. This time of year, the leaves on the trees and bushes have barely begun to emerge, leaving the spring flowers exposed for the eye to see.
The Trillium (both white and red) is just beginning to bloom along with the Virginia Bluebell. It won't be long before the woods are carpeted with white and blue. For two weeks or so, the gorge will be full of color.
One of my favorites is Dutchman's Breeches, a plant that lives on the side of the limestone boulders and displays small drop like white flowers that have the shape of….well, they are shaped like a Dutchman's breeches.
There are many thousands of species of flowering wild flowers and plants in the gorge. I can identify many of them. However, I've included two of my favorites in hopes that you can identify them. You can view them in the last two photos. The small bamboo like plant grows to about 18 inches tall and grows under the trees near the river banks.
I hope all of you have a great day. I'll bring more photos of the gorge's wild flowers the next time that I visit.
tim mcmurdo 