Common Redpoll

Common Redpoll, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

Galway Lake eBook.

I have finally got around to making a photo book of my Galway Lake photos. I went back and forth in my head about making an ebook or a regular coffee table book and decided to try the ebook route after seeing how nice it looked on the iPad. Please check out the preview and if you are interested click buy!

http://store.blurb.com/ebooks/354162-images-of-galway-lake

Nice Morning for a Bike Ride

Nice Morning for a Bike Ride, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

I went to Saratoga National early this morning to catch the sunrise. As the sun rose the fog slowly lifted from the valley and a nice scene appeared but I felt it was missing something. There wasn't a strong foreground element for me to include and as I thought about the scene these bike riders came into view and I knew I had to act fast. I thought for sure the bikers would blurred from motion but I lucked out.

Obligatory Fall Color on Galway Lake

Obligatory Fall Color on Galway Lake, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

Sometimes when taking photos in the fall I am as guilty as anyone of wanting to boost the vibrance and saturation in an image to give it that fall color photo look. In this particular instance I just let the rising sun that was to my back do that for me.

I was not overly enthusiastic about the fall color that I saw this year. On Galway Lake for instance I felt as though this weekend was probably the nicest color I had seen by far but most of the trees had experienced at least 50% leaf drop already. Also, where there was color in one section, it was long gone in other sections a few hundred yards away.

This photo was taken with the d7000 & "Kit Lens" 18-105mm VR. I didn't use any filters. I always shoot in raw and I really only cropped this, slightly adjusted the white balance and darkened the sky just a tad.

Abstract Fall

Abstract Fall, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

I stopped at the Saratoga National Battlefield Park after work. I was pretty disappointed overall with the fall color. Most trees hadn't even seemed to hit moderate color and some (namely the old maple near the Neilsen House) were past peak with a lot of leaf drop. Some of the smaller maples were peak but unfortunately I couldn't incorporate them into a nice landscape shot due to their placement in the park. I had just finished shooting some wide stuff when I stood under this beautiful maple in peak golden color and a bright blue sky. I clicked a couple shots but wasn't satisfied with the boring results. I set a wide aperture which translated into a slow shutter speed and spent about twenty minutes trying to get an artistic blur shot like this that I was satisfied with. Believe it or not this wasn't an easy result to achieve.

Deer in the Headlights Minus the Headlights

Deer in the Headlights Minus the Headlights, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

I was watching football at a friend's house yesterday when I spotted this deer foraging in my friends yard. When I got my camera and went outside, there were three in the yard leisurely munching on the grass. I was able to snap a bunch of photos and although I caught this one in what looks to be a startled pose, she was actually just chewing lazily and not really bothered by my presence a short distance away.

Taken with the D7000 & 80-400mm VR

Black River Rensselaer County

Black River Rensselaer County, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

I had the opportunity to travel a few back roads in Rensselaer County after work one night and I came upon this stream (Actually called the Black River). The conditions were nice for capturing some moderate fall color as it was overcast and misty.

Taken with the D7000 & Sigma 10-20mm

Fall on the Sacandaga River

Fall on the Sacandaga River, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

Had a chance to photograph the Sacandaga River near Speculator recently. It was a rainy miserable day and then all of a sudden the weather cleared and I was left with a sunny late afternoon. I was actually hoping that it didn't clear to the extent that it did as it made slow shutter work nearly impossible given the filters that I own.

The color in this area was actually quite spectacular and I did not come close to doing it justice. I took this near the middle of the river and I used my fishing waders to get out in the fast moving waters.

Taken with the Nikon D7000 DSLR and Nikon 18-105mm VR.

Sunset on the Farm

Sunset on the Farm, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

Every photographer has a favorite subject to shoot. While I don't know if I could ever pick just one, farms have to be near the top of that list for me.

Each barn tells a different story. With the state of farms today and the rate these treasures are lost you have to wonder if this barn will soon become another cookie cutter home.

This photos was shot near Palatine, NY in Montgomery County.

Sunset Road

Sunset Road, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

I went for a drive near Palatine, NY in search of a late summer scene or two to photograph. As I was driving down a rural road this beautiful late summer light was spread out in the road before me. I couldn't stop fast enough. I grabbed this shot with my 80-200 F/2.8 Nikkor.

Green Heron

Green Heron, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

I did more wrong here than I did right but I am fairly pleased with the result. I stopped at the Mill Pond Park in Charlton, NY this morning to see what I could photograph.

The Mill Pond is more or less a glorified swamp that is covered in neon green algae. It is usually chock full of frogs and is usually good for a Great Blue Heron sighting or perhaps a wood duck or two. I was lucky enough today to observe a pair of Green Herons hunting (successfully) for frogs. Unfortunately the successful frog hunting took place a little out of the reach of my 80-400 VR (I did get some sub-par shots).

Last night I was playing around with some of the settings on my camera and making some test shots and I left the camera on ISO 1600. That was the main mistake that I made here (not checking my settings) although without the higher shutter speed, this might have been blurrier. I was able to minimize the noise in post but there was nothing that I could do about taking a shot that was partially obstructed by leaves.

13th Brook

13th Brook, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

I haven't been posting much and for that I apologize. Summer is not my most active season as I HATE the heat and this has been a HOT one.

When I took this photo today in North River, NY it was in the low 60's and the mist from this small brook felt refreshing. Fall is definitely in the air and I couldn't be happier.

I don't want to say that I have put photography on the back burner lately but I have been trying my hand at making rustic furniture (yes more exerting than photography in this heat) and have managed to make a couple of nice benches. Hopefully you will see some photos of those coming up soon.

This photos was taken with the Sigma 10-20mm with use of a Cokin Polarizer. It was somewhat overcast and that allowed me to get the shutter speeds around 2 seconds, necessary to blur the water like this and not blow out the highlights. I hope you enjoy!

As always, if you see any of my images that interest you, check out my Zenfolio website at: Stephenpuliafico.com

From the Porch of the Neilson House

From the Porch of the Neilson House, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

I took a ride to Saratoga National Historical Park the other night hoping to make some sunset photos using the Neilson House as a subject and possibly feature some of the cannons as well.

I hadn't been to the park in years so I did a bit of research on the building and realized that there was no shortage of photos of the Neilson House but they were all mostly of similar views and most prominently featured the cannons.

I took a walk around the house and tried to find a composition that was different from what I saw and still included at least a bit of the cannons.

This is definitely a spot that I will revisit again and I would like to return perhaps for a sunrise and in the autumn.

Reflections of Galway Book

I was recently approached by the Galway Central School District to allow use of three of my photos for a book project that some of the Galway High School business students are creating. The project will go to support the Galway Library as well as the students so that they might be able to continue creating projects such as this. I am happy to say that one of my photos was selected to be the cover image. More information about the book can be found here:

http://eaglesmediacenter.com/?p=7798

I urge everyone to take a look at the project and if interested in supporting the Galway Community contact Mr. Mark Swain at mcswain@galwaycsd.org to purchase a copy.

I Didn't Get Rooked at the Rookery

I Didn't Get Rooked at the Rookery, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

I went to the Ballston Creek Preserve for the first time tonight. I had read many people talk about it, figured it was close by, so I took a ride over.

I made the short hike to the rookery area and immediately spotted 2 Osprey. As I looked around I began to see multiple Great Blue Heron.

I was surprised to see how close this rookery was to the industrial park and all of the buildings on Route 67. I guess I would have expected a rookery of this expanse to be in a more secluded area.

Initially I wasn't concerned with getting a photo. I was just interested in looking at these great birds. When I raised my camera, with my 80-400, I realized I wasn't going to be able to get a great close up of any of the birds. I looked for some interesting framing in some of the trees and figured I might go home without a good shot. All of a sudden a Heron flew into sight from the left part of this frame and as I squinted into the sun I knew I had a nice opportunity. I would have liked to get this Heron in a better "pose" but perhaps I'll focus on that next time.

Again With the Boathouse

Again With the Boathouse, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

I have photographed this boat house many times. To me it is one of the most interesting structures on Galway Lake. More so, than the new and expensive Adirondack style "camps" that are going up.

Depending on the light at the particular moment the yellow on this boat house can take on many different shades. From a pale yellow when not immersed in golden sunset light, to this rich, almost golden color.

I shot it this time to include the red shed next door. I am going to continue to try and get this boat house shot to include a ripple free reflection but as of yet I have been unable to do so.

Shot with the D90 and 80-400mm.

Galway Lake Bald Eagle

Galway Lake Bald Eagle, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

My first attempt at getting a halfway decent shot of a Bald Eagle on Galway Lake. I went up there yesterday and observed at least 4 juvenile Bald Eagles feeding on what was left of the ice (they were on the ice feeding, not eating the ice haha). I went back tonight after work and immediately saw another juvenile on the ice and an adult flying overhead. The ice had diminished enough that I was able to get out in the boat. I hugged the shoreline and saw this beauty in a tree off in the distance. I managed to get quite close to him and he stood still like a sentry for quite some time. I made eye contact with the bird for a few seconds and eventually he took off.

By the time I came off the water, the ice was all but gone on the lake. The bird activity was immense and I noted numerous common mergansers, bufflehead, ring necked ducks, geese, mallards, gulls etc.

It's a thrill to see this population of eagles flourish on this small private lake. I have been seeing more and more eagles up there in the last ten years but nothing like I have seen so far this season.

The Living and the Dead

The Living and the Dead, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

I am trying to work on adding depth to my photos while creating a stronger sense of subject. Although this photo was taken in a cemetery, the subject here is really the black locust trees. Unfortunately at this angle, which is the angle I wanted to shoot the locusts at, the gravestones were not facing me.

I shot this with the Nikkor 20mm F/2.8D. Taken in the West Charlton Cemetery.

I Need a Little Space

I Need a Little Space, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

Male and female wood duck in a small farm pond in Charlton, NY. Shot with the rapidly aging (In technology years) D90 & even older 80-400mm VR.

I have wanted to get a halfway decent shot of a wood duck for some time now as I have always enjoyed their appearance more so than most ducks. This is a heavy crop, as even with the crop factor of 600mm it still isn't quite enough for most bird photography (and I am not that stealthy). I was happy to be able to get both the male and female in this photo.

EDIT: After closer inspection and a correction from a reader, I believe that these are hooded mergansers. Looks like I'll be continuing my efforts to get a shot of those wood ducks.