Fall Day on a Galway Farm

Fall Day on a Galway Farm, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

If I had to be limited to photographing one thing and one thing only, I'd be hard pressed not to choose farms. I'm instantly drawn to the old barns that dot the landscape in rural areas such as Galway, NY. Often accompanying these old barns are sprawling fields, old farm tools and animals.

Farms and old barns are disappearing from our landscape. Developers snap up old farms to turn them into characterless houses and housing developments. Barns, many with hand hewn beams cut from trees that were old before early settlers came here, are decaying and lost forever.

Sunsets and sweeping panoramas of fall color make for gorgeous images but usually lack the story component that an old working farm can provide.

Taken in Galway, NY with my Nikon d7000 and 80-400mm VR lens.

Last Days of Summer on the Boquet River

Last Days of Summer on the Boquet River, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

My love of photography really stems from my love for fly fishing. When I started fly fishing, I found myself on all of these beautiful creeks and rivers and found myself wanting to document them. I would almost always have a point and shoot camera on hand on the odd chance I caught a nice fish and I started taking snapshots of the waters that I would fish. More and more I was seeing that these photos weren't doing justice to the areas in question.

Early on I was really taken by the blurred water in the shots I was seeing other photographers take. If I had to point to one single thing as a motivator for getting me into photography, I would have to say it was the slow shutter, blurred water image.

This image was taken on the north branch of the Boquet River. This was probably the first stream I ever cast my fly line into and I like to revisit it from time to time for that reason. I hadn't been here since Irene hit two years ago and I was amazed at how it changed the river. Spots where there were previously pools, were now shallow riffles. trees were scattered everywhere.

The area of the river where this image was taken is pocket water and it was not affected by Irene as much as some of the other sections.

This was taken with my Nikon D7000, Sigma 10-20 and Cokin polarizer. In case you were wondering, I did not place those leaves on the rock :)

Funny Blog Post for Anyone that Takes Photos in Public

Thought I'd share this from the Photofocus blog about photographers running into security guards. Made me laugh!

http://photofocus.com/2013/07/17/advice-for-security-guards/

Ferns on the Forest Floor

Ferns on the Forest Floor, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

Autumn's color gets all the praise but the greens of spring are more of a welcome site. Just like fall color the splendor fades too quick as everything fills in and summer takes over.

Taken along the Alplaus Kill in Charlton, NY.

Spring Comes to Charlton

Spring Comes to Charlton, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

I took my nephew fishing Saturday night and saw this scene as the late day sunlight filtered through the trees. I didn't have my camera at the time but planned to come back the next evening as the weather looked promising.

I lucked out and the light was almost a mirror image from the night before. I felt the broken old Hickory was the perfect addition to the photo. I wonder how long that Hickory stood watch over the Alplaus?

Taken with a Nikon 20mm F/2.8D

Monument to the 8th Calvary

Monument to the 8th Calvary, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

I was down in Southern PA this weekend for a wedding and I got a brief chance to go to Gettysburg. I didn't have the time to spend there that I would have liked but I did manage to catch a nice sunset.

The history at Gettysburg is overwhelming and I could really see myself spending days there. That being said, I feel that we are really spoiled here in the Upstate, NY area with all the historic sites we have that are far less crowded. It is possible to visit the Saratoga Battlefield and really lose yourself without the distractions of tour buses and the like.

I'm not overly enthralled with this shot but I'm glad I got a "keeper" from my experience at Gettysburg. I would have liked to catch the sun a little higher in the sky and would have liked to have caught the Calvary soldier at a different angle. It's hard to go to a new location with no scout time and come upon a scene with the sun sinking fast.

I took this with the Nikon 80-200 F/2.8 as it was the lens on my camera and as mentioned, the sun was sinking fast.

As the 150th Anniversary of Gettysburg approaches, as well as many of the other battles, please take a moment to remember the toll that war took on this country.

Red Tail

Red Tail, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

If you have even a remote interest in birding and you live anywhere near the Washington County Grasslands, I would strongly urge you to take a ride. The grasslands are a series of mostly private parcels in rural Washington County (I think of Washington County as being mostly rural) that together make up a large open area of extreme importance to birds. Mostly known for its raptor population, it is a go to spot for birds such as the short eared owl.

It was a clear and sunny day today albeit a bit cold. I saw too many red tailed hawks to count, several coopers hawks, an American Kestrel and a few unidentified raptors off in the distance.

This image was taken with the D7000 and 80-400VR (the old one not the new one that has just come out). Once again this lens left me a bit short as far as how much lens I'd ideally like to have. This is a heavy crop of the original image.

Barred Owl at Night

Barred Owl at Night, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

I was at my parent's letting the dog out when I spotted this owl in a maple tree that was partially illuminated by a spotlight on my parent's deck. He/She was sitting very stoic in the tree and was not bothered by my presence. After a few moments the owl came down from the tree and sat in the best light that was available (the spotlight). The owl was very aware of my presence but did not seem to mind at all. He/She would turn their head away from me and I would make a clicking noise and they would turn back around and stare at me. I was shooting on a tripod with the D7000 and 80-400VR. Unfortunately it was dark and I didn't have the time I would have liked to set up my gear. I shot this in jpeg, which I rarely do and would have preferred the flexibility of RAW. Oh well, next time!

Sunset in the Stockade

Sunset in the Stockade, a photo by UpstateNYPhototaker on Flickr.

I haven't posted in a while. Winter doesn't inspire me like the other seasons. It was a beautiful day and I was on my way home so I swung down by the river and caught some nice light. This was taken in the Riverside Park in Schenectady with my D7000 & 18-105mm. The river was open and the ice was flowing smoothly in the main channel. It was one of those days that makes you realize spring is around the corner.