Found a very cool spot, totally hidden and secluded, on the side of the road in West Virginia. This waterfall is proof that you should not only pay attention with your eyes when photographing, but pay attention to your ears as well. Read more to find out where it is and how I found it.

Being out in the wilderness for days on end can rejuvenate your perspectives on the world. I decided this image goes with a poem I wrote last year on that same subject titled "A Walk in the Woods"

I was on the verge of thinking this shot was impossible, that I'd have to seriously risk real bodily harm (or possible death) in order to get it. If you've ever gone waterfall hunting, or spent any time at a creek in the woods, you know how deceptively slippery rocks like this can be. Even rocks that look dry can be almost as slick as ice. Navigating terrain like this requires extreme caution. I can't stress that enough. Anyone who ventures into environments like this needs to think safety first, second, and third. The shot comes in fourth place.

It took 3 months of planning and waiting, then twice I had to reschedule due to cloudy skies, but it finally worked out this morning. Sunrise alignment with Sandy Point Lighthouse, which is near Annapolis, MD on the Chesapeake Bay.

The shoreline at this spot was fairly flat by the water's edge, but this one large mound of dirt & mud had quite the community growing around it. Grasses and plants, insects of all kinds. And at the bottom there were crabs and amphipods and a myriad of other marsh creatures....even lots of mummichogs splashing in the shallow puddles at the base.

My favorite sunrises are by far the colorful ones, but even though this morning was virtually guaranteed to be cloudy and likely rainy, I got up early because I wanted to see if there might be some magic in the clouds. Besides, I had the photo club meeting at 10am so I figured I might as well make the most of the morning.

 

It started with a 5 minute drive down to the shore to see what it was like over the bay. Right away I noticed it was pretty windy, with consistent waves and spray blowing on the beach. And rather than a flat gray sky there were distinct patches of darker and lighter gray...perfect for picking up the patterns in long exposures.

My first visit to the Highline on the west side of Manhattan. I'd read about it last year and was very much looking forward to visiting in person. It is such a cool place. The history is palatable and the environment is so unique to be right in the middle of the city.

For those that don't know, the Highline is an elevated park above the streets of Manhattan. It stretches from 30th street down to just past 12th street. It was created on the old elevated railroad tracks that were originally built in the early 1900s. The tracks fell completely out of use by the 80's and began to be reclaimed by the forces of nature (trees and vegetation started to grow on the tracks).

I've been avoiding getting up for sunrise photo trips lately, which is especially odd given I just finished my first photo book on that exact subject. At first I missed a few weeks because I was busy but then the sunrise just got so darn early. It's tough to get anywhere before 5am and most of the places I want to go usually mean I have to get on the road by 3 or 3:30 (sometimes earlier). It's also tough to rise early when a backlog of photo processing keeps me up late at night :)

One subject I've been trying to push myself on this year is street and urban photography. I've always thoroughly enjoyed the sunrise and landscape subjects and the natural environment is still my favorite subject. But I think shooting in the city is so much different. Most of the subjects are either in motion or constantly changing, the scenes are usually busier, and I find myself having to make decisions much faster. It's a great training ground to sharpen your skills.

If at first you don't succeed...

...try, try again.

I occasionally attach little stories or some background information about a particular image, but this one's definitely got a story to it.

As the husband of a stellar Creative Memories consultant, I'm lucky that my wife not only earns some of the company's incredible incentive trips, but she's kind enough to take me along with her on occasion :) We recently attended the CM trip to Paradise Island, Bahamas. One of the excursions we could sign up for ahead of time was a day long boat trip to another island in the Exumas that included a snorkeling stop as well. The adventure was an experience to remember.

So if a hiking trail by the Chesapeake Bay is named the "Bay Overlook Trail", is it too much to ask that it actually overlook the bay?