Virginia

Incredibly great, not very dismal

| Tom

 

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A full moon sets over the Great Dismal Swamp at sunrise.

It’s been a couple years since I first visited the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.  Since then, my photography has taken off and I pined to capture images of this incredible place at sunrise.  Fortunately for me, the US Fish and Wildlife Service had opened up the most scenic area of the swamp to allow for sunrise photography.

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Pre-sunrise glow paints the sky over lake Drummond. Located at the center of the Great Dismal swamp, Lake Drummond is Virginia’s largest natural lake.

My first shoot was 2 days before Christmas.  I arrived to windless skies which meant that surface of Lake Drummond (Virginia’s largest natural lake) was like a mirror.  The sky was cloudless, which meant that not only did I witness great sky color, but also the setting full moon on the Western horizon.  Having such beautiful conditions in such a special place was like receiving an early Christmas present.

This river otter was spotted in a tributary to the Great Dismal Swamp.

Storms Across NoVA

| Tom

 

A rainbow appears above a horse pasture West of Leesburg
Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow: The Loudoun County Executive Airport
A post-storm sky full of Mamatus Clouds above the rural Loudoun Suburbs, West of Leesburg
Zoomed in, its clear to see the puffy mamatus clouds drooping beneath the thunder head. In the distance is Sugarloaf Mountain and Dickerson, Maryland

This past week saw some of the first thunderstorms of the season for 2017.  Rolling through on Thursday night, they caught most of us off guard, as the forecast wasn’t calling for thunderstorms until the following day.  Fortunately, I had the opportunity to head out, upon learning about them.

This shoot started on the West side of the storm as it departed Western Loudoun County.  Eventually, I ended up at Dulles Airport to shoot “The Iconic Dulles Shot” with lightning in the background.  This was by far my best image of the night.  I love how my D810’s imaging sensor was able to extract dim details from the scene, like the faintly visible mamatus clouds in the sky above.

Winter 2016

Image | | Tom

I’ve hinted in the past that while the vibrant “organic” colors that Spring through Fall bring make for amazing photographs. However, there is something to be said for the simple beauty of winter.  After all, the peaceful beauty that freshly fallen snow (let alone the peaceful silence of being out in the snow as it quietly falls) makes for great images.

While winter may have gotten off to a late start here on the East Coast, it made for some great photography: bringing the foggiest December on record to the Mid Atlantic.  Then in January, we were treated to a true whollop of snowstorm, bringing 34 inches to my backyard.  Some areas of West Virginia saw 40+”!  Unfortunately, this much snow made it extremely difficult for me to get to get to scenic locations to photograph, but my new pair of snowshoes got a lot of use for a week 🙂

Finally, we were able to make it up to Canaan Valley in the high Alleghenies of West Virginia for Winter’s last true stand.  While not quite as cold or beautiful as the winter of 2015, all-in-all winter 2016 did not disappoint.

Cheers!

-Tom

Blackwater Canyon in West Virginia
Starry night sky above Canaan Valley
Late day sky glow in Canaan Valley
Elakala Falls
Frozen rocks at Great Falls during a cold snap
The sun trying to poke through the clouds on a foggy morning
Reston during the blizzard
I was out during the peak of “blizzard conditions” and was impressed by the amount of snow blowing around
The neighborhood…more snow still had yet to come
Saint Mary’s Wilderness – George Washington National Forest
Bolivar Heights – Harpers Ferry. The mountains were completely obstructed by the fog bank pouring over them
Sunrise in Jefferson County, WV. Due to excessively warm/moist conditions, the grass was abnormally green for late December
Jefferson County, WV
Industrial Grittiness – Halltown, WV
North Landing River Preserve, Virginia Beach
North Landing River Preserve, Virginia Beach
North Landing River Preserve, Virginia Beach
North Landing River Preserve, Virginia Beach
North Landing River Preserve, Virginia Beach
North Landing River Preserve, Virginia Beach
North Landing River Preserve, Virginia Beach
A near full moon over Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Abandoned farmhouse – Great Falls, VA
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge

A Rainy Saturday in Harpers Ferry

| Tom
Who said rainy days had to be all stormy any grey? - A "sunny" bunch of Maryland's State Flower, found right across the state line in West Virginia
Who said rainy days had to be all stormy any grey? – A “sunny” bunch of Maryland’s State Flower(s), found right across the state line in West Virginia

 

As I’ve said before, just because it’s raining, doesn’t mean that you can’t shoot good pictures.  You just have to change your subject matter/techniques.  Rainy days are like challenges to me, pushing me to think of new ways to create unique images within the confines of trying not to get the camera wet.

“Pathway to heaven.” In this case, through St. Peter’s Catholic Church
Braving heavy rains, they have the streets of Harpers Ferry all to themselves

This past weekend, my wife’s family was in town and they asked to go to Harpers Ferry…what a great idea, go to a normally PACKED summer destination on a day when the weather drove almost all the visitors away.  All of the shops/sights/attractions were open and we had the whole place to ourselves.  It also allowed us to closely interact with some of the period reenacters and get great pictures (in the nice even lighting) with few distractions.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Having someone to drive me around is an opportunity that I rarely have these days.  I decided to make use of the time by trying to create some images of the damp Blue Ridge valley countryside whizzing by my window:

“Fallow field”
Rain on the window accentuates this Northern Virginia cornfield
“Pastoral scene”

 

Steaming Through History

| Tom

Growing up in a family that loves trains, I would often be dragged along to see various trains and locomotives at home and abroad. Fortunately for my dad/uncles, they didn’t have to do much dragging because I find the “iron horses” of old to be fascinating. It had been a while since I had seen a steam engine in action, so I was excited about the prospect of seeing one of the greatest (and last) steam locomotives ever built.

I set out on the morning of June 7th and picked up the 611 at The Plains, followed by Delaplane, Markham, and Front Royal (all made possible by the line’s close proximity to a 70mph interstate).

N&W 611 Steams out of The Plains
Entering Delaplane
Under heavy steam, 611 climbs into the Blue Ridge Mountains outside of Markham

While at one of the stops I had heard that it was possible  to view the bridge over the Shenandoah that the train would use while turning around at the Wye (my previous research had shown that this was impossible due to it all being private land/active rock quarry/NS land surrounding the bridge).  So, I decided to take my chances and head straight down there…

My research was correct, I arrived at a private campground, and immediately tried to find the owner to ask permission (he wasn’t around).  But, in the meantime I met a few friendly campers who were also interested in trying to see a “steam locomotive” cross the bridge.  We were climbing around the banks of the S. Fork of the Shenandoah River and attracted the attention of a curious fisherman, who navigated his boat over to the shore to strike up a conversation.  Not long afterwards, came “I can take you out to see the bridge, I’d like to see the train myself.”  And the rest is history…aside from 2 other fishing boats, we were the only ones out there.

611 Crosses the Shenandoah River at the confluence of the North & South Forks of the River
The onlybridge crossing of the journey, the engine had to back across this bridge and then pull forwarward in order to turn the train around

On the way back, I was able to pick up the 611 at two stops: historic Rectortown (the former train depot was used as a prison for POWs during the civil war) and sharply contrasting Gainesville, which is more of just a large modern freeway interchange these days.

Rectortown, VA
Gainesville, VA

Chasing the Light

| Tom

I am constantly trying to improve on my methods.  As I do so, I find myself trying to find the best and most interesting lighting conditions.

One of those moments where you just have to stop the car and take a picture. Late day post storm light pierces through the canopy in the George Washington National Forest
One of those moments where you just have to stop the car and take a picture. Late day post storm light pierces through the canopy in the George Washington National Forest

Proper lighting has been a key component of my photographs for as long as I’ve owned a camera.  However, it’s become even more important as my skills have evolved.  Our summer has been off to a stormy start in the Mid-Atlantic, so unique lighting conditions have been easy to find.  Below is a compilation of some of my work over the past couple of weeks.

The sun pokes through the clouds on my way out to a shoot
Great Falls of the Potomac
The early morning sun pierces through Great Falls Park
First Landign State Park, Virginia Beach. The sun’s early rays illuminate the marsh surrounding White Hill Lake.
The sun’s early rays illuminate White Hill Lake in First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach.
Spanish Moss Glow. First Landing State Park is one of the few places in Virginia that Spanish moss naturally grows
Not only is spanish moss rare in Viriginia, it is also at the extreme northern edge of its range here.
Maple leaf in First Landing State Park. I find the caostal swamps of Virginia to be interesting, being at the extreme edge of many plants’ natrural ranges, you get a large amount of biodiversity.
I caught this little guy climbing a road in the George Washington Naitonal Forest. It is currently turtle nesting season, so these guys are all over the place.
A low-canopy forest is illuminated in the last rays of the day.
North Fork Mountain Trail
Catching the last lighting here, a distant storm over Elkins, WV created cloud cover that obscured most of the sunset. Tibbett Knob is a spectacular rock outcropping along the VA/WV state line in the GW National Forest.
Clouds clear after a late day storm over North Fork Mountain on the Virginia/West Virginia state line in the George Washington National Forest

A Damp Morning in Shenandoah

| Tom

I had originally been planning a hike to one of the top sights in the George Washington National Forest to take sunrise pictures.  So, when the weather forecast began to call for clouds, I began to make alternative plans.  I awoke on Sunday morning and made a quick check of current satellite observations of cloud cover, they confirmed the weather forecasts: 100% cloud cover = no sunrise.  I almost went back to bed, but decided to get out anyways and head up to Shenandoah National Park. As much as photographers love early morning lighting, cloudy days are also nice due to their “even” lighting.  I arrived at the top of the mountains, greeted with off and on drizzle, which helped ensure that I was the only one out that early.  Most notably, there were low hanging wispy clouds in the valley, which always makes for interesting photography.  It was a great morning: hiking to mountain tops, waterfalls, and fern forests.  Yet another instance that I was glad I got out of bed at 3:00.

Spring green cloaks the slopes of Stony Man on a misty May morning,
Shenandoah National Park
What was once a spectacular “old growth” Eastern Hemlock forest, the Limberlost area has fallen victim to the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (HWA). HWA has ravished most of these beautiful forests…if you know of a still-standing Hemlock forest, visit it soon
While not as beautiful as the once mighty Hemlocks, beauty can still be found in new growth.
Falls in White oak Canyon
A millipede poses for me
A forest of ferns grows at one of the higher areas of the park.