US Rte 60 Waterfall
This roadside waterfall along US Rte 60 near Glen Ferris, WV, normally runs at a trickle, but I was lucky enough to catch it at a higher flow recently after persistent rain.
As far as I know this waterfall does not have a name, but if anyone local knows differently I’d be happy to hear from you.
US 60 near Glen Ferris, Fayette County, WV
Fawn
No one will ever confuse me with a wildlife photographer, but I did want to share this image of a newborn fawn I came across recently while hiking. It laid there perfectly still trying its best to remain unseen as I snapped off photos.
Jackson County, WV
Fallen
A lone leaf lying on a wood plank footbridge in Coonskin Park, Kanawha County, WV. I was attracted to this mini-scene by the puddle of dampness surrounding the fallen leaf.
Coonskin Park, Kanawha County, WV
Dolly Sods 4
Another installment in the series, taken this past October in the Bear Rocks area of Dolly Sods, WV.
Through the years I’ve taken enough photographs that I would consider myself reasonably competent in terms of technique, but alas mistakes still do occur! In this case I made the cardinal error of using a polarizer in a wide angle shot, which is evident in the color gradient across the sky.
Tucker County, WV
Elklick Run
A small mountain stream in Tucker County, WV.
My waterfall photography had been thwarted on this day by persistently sunny skies, but finally I caught a break as a few clouds rolled in and allowed me to make this image.
Tucker County, WV
Laurel Creek #2
Another shot of Laurel Creek in Fayette County, WV, from a few weeks ago. This stream is part of the New River Gorge National River.
Fayette County, WV
Autumn Leaner
This is an image from this past fall that I recently rediscovered and processed. I had been on the fence in regard to the image when I first made it, but after the passage of some time I’m falling more on the side of “hey, I like it!”.
So, here it is, in all it pixelly glory, retrieved from the digital scrapheap and thrust into the faces of millions on the worldwide web. (Well, okay, perhaps more accurately thrust into the faces of close family and a couple friends.)
Randolph County, WV
Morris Creek Falls
This small waterfall is located along the Left Fork of Morris Creek in Kanawha County, West Virginia. Although there are dozens, if not hundreds, of waterfalls to be found in the mountainous eastern third of the state, there are precious few in the western foothills where this one is located.
Kanawha County, WV
Sunlit Treetops
Late evening sun lights treetops on a hillside near Orlando in Braxton County, West Virginia.
Braxton County, WV
Glady Creek Rocks
This image was made along Glady Creek in Valley Falls State Park, Marion County, West Virginia.
Glady Creek is a scenic little stream that was apparently receiving significant discharge from a small lake situated a mile or so upstream, turning what I expected to be a drought-stricken trickle into a springlike torrent. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.
Valley Falls State Park, WV
Twin Falls
Waterfall located along Glady Creek, just outside the boundary of Valley Falls State Park in Marion County, West Virginia.
Being relatively unfamiliar with Valley Falls State Park, I had no idea what sort of scenery might be found in its nether corners away from the well-known namesake falls along the Tygart River. One neat way I’ve found to discover hidden gems and unique sites wherever you may be is via geocaching. In this case I browsed my GPS to find nearby caches, and immediately became intrigued by one called “Glady Creek Waterfall Cache”. It was about a 0.9 mile hike from my parking spot, so off I went.
As it turns out this waterfall was well worth the hike. I spent an hour or so photographing and enjoying the general area. And, oh yeah, I found a geocache to boot! And I would never in a million years have known of this place’s existence if it weren’t for the fact that someone placed a geocache there.
So all you photographers out there might want to consider geocaching as a spin-off hobby. What better way to find scenic locations than to let the local people show them to you?
Valley Falls State Park, West Virginia
Valley Falls Trees
I love photographing trees but find them to be a difficult subject. Having separation between the trees and the background seems to simplify things a bit though, and in combination with nice lighting can make for an attractive image.
The image that follows was made at Valley Falls State Park in Marion County, West Virginia, on a recent cold autumn morning. Although similar in nature to my previous post, it has a bit of a different feel with the sky omitted and the smaller field of view (80mm vs. 28mm).
Valley Falls State Park, WV
Bear Rocks
It is normal, and for that matter expected, that when you visit a remote location in the state of West Virginia for the purpose of photography that you will be rewarded with solitude. This is especially true if you make your arrival before daybreak.
So, on a recent trip to the Bear Rocks area of Dolly Sods to shoot the sunrise and autumn color, I was shocked and amazed to find the parking lot absolutely crammed with vehicles upon my arrival. There were people scurrying with their tripods out to various promising viewpoints, pointing their DSLR’s toward the glow of the pending sunrise. A photography group was stationed at one prominent vantage spot, and in every direction I looked I could see small groups of 2 or 3 people huddled against the ever present wind awaiting the lightshow.
Being one who considers solitude and reflection to be essential elements to any success I manage to achieve with my own photography, I elected to tool around at my truck and have some breakfast rather than joust for tripod position with other photographers. After a short time the sunrise dissipated, and the other folks made their way back to their vehicles and sped away toward their next appointment with Mother Nature.
But the light was still soft and inviting, so I walked out to the same vantage point that had been occupied mere moments previously and made a few images of my own. The image attached to this post was the best of the lot.
I’ve always felt that West Virginia is the nation’s best kept secret, but on this day I had to admit that my little illusion of the state being a private playground known to only a lucky few was forever shattered. So, if you ever make your way to the beautiful Bear Rocks at Dolly Sods for sunrise, here’s hoping that you find some empty tripod holes to shoot from.
Dolly Sods, Grant County, WV
Dancing Reflections
While fishing today on New River in Summers County, West Virginia, I noticed some truly bizarre reflections shifting and dancing across the water. A perfect storm of conditions caused swirls of green, black, and white reflected light to merge and divide, morphing into random and ever changing abstract patterns. It was a singularly mesmerizing spectacle.
Due to the rapidly shifting nature of the phenomenon I shot ten or so images, each as distinctly unique in pattern as a fingerprint. The image that follows was my favorite of the group.
Dancing Reflections
Cleaning Out the Digital Closet
It pays to go back and browse through your older image files from time to time. On more than one occasion I have rediscovered a previously discarded image that I decide I now like.
I’m always amazed and puzzled when this happens. How can an image be transformed from digital clutter/also-ran status to print? The image, of course, was always there, unchanging, so any shift in perceived quality must lie entirely within the eye of the beholder.
I’ve also found the reverse to be true as well. Many times my current aesthetic has de-valued images that I once held in high esteem.
I suppose it is all part of growing and evolving in your work. Images that once seemed fresh and exciting can become stale and cliched, while others that didn’t originally meet expectations can sometimes reveal their more subtle and mysterious charms with the passage of time.
Following are two images that have recently been rescued from the digital abyss.
After the Storm
Impenetrable
Rock Shelter
One of my favorite types of photo trips is to take the nearest interstate a couple exits past my familiarity zone and then drive off randomly into the countryside. There’s a certain sense of excitement and anticipation that’s generated by traveling into the unknown this way. The same sort of scenery that bores you to tears as you drive back and forth to work becomes fresh and full of possibilities again, because YOU haven’t seen it before. And, sometimes, you stumble upon things that are truly remarkable.
Yesterday, while traveling the winding and narrow back roads of Roane County, I spied what appeared to be a large opening beneath a cliff face just up the hill from the road. Upon investigation it turned out to be a rock shelter cave of epic proportions, the sort of chamber that you could park multiple Greyhound buses in.
My mind raced with the possibilities, there was an almost palpable sense of Native American presence in this cavernous shelter. As I walked inside and let my eyes adjust I almost let myself believe that there would be petroglyphs on the walls, or partially finished projectile points lying right where they were left a few centuries earlier.
But, alas, it turns out that this rock shelter is well known to local residents. It is always so in West Virginia, everything has been seen before by someone.
The walls of the shelter were adorned with a dizzying array of graffiti proclaiming allegiance to marijuana and love for Jessica, among several other related subjects. A party spot indeed.
But even though this rock shelter sees its share of activity on Saturday nights, I can’t help but believe that traces of those who came before us remain. Somewhere underneath the earth and stone, the implements and weapons that made life possible must still be lying there.
Looking Out from Inside
Back wall of the shelter, exposed 60 seconds:
Party Spot
First Blog Post!
God help us all, I am now a blogger.
I hope to be able to post new photography about once per week, give or take. Some of these images will ultimately make it into print, but many will be uploaded for discussion purposes or to simply try out new ideas. The image below was taken on a very cold October morning at Blackwater Falls State Park, WV.
Lilly Photography 