Today Was Going to be a Lazy Day

I'm just so tired lately. I guess I don't get enough sleep as I truly need but I can't help it. There's just so much I want to do but so little time. So as I've said in the past "I'll sleep when I'm dead."

I was going to stay in all day but I decided to drive around the neighborhood and look at houses for sale. While I was out I decided to keep on driving until I got to a great little town called Rocky Hill.

I spotted this water tower with the clouds behind it and knew it would make a great tonemapped photo. The tower was at the back of a parking lot for a tire shop so I quickly snapped a few shots off from my car so that people didn't wonder what the heck I was doing. LOL.

As I was driving through Rocky Hill I saw an open field next to a small airport where I thought I would be able to capture the clouds so I got out of my car really quick with the tripod and did some multiple exposures and then ran back to my car.

When I got back home and pulled them up on my computer I saw something that I can't quite explain. Maybe someone else can tell me what I've captured here?? It was barely there the first exposure, it was larger in the 2nd & huge in the 3rd. Mind you I took these in the super fast frame mode (well that's what I call it when I hold down the button and take 3 in a row without letting go - LOL! Yes, another "Jen-ism") Then I took another photo right after these bracketed ones and it wasn't there... What is it? A ghost? LOL! I don't believe in ghosts but WHAT IS THIS??

(CLICK ON EACH ONE TO SEE THEM VERY LARGE)

And the 4th one with NOTHING there??

Man lives in the sunlit world
of what he believes to be reality.
But, there is, unseen by most, an underworld,
a place that is just as real,
but not as brightly lit.....
A DARKSIDE.

The dark side is always there,
waiting for us to enter,
waiting to enter us.
Until next time,
try to enjoy the daylight.

-Tales from the darkside

I took this amazing sight right after the ghostly photo:

Then I headed back to my house past the D&R Canal that runs through a huge portion of NJ. The canal has become one of my favorite parts of living where I do...there is always part of this canal nearby. Whether I stay 2 hours or 5 minutes I always seem to find something interesting photographically to capture.

I met 2 fishermen while I was there. The one in this photo asked me if I was a land surveyor or was I taking photos. I laughed when he asked me that because that was one I hadn't heard yet in my photo travels. I told him I was taking photos for hobby. I asked him if there was an easy way over to this great part of this body of water they were fishing at where the water was fast moving and he showed me a spot and offered to carry my tripod across this rocky part over the water but then I decided I better not. I was afraid of trying to get across the water on rocks without an "incident" (maybe if I had some hiking boots on...but no in my sneakers). A short time later I snapped a quick on if him relaxing while he was fishing:



I chatted with his friend for a while when I headed over to another great area while I took the next shots. He asked if I was a "professional" and I said maybe "one day" and he described his love of fishing while I described my love for photography.

His fishing area was set up a distance away from where his friend was and I thought about what an idependent thing most hobbies really can be. They were together but not sitting with each other and would yell over to one another every now and then and that was good enough company for them. I guess it's like being "alone together".

I love going out photographing with my sister but then sometimes I don't mind going out alone with my photography to really be alone with my thoughts. Time alone with ourselves is sometimes necessary. But then there is always the good company and being able to discuss the mutual love of the hobby and explore new places together.

3 exposures merged to HDR in Photomatrix and tonemapped:

















I'm glad I didn't stay in the entire day. That's just too depressing to me. Getting out was helpful and I got some fresh air and some great photos!

Quick Little Photo Trip - Turned Out To Be Very Fruitful!

I spent the day indoors today working on my family portraits from Thanksgiving and decorating the house for Christmas. Around 3:30pm I decided to run out for a few minutes to get some photos in locally before the sun went down.

I stopped at an area I found on Thursday that was part of the D&R Canal. Just when I think I've seen all of the canal I keep discovering so many more great parts of it.

I went out purposely to take more RAW shots in multiple exposures (3). I've been on a kick of working on HDR's and I'm loving the results I get with a lot of them.

These are some I took today and worked on in Photomatrix.

This one was a random find. I came to the end of a street and found this sight before my eyes. I literally stopped the car, pulled out the camera and tripod, shot a number of shots, and then got back in my car to get to my next destination. I just can't pass up a great tree-lined path like this!

(click to view larger)



This photo was take at St. Joseph's Seminary. The building pictured is the Mary Immaculate Library. I never knew this place exsisted even though I've lived close to this area all of my life. When I was done with my photo hunt on Thursday I decided to take a new way home and found it (I always suggest doing this. You can find some great photo ops you never knew existed this way). SO today I went back to photograph it. After I was done a priest came out to chat and told me I'm welcome to photograph the chapel anytime which I thought was nice because I love photographing churches and there's was a nice one (I just didn't have time).

(click to view larger)



This was a spot right near the seminary. I love how this came out. I wished it wasn't getting dark while taking these shots but I think they worked out for the best with the dark shadows.

(click to view larger)



And a wide view (I couldn't decide which view I liked...tall or wide?)



And another by the D&R Canal. I'm loving this one!:

Vacation

I have off from work tomorrow...the weather is supposed to be icky...so you know what I'm going to be doing all day?

EDITING!

Yes, I'm serious...I'll be editing, editing, and editing all day if the weather is bad. Maybe one day I will get caught up!

Tonight I worked on a number of photos in Photoshop and here are a couple favorites (these 2 photos are from the fall foliage drive discussed in my blog HERE.)

Oh What A Day!

Today my sister and I figured we better make this a big day for photography since there aren't going to be too many weekends left before the leaves fall and leave behind barren trees.

I did a google search for "fall foilage New Jersey and came up with this website http://www.state.nj.us/travel/feature_fall_historic.html which ended up mapping out a wonderful day for us.

The tour we picked was called the Historic Tour and was the closest drive from the general area where we live. We were out the entire day from 11am - 6pm and I am SOOOOOO TIRED!

Begin in Titusville at Washington Crossing State Park, where General George Washington made his famous Christmas Day crossing of the Delaware River in 1776. The park brims with bridle paths, hiking and nature trails, a nature center and a playground, all dotted along the Delaware River.

From Titusville, take Rt. 546 East to Pennington, a quaint town with lovely shops. Take Rt. 31 North past several scenic wildlife management areas to Ringoes, where the Black River and Western Railroad offers a scenic train ride through many of the region's interesting towns, including Flemington, known for its shopping and dining.

From Ringoes, take Rt. 579 North. Turn left onto Rt. 523 Southwest through Sergeantsville and drive through the state's oldest covered bridge, the Green Sergeants Bridge.



Continue on Rt. 523 to Stockton, a lovely historic town with fine restaurants and antique shops. Here, the Bull's Island section of the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park offers fishing, canoeing, boating, hiking and nature trails. (we also visited Prallsville Mills Complex along the Delaware Canal.

From Stockton, take Rt. 29 North to Byram. Take the Rt. 519 spur to Rt. 519 South and circle back to Stockton. Take Rt. 29 South and follow along the scenic Delaware River through Lambertville. Stop here to enjoy the many antique shops, flea markets, art galleries and fine restaurants. Continue on Rt. 29 South back to Titusville.

This was the route highlighted from the website I found.



As I edit photos (who knows when) I will add them to this blog. :)