Author: timothyk68

Taking Notes

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When I was a heck of a lot younger and learning photography from my dad, he showed me his “Ansel Adams Exposure Record” book.

It was old when I was a kid. When I was cleaning out my parents’ house in 2015, I packed away dad’s photography archive, and everything related to it. The decades of slides and negatives, and his meticulous record of the slides. And the Exposure Record book. For something that is now over 65 years old, it is in remarkably great condition. Even the paper does not seem to have aged. The record is one more piece of the puzzle of being able to tell the story of his photos, and his story. This is one of my on-going projects.

Rewinding a bit, when I was younger, I thought my dad was nuts by keeping all of this information. You know the shutter and f-stop of this photo of clouds over the backyard. Great, now what? I’d rather be taking photos than writing down what shutter speed I used on the photo of the snow bank in the same backyard after I shoveled the snow.

When I got to college, though, I realized he was not crazy at all. When Mr. Bulucos took me under his wing in his photography class, knowing the technical information of the photo was crucial in the darkroom. However, once I was out of his class, I stepped away from the note taking. Then, the digital age came along and the camera records all of that information. So, vindication for me! Right?

Not really. Over the past few years, I have started taking a notebook with me in the field. Writing down where I was, making notes about the conditions, what filter I was using (if any), handheld vs supported with a tripod. Any info the camera cannot record. What was that flower in the garden? That bird? What were the weather conditions?

I don’t just use the notebook, I also use a journal app on my phone. The app is great because I can drop photos from my phone into the journal. With the location services on my phone, it records exactly where I was when I took the photo.

Why is this important? It helps to tell the story of my photos. I can just say I took a photo of a tree, and here’s the tree. If I say what kind of tree it is, where I took it, what was the mood of the day, and what was the tree telling me, I can then tell the viewer all of this. Just like telling my dad’s story, I can tell the story of my photos, and my story.

Taking notes also slows me down when I’m in the field. I do not want to be a machine just snapping photos. I want to take the scene in. Look around. Look behind me. Explore the scene to determine which angles and points of view are speaking to me. I cannot do that if I’m just standing there taking photos.

Dad is still talking to me, and teaching me, 20 plus years since he left this world. I’m listening, dad.

Resetting My Bearings

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Drayton Hall, Charleston SC

The years 2014-2019 seemed to be virtually non-stop for my photography. From conferences, to workshops, teaching, seemingly constant photowalks and trips to all four primary directions, I was on a roll. My library grew exponentially. Then the plague hit, and for a year, I only got out twice to local meetups with a small group of friends. 2021 saw a return to some travel, but, I still was not getting nearly as much photography done as I had in the past several years. As my photography slowed down, I realized that I had gotten burned out to some degree. At that point, I decided to step back a bit, and think about where I was going with this passion. I spent time learning new post-processing techniques. I also spent time thinking about my in-camera approach. It was time well spent. I was able to re-work old images in new ways. And in examining my archive, realizing what I would have done differently with many of my photos.

This year, I planned a trip around my birthday as I have for many years. I felt re-energized, and found myself loving examining the scene, and really considering composition. I also found myself seeing some familiar places in entirely new ways.

I spent a week with my girlfriend Cathie in Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, among a few other spots we have previously visited. I will be writing about some of the highlights of the trip in upcoming blogs. But, for now, I have returned with a mountain of new photos. And a fresh enthusiasm for this art.

The Conowingo Eagles

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Early morning light on a bald eagle

For Cathie’s birthday this year, we decided to go somewhere new that she had learned about earlier this year. Conowingo Hydroelectric Generating Station is a dam on the Susquehanna River in northern Maryland that has become a bald eagle hot spot. There are about 250 eagles who reside there, but from November through January, the numbers swell even higher. As it happened, we were there about a week too early to see the greatest number of eagles. But that also meant there were somewhat fewer photographers when we were there, which worked out well. We met some great photographers, including a pair from Boston who come down to Conowingo at least once a year. We spent the full day, November 15, there, stopping only to get lunch at Mission BBQ in Aberdeen. It was cold, it wasn’t very sunny, but it was a fantastic day seeing these magnificent birds in action. A day I will not soon forget.

The intrepid eagle photographers
Early morning at the Conowingo Hydroelectric Generating Station, just before the show started
Frenzy at the dam
A pair of juvenile bald eagles having an argument

April 2022- Catching Up

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I haven’t had much to write about over the past couple of years, not surprisingly due to what has been happening in the world. I have had a few local excursions mainly for camera therapy. Cathie and I did take a trip to Florida in November 2021, and I plan on doing a write up on that trip soon. But otherwise, it’s been a long couple of years with very little new art being created.

I spent most of the downtime sharpening my Photoshop skills through tutorials and virtual seminars. There are tools that I needed to add to my skill set. And I spent a lot of time re-assessing how I approach the process of creating while behind the camera. It was time well spent, and I finally was able to put some of these skills and processes to work last week when Cathie and I returned to the Smokies for the first time since 2019.

I will be posting about some of the locations we went to, and the fun we had on the trip, in upcoming posts. But, for now, it was a tremendous feeling to be back in one of my favorite locations, immersed in photography for a week. I also was able to test my limits physically after an unexpected health issue that cropped up in December. Some of my daredevilry returned on the trails, and it felt good to be back to my old self again.

Arizona- A Natural and Historic Wonderland

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After spending a few short days in northern Arizona in 2016, I have been planning to go back for an extended trip. That opportunity arose in April, and I was very fortunate that Cathie was also able to go on this trip. It’s always more fun to share amazing experiences with someone else.

Sedona and the Grand Canyon were on our list, as Cathie was only able to join me for the first few days of the trip. During Cathie’s time on the trip, we also visited the meteor crater outside of Winslow. Having seen it in photos, I still was surprised how massive the crater is. Not only did the size of it amaze me, but there was the added bonus of having incredibly strong winds, gusting to will over 60 mph. The winds were due to two storm systems in the area.

After Cathie had to return home, I still had two full days on my own before I returned home. I was not sure how I would fill those days, but after doing some research, discovered there were sites in around the Flagstaff and Sedona region that I was not previously aware of.

Montezuma Castle National Monumenthttps://www.nps.gov/moca/index.htm– A Sinaguan cliffside dwelling built somewhere between 1100 and 1300 AD.

Montezuma Castle- Infrared

Tuzigoot National Monument https://www.nps.gov/tuzi/index.htm– the remnants of another Sinaguan village, built between 1000 and 1400 AD.

Tuzigoot- Infrared

Montezuma Well https://www.nps.gov/moca/planyourvisit/exploring-montezuma-well.htm– A limestone sink formed naturally ages ago, continuously fed from the bottom. The Sinagua irrigated their crops with its waters. And the remains of their cliffside dwelling above the well still exist, as seen in the photo below.

Montezuma Well- Infrared

Wupatki and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monuments https://www.nps.gov/sucr/index.htm–https://www.nps.gov/wupa/index.htm both are within 20 miles of each other, separated by part of the Coconino National Forest. The volcano last erupted around 800 years ago. Thousands of people were farming in the nearby Wupatki pueblos, and they witnessed the eruption. They vacated the area not long after, but the structures they built remain to this day. You can hike the lava field at the base of the volcano, then drive to Wupatki to see how people lived when the volcano last erupted. The prairie between the two sites is one of the most astonishing landscapes I have ever seen.

The Lava Field Below Sunset Crater Volcano
Wupatki Pueblo
Coconino- The Prairie Between Sunset Crater and Wupatki

These are places everyone should see. And there are even other sites that I have learned about but have not yet seen. There will be another trip, I have barely explored the wonders this state has to offer.

The Smokies- Back of Beyond

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“The dreamy, blue haze that ever hovers over the mountains softens all outlines, lends a mirage-like effect of great distance to objects that are but a few miles off while those farther removed grow more and more intangible, until finally the skyline blends with the sky itself.” Horace Kephart


It is becoming an annual tradition now, where Cathie and I head to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. In 2018, we went twice. I wrote about the first trip, from April, but didn’t get a chance to write about the Thanksgiving excursion. Having just come back from there now, I have decided to just write a little about the park, not necessarily what I have done there, but the experience of being there.

It’s one of the few places where you can be in a heavy, tourist area like Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg, but a short drive later, you are off the grid. Twenty minutes out of these heavily populated areas, you have no cellular signal. And while it is the most heavily visited parks, outpacing all of the others by quite a substantial margin each year, you can find yourself away from others. As primarily a landscape and nature photographer, hopefully it’s not hard to understand why I’m drawn to this place. After all, the park owes its existence to photographers.

I had the chance to see the park in late fall, over Thanksgiving last year. There were a few days where there was a heavy frost in the valleys. The park still held tremendous beauty, even if a little stark, with winter about to set in.

Prior to November, my trips had been in spring, although they were after the wildflowers had bloomed. This time, we planned our trip to be closer to bloom. The forests and valleys were awakening, we had timed our trip well this time. The day I arrived was quite rainy, and the rain continued the first full day in the park last Monday. As a result, the streams, rivers and waterfalls were raging. This offered us a myriad of photo opportunities during the week, which we took full advantage of.

Mostly, this past week was about detaching from day-to-day life. I didn’t come back with a tremendous amount of photos. I tried to make the photos count, though. And I also wanted to just be in the moment. Hearing the streams running. Walking out onto the balcony of our cabin with a cup of coffee in the morning, with the only sounds being birds chirping and wind blowing in the trees. It was sublime. It was a fantastic week, as was the week we spent there in November. And while I might not be able to return to the Smokies this year, I will be back, to the back of beyond.

A Jaunt to South Carolina- September 2018

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I realize I am inexcusably late in posting about this trip that I took over Labor Day weekend. Work has been hectic to the point where I just have not found the time to step back and work on this. While I could split this up into different parts, I’m just going to post a summary, as I need to get working on the most recent trip, to the Smokies over Thanksgiving.

I try to get to South Carolina at least once a year to spend time with Cathie of CLCrow Photography (Myrtle Beach). As usual, I flew into Raleigh-Durham, and Cathie picked me up to take me to Myrtle Beach. We were concerned about holiday rush hour traffic, as I had arrived on the Friday before Labor Day. But, the traffic was not all that bad. That night, we spent a little time at Garden City Pier after the sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rest of the trip was spent exploring Charleston, including visits to Boone Hall, Charlestowne Landing, and then sunset on the Mt. Pleasant side of the Ravenel Bridge leading into Charleston. We also spent time in Myrtle Beach, at Huntington Beach State Park and Brookgreen Gardens. We also met up with Robbie Bischoff, a local photographer and licensed FAA drone pilot, for sunrise on Labor Day.

All in all, it was a great trip, but as with most, it was over too soon and before I knew it, I was heading home.

First Road Trip for 2018- Finale

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The day started with a drive on Newfound Gap Road, which traverses the highest parts of the park, and ends in North Carolina. Along the way is Clingman’s Dome, the highest peak in the park. The hike to the observation tower is not a long hike, but, the trail is very steep, it is ranked as one of the more strenuous hikes in the park. Knowing that, we all decided to stay by the parking lot, which still offers some fantastic views of the mountains. Among the cars parked were several Minis, they were either on their to or from a rally. One of the Minis caught my eye- I am a huge Jeremy Clarkson fan, and the owner of the car turned it into a Clarkson/Top Gear tribute. I had to get some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a picnic lunch on the way to North Carolina, and continued on to the old Mingus Mill, which is near the Oconluftee Visitor’s Center (the North Carolina side of the park).

After stopping at the center, we headed back, and stopped at a turnoff overlooking the Oconoluftee River. We got some long exposures of the rushing water, and then continued back toward the NW end of the park where we were staying. We made another stop at Tremont, and by the time we were done there, it was dinner time.

 

 

 

 

We drove into Gatlinburg and had dinner at Bones BBQ Joint, it was a great last meal of the trip. Afterward, we went to the Ole Smoky Distillery and had a moonshine tasting. I bought some to bring back, it was really good!

 

 

 

 

 

Thus ended our spring excursion to the Smokies. As always, a fantastic time, with great people to share the experience with. Cathie and I will be returning to the Smokies in November. Before then, other adventures await, it will be a great summer!

First Road Trip for 2018, Part 6

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Thursday, May 3- recovery day. We didn’t have a set wake up time due to the strenuous hike from the previous day. The simple act of walking, going up and down stairs, standing up and sitting down, all were very tough. My legs were not prepared for the work, but, I’m not one to just sit around either. We went to breakfast at a place Cathie had seen during one of her previous trips, the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant The food was incredible, we ate more than we should have, but, it was a great reward for the previous day’s efforts. Their apple fritters were delicious, and Cathie bought some of their mix to take home. We walked around the candy store and their general stores, before heading out for our next stop, back to Cades Cove. After stopping at their stores, we left the park and played a round of miniature golf. We drove back out to Townsend, to see if we could get some information on cabins or hotels for future trips.

We intentionally left the day open and didn’t push our bodies too far, although Cathie fared better than I did. Later in the afternoon, we went back to photograph some of the roadside streams in Greenbriar, and on better days, I would have walked down the somewhat steep slopes to get closer to the water. But, I knew my legs were not going to handle it well, and I could just envision me tumbling down, breaking either bones, or my camera gear, or both. So, I played it safe and stayed up where we parked. Still, I got some photos I was pleased with.

We went back to the cabin, had dinner and relaxed a bit. It was a very light day.

First Road Trip for 2018, Part 5

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Wednesday, May 2.

We had breakfast at the cabin, and prepared for what we knew was going to be the toughest day of the trip. There are two very strenuous distance hikes in the park, and we wanted to do at least one of them on this trip. We chose the Ramsey Cascade’s trail, because it seemed that it would be the easier of the two, on paper. The waterfalls at the end of the trail are the tallest in the park. The last photo doesn’t do them justice, they are about 60-70 feet tall.

We arrived around 9:15 am at the parking lot at the trail head. The trail is about 4 linear miles one way, and we knew from what we had read that it was uphill most of the way to the falls. While I had not really trained for this kind of hike, I was confident. After all, this is not one of the trails chosen by the Navy SEALs for BUDs training. So we set off with the idea that we would be back to the car by mid afternoon.

We got back to the car a little over 9 hours later.

There is about a 2,200 elevation change one way. I was carrying over 40 lbs of camera gear, with plantar fasciitis in my right foot, two herniated discs in my back, and a surgically repaired right knee. But, none of that stopped me. It just meant that the going was slow. And it was for all of us. We had to make numerous stops on the way up. And when I say it is uphill, it’s steep in several spots. And, the last 1/8 of a mile was basically climbing over and around huge boulders, there wasn’t really a “trail.”

 

We brought provisions for the hike. It was one bottle of water for each of us, and one granola bar. For the entire day. By the time I had gotten to the 3 mile mark (going up), my granola bar was gone. And I finished the water before I got to the waterfalls. So, there were no provisions at all for the return hike.

When we finally got to the falls, Cathie had already sat down on the big rock in front of the falls. I put my gear down, and lay down flat on the rock on my stomach. I didn’t kiss the rock, but it was the same idea.

Cathie christened this “the hike from hell.” I will not disagree. She and I also made a suicide pact on the way back down. It was brutal. My legs were hardly holding me up as we were heading back down the trail. I tripped over my own feet, over rocks, branches, tree roots, you name it. And you know what? I would do it again. Because with all this being said, the pay off was incredible. And even with all this, there were spots that were achingly beautiful along the way. They had put narrow log bridges across some sections of the stream. I paused at these just lose myself in the moment, the water rushing below, the wind in the trees, and no other ambient sounds. In those moments, I truly understand what John Muir meant when he said “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares drop away from you like the leaves of autumn.”

I used up everything I had that day on that hike. It took my legs several days to really recover from it. Walking was not easy, but even worse was the hill we had to walk up and down to get to and from our cabin. And the stairs in the cabin to and from my bedroom really, really sucked. But these were just muscle aches. My foot, back and knee held up fine.

It was a day we all will never forget.