Bucks County, Pennsylvania in Autumn, 2022: Landscape Photographs

"Like a river that don't know where it's flowing,

I took a wrong turn and I just kept going."

Bruce Springsteen

Last week, my 98-year-old mom hosted Thanksgiving, and we were so fortunate to share it with family and friends. This was our first in-person Thanksgiving with the Friedman side of the family since before Covid, so being together was particularly special. 

The holiday offers a chance to reflect on the many things for which I am grateful, including close relationships, health, meaningful work, a loving wife and two sons who make me proud every day, and many other things. Regarding my photography, I am fortunate to have a good camera, lenses, filters, and editing software. However, I believe photography is much more than equipment. It starts with pausing, noticing and appreciating those things in our surroundings that are beautiful or interesting. From an early age, I saw how my mom noticed little things in her surroundings, and how she approaches life with a sense of awe and curiosity. To this day, she appreciates the beauty of the trees which form a canopy over her back yard, the tulips which decorate the front of her house each spring, and the unique beauty offered by each season and each day.  Quite often, she still goes to a local beach or marina evening to enjoy the day's setting sun. How lucky I am to have a role model who pauses to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us, and who has nurtured my own creativity!

In Bucks County, our historical sites and natural beauty are all enhanced by fall foliage, dense fog, or a hint of morning frost.  What follows is collection of photographs that I took this autumn, between September 20th and November 29th. This includes some of my favorite local spots, such as the Delaware Canal and Towpath, Yardley's Lake Afton, New Hope, the Delaware River, and Patterson Farm.

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving, and I hope my photos encourage you to pause to appreciate the unique beauty of each season and each moment.

Old Tree in Fog, River Road, Washington Crossing,
Pennsylvania, September 20, 2022.

Delaware Canal, Towpath and Footbridge in early morning
fog, Delaware CanalState Park, New Hope,
Pennsylvania, September 20, 2022.

View of New Hope Pennsylvania in early morning fog, as
seen across the Delaware River from Lambertville,
New Jersey, September 20, 2022.

Bowman's Hill, New Hope, Pennsylvania, October 8, 2022.

Delaware Canal, Washington Crossing,
Pennsylvania, October 18, 2022

Delaware Canal and Towpath, New Hope,
Pennsylvania, October 18, 2022.

Unknown Soldiers' Grave, Washington Crossing Historic Park
(North Section), New Hope, Pennsylvania, October 18, 2022.

Washington Crossing Historic Park (Southern Section),
Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, October 25, 2022.

Tree in Fog, Aquatong Road, New Hope,
Pennsylvania, October 25, 2022.

Delaware Canal and Towpath, Yardley, Pennsylvania, (view facing north from Black Rock Road), October 26, 2022.

Delaware Canal and Towpath, Yardley, Pennsylvania,
(View facing south, near Black Rock Road), October 26, 2022.

Delaware Canal and Towpath, New Hope, Pennsylvania,
(view facing north, taken a few minutes before sunrise,
in the northern section of Washington Crossing Historic Park), October 30, 2022.

Delaware Canal and Towpath, New Hope, Pennsylvania,
(Early morning fog, just after sunrise, a few miles north
of town), October 30, 2022.

Virginia Forrest Recreation Area, Delaware Canal State Park,
New Hope, Pennsylvania, October 30, 2022.

Lake Afton and the Old Library, Yardley,
Pennsylvania, October 31, 2022.

View across the Delaware River from the Centre Bridge section
of Solebury Township, Pennsylvania towards Stockton,
New Jersey, November 8, 2022.

Old Tree and Rising Sun, Yardley, Pennsylvania, (next to the ramp between Yardley Newtown Road and Route 295), November 12, 2022.

Washington Crossing Historic Park (south section), Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, November 12, 2022.

Lake Afton, Yardley, Pennsylvania, November 15, 2022.

Patterson Farm, Yardley, Pennsylvania, taken about 10
minutes before sunrise, November 19, 2022

Durham Boats on the Delaware River, Washington Crossing
Historic Park, Pennsylvania. (view facing south,
taken about 20 minutes before sunrise, in the south
section of the park), November 28, 2022.

Durham Boats on the Delaware River, Washington Crossing
Historic Park, Pennsylvania. This is the view facing north,
about 15 minutes before sunrise, in the south section of the
park, November 28, 2022.

Delaware Canal, Yardley, Pennsylvania. (Taken
at sunrise from the bridge on E. Afton
Avenue), November 29, 2022

 

The Cascadilla Gorge Trail in Ithaca, New York: Autumn Landscape Photographs and Tips for Capturing Moving Water

"Nature is a source of truth. Experience does not ever err, it 

is only your judgment that errs in promising itself results 

which are not caused by your experiments." 

-Leonardo Da Vinci 

Early this past Saturday morning I spent two hours photographing the Cascadilla Gorge Trail, in Ithaca, New York. The combination of cascading water and autumn color was truly beautiful. As it had snowed the night before, and a cold drizzle fell as I drove to the gorge, I was lucky that the clouds began to clear as I arrived.  While I walked and photographed in the gorge, there was a stretch of nice, filtered light (although it remained quite cold - in the mid-30s) before another stretch of snow later that morning.  I started at the Treman Triangle Park entrance to the gorge (off of Linn Street), and worked my way up the trail.  Below are nine of my new images of the Cascadilla Gorge, followed by several tips to improve your photographs of waterfalls and cascading water.

1) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

2) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

3) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

4) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

5) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

6) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

7) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

8) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

9) Cascadilla Gorge in Autumn, Ithaca, New York.

Tips to Improve Your Photographs of Moving Water

In my images above, I tried to give the flowing water a soft, white, silky appearance (rather than trying to "freeze" the movement).  To create beautiful photographs of the cascading water in Cascadilla Creek, or any waterfall, here are a few tips.

1) Use a Tripod.  As you will need to use slow shutter speeds, its important to avoid camera movement. You want the land, rock and trees to appear crisp and sharp, in contrast the moving water. Whenever I use a tripod, I also use and external shutter release.  This avoids pushing (and possibly moving) the camera.

2) As with any photograph you need to find the correct balance between ISO, shutter speed and aperture.  The key to achieving the silky appearance in moving water is finding the right shutter speed.  For each of the images above, I used the following settings: 

     a) a low ISO (100 or 200).

     b) a slow shutter speed (between three-tenths of a second and

     half a second).

     c) a small aperture (for these images, my aperture ranged 

     between f/14 and f/29).  This allowed a wide depth of field, 

     so both the foreground and background are sharp.

3) Experiment.  Different situations require slightly different settings, so you will need to experiment and make minor adjustments.  After each shot, I checked the image on the LCD to see if the water appeared silky, to see if there was some detail in the water, and to make sure the highlights were not blown (overexposed and all white, with no detail).

4) Vary your composition and emphasis. For some images, I tried to give the viewer a broad perspective of the setting, usually with a wide angle lens.  These images have foreground and background elements (e.g. images 2, 4, 6 and 9).  For other images, I tried to isolate a small section (e.g. images 3, 7, and 8).  Additionally, I tried to incorporate other compositional guidelines (leading lines, rule of thirds, filling the frame, diagonals, etc.).

5) Be Patient.  While I was in Cascadilla Gorge, there were fairly frequent gusts of wind.  If I was shooting a scene with trees, the wind meant that the leaves and branches were moving.  As I was using a slow shutter speed, the leaves and branches would appear blurry in my photograph, and diminish the overall image.  I often had to wait a few moments for the wind to die down.  It generally pays to be patient, take a few shots, and keep checking your LCD.  Similarly, for my landscapes, I usually do not want people in the images.  If folks happen to walk into an area while I am shooting, it pays to wait until they pass out of the frame.

6) You generally want soft, filtered light, so its best to shoot in the early morning or late afternoon.  The early morning has the added benefit of having fewer people along the trail.

I hope these simple tips help to inspire your creativity.

Thanksgiving, 2017: Autumn Landscape Photographs of Bucks County, Pennsylvania

"I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me

and I didn't have the heart to let him down."

(Abraham Lincoln, who made Thanksgiving

a Federal holiday in 1863)

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for all that love, joy an support that my wife, sons, family and friends bring to my life.  I am thankful for the companionship, laughs, and creative inspiration I have shared in many of my recent photo outings, and I am fortunate that in Bucks County, Pennsylvania we are surrounded by so much history and natural beauty.  I took all of the following autumn images between October 3, 2017 and November 21, 2017.  This collection includes state parks (Delaware Canal, Ralph Stover, and Tyler); local landmarks (Lake Afton and Cuttalossa Farm), historic bridges (truss and covered bridges), nature preserves (Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve and Five Mile Woods) and other picturesque spots.  Wishing you and your loved a holiday season filled with peace, joy, "malice toward none, with charity for all."

New Hope-Lambertville Bridge at Sunrise,
from New Hope, Pennsylvania (October 3, 2017).

Frankenfield Covered Bridge crossing Tinicum Creek,
Point Pleasant, Pennsylvania (October 3, 2017.

Delaware Canal State Park, Bucks County,
Pennsylvania (October 7, 2017).

Cuttalossa Road, New Hope, Pennsylvania (October 7, 2017).

Smithtown Creek, Pipersville, Pennsylvania (October 17, 2017).

Smithtown Creek, Pipersville, Pennsylvania (October 17, 2017).

Centre Bridge in early morning fog (crossing the 
Delaware River between Solebury Twp., Pennsylvania 
and Stockton, New Jersey, October 28, 2017).

Cabin Run Covered Bridge, crossing the Cabin Run Creek in
Point Pleasant, Pennsylvania (October 28, 2017).

 Cabin Run Creek in Point Pleasant,
Pennsylvania (October 28, 2017).

Cuttalossa Road, New Hope, Pennsylvania (October 28, 2017).

Smithtown Creek, Pipersville, Pennsylvania (October 28, 2017).

High Rocks Vista, Ralph Stover State Park,
Pipersville, Pennsylvania (October 28, 2017).

Delaware Canal and Towpath,
New Hope, Pennsylvania (October 31, 2017)

Delaware Canal and Towpath, 
New Hope, Pennsylvania (October 31, 2017)

Delaware River and American Flag, from The Lumberville–Raven 
Rock Bridge,Lumberville, Pennsylvania, (October 31, 2017).

The Lumberville–Raven Rock Bridge,
Lumberville, Pennsylvania, (October 31, 2017).

The Trenton Makes The World Takes Bridge,
officially the "Lower Trenton Bridge",
in early morning fog, November 2, 2017).

St. Andrew's Church reflected in Lake Afton, Before
Sunrise, Yardley, Pennsylvania (November 4, 2017).

First Light on Bowman's Hill, behind the Thompson-Neely Mill,
New Hope, Pennsylvania (November 7, 2018).

Cuttalossa Farm, New Hope,
Pennsylvania (November 7, 2018).

Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve,
New Hope, Pennsylvania (November 7, 2018).

Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve,
New Hope, Pennsylvania (November 7, 2018).

Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve,
New Hope, Pennsylvania (November 7, 2018).

Tyler State Park, Newtown, Pennsylvania (November 14, 2017).

Schofield Ford Covered Bridge,
Tyler State Park (November 14, 2017).

Five Mile Woods, Yardley, Pennsylvania (November 19, 2017).

Five Mile Woods, Yardley, Pennsylvania (November 19, 2017).

Five Mile Woods, Yardley, Pennsylvania (November 19, 2017).

Five Mile Woods, Yardley, Pennsylvania (November 21, 2017).

Five Mile Woods, Yardley, Pennsylvania (November 21, 2017).