Saturday View - 15 April 2023 Edition

Welcome To The Exploration Photography Daily View

Today's weather was supposed to be wet but not until around 11am. So I figured I'd head out early and do a little shooting while it was still dry. I grabbed my camera and headed to Valley Forge National Park and had a quick walk around. While there it was very cloudy and there was even a drizzle or two but it was very comfortable. And I grabbed some nice pictures that I would like to share with you today, Oh the rain? It never happened. Not more than that 30 second drizzle at least.

That's all for today, Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Welcome To The Wednesday View

Today after a string of many, many busy days and house/yard work and other commitments I was finally able to take a couple of hours and spend them shooting. I haven't gone through all of my days work yet but I think there is some pretty good stuff. All of it from Valley Forge National Park. There are some familiar sites that I shoot time and again and there is a bunch of new stuff too. And then there is some stuff that I have shot and shared in the past but perhaps a bit different and dare I say better this time around. That's what today's shot is. I made a similar photo probably two or three years ago. I'm not exactly sure but when I get a chance I'll skim through my posts and find the original. But for now please take a look at this and let me know what you think, if you are so inclined.

Click For Full Size Image

This old greenhouse is on the edge of the park. For some reason I don't visit this area as much. Which is a shame because there is so much to see there. And you will see some of it over the next couple of days.

It was a good shoot today. I felt "on" if you know what I mean. And I shot this knowing it had to be shared in black and white. If you want to see it in color though check out the "Before" image below.

Technical Info

- Canon EOS 80D
- Sigma DC 18-250mm Lens at 18mm
- Aperture Priority
- Aperture F16
- Shutter Speed 1/50 Second
- ISO (Film Speed) 250
- Center Weighted Average Metering

Here is the "Before" image.

Click For Full Size Image

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Tuesday July 4, 2017

And that will do it for today. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Welcome To Te Daily View

Hi folks. It's been a long work week and Kim and I are still settling into our new house. We got a lot done tonight but now it's getting late so this is going to be a quick one.

For today's photo I dug back into the archives and found this snapshot from Valley Forge after one of the few snow showers we have had so far this Winter.

Click For Full Size Image

This was shot with my phone and has had no editing. Therefore there is no real technical info to share. And of course no "Before" image.

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Thursday January 19, 2017

And that will do it. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - October 18, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

Today I am sharing an "updated" edition of a photo I posted a couple of days ago. This was shot at Pawling's Farm at Valley forge National Park on Saturday afternoon. Except this time I am presenting it in Black & White. I think it adds a touch of creepiness for the Halloween season.

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Monday October 17, 2016

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - October 15, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

How about this weather? Is it Autumn or is it Spring? Whichever I am not complaining. I got to spend some quality time out and about today with my camera. Kim and I of course had our regular errands to run but I did squeeze in about an hour to take a walk through Pawling's Farm at Valley Forge. I was hoping to capture some of the changing leaves but for the most part they are still green. I really think nature is just as confused as we are with the weather. But I did get some nice shots and today I would like to share this one with you.

I was on my way to visit the "Witness Tree" that I have shared in some previous posts and I saw these shadows and just had to shoot them. I am so glad that I did. Sometimes the journey is as good as the destination.

On another note I would like to let you know about an issue I have had in the Cafe. Three times in the last six weeks or so I have had a finch get stuck in one of my bird feeders. What happened is when the feeder emptied a bird would try to get that last seed and their head got stuck under the wall. I am happy to say though that all three times we were able to free the bird. Seemingly unharmed. For that I am very thankful. But as the saying goes, three strikes and you're out! The feeder that is. As soon as the last stuck bird was freed today I threw that thing right into the trash. Here is a picture of the offending feeder.

I very quickly replaced it and will be sharing the new one with you tomorrow. It is much safer for the birds and they should not get stuck. And as a positive side effect for the squirrels it is much easier for them to access. 

I hope the lesson I learned from all of this can serve to warn any of you birders out there to make sure the very feeder you put out to help our feathered friends doesn't backfire and harm them. I know I will be very careful going forward.

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Friday October 14, 2016

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - August 8, 2016

Hi and welcome to The Daily View!

While at Valley Forge yesterday shooting a scenic panorama I also made a point to visit and photograph "my favorite tree". In fact it is on the left hand side of the panorama but here is a little closer look.

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Sunday August 7, 2016

And that will do it for now my friends. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - August 7, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

How was your weekend? Can you believe it's almost over already? It seems that the older I get the faster everything goes. That's why Kim and I do our best to get out there and see whatever we can see and do whatever we can do. Sometimes it's far from home and sometimes it's very close. And then there are the times that it's really short. Time wise that is. Today was a fine example. We had a lot of stuff to do around the house but we also had some errands to run. And in between the errands we made time to drive over to Valley Forge and enjoy the park for a short while. And it was at Valley Forge that I made this panorama to share with you today.

Green grass, blue skies and fluffy clouds. It doesn't get much better than that. Of course it was also very warm but that just goes with the territory.

When we returned home I thought it would be cool to do some video in the Cafe. But I wanted to do something a little different. And I think I hit the mark. The name of the video says it all. "Up Close And Personal At The Cafe". And you can check it out below. Like all of my videos this one is best viewed at full screen and in 1080P resolution. I viewed it on our 46" TV and it was very cool.

This was shot with my Samsung Galaxy S6. Have I mentioned how much I love this phone? Am I the only one who chooses a phone based purely on the camera?

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Saturday August 6, 2016

And that's a wrap. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - June 1, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

And welcome to June! Wow time sure does fly huh?

Whenever I visit Valley Forge I always make a point to photograph "my favorite tree". And in my last two posts I have shared a couple of them with you. But Valley Forge has more than one tree and today I would like to share a different one with you.

And now...

Yesterday's View...

 Tuesday May 31, 2016

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - May 31, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

While shooting at Valley Forge yesterday with my Canon DSLR I thought I would pull out my Galaxy S6 and grab a few shots with that too. And doing so once again reminded me why camera phones will never replace dedicated cameras no matter how good they get. And believe me they are very good. My gripe is with trying to compose a shot without a viewfinder. In some cases it just cannot be done. But this being said I did manage to grab a good shot with my phone. And that is what I would like to share with you today.

Another view of my favorite tree with a cabin in front of it.

And now...

Yesterday's View...

 Monday May 30, 2016 

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - May 30, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

Well my friends, what was supposed to be a very rainy Memorial Day holiday turned out to be pretty nice. The only clouds in the sky were nice and fluffy and the temps were tolerable. Kim and I took a drive over to Valley Forge to take in some scenery and for me to snap off a few shots. While there I thought about how Valley Forge is very symbolic of what Memorial Day is all about. Not only did many soldiers lose there lives but they did so during and for the very birth of our nation. It is a truly special place.

For today's photo I would like to share with you yet another shot of my favorite tree in one of my favorite places.

And now...

Yesterday's View...

 Sunday May 29, 2016

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - May 21, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

We had yet another rainy day here but in our journeys today I did mange to stop off at Betzwood Park near Valley Forge and snap off some frames. When we got there there was a lot of geese in the parking lot and the the surrounding area. I did my best to photograph some of them but they seemed rather annoyed by me and my camera. In fact they downright took off on foot right into the river. Here is a shot of a couple of them.

And here is a video of me following them as they went for a swim.

I bet if I had food for them it would have been a different story. Next time I guess. What do geese at anyway?

And now...

Yesterday's View...

 Friday May 20,2016 

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - April 20, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

Yesterday I shared one of my latest views of the Valley Forge "Witness Tree". Today in honor of Spring and the annual renewal of the season I would like to share this with you.

This is a bud on the almost three hundred year old Sycamore. A promise that for at least another season it should flourish and fill itself with leaves. And when it fills you should see the shade it provides :)

And now...

Yesterday's View...

 Tuesday April 19, 2016

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - April 19, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

During my Sunday morning photo shoot I made my way over to what I call "the other side of Valley Forge". I am talking about Pawling's Farm which I have written about a few times before. I call it the other side because to get to it from the main part of the park I need to make a ten or fifteen minute drive which includes a stretch of Rt 422. Pawling's Farm is the home of a nearly three hundred year old Sycamore tree that many refer to as a "witness tree". The name refers of course to the history the tree has witnessed throughout it's lifetime. I have photographed this beauty many times over the past few years and of course I did so again during my recent visit. Here is one of my many shots.

I shot this in color but the lighting and general aura of the scene screamed black and white to me. And the more I look at it the more I like it. But as I often say, Though I take credit for capturing the scene I cannot take credit for the scene.

And now...

Yesterday's View...

 Monday April 18, 2016

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - April 18, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

In yesterday's post I told you about my adventures in trying to shoot the sunrise and eventually ended up sharing a photo of one of our squirrels with you instead. And although I really didn't get the sunrise I still got some shots of the early morning sun. And today I would like to share this one with you.

By this time the sun's rays were really strong so I used the tree to kind of tone it down a bit. It was even prettier in person :)

And now...

Yesterday's View...

Sunday April 17, 2016

Thanks for stopping by my friends!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - March 27, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

Happy Easter everyone!

Over the past few years I have come to start an Easter tradition of visiting Valley Forge to photograph the sunrise and then whatever else I am in the mood to work with. Well though I continued this tradition today I was unable to get the sunrise because it was way too cloudy. But that's okay because I was able to concentrate on other areas. Of course I shot a lot of frames of "my favorite tree". I can never seem to get enough of it. I would dare say I have photographed that tree on several dozen occasions and probably well over a thousand frames. Probably a lot more than a thousand. After I was done with the tree I did one of the things I often preach about in photography. I turned around. I always say that turning around can often lead to an even better scene than that I just finished with. I guess it boils down to observing everything around and really take in the environment. Even if it is somewhere I have been many times before I might just see it in a different way or from a different angle. This keeps it fresh if you know what I mean. At least that's how it is for me.

So today I am sharing what I saw when I turned around.

The moment I started to process the RAW image I knew this had to be black and white.

When I got home from the park the Garden Cafe was filled to the gills with diners. Big birds and little birds alike. And our squirrels too of course. The fountain bird bath got lot's of visitors too. Here's a video showing many birds coming and going.

This is best viewed full screen in 1080P HD. It's kind of long but there is a lot of action from start to finish. Feel free to scan through it.

And now...

Yesterday's View...

 Saturday March 26, 2016

Before I go I would like to give you a quick history as to how my tradition of visiting Valley Forge on Easter morning started.  

Several years ago both of my parents passed. My dad in 2004 and my Mom in 2005. They are both buried at the cemetery at Washington Memorial Chapel located at Valley Forge. I try to visit when I can and a few years ago I went on Easter morning and just sort of did so every year since. It sort of makes this very special day even more special. And though the day can be somewhat solemn it is also very inspiring too.

Thanks for stopping by to read my blog my friends! I really appreciate it. Please be sure to come back real soon because I have a lot of good stuff coming your way.

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View And Weekly Roundup - February 12, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View and Weekly Roundup!

Today I would like to share another photo from the Cafe yesterday afternoon. This time we see some of our birds enjoying some seed.

This would make a great "Caption This Photo".

And now for the Weekly Roundup! As always you can use any of the links below to take a second look at this past weeks posts or perhaps a first look in case you missed a day.

 Sunday February 7, 2016

Monday February 8, 2016

Tuesday February 9, 2016

Wednesday February 10, 2016 

Thursday February 11, 2016

And that wraps up another week my friends. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View - February 8, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View!

I was going over some old photos today and came across some scans from some prints I made back in the '90s. If I were to try to pick an exact year I'd say they were made around 1998 give or take a year. I know this because they were shot with my Nikon Pronea S APS SLR film camera. This camera was produced between 1998 and 2000 and I bought one very early in production. It was a cool camera for the day and a good attempt at making the loading and unloading of film a bit easier for casual snap shooters but overall it just didn't catch on. Besides, digital was really taking off by this period in time and I suppose the rest is history. But enough history. How about today's photo?

This is Washington's Headquarters at Valley Forge. One of my favorite subjects. Not my best work but I like the composition. And I love the shadows. Oh and yes, I still own this camera :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

Exploration Photography Daily View And Weekly Roundup - February 7, 2016

Hi and welcome to the Daily View and Weekly Roundup!

Wow what a quick weekend this was! We got a lot accomplished but now I feel like I need a couple days to rest up.

Today is Kim's and my anniversary. We have been married for 12 wonderful years. Most of the day was spent in home improvement centers buying this and ordering that for an ongoing kitchen project that is finally getting somewhere. In our journeys we came across a great clearance sale on outdoor equipment and bought ourselves a propane fire pit. Of course I had to try it out so as soon as it got dark we went out a spent a little time playing around with it. And naturally I had to shoot some photos. Here's one of them.

Very serene but still a bit chilly out there. 

And now for the Weekly Roundup... Finally...

Click on any of the links below to have a second look at the past weeks posts. Or perhaps a first look if you missed a day.

Friday January 29, 2016

Saturday January 30, 2016

 Sunday January 31, 2016

Monday February 1, 2016

Tuesday February 2, 2016

Wednesday February 3, 2016 

   Thursday February 4, 2016

Friday February 5, 2016

Saturday February 6, 2016

And that wraps up another week my friends. Thanks for stopping by and please come back real soon!

Until next time...