This Week at the Lake – 49/52

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Week 49 and again I’ve seen something I’ve never seen before. The sunrise this past Wednesday was pretty amazing. The photo just doesn’t do it justice. I almost missed it too. The sky just exploded with color while I was walking along the trail towards a good sunrise spot. I was practically running trying to get to a spot before it was over. I came to the dam bridge and that’s when I got a clear view of the sunrise. There was a beam or column of light shooting straight up. I set up as quick as I could and grabbed the above shot. The beam of light was so bright it’s getting blown out in the bracketed shot. I then grabbed the gear and quickly headed down to the lake shore. From there, the light was starting to dim so I had to hurry to grab a few more shots before the color was completely gone:

Pretty cool…

Also Wednesday morning I got another shot of a Barred Owl

I went back at lunch and only came away with this shot:

I was able to go again Friday morning when I got this

I also saw an Owl again then:

Later in the day, I got this shot:

And that’s it for the week!

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This Week at the lake – 48/52

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48 Weeks in and I get my first hawk photos of this project (not counting the occasional fly over). I believe this is a juvenile Red Tailed Hawk. I’ve been wanting to get a shot of one of these for so long! It was very cold on Thursday but I decided to visit the lake on my lunch break anyway. My fingers nearly froze while I was watching this guy but I got some shots before having to get back to work. The top photo is in HDR, the others are not.

I thought this one was kind of cool…

And here are a couple shots from Wednesday mornings sunrise:

And that’s it for the week!

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This Week at the Lake – 47/52

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More snow in middle Tennessee!? We’ve had quite the winter so far. I haven’t lived in this area for long but even I know that this much snow is pretty unusual. Tuesday night into Wednesday morning we got more snow so I headed out to Radnor Lake. I got the above shot before anyone else messed up the snow on the deck by putting footprints all over it!

Other shots from the snowy morning:
Caught these bucks in a battle to the death! OK, not really. They were more just kind of playing I guess. It never looked real intense and it certainly didn’t last very long!

I really liked the framing of the trees here and cold tones.

More random texture work

I haven’t gotten a shot of this stream at all during this project. This is downstream from the dam.

I went back to the lake on my lunch break to try to get more snowy shots:

Saw this deer about to cross the road as I leaving to go back to work. I got out and ready just in time! (I wish that sign was a “Deer Xing” sign)

I also went on Monday when I got these Deer shots:

And just to say I saw the owl again, here is a shot from Friday:

And that’s it for the week!

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This Week at the Lake – 46/52

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That’s pretty much how this entire week looked – Dark, cloudy, rainy/snowy, cold….

Because of all the rain, I was only able to visit Radnor Lake twice this week. I went Wednesday morning, and Friday mid-day.

Wednesday morning was very dark and rainy so I was only able to get a couple shots, the one above and this one:

Finally the sun broke out briefly on Friday so I headed to the lake on my lunch break. Of course, I ran into the owl again! I believe this is the same one as last week because they were in the same area. This time, however, he was not very active. It was mid-day and very cold. He found a spot in the sun and was just sitting tight:

While watching this owl, I saw another bird that I’ve only seen one other time at the lake. I have no idea what it is but it looks pretty awesome. This time, I actually got a shot of him:

Anyone know what this is??? He’s fairly large, probably about the size of a blue jay.

Also got a shot of this little snow covered ceder:

Got this on the way back to the car

I’m sure not many people go to Radnor Lake and take a photo of the equipment in the parking lot, but hey, I thought it looked cool!

And that’s it for the week!

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This Week at the Lake – 45/52

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One of my favorite weeks of this entire project! I have so many photos to share!

We got some snow in middle Tennessee again this week. Sunday night/Monday morning we had several inches of snow fall. The roads were terrible first thing in the morning but I couldn’t stand to see all the snow falling out the window – I had to go! It took me almost an hour and a half to get to Radnor Lake that morning (usually would take 45 minutes), but it was worth every second. I finally made it and headed out down the lake trail. Unlike the snow pictures from Week 41, there was no sun. The skies were dark and it was still snowing off and on. I first headed to the edge of the lake to get a snowy lake scene:

Then headed back to the trail. I told myself I was going to get more shots of snowy land and lakescapes this time since I didn’t get any last time. Right after crossing the dam, I got this shot:

As soon as I heard there might be snow, I new I wanted to get a shot of an owl in the snow. I’ve gotten shots of the owls at Radnor Lake in all the other seasons, now I needed winter so I was really hoping to see one this morning. Well, it didn’t take long. Right after I took the shot above, I saw a barred owl sitting on a tree limb! I saw he was getting ready to fly, so I got the camera set for some fast shots thinking that may be my only chance! Little did I know that he would put on quite a show for me for the next 60 minutes!
Here he is leaving his original perch:

He quickly landed on another tree branch. I could tell right away that he was actively hunting! I have never seen an owl so active. He flew from branch to branch scanning the ground all around. Then he saw something:

This attempt resulted in no food, but he didn’t give up! Off he goes to find another perch:

This time he dives pretty close to the walking path but he was behind some heavy brush. I actually crouched down and crawled down the path and peeked around a tree looking for a better view. As soon as I peeked around the tree, I saw him toss back and swallow an entire mouse. By the time I raised the camera, the mouse was gone and he turned to look at me:

Back up to a tree:

He then went to a tree that was a little far for my 200mm (remember, at Radnor Lake you are not allowed to leave the path). I was so excited about the shot I just got that I was about to just leave and let him be. I also figured that, since he had caught a mouse, he would find a good resting spot and settle down. I was wrong! As I got up to leave, he flew to another tree that was right on the path and was still looking around for more to eat:

He dives again but comes up empty again. Head to a new spot:

Again he dives. This time in clear view of me. As soon as he dives, I drop straight to the ground to get a ground level shot:

You can see how he flattened out his wings on the ground to try to trap the mouse. It worked, he headed up to a tree with a large mouse in his mouth:
From there I watched him swallow the entire mouse again.

Then he flies right to a tree that I’m standing under!

He dives from that spot and is now on the ground probably only six feet from me! He’s keeping an eye on me this time so I can’t drop to the ground because I’m afraid it will scare him off. So I grabbed these shots from a standing position:
(For you photographers, this was only at 110mm and not cropped – to give you an idea of how close he was)

He ate another large mouse and headed up to a tree. By then, I had been there for an hour and had over 150 photos. I finally decided to head on.

I went ahead and took the lake trail and Otter Creek Rd all the way back around. Grabbing these shots along the way:

All of these shots were from Monday morning. I was able to go again Wednesday morning, and sure enough, in almost the same spot:

But this time it was much earlier in the day. I had to use a tripod to get this shot, so there would be no chasing him around again!

And that’s it for the week!

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This Week at the Lake – 44/52

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One more week at Radnor Lake down, winter is tough! I don’t mind going in the cold, it’s just that there is not much to look at! Even the lakescapes seem to be missing so much color:

Also, your probably tired of that view! I’ve taken lot’s of morning shots from this overlook. It’s getting harder and harder to get something different. You pretty much have to hope for something to happen – like the turkey in the lead shot. This is the third time I’ve led with a turkey, but all of those are very different. The road he is on is Otter Creek Road, it’s closed to vehicle traffic.

Here’s a couple more that I feel like I’ve done before:
I’ve shot this (and processed similarly) in the summer time, but it feels very different in winter.

Here’s one I’ve done a couple times but couldn’t remember one in black and white, I think they look awesome!


Here is one I’ve shot many times so far this winter but have never posted because I never really liked how they turn out. Finally I cropped it and it is much more like I envisioned!

And that’s it for the week!

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This Week at the Lake – 43/52

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I can’t believe I haven’t taken a shot of this house yet. This is the original house on the lake property. It sits up on a little hill and overlooks the lake. No one lives there now but it is used by the park rangers.

I rented a Canon 7d for the week from Lensrentals.com, so all shots this week were taken with that camera. It’s really a great camera, I enjoyed using it this week.

I stopped by Radnor Lake on Tuesday, shortly after getting the camera. I had to try out the HDR:

There was still some snow on the ground from middle Tennessee’s Christmas snow.

My next chance to get to the lake came on Thursday morning.

I stood at that spot for 15-20 minutes hoping for some color and light. When I finally decided to go a little further down the trail, I turned around and saw:

He was so close to the path and so close to where I was standing but I never noticed! I was able to get within about 10 feet of him:

Grabbed this one on the way back to the car:

And that’s it for the week!

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The Best of 2010

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I feel like this year has been pretty good for my photography. I’ve taken tons of photos and learned a lot. I’ve brought together a collection of what I feel like are this years best photos. I hope you enjoy!

In chronological order, here are my favorite 25 from 2010:

1)

Taken in January, I got the idea for this shot when I took this shot on my way to work one morning. I was trying to get a composition without the light trails but I couldn’t do it. When I got home and saw the shot, I realized that the light trails could be an awesome inclusion next time. So, a couple days later the skies were shaping up for a great sunset. I pulled off of Highway 840 on my way home from work onto an overpass and captured the shot. On flickr this shot has over 950 hits and 109 faves and appears in 4 galleries. The location of this shot

2)

Another shot taken in January. I saw a shot from this location on flickr and I asked the photographer about the location. He was nice enough to share and I headed out there one evening. I really like the shot because there is so much to look at. The light is different on every floor, the trash cans are all in different locations – I just found myself looking at this shot for quite a while. I never expected it to be popular on flickr, but it has received over 800 hits and 95 faves. The location of the shot

3)

A third from January, I spent a long time in the cold to get this one! This was pretty much the start of me chasing birds and other wildlife. I took tons of shots of this bird all over my back yard and got a few that I liked, this one probably being the best. I had the camera wrapped up in plastic because it was really snowing hard. By the time I got inside, my fingers were frozen and my clothes were pretty wet – but it was worth it! Over 750 hits on flickr and 65 faves. The location of this shot

4)

Taken in March. This is a sunrise at the Stones River Battlefield in Murfreesboro Tennessee. I snuck out early one Saturday morning to get this. I think the composition and tones are very nice in this shot. Over 375 hits on flickr and 37 faves. The location of this shot

5)

Taken the same morning in March as the previous shot. I really like how it turned out. I was fairly new to using textures at that point so this was me experimenting some. I just like the vintage look and feel to this image. Over 180 views on flickr and 21 faves. The location of this shot

6)

This shot was taken at the end of April at the same location as shot number 2 of this series. I went up there on a stormy afternoon hoping to catch some awesome storm clouds or maybe even lighting over the city. I never got lightning and the storm clouds dissipated but I was able to come away with a definite keeper! Over 3,700 views on flickr and 29 faves. The location of the shot

7)

Taken in May when Nashville endured the flooding of the Cumberland River. I think it rained like 18 inches in 36 hours in Nashville. Though this may make the flood look beautiful, it really was a tragic event. This was taken from the LP Field parking lot. Over 1,200 views and 28 faves on flickr. The location of this shot

8)

Also taken in May. This shot felt perfect for black and white, the skies are pretty amazing. This shot won a small local photo contest this year also. Over 260 views and 10 faves. The location of this shot

9)

Taken in June. I love the skies in this shot and I think having my Wife stand in was a great idea. I almost didn’t get this shot. The kids were both taking a nap so my Wife and I decided to take a short walk down the street. I originally didn’t even bring the camera, but after a couple minutes I saw these skies and I had to run back to get it! 370 views and 36 faves. The location of this shot

10)

My first shot to make the list from Radnor Lake. This shot was taken one evening in June. This is one of my favorite Radnor Lake Lakescapes to date. I love the sky and colors throughout. Over 1,000 views and 35 faves. The location of this shot

11)

Woooooooow! I love this shot! Taken in June at Radnor Lake. I saw the deer eating on either side of the trail so I decided I was going to wait there as long as it took. I knew eventually one of them would cross the path. Sure enough, about 15-20 minutes later, she crossed. I’m very lucky there were no other hikers out to scare them off while I waited. Radnor Lake is usually a very busy place. Over 650 views and 48 faves. The location of this shot

12)

I think this is one of my all time best Nashville skyline shots. I took this July 4th weekend. I like that there was a concert going on and that the General Jackson showboat is there. Over 390 views and 40 faves. The location of this shot

13)

I may be the only one who would pull this shot out as one of my best in 2010. I love the light, her hair, and the fact that you can see her smiling and having fun even though you don’t see her face. This shot was just perfect for black and white. Over 130 views and 7 faves. The location of this shot

14)

Taken in July at Radnor Lake. I spotted this little guy all by himself near the path. I crouched down to get the shot and was stunned when he actually turned and took a few steps in my direction. Not the sharpest of photos but it was taken with a fairly slow shutter (1/50) at 200mm. I was lucky to get it this sharp. Over 350 views and 19 faves. The location of this shot

15)

Hours of work here! Taken in July in my back yard. We set up hummingbird feeders and had several hummingbirds visit frequently. I sat out there for hours over the summer hoping to get an in-flight hummingbird – and here is the result! Over 180 views and 21 faves. The location of this shot

16)

Definitely my favorite sunrise or sunset shot of 2010. This was taken in August at Radnor Lake. The sun rays coming over the clouds are just amazing! 4,950 views and 36 faves. The location of this shot

17)

Also in August. I was bored at the house one Saturday afternoon. I decided to try a splash shot so I got some lemonade and headed outside. This was the last shot I took, I literally threw the lemon into the glass! Over 1,850 views and 17 faves. The location of this shot

18)

Maybe one of my faves for personal reasons but I think it’s an awesome shot all around. I had the idea in my head before we even got to the school and it worked out perfectly. I love the colors and tones and the composition is perfect! This will be one we hang on the wall eventually! Over 260 views and 20 faves. The location of this shot

19)

My fourth from August. I just love the flare in this one. I think the colors and light on the porch are great too! Almost 200 views and 23 faves. The location of this shot

20)

Just a beautiful September sunset! Middle Tennessee really gets some great skies. Almost 500 views and 43 faves. The location of this shot

21)

Another sunrise at Radnor Lake. This one taken in October on a stormy morning. I really didn’t think I was going to get much from the skies that morning but then some color finally broke through probably 30+ minutes after the sunrise. 82 views and 1 fave. Location of the shot

22)

Another from October. I’ve had this idea for a while and finally decided to try it. It was much harder than I thought. I stood under some trees at Radnor Lake for probably an hour on a windy day. I took hundreds of attempts, finally snagging this one – A leaf in mid fall. 128 views and 18 faves. The location of this shot

23)

I spent a lot of time on this shot and I love how it turned out. This was really an impressive cathedral. 165 views and 12 faves. The location of this shot

24)

What can I say? Absolutely adorable! I was taking some pet photos for a vet clinic and this guy was there watching. I just had to snag a few shots and I love how they turned out! 109 views and 10 faves. The location of this shot

25)

Last but certainly not least, a shot I took in November. This is the Kentucky lake from the Big Sandy Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge. I love the reflections and the hazy, dreamy look to this photo. Over 200 views and 21 faves.

I hope you enjoyed viewing as much as I enjoyed taking the photos. I have a lot to learn and a lot to work on but I’m really looking forward to viewing 2011 from the viewfinder of my Canon.

Thanks to everyone for the support, comments, tips, and advice shared throughout the year – I really appreciate it!

Happy New Year!

This Week at the Lake – 42/52

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Merry Christmas everyone!

Only 10 weeks remaining, on the down hill slope now! I was off of work all week this week staying at home with the family. I was, however, able to sneak out one morning and head to the lake. Wednesday I got up early and was on the trails by 6:15 or so. The sunrise wasn’t much because of some heavy clouds so I just headed on down the trail.

I decided to take the Ganier Ridge trail since I had the time and have only been on that trail once.

On the way, I spotted Rudolph!

Because of the overcast conditions, I had to get creative with some processing. I added texture layers and tones to the next couple of photos:

The hike up the Ganier ridge is tougher than the lake trail, but once up there it’s very peaceful.
Part of me wanted to sit and enjoy the quiet, part of me wanted to lay down and take a nap, and part of me wanted to keep on hiking!

Toward the end of the hike, I found a Barred Owl doing his best turkey impression!

It took nearly 15 minutes, but he finally turned around and gave me a look:

And that’s it for the week!

Thanks for looking!

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This Week at the Lake – 41/52

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Snow at the lake!

We got some rare snow in middle Tennessee this week so I made sure I was at the lake! It started snowing last Sunday, so I got up early Monday morning and headed to Radnor Lake State Park. When I first got there it was still a little dark so I headed down the trail to a great sunrise spot.

I was the first and only one there for quite a while. No footprints on the trail at all. After getting the above shot, I passed another person, then shortly later I met one of the park rangers on the trail. I also met another photographer, Charlie Tallent.

I’m ashamed that I don’t have more wide angle landscape shots of snow at the lake – but I do have an excuse. I spent nearly 45 minutes watching a large Red Tailed Hawk that was way up in a tree. The light and snow on the ground was perfect and it would have been an amazing chance to get a great shot of the hawk. He never did come down from the tree and I eventually had to head to work (although already pretty late!).

Here are the snow shots I was able to get:

And that’s it for the week!

Thanks for looking!

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Don’t miss a week! Subscribe to this blog and you will receive an email every time I post something new!

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All of the “This Week at the Lake” photos are available for purchase as fine art prints and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Radnor Lake! Send me an email for more info (m_macgregor@comcast.net)