Back to the Glen
By now I think you all know that Ricketts Glen is one of my favorite places. In mid-summer I made my second visit of the year. And while I'd like to say there was some special "calling" that brought me back, it wouldn't be true. I bought some new camera gear and thought what better place to try it out than Ricketts Glen.
What I learned is that you can take just as many bad pictures with new camera gear as you can with old gear. I was so excited with the new camera that I practically ran through the park - snapping away at anything that was vaguely interesting - not really thinking at all. It's exactly the opposite of what I should do - I have worked hard at slowing down when I go out to photograph. It seems like I forgot all those lessons.
After returning to the car and getting ready to leave, I didn't feel good about the visit. I knew it wasn't a great one. I decided to stop by one waterfall located at the very bottom of the park - away from where most people visit. I slowed down, sat awhile, and just settled down. That's when I noticed the color - the red of the rocky stream bottom, the green of the reflected leaves, the white of the moving water, and the blue reflection of the sky in the distance. The hour I spent in this one small part of the park made up for the many hours hours rambling about earlier in the day.