Zachary Wakeman Photography

West Fork Salmon River II, Osceola, NY - Tug Hill Region

2012-01-24T13:37:00.002-05:00

This is another image that I liked from my trek in the Salmon River headwaters region late last month. This scene was photographed from nearly the same spot as this shot http://nynaturephotozw.blogspot.com/2011/12/west-fork-salmon-river-nys-forest.html

If you haven't read the initial post, more information on this trek is available at this link: http://nynaturephotozw.blogspot.com/2011/12/salmon-river-headwaters-trek-osceola-ny.html

Remember all images are available for sale as prints and for stock use. If a print you are interested in on this blog is not in the online web store yet please feel free to email me.

Long-tailed Duck (Oldsquaw) - Selkirk Shores State Park Pulaski, NY

2012-01-16T17:43:00.006-05:00

Winter has finally made a legit appearance here in upstate NY. At my home in Oswego County, I received 16.5" of snow Friday into Saturday with a low of 14.5F below zero Saturday night. The winter weather has pushed some birds I haven't had at my feeders yet this year in to feed. Pine Siskins and American Tree Sparrows made their debut in my yard this weekend (as far as I know as it is dark when I leave for work and when I get home). The other species which were already showing up, arrived in larger numbers and the feeders were quite entertaining to watch periodically on Sunday.

The image above is of a pair of long-tailed ducks. This species lives and breeds near the arctic, but is usually found in fair numbers on the Great Lakes during the winter. I was able to sneak up on this pair as they dove to feed, getting close enough to snap this shot when they resurfaced.

Cedar Waxwing - Selkirk Shores State Park Pulaski, NY

2012-01-10T20:41:00.003-05:00

This past Saturday I spent a couple of hours roaming around Selkirk Shores State Park on the shore of Lake Ontario. I went to do a little birding, of which I have done very seldom over the past year or so. Of course I toted the camera along with me in the event of finding a cooperative feathered critter.

Upon my arrival I scanned the lake and beach finding long-tailed duck, great black-backed gull, and ring-billed gull. With the beach being so quiet I ventured into the forest to see what I could find. Aside from the most gray squirrels I have ever seen in one area, I found many of the following: blue jay, black-capped chickadee, tufted titmouse, robin, and cedar waxwings. The robins and waxwings were the first I have seen in months, while the tufted titmice I have only seen in the immediate area over the past week or so.

The above shot was captured at the forest edge where it transitioned to marshland at the outlet of Grindstone Creek. There were nearly two dozen cedar waxwings feeding on these berries. Not a great shot, but it is such a regal bird, I just had to share it. Besides, it's been a while since I have shared anything other than landscape images.

Before this I stopped in to Pine Grove at the north end of the park and found 7-8 bald eagles, 2 red-tailed hawks, a few bufflehead, several mallards, and 7 common mergansers. Unfortunately none of these birds wanted to cooperate for the camera.

Winter Sunrise on a Wild Tug Hill Beaver Flow - Town of Montague

2012-01-02T16:53:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year! This first post of 2012 came from a day spent driving and hiking about the northern lands of Tug Hill, in the Deer River watershed. I headed to an impoundment on Mulligan Creek in the Tug Hill Wildlife Management Area, the only spot nearby where I knew I could get a decent view to the east for a sunrise opportunity. After setting up and waiting a few minutes past sunrise, I packed up my gear and swapped out my wide angle for my big lens hoping to find some wildlife to photograph. I began to drive through the 6 inches of fresh snow, advancing about 100 feet before I saw a spectacular light show taking place! I should've known better and waited a few more minutes. I pulled over, swapped out the big lens for the wide angle, then ran across some ice and through some woods to the edge of the flow for a better view. Alas, I missed the best light and the sun pillar, but I was able to salvage the above image.

West Fork Salmon River, NYS Forest Preserve Lands - Tug Hill Region

2011-12-27T18:48:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a good Christmas. This image is from my, aforementioned, (see previous post) favorite part of the river during my woods ramble. The deer crossed upstream, just out of view of this image, as I was working this scene. This was my favorite shot from the day, hope you like it.

Salmon River Headwaters Trek- Osceola, NY - Tug Hill Region

2011-12-20T19:13:00.004-05:00

This past Sunday I was finally able to get out for a little photography. I looked at the map and decided on trekking across state forest/preserve lands to the West Fork Salmon River, and following it upstream. Conservation easements allowing access onto private lands make this opportunity possible because most of the West Fork is on private property.

As luck would have it, I was able to get out on the only typical winter day of the year, so far. It has been much more like early spring or late autumn in this neck of the woods.

I started out walking across state forest land with temperatures around zero, and soon entered forest preserve (the same "forever wild" land classification as found in the Adirondack and Catskill Regions) lands at pretty Pickens Brook. With the rising sun shining through the hoar frost encased forest, it was a spectacular scene. I am, however, a bit disappointed in the images I came away with while photographing this brook. None of them even begin to portray the beauty of the moment. The above photo is the closest of the shots I captured.

After I realized that I couldn't feel me toes, I forced myself to keep moving on to warm up a bit. It wasn't long until I hit the West Fork Salmon River and what would be my favorite spot of the entire day. It was while photographing this area that I watched 8 deer cross the freezing river, then continue to proceed to within 30 yards of me. They were close enough that I could see their frosty exhales and saliva icicles without the aid of my binoculars. Alas, I never bothered to attempt to photograph them as it would have been futile with a wide angle lens.

I continued to follow the West Fork upstream for several more hours, admittedly enjoying a December jaunt on Tug Hill that didn't require snowshoes (3-4" of snow on ground). I explored several wetlands adjacent to the river and took the time to study all of the tracks I encountered along the way. Along with many deer tracks, I found; coyote, fisher, river otter, weasel, gray fox, snowshoe hare, and cottontail tracks. It was a splendid outing and I will have more images from this trip to share in my next postings.

Marcy Brook Image Published in Adirondack Life magazine

2011-12-13T20:34:00.002-05:00

This photo which I captured last March during my return hike from completing the "Winter 46" on Mt. Colden , is featured in the current issue of Adirondack Life magazine. You can find it on shelves now; the photo is on the table of contents page.

Montana Gallery Added

2011-12-08T22:19:00.001-05:00

I have finally added the long overdue Montana gallery to my website! Check it out here http://zacharywakemanphotography.com/webstore/index.php?cat_path=75

Autumn in the Water - Five Ponds Wilderness, Adirondack Region

2011-12-07T19:17:00.002-05:00

In this tightly framed, and hastily processed, image I wanted to show the colors of the forest canopy being absorbed by the water just before flowing over a picturesque little rapid.

Where is winter?

Fallen Ancient - Five Ponds Wilderness, Adirondacks

2011-11-29T20:25:00.002-05:00

A fallen hemlock points the way towards a skeletal stand of red spruce on an esker covered with old growth forest. This tree was likely the victim of the 1995 microburst, which decimated vast areas of the western Adirondacks, especially the Five Ponds Wilderness area. I captured this image during an overnight trip this past October.

Happy Thanksgiving - Mosher Pond Sunrise, Tug Hill Region

2011-11-23T17:33:00.006-05:00

Here is an image I captured from a scenic pond in Happy Valley a couple of months ago. I had a brilliant sunrise and a nice foreground of lily pads, but still, a couple of things bother me with this one. The sky is a bit under exposed because I only had a pair of 2 stop gnd filters when I needed a 3 stop; secondly the contrail left by a jet taints the otherwise natural scene. Nevertheless, I still like it enough to share.

2 Photos Chosen for Tug Hill Tomorrow's Calendar

2011-11-17T19:19:00.003-05:00

May

January

The above images, which I have previously shared on this blog, have been announced as selections for this year's Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust calendar. For more information on purchasing a calendar follow this link: http://www.tughilltomorrowlandtrust.org/post_get.php?article_id=67

Lake McDonald Sunset - Glacier National Park, Montana

2011-11-11T19:14:00.002-05:00

It's been a little while since I have taken any new photographs, and so I would like to share a few more of the images from my trip to Montana this past June. The above photo was taken the night before I departed, one of the only times I was able to even see the mountains during the entire week I spent there!

Fading Light on Salmon River Falls - Orwell, Tug Hill Region

2011-11-07T19:11:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, I made it to the Salmon River Falls with just a few moments with enough light for photographs. This was a thirty second exposure, with a circular polarizer, at ISO 200.

Mad River Falls - Tug Hill Region

2011-10-31T17:25:00.002-04:00

Not satisfied with the quality or amount of fall photographs I have taken this season, I had a few hours, the weekend before last, to try and get what I could out of the late fall colors. Well past peak, I knew that the understory would have some nice color, as it always peaks after the canopy.

After a stop at the Salmon River Falls, I headed for the Mad River, where there is a small, seldom visited, falls that I have yet to capture a good photograph of. I knew that in order to get a good one of the falls, it would have to be on an overcast day, and with low water. I had the overcast part. After working it for about a half hour this is my favorite image. I could only squeeze in the bottom section of the Mad River falls (at left), without ruining the composition. The small cascade feeding into the river is an unnamed stream. I am quite pleased with this image (although almost every time I reduce the size of an image for posting it on the web it loses something or ends up dark and/or over sharpened) but I think my favorite part of it is the glowing hardwoods framed at the top of the image above and beyond the cascade.

Big Shallow Reflections - Five Ponds Wilderness, Adirondack Region

2011-10-23T20:38:00.002-04:00

I captured this scene from the lean-to site on Big Shallow Pond in the waning light of dusk. Afterwards I spent a fine evening, alone in this beautiful setting, with a nice fire snapping away for company.

Big Five Pond - Five Ponds Wilderness, Adirondacks

2011-10-17T19:42:00.002-04:00

Climbing over the esker from Big Shallow Pond will reward one with some spectacular scenery. Big Five Pond, the largest of the five ponds which give the wilderness it's name, is one of the scenic wonders.

The contrast between the bright sunlit ridge in the background and the shaded area beneath the steep esker in the foreground, forced me to combine a couple of graduated neutral density filters to create this image. While not the greatest image, I do like all of the elements that I was able to incorporate into it, to give the viewer a sense of place.

Autumn in the Five Ponds Wilderness - Photo II

2011-10-14T20:12:00.002-04:00

Here is a second composition of the Big Shallow Pond outlet stream. I prefer this one, my wife likes the image on the previous post better.

Autumn in the Five Ponds Wilderness

2011-10-11T20:43:00.004-04:00

I returned to the Five Ponds Wilderness this past weekend to revisit the virgin forest I enjoyed so much a month ago. I was hoping to photograph the splendor of the old growth in a dazzling array of colors; it turns out I was a bit too late for the full effect. The Five Ponds area had already dropped much of it's reds and oranges. Being that the hardwoods were mostly yellow birch and beech there were a lot of yellows, bronze, gold, and all shades in between.

I paddled the eleven or so miles up the Oswegatchie River, then hiked the 2.5 miles to Big Shallow Pond to spend Saturday night. I spent Sunday morning exploring Big and Little Five Ponds and photographing on my hike back to the Oswegatchie and my canoe.

The above image was captured in late afternoon light during my hike in to Big Shallow on Saturday. This is the outlet stream which drains, Big and Little Shallow Ponds, and Washbowl Pond, before joining Wolf Pond Outlet, which feeds and drains Big and Little Five Ponds.

Autumn Colors on Cascade Brook - Adirondack High Peaks Region

2011-10-05T19:37:00.002-04:00

This past weekend my wife and I headed to the High Peaks region for a little hiking and relaxing. We hiked out in the dark on Friday night and set up camp about 2.5 miles from Heart Lake. We awoke around 5 am in the clouds, which proved to be a bad omen. We topped out on Algonquin Peak around 7 am with wonderful views up to 100 feet and winds gusting in the 30's. Around the time we reached the summit of Iroquois the drizzly wind turned into a driving rain, and with temperatures around 40f it was pretty chilly. With no hope for summit views we skipped Wright Peak and headed back to the trailhead. The lowlands did have some spectacular foliage which I missed hiking out in the dark, but I was too soaked, and it was raining too hard for me to find the motivation to unpack the camera gear. A hotel room and a hot shower always feel so much better after such ordeals.

Although this wasn't supposed to be a photography trip I couldn't resist the temptation to come away with at least one image of the beautiful colors. I drove down route 73 to find a nice scene to photograph near the road as I had limited time. The cloud ceiling still hung low and the never ending drizzle continued ,as I struggled with an umbrella, to keep the wind driven droplets off of my lens. This scene on Cascade Brook was the best of the few frames I took.

Virgin Forest, Five Ponds Wilderness - Adirondacks

2011-09-29T20:05:00.003-04:00

These photos are from my Labor Day trip into the Five Ponds Wilderness area. The images were taken along the Big Five Pond outlet stream. The top photo is looking downstream, and the bottom image upstream.

Flanking the water's edges is virgin forest; part of the largest tract of virgin forest (never logged) in the northeast. I know it's hard to tell from these images but the dominant trees are yellow birch and red spruce. Also present, in much smaller numbers, are cherry, sugar maple, and hemlock. Other differences you may notice from younger forests is the spacing between individual trees. The large, old trees block much of the light from reaching the forest floor, which in turn inhibits the growth of most other species except like kinds. I also noticed that the shady forest floor here, had more mushrooms and fungi than anyplace I have ever seen before.

Red Spotted Newt - Happy Valley Wildlife Management Area , Tug Hill Region

2011-09-28T21:14:00.003-04:00

After photographing Lake Loraine (last post) I took a walk in the forest along it's north shore looking for something interesting to photograph. I happened upon this red spotted newt; the adult form of the red eft. I gently place the little fella on a nice mossy tree trunk, then with a wide angle lens and circular polarizer, I captured this image.

Don't forget to click on the image for a better view.

Lake Loraine Dawn - Happy Valley WMA, Tug Hill Region

2011-09-24T20:59:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I headed for Lake Loraine, a jewel, in the heavily wooded Happy Valley area. While photographing the changing light of dawn I was treated to a plethora of wildlife sightings including: pileated woodpecker, northern flicker family, belted kingfisher family, american kestrel family, wood ducks, a rowdy blue jay family, red efts, and beaver.

Using a circular polarizer and a 2 stop graduated neutral density filter to save the colors in the sky, I used a long exposure to capture this scene; the long shutter speed also led to the blurring of the quickly moving cloud, adding a bit of drama to the image.

Bull Moose - Glacier National Park, Montana

2011-09-21T20:16:00.002-04:00

A large bull moose works its way through a meadow feeding on young aspen leaves.

Black Bear Feeding - Glacier NP, Montana

2011-09-19T09:52:00.002-04:00

I still have some photos I would like to share from my Glacier trip this past June. This black bear was feeding so closely that I was forced to take portrait shots with the lens I had on (300 w/ 1.4 conv). Being caught in a "bear jam" I was unable to move farther back for better compositions but I do like the details captured in this frame.

Sand Lake Dawn- Five Ponds Wilderness, Adirondacks

2011-09-14T09:03:00.002-04:00

The second day of my trip I awoke and and headed down to the lake to photograph the sunrise. There was a stiff warm breeze blowing across the water and grasses, eventually leading to a bit of thunder and a brief shower.

The sunrise itself wasn't spectacular with the lack of clouds, but I do like the subtle pinks and purples absorbed by the sky and water in this long exposure. Note the massive white pines towering over the shoreline.

Sand Lake Moonrise - Five Ponds Wilderness, Adirondacks

2011-09-07T10:20:00.002-04:00

The Adirondack's Five Ponds Wilderness is likely the wildest area remaining in New York. Five Ponds contains the largest area of virgin forest in the northeastern United States, as well as the largest trailless area in the state.

The only trail running deep into the virgin forest is the remote Sand Lake trail. I hiked the 15+ miles to Sand Lake this past Saturday, the first day of a 3 day backpacking trip. The area is beautiful with the large old growth trees, and a vast array of fungus growing from seemingly everywhere in all sorts of shapes and colors. Loons and fish were also abundant on the remote ponds. Dusk brought dozens of fish to feed at the water's surface and sporadic loon calls.

The above image is from my first night in the backcountry. This dusk scene was taken from the shores of Sand Lake, near the center of the wilderness. The perfectly still waters reflect a crescent moon on the rise.

Moonrise over Mosher Pond - Tug Hill Region

2011-09-01T17:29:00.002-04:00

After really dull sunrises/sets all summer, it seemed that there has been either a really great sunrise or sunset (sometimes both) nearly every day during the month of August. Nearly all of the awesome sunrises happened while I was driving to work, and as for the sunsets, I should've captured a few of those but didn't . A particularly spectacular sunset followed Hurricane Irene, and I knew it was going to be good the day before based on the weather forecast.

With all of the missed opportunities in mind, I took a short trip to Happy Valley WMA about two weeks ago to scout out some of the ponds for sunset potential. I struck out on any good west facing scenes but managed to come away with the above image, which I really like. The thin cirrus clouds captured the purple hues of the post sunset light which, in turn, helped the moon stand out. The thousands of lily pads complete the scene very nicely.

To purchase a print of this image click here http://zacharywakemanphotography.com/webstore/details.php?id=429&back_ref=index.php?page=1

Mountain Goat on the Edge - Glacier NP

2011-08-28T21:11:00.000-04:00

Harlequin Duck Drake - Glacier National Park

2011-08-23T21:22:00.002-04:00

Being that I have hardly touched my camera since returning from Glacier National Park, I don't have any new images to share except for from my trip there. I hope anyone reading this haven't tired of seeing so many Glacier images yet.

The above close up was taken shortly after the image in the previous post when the pair I was photographing took to the water. They were swept down right past me in the powerful current, luckily I was in the right place at the right time for this decent shot.

Harlequin Ducks - Glacier National Park

2011-08-18T20:12:00.002-04:00

One of my objectives on my Glacier trip was to see and hopefully photograph the Harlequin Duck. On the second trip up McDonald Creek I found a pair resting along the turbulent waters. This duck is amazingly tough, spending basically it's whole life, in either river rapids during the breeding season, or along ocean shorelines within the crashing surf the rest of the year.

For this image I was able to sneak up on this pair, using a tree for cover, while they preened. This was the third and final pair I found during the trip. The first pair had a banded male, while the second pair had a female sporting an antenna with which it could be monitored by likely using GPS (no one knows why exactly the Harlequin's numbers are plummeting). The third pair had no man made paraphernalia attached to them, and they were the pair that I was lucky enough to get some decent photos of.

Avalanche Creek Gorge - Glacier National Park, MT

2011-08-14T12:11:00.000-04:00

Mountain Goat Portrait

2011-08-09T20:17:00.001-04:00

A portrait of a rugged, male mountain goat on a Glacier National Park mountainside.

Mountain Goat-Glacier NP, MT

2011-08-05T20:56:00.002-04:00

On Saturday of the trip, I hiked around six and a half miles up the Sperry Glacier trail. The last mile and a half or so was completely covered in snow. Some highlights included traversing a couple of the winter's avalanche swaths and nervously crossing extremely fresh grizzly bear tracks.

Just past Beaver Medicine Falls, I noticed a group of mountain goats on a cliff edge high overhead. I decided to abandon the remainder of the hike and attempt to sneak up on the goats for some photographs. After carefully scrambling and climbing about 300 feet up the mountainside, making sure to keep hidden behind boulders and the odd tree, I peeked around a rock to find the above sight. I ended up being too close for my 300mm/1.4 converter setup, and so took the converter off. The 300 was still too much, and I was forced to take all tightly framed images. It was an awesome experience to spend an hour on a cliff with 6 mountain goats, including one of the newborn kids. They seemed quite comfortable with me and towards the end a bit too much, coming within a few feet.

Avalanche Creek - Glacier National Park 2

2011-07-31T10:37:00.002-04:00

This image was actually taken earlier in the day (of the Avalanche Lake hike photos) from along a short, wonderful nature trail through towering old growth forest downstream of the previous Avalanche Creek image.

I composed it with hopes that the viewer's eye would follow the creek through the image and to the cascades on the mountainside beyond.

Avalanche Creek - Glacier National Park

2011-07-30T09:26:00.002-04:00

Picking up where I left off with the last Glacier post (Avalanche Lake hike), I snapped off a few frames of Avalanche Creek on our hike out, in the fading light. I like the way the erie forest, with it's mosses and lichens, looms in sharp contrast to the raging spring torrent.

100th Blog Post! Salmon River Reservoir at Dawn- Tug Hill Region

2011-07-23T10:47:00.002-04:00

Salmon River Reservoir Redfield, NY

I thought that for the one hundredth post to this blog I should take a break from the Montana images and share a photograph more representative of the others you may find in my archives. This shot was taken early one June morning on my way to a trout fishing stream, just before my trip to Glacier.

Avalanche Lake- Glacier National Park, Montana

2011-07-19T20:07:00.003-04:00

On the afternoon of our second day in Glacier, my wife and I, hiked the very crowded trail to Avalanche Lake. With most of the other trails limited due to snow or from the road closures it seemed like everyone in the park was on this path. Surprisingly, when we arrived at the lake we were alone for twenty minutes.

This image can't do this lake justice. The lake sits in the bottom of a massive amphitheatre, with massive headwalls rising thousands of feet. Above the headwalls, small glaciers, and large snowfields, feed dozens of thousand foot cascades rushing over the cliffs. The abundant logs in the lake are a product of avalanches.

Wildlife- East Glacier

2011-07-16T07:40:00.003-04:00

Mule deer feeding on glacier lilies.

Columbian Ground Squirrel

Least Chipmunk

Picking up where we left off last post, we officially entered Glacier National Park on the east side at St. Marys. A short trip up the Going to the Sun Road (it was closed about 12 miles up due to snow) produced the following animals: osprey, Colombian ground squirrels, least chipmunks, mule deer, elk, black bear, grizzly bear, and bighorn. A rather uneventful ride.

The above images are my favorites from this outing. The grizzly crossed the road in front of us and disappeared into the woods, the black bear also headed into the forest, and the elk and bighorn were too far away for worthwhile images.

Young Bull Moose feeding - just outside Glacier National Park.MT

2011-07-09T15:00:00.003-04:00

Finally, a photo from our destination (see previous posts for images captured driving from central NY to Glacier, MT)! After crossing the great plains for the previous two and a half days we reached the foot hills of the Rockies. Heading north on 89 towards the entrance at East Glacier I spotted this young bull feeding in an attractive oxbow. Lighting was poor and he was a little farther than I would have liked photographically, but one shouldn't complain about such things. It was awesome just to see such an impressive creature in such spectacular setting. Much more to come from Glacier.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park - Badlands

2011-07-02T07:55:00.004-04:00

Black-tailed Prairie Dog sentry

Wild Horse grazing

Badlands hillside

Day four began with a four hour tour of the Badlands auto loop. We also hiked a short nature trail that took us up onto a beautiful ridge with great views and abundant wildflowers. The bird life was spectacular and and there were a lot of wild horses and prairie dogs (including pups) to photograph. The lighting was rancid and so I took very few sweeping landscapes and focused more on wildlife.

Impressive Horicon NWR and the Spectacular Badlands

2011-06-25T12:11:00.003-04:00

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel - Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin

American Bison - Theodore Roosevelt National Park (Badlands), North Dakota

By nightfall on the first day of our trip we were in Fond du lac, Wisconsin. After staying the night with my wife's cousin and fiance (thanks guys), we spent a good four hours at nearby, Horicon National Wildlife Refuge.

The refuge holds the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the country, and is an important area for both migrating and breeding birds. I added four new bird species to my life list and had a wonderful time watching the abundant bird life including Great Egrets, American White Pelicans, Black-crowned Night Herons, Black Terns, Blue-winged Teal, Sandhill Cranes, and many others.

The only photograph worthy of showing from my visit to Horicon , is of the Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel. This little critter is common in lawns and mowed areas throughout the midwest. Common or not, a new species is always cool to see.

The third night of the trip, after the aforementioned twister scare, we ended up in Medora, North Dakota. Medora is the tourist town just outside of Theodore Roosevelt National Park; the Badlands. I must admit that if the Badlands weren't right along our route, I might never have visited there. What I would have missed.

With no expectations, but to see bison and prairie dogs, we were all blown away by the beauty of the land and amount of wildlife there. I added another half-dozen birds to my life list without trying. Along with the bison and thousands of prairie dogs, we saw a black- variant red fox and wild horses.

The bison image above was taken during a short trip into the Badlands near dusk the evening we arrived. We would spend several more hours driving the auto loop and walking along a short, scenic nature trail the following day. A couple more images from the Badlands will be posted on the next update.

Back from the Northern Rockies

2011-06-19T20:21:00.003-04:00

My family and I returned home from a road trip to Glacier National Park last night. It was a good trip, and from a photography standpoint, I feel that I did about as much as I could with what I had to work with.

Record, to near record, snowpack in the northern Rockies, and way above average rainfall in the upper midwest had some roads washed out and we even saw several farms under water in North Dakota and eastern Montana. The snowpack still has the best parts of Glacier's "Going to the Sun Road" impassable. Being that we were staying in West Glacier, most of my time was spent photographing and hiking a bit in that area. Weatherwise the peaks were inundated in clouds much of the time and it rained everyday for at least part of the day during our week long stay. Sunday provided much sun and was by far the best day to be out in the mountains. With the exception of Sunday, about ninety percent of the daylight hours were very flat, lighting wise. This really limited my landscape shots.

The wildlife was spectacular. The only thing I could complain about is that the animals weren't all that cooperative with my lens on them. En route to West Glacier, we figured we might as well check out East Glacier while were were on that side of the park (the west and east entrances are about 2 hours apart with the GTTSR closed). Within two hours we saw a moose, bighorn sheep, mule deer, a grizzly, a black bear, and elk. I tried to explain to my wife and mother that this was an extraordinarily lucky outing, and not the norm, seeing so much so soon.

I will have much more on my trip in my upcoming posts. For now, the above image is of a severe thunderstorm which produced a few weak funnel clouds during our drive to Glacier. After a stop in Bismark, North Dakota, I noticed that that the clouds were piling up to quite an altitude. Being sort of a weather geek, I thought that this storm was capable of producing tornados. I mentioned it to my wife and she looked at me like, "yeah right". As we got back on the interstate, we did see a weak funnel cloud reach down for the ground before it slowly dissipated back into the mother ship. Right about this time a national weather service alert broadcast across the radio about the storm and it's potential for severe weather. Luckily the bulk of it was to our north and we avoided all but a brief torrential downpour. I always wanted to see a tornado, so although unimpressive, I did see a small funnel cloud. This shot was taken out of the passenger side window as we sped down the interstate to get past the storm as soon as possible.

Gray Treefrog / Leaving for Montana

2011-06-04T06:01:00.004-04:00

This Sunday, my wife, daughter, mother, and I are departing on a long ago planned trip go Glacier NP in Montana. We will be driving, and plan on taking 3-4 days each way, and spending a week just outside of Glacier. I am very excited to return to the west with my improved photography skills. The time I spent in Glacier previously was awesome, but when I look at the photos from back then they are pretty disappointing. I am also extremely excited for my wife and mother, both of whom have never been west of the Mississippi.

Glacier itself is just beginning to transition to spring. This past winter provided a far above average snowpack which is going to keep the famous " Going to the Sun Road" closed in the middle section. I will be able to drive about 15 miles in from either end however, as well as a couple of other sections of roads. Avalanches and flooding have also closed off sections of trails, but we will make the most of it.

Above is a commonly heard, and rarely seen, Gray Treefrog. I had not seen one since my childhood, until I caught this specimen near my home. I set it on the trunk of one of my large maples for a few photos and it quickly began ascending. I like this image as an action shot, as well as, for showing how well it blends in.

It is doubtful that I will have the means to update this blog during the next two weeks. When I return I should to have many new images to share.

Trout Fishing on Tug Hill

2011-05-28T21:31:00.003-04:00

This spring I took up trout fishing. I had not fished since I was about ten years old, and so I basically had to learn everything all over again. After catching nothing on my first two outings, one 5" brookie on my second, I was happy to finally catch a couple of respectable brookies this past Sunday.

The second and third fish from the top are mine, the others belong to my fishing partner. They were 10" and 9" respectively. These fish were all native trout and were caught one per hole over the course of a few miles of stream walking near Redfield. Brook trout are the only species native to New York, with the natives having far superior color when compared to stocked brookies. These fish have lost much of their amazing colors after spending hours in a creel, but still show some nice hues.

Whetstone Gulf State Park - Tug Hill Region

2011-05-21T09:17:00.003-04:00

Here is another view into Whetstone Gulf; this one is from the south rim. If you look closely you can find Whetstone Creek at the bottom of the gulf through some of the breaks in the trees.

I have not been out for a good, serious photo session in quite some time. Admittedly, I have had two or three opportunities during the past three weeks but have gone trout fishing instead (a new hobby for me). Hopefully, I will have a shot of a beautiful brook trout to share in a couple of days.

Whetstone Gulf State Park - Tug Hill Region

2011-05-15T11:30:00.003-04:00

Late Saturday afternoon, my wife and I hiked the trail looping around the the north and south rims of Whetstone Gulf in the State Park for which it is named. The approximately 5.5 mile round trip was made in a steady rain, which brought out the best colors in the beautiful mature forest through which the trail passes. Along the way there are several breathtaking views into the gorge, which at its deepest, bottoms out around 400' below. Due to the rain I was reluctant to take my camera out more than a couple of times and didn't make as many images as I would have liked.

In the above image you will find Whetstone Creek at the bottom of the gulf with the gorge wall themselves rising over 200'. Vibrant spring growth clings to the gulf walls and hemlocks are the dominant tree along the rim.

Birds were very active and amongst the seen and heard were: sharp-shinned hawk, raven, barred owl, black-throated green warbler, black-throated blue warbler, winter wren, hermit thrush, ovenbird, and all of your expected more common birds. In addition, we saw an attractive skunk and found a deer brain. I found this quite remarkable given that the brain is usually eaten quickly by scavengers. We could tell by the remnants of hair scattered about that it had been lying there for quite some time, why it wasn't eaten or decomposed yet is a mystery to me.

I definitely plan on returning to this remarkable landscape for a possible hike up the gorge itself and to photograph Whetstone Creek which is attractive in its own right.

Signs of Spring: Part 2

2011-05-08T19:00:00.008-04:00

Marsh Marigold

False Hellebore

Spring growth on stream banks

Exactly a week after photographing images for the last post, I went back out to see what else popped up on my land. I found large-flowered trillium (white), marsh marigold, fiddle heads just starting to open, and a lot more green on the forest floor. Leaves are progressing rapidly in the open areas, already making spotting birds a bit more difficult. Nevertheless, birds new since last post are as follows: northern waterthrush, several more warbler species, white-crowned sparrow, wood pee-wee, and eastern towhee.

Signs of Spring: Part 1

2011-05-02T06:16:00.005-04:00

Fiddleheads along a vernal pool.

Purple Trillium near a moss covered rock.

6 days ago, after work, I took my camera for a walk on my land to photograph some of the signs of spring. My excursion was cut to half an hour by intense thunder storms that rolled through with heavy downpours. In that short time, however, there was much to see.

Along my southern wood line, the neighbor's property is a large open field. This forest edge is where I found the purple trillium; must be because of the generous amount of light this area receives.

Fiddleheads were poking up about 5" high near wet areas. Abundant vernal pools, also signs of spring, were full of amphibian eggs. False hellebore were the first greenery I spotted this spring, and are now abundant near my stream and creek. Tree buds are turning into leaves now.

Most exciting to me, is the influx of birds. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, white-throated sparrows, several warblers, and others are back for the summer. Another, not so nice attribute of spring is also back; the black flies. They were all over me as I took a walk out back last night, but I did find much more life springing up, including three more types of flowers and a couple of new birds.

American Tree Sparrow

2011-04-26T06:30:00.002-04:00

Late last February, I finally tried to photograph the uncommon winter migrant, Common Redpolls, that had been visiting my feeders all winter. I set up a perch near my feeders and a blind about 15' back. As my luck would have it, the only Redpoll images I got were bland shots of them foraging in the leaf litter. However, I did get this shot of another winter migrant; the American Tree Sparrow. These birds summer in the far north of Canada and can be found every winter here in central and northern NY.

Spring is here. Some of my tree buds have sprouted little leaves, a couple of fiddleheads are popping up, and I found some trillium which just opened up yesterday. I was walking my 25 acre property in the rain, yesterday after work, and was a bit ashamed of not having photographed any of it yet (aside from a few wildlife shots). Admittedly, it is difficult to photograph. I plan on photographing a few of the signs of spring found on walks through my property, and sharing them here in upcoming posts.

A Canoe Trip Down the North Branch Salmon River - Tug Hill Region

2011-04-17T08:22:00.011-04:00

Me steering, at the rear of the big (17'), aluminum, Grumman canoe.

The boat after being sucked under a downed tree, and folded in half. Note the damage to the gunwales and thwart. It actually looks pretty good, considering what it went through. We finished paddling the last 3 or more miles out and it never took on any water, but it wasn't as well balanced.

The Grumman, near the mouth of North Branch Salmon, where it enters the Salmon River Reservoir. Note the trees that have been washed out with the spring floods.

From left: my brother Cody, myself, and my wife, Lauryn.

All of the above photos were taken by my wife. Thankfully, I didn't bring my camera.

On Saturday, April 9, by brother, Cody, my wife, Lauryn, and I canoed down the North Branch Salmon River, in the town of Redfield. I had to talk them into going along, and at times during the trip I know they regretted it for a moment or two, but in the end a good time was had by all.

I noticed while in the area the week before that the waters were all high, and I really got the urge to paddle; the North Branch was my choice. We left my wife's car at the reservoir and headed to the put in at a fishing access point 5-6 miles up the road. We were heading downriver by 9 am.

This upper portion was fairly narrow, with alder thickets growing over the banks. With the water moving swiftly and the passage quite narrow, the river was pretty difficult to navigate with my canoe. We would round a bend and the current would shoot us along, into the opposite bank, and we had to use our paddles to keep from running into them.

My canoe is an old 17', aluminum Grumman. It is quite stable, but its like trying to turn a bus, especially with three people in it. To make matters a worse, I am still a novice paddler. My only swift water experience came on a few rafting trips.

But the birds were out in abundance, and it sure made it feel like spring. There were wood and mallard ducks, common and hooded mergansers, belted kingfishers, robins, and song sparrows all over the river. Woodpeckers could be heard drumming like crazy deeper in the forest, and beaver sign could be found all along the length of the river.

After bouncing through these narrow portions of river and portaging one beaver dam, we smoothly ran the next two dams, and entered an oxbow. Here the river slowed and deepened, and we just relaxed and pretty much let the current carry us. Eventually we came to the confluence of the Mad River; this is when the tone of the whole trip changed.

The Mad River runs swiftly into where it joins, then becomes part of the North Branch. After the confluence the flow more than doubled and the river widens and becomes more shallow, creating class 2 and 3 rapids. We cruised through the first sections and had much fun doing so. Somewhere during the second run of rapids we let our guard down a bit. We actually ran the toughest part and were just beginning to relax, when we got hung up on a rock just below the surface. The canoe tilted and the bottom filled with water and we all instinctively leaned the opposite way and saved it and barely got to shore. We emptied the boat and rubber boots and stretched our legs for a bit.

From this point on, we had to alternate carrying and paddling sections as there were some sketchy rapids. We were losing time, so I convinced my partners that we needed to start attempting to run some of the more risky sections. So we did. We did quite well, only stopping to scout a couple of sections. Coming upon a sharp bend, full of whitewater, we neglected getting out and scouting it; big mistake. As we rounded this sharp corner, we found a large tree, downed right across the river! The current was much to strong to avoid running straight into it. Cody in the front, ran his paddle into the tree to absorb some of the impact. At the same time, I grabbed a tree on the bank and held on to help reduce the shock as well. Cody hopped onto the downed tree, shifting most of the weight to the stern where I was still holding the small tree on the bank, this resulted in a frigid flow of water coming over right into my back. The current began to swing the stern out towards the middle of the river and finally broke my grip. The boat quickly went perpendicular to the current, and was no match, as it quickly slammed against the tree. Cody, standing on the tree helped Lauryn out. As the water rushed into the boat it began to tip and I grabbed onto the tree just before the canoe went under it. I didn't know it at the time, but Lauryn and Cody said that as it began to go under the tree the pressure of the water folded it right in half like a taco! I have had several thoughts of what my back would have looked like since then, had I not gotten out in time.

After scrambling along the tree to shore, we grabbed all the gear we could find. Cody made it to the canoe first where it was full of water and caught upside down on a rock. After flipping it over, we floated it to shore, no easy feat in thigh deep, 32 degree, fast-flowing water.

Once we got the boat there we took stock of the damage. One lost paddle, a map, a life jacket, 2 seat cushions, a crazy creek chair, and my wife's favorite hat. This is where I was thankful for not bringing my camera gear. My wife's camera, and our most important gear, survived in my dry bag clipped to the canoe. Cody and I, squeezed the water from our socks and were happy to get feeling back in our legs. Luckily the sun came out in full force about twenty minutes before. Here, there was a choice: we could walk a 1.5-2 miles to town or continue on in our battered boat. Cody wanted to walk after seeing what happened to the boat; Lauryn just assumed that we would continue; I was more determined to continue than before. After talking it out, we continued downriver. As I suspected, the rapids eased, and we made it to the reservoir a pleasant, half hour or so later. We tried in vain, to find our lost gear. It still bothers me to have littered (even though it was accidental), especially on this beautiful river.

Once we reached the mouth of the river, we got out and explored the many trees the river washed down, as well as the mud flats, and scanned the reservoir for birds. From there it was a short paddle, on glass-like water, with only a beaver slowing us down.

More paddling experience, and a more maneuverable boat, would have made the adventure much smoother. Nevertheless, I can speak for all of us, when I say that it was a lot of fun. It was a beautiful, and quite wild stretch of river.

Marcy Brook- Adirondack High Peaks Region

2011-04-12T05:44:00.002-04:00

I made this image on my way out from completing my "winter 46", on Mt. Colden last month. This was two days after a very impressive storm poured down over 2" of rain, followed by over 3' of snow in the High Peaks. Evidence of a brief but very intense flood could be found at all drainages, including logs swept onto hiking bridges, and ice way above current water and ice levels.

Currently the High Peaks are the last place to enjoy the snow after this weekend's warmth and rain. Around here it is all but gone, even up on the Tug Hill only patches are left in the woods. In a dramatic change in one weeks time, I was able to paddle on the Salmon River Reservoir which was full of solid ice (see last post). The reservoir was the end point of an adventurous paddling trip down the North Branch Salmon River, made by my wife, Lauryn, my brother Cody, and myself. I will have a story and a few shots from my wife's camera next post.

Salmon River Reservoir Sunset - Tug Hill Region

2011-04-05T18:03:00.002-04:00

This past Saturday evening, I took a drive to Redfield, NY to see what kind of photographic opportunities I could find. I took a walk down to the Salmon River Reservoir, using a seasonal road (still apx. 10" snowpack in the area) on the north shore, and found that it was empty of water except for where the inlets flowed through. In place of the water, were massive chunks of ice. The dam must've been released, and like pulling the carpet out from under someone, left the ice to lay on the bottom of the reservoir.

It was still about an hour before I wanted to be in place for the sunset, so I drove to North Redfield in hopes of capturing images of the scattered rain squall clouds from a nice wetland I know of. When I arrived, I found it still completely buried under snow, with no open water, and not very picturesque. As I headed back to the reservoir, I could see that some of the rain squall clouds might be in the right place for a dramatic sunset. I headed to the east end of the reservoir and found an interesting spot where an inlet carved it's way through the ice and waited for the sun to lower. What followed was a spectacular sunset, one that my image does not do justice for. Nevertheless, I still find the combination of moving water, ice mounds, and rain squalls, catching the beautiful light, to my liking.

Ferris Glacier/ Fairweather Range- Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

2011-03-29T17:13:00.004-04:00

I went way back into my archives for this image. This image was taken with an old Canon Digital Rebel (as a jpeg), when I really didn't know anything about photography. It was during the summer I spent here, that I vowed to become a serious photographer. Everyday, I wish that I could go back in time with the knowledge and equipment that I have now, and capture some of the amazing things I witnessed during my 5 months there. Aside from the normal sightings of moose, bear, and glaciers, I had the good fortune of being chased by two brown bears and surviving, a face to face incident with a black wolf (literally), sneaked up on three mountain goats on a remote ridge, explored glacial ice caves, saw a glacier bear sow with three cubs and so much more.

Anyway, the point is I don't have much in the way of even, okay images from this period, because I was a complete newbie to photography. Once in a while, though I did get lucky, and captured an image like the above photo.

While I was working at the Glacier Bay Lodge, in 2005, a glaciologist by the name of Bruce Molnia was in the park for an annual survey of the tidewater glaciers. I was fortunate enough to meet Bruce and talked with him for a while about glaciers (I was/am really interested in glaciers). After our talk he told me that he had an open spot on a plane he reserved for an aerial survey, if I would like to go.

We flew over the glaciers and mountains of Glacier Bay for 2-3 hours, photographing like crazy. I didn't have a polarizer which would have helped a lot, as there was a haze in the air from massive forest fires in Canada, and many images had glares from shooting through the window of the plane.

One of my favorites is the above image, which shows the awesome beauty of these extreme mountains. The Coastal mountains of Alaska are likely the snowiest places on earth, making them a spawning ground for glaciers. The massive glacier filling the valley below the peaks, is the Ferris Glacier. The Ferris, cuts off the Grand Pacific (the Grand Pacific now a stagnant, dying glacier, was responsible for carving out Glacier Bay) downstream, before terminating in the sea at Tarr Inlet. Looming above all, are the peaks of the Fairweather Range, the highest of which is Mt. Fairweather, at 15,320'.

Adirondack Gallery Update

2011-03-27T20:26:00.002-04:00

I did some much needed catching up in the Adirondack Gallery of my web store today. I cleaned out some old images, I no long felt were up to snuff, and finally added a bunch of new images. Most of these images were shown here on this blog first, but if you haven't seen them yet or are interested in purchasing a print follow this link http://zacharywakemanphotography.com/webstore/index.php?cat_path=7

Snow Cave

2011-03-21T20:50:00.002-04:00

Here is a shot of where I spent the night before the previous sunrise image posts; just below the summit of Mt. Colden. As you can see, this was quite the spot. A large snow drift made for an convenient shelter, as I just excavated a hollow into that, instead of a traditional snow cave, which would have required much more work. The boulder acted as a pretty effective windbreak.

During the night I just had to pick my head up a bit to see a starlit view of Mt. Marcy, while the Big Dipper was in my view nearly the entire night. I also had the good fortune of having three shooting stars cross my field of view and between the boulder and my snowy ceiling. Temperatures around 10 f were comfortably endured in my -20 degree sleeping bag.

MacIntyre Range from Mt. Colden

2011-03-16T11:43:00.002-04:00

As you can see I have remodeled this blog a bit. I think the photos definitely look better on black.

After the nice color faded over Mt. Marcy (previous post), I turned, to find this view of the MacIntyre range. From left to right the peaks are Iroquois, Boundary, Algonquin, and just off to the right (not pictured) would be Wright Peak.

On the weather front, the windswept areas and paths I have been keeping clear all winter have been snow free for several days. I went for a walk in my woods yesterday and there is still a foot or more in there. I was sure I would break the 200" snowfall mark with ease, but the since I hit 170" it slowed right down. I am stuck at 196.2". The good news is that it is common for it to snow right through April in these parts.

Sunrise over Mt. Marcy-Adirondack High Peaks/ Completion of the "Winter 46"

2011-03-10T13:36:00.004-05:00

Back in 2003 I had climbed a few of the Adirondack High Peaks during the winter months while on my way to finish climbing all 46 "High Peaks". It wasn't until I had climbed all of them and became an official Adirondack 46er that I decided I had to do all of them in the winter as well. I enjoy the High Peaks more in the winter because of many reasons. One reason is that it is physically much more demanding. Others reasons include less people, no bugs, and the cool weather.

This past Tuesday, still out of work, I summited Mt. Colden as the sun was going down to complete my quest. I dug a snow cave to spend the night in, in anticipation for the morning's sunrise. After a beautiful and clear night I was rewarded with a brief 10 minute display of color to the east at dawn. The above image was the best I could come up with in that time. Conditions were a bit difficult with the dark valleys and bright sky, I had to use 2 two stop nd grad filters to try and balance the scene. A brisk wind also came with the sun and killed my batteries after a couple of minutes of exposure. I was able to warm two of them up while one was in my camera and kept rotating them as they expired.

The photo above is looking at Mt. Marcy (5,344 ft), the state's tallest peak, from Mt. Colden.

Great Range from Noonmark Burn- Adirondack High Peaks Region

2011-03-04T10:13:00.001-05:00

This is a vertical composition from near the same spot as the last image.

My legs are still pretty sore from a grueling ascent of Allen Mt. two days ago. Allen is about a 17-18 mile round trip with an extremely steep last 1,600 ft of climbing. It was made much worse by the snowshoes I decided to wear for this hike. I figured I would use my large, 3' shoes as I would need to break trail the whole way. It turned out the previous trail was still slightly visible until Skylight Brook (where the climbing begins) but the snow consistency was the problem. There was a crust which was nice for the long flat approach but as I began to climb large sections would break away under the big surface area of my snowshoes and I would slide backwards. It would have been impossible to proceed bare boot given the 5' of snowpack. There was no way I was turning back for my other snow shoes so I slid, climbed, crawled, and mostly pulled my way up to the summit. My clothes flash froze once I hit the slide near the top. It was pretty miserable for much of it, but still rewarding. I didn't carry any photography gear on this excursion because I knew it would be a long slog and the weather unfavorable. This leaves me with one more peak to finish my Winter 46!

Great Range from Noonmark Burn- Adirondack High Peaks Region / Free Print Winner

2011-02-25T17:39:00.004-05:00

Here is an image from my hike up Dial Mountain 8 days ago. Part of the trail takes you up and over a ridge of Noonmark Mt. which suffered a forest fire fairly recently. The burnt area now offers exceptional views with the dead trees as interesting foreground objects. Although I made this image using midday light I still quite like it, though it would be much more dramatic at sunrise.

BACHarbin was selected as the winner for the free print giveaway. Please send me an email if you would like to claim your print.

Lake Placid from Whiteface Mountain

2011-02-20T09:08:00.002-05:00

Here is a second image from my ascent of Whiteface Mt. a few weeks back. This is the view southwest, with a frozen Lake Placid being the most obvious landmark.

I had this week off from work and my wife gave me yet another opportunity to get up to the High Peaks. On Thursday I hiked up Dial. The early portions of this hike I had nice weather and was able to take some photographs that I will share on the next update.

Friday was a completely different animal. Clouds dropped to around 3,500 ft and I had light rain and drizzle until 11 am. I climbed Sawteeth and had no views, with visibility maybe 100 feet. I then descended back to the col and began the very steep climb up Pyramid Peak en route to a junction with a trail taking me to Saddleback Mt. Pyramid offers, probably my favorite view in the 'Dacks. It also has very large drops on either side. With the sustained 50 mph winds gusting into the 70's frequently, and very low visibility it felt pretty exposed. As I pushed on up Gothics I had to then descend one of the steepest parts of any trail in the Dacks to get to the col and begin my ascent of Saddleback. This stretch was also very open to the brutal wind gusts which forced me to hug the mountain plenty of times to avoid getting blown down the icy route.

The brutal winds also had a benefit; they whipped those clouds obscuring my views away. What beautiful views! The clouds were racing just over and amongst the peaks with intermittent visibility of 50 miles or more. Sadly, a combination of the extreme wind and fatigue stopped me from digging my camera and tripod from my pack to capture these awesome moments. I did successfully summit Saddleback, where a particularly savage wind gust gave me a nice shove in the back to send me on my way back down. After a grueling climb back up Gothics I was able to get down back below timberline and out of the unimpeded winds for good.

I covered nearly 30 miles and climbed 3 "new" winter peaks during the two days. This brings me to 44 down, two to go!

I didn't notice how warm the day had gotten until I made it down into the valley and away from the worst of the winds. Brooks had begun to open up a few holes in the ice and the snowpack had compacted noticeably. If you plan on heading up to the 'Dacks to be fooled by the two day melt; there is still plenty enough snow and ice to make snowshoes a must.

Winter Peaks/ Winter Weather/ Free Print Giveaway

2011-02-12T08:28:00.003-05:00

Sorry for not posting in nearly two weeks as I have been pretty busy as of late. A week ago today, I made my way back north to the High Peaks region. I had a beautiful, grueling day scaling Whiteface and Esther Mountains. That brings me to 41 of the 46 winter peaks. The snow at the trailhead was about 2' and by the time I neared the tree line it was a 6'+ snowpack with much deeper drifts and spruce traps abound.

The day started sunny and windy but by the time I made it to the summit of Whiteface (pictured above) the wind tapered and a system that would bring heavy snow and intense thunder and lightning several hours later, was moving in from the west. The Whiteface summit was the only time I took any pictures on this day. By the time I made the Esther summit snow began to fly.

Back home, I am up to 173.8" on the year. I finally gave in and bought a new snowblower as I pretty much ran out of room for shoveling. I had to keep cutting my banks down just to make them low enough to shovel snow over. I would come home from work and spend 2 hours 3-4 nights a week shoveling. When the forecast called for 16-30" this week, in my area, I said enough is enough and bought a nice snow thrower.

Does anyone want a free print? Only one new follower so far for the free print giveaway. To follow click on the Follow link to the right and follow directions from there. A free 8x12 print of the winner's choice, of any image posted on this blog or in my web store.

Free Print Giveaway

2011-01-31T18:16:00.004-05:00

I don't know how many people follow this blog, but I would like to see a few more followers join up. I will award a free 8x12" print, randomly, to one of the first 10 new followers to the blog. The winner may choose from any image that has been posted to this blog or in my webstore http://zacharywakemanphotography.com/webstore/ .

I have not done any photography since my trip to Salmon River Falls, so I had to go back into some older images. This image is titled "Snowy Burden". I took this on a New Year's Eve day hike, about 4 years ago, up Ampersand Mountain in the Adirondacks. This was originally taken as a jpeg file with, what is now an antique Canon Digital Rebel. I really liked this shot so I processed it with PS4, mostly just for sharpening and minor highlights.

Adirondack High Peaks Adventure/Cecropia Moth

2011-01-24T18:27:00.003-05:00

I went up to High Peaks this past Friday to work on my "Winter 46" and some photography. I knew it was supposed to be the coldest weekend so far this year with record lows likely but I was not deterred.

Friday I hiked out and claimed a lean-to and spent a comfortable night with temps around zero. Saturday I broke trail through deep snow up Haystack and Basin Mountains but ran out of fluids, time, and energy to continue on to Saddleback which I still need. Saturday night was miserable. My sleeping bag got pretty wet from the ice on my jacket thawing out and lost it's warming properties. So after an uncomfortable 7 hours tossing around, I packed up and began hiking out at 2:30 am. While driving through Tupper Lake on the way home I noticed a digital bank thermometer read minus twenty-something!

I carried my photography gear the whole time but never used it, although I saw many wonderful scenes. The conditions dictated me choosing between photography and climbing mountains; not both. I have been chipping away at my winter 46 list for several years now and am closing in on my goal; Basin made it 39 down, seven to go.

Anyway, the weather here has been interesting too. I had my low temperature to date this morning at - 20.5 f ! We also received a fair amount of lake effect snow Friday night while I was in the 'Dacks. My wonderful wife was kind enough to measure it for me, and that 7" brings me up to conservatively 129" on the year.

Oh yeah, the moth. This giant is known as a Cecropia Moth. It is New York's largest moth with a wingspan of up to 6" and it's body as thick as a man's thumb! I must admit I am quite ignorant on insects and such, so I was quite surprised when I found this massive critter in my wood stove this past summer.

Snowy Backlit Woodland Scene- Salmon River Gorge- Tug Hill Region

2011-01-15T07:15:00.002-05:00

Here is one more from Salmon River Falls. Following the river downstream a few hundred yards from the falls, the clouds parted for a couple of minutes. The sun went right to work on the snow laden branches; large mounds of snow fell from the trees like a small scale carpet bombing. I was able to get into a small clearing where I could set up without getting covered in snow and snapped a few frames before the sun departed. You can see how thick the air is with snow behind the young hemlock to the left of the frame.

Salmon River Gorge- Tug Hill Region

2011-01-09T09:24:00.002-05:00

I never squeezed any photography in this weekend, so I must continue with some more images from my last outing. This image is from nearly the same spot as my last post but at a much wider angle.

Since my last post I have received just over another foot of snow and more winter birds are making their way through my property. Bohemian Waxwings, Common Redpolls, and American Tree Sparrows have been spotted over the past several days; the latter two have been frequenting my feeders.

Salmon River Gorge- Tug Hill Region

2011-01-04T18:45:00.002-05:00

Here is another image from the Salmon River Falls Unique Area. This was taken from one of the snow mounds in the river; it was just large enough for me to set my tripod up. I tried to compose this image so that the viewer would follow the open water down into the gorge.

After two days around 50f (Dec. 30-31) the nice wintry views around here morphed into those of mud season. Green grass could be found in most lawns, while pastures and fields held scant amounts of snow. The forested areas stubbornly held a couple of inches protected under the cover of the trees.

Thankfully my area received a nice dumping of 12" of fresh, fluffy snow on Monday. Another 2" fell during the day today and it is snowing out quite heavily at the moment. Hopefully I can get out to photograph some nice snowy scenes this weekend.

Salmon River Falls Unique Area- Tug Hill Region

2010-12-30T20:15:00.003-05:00

Here is a second image from my photo session at Salmon River Falls. This shot was taken about halfway down into the gorge. Obviously there was very thick cloud cover, but regardless of the lack of good light, I still like this image. In particular, after much moving about, I was able to get the composition I was looking for. The trees on either side of the frame give the viewer a sense of depth while framing the open water left on the river. The trees also help lead the eye to the frozen falls and adjacent cliffs.

Merry Christmas/ Salmon River Falls Unique Area- Tug Hill Region

2010-12-23T19:19:00.003-05:00

This past weekend, I spent a few hours snowshoeing in the Salmon River Gorge. The gorge is a spectacular sight year round, but with 40-50 ft icicles hanging from the falls and surrounding cliffs it's hard to beat the way it looks in the winter.

It is also a hazardous place. Large blocks of ice fall without warning and are potentially fatal. Also be wary of the snow mounds and snow bridges! On my way back across the river I broke through a snow bridge and although the river is shallow here my 3' snowshoes were great at catching the current and pulling me in to my waist. Like a true photographer I was more worried about keeping my camera up and out of the water than getting out in a hurry.

I have been to Salmon River Falls many times over the years, but this is the first time I have been there in the winter since my camera upgrade. I had many unsatisfactory winter images and wanted to get some keepers. Though it was gray and overcast (sun did poke through for a total of maybe 3 minutes at one point) I managed a couple I like.

I feel this image incorporates two of the most beautiful things in the gorge quite nicely; the snow mounds and the frozen waterfall itself.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Snowbound Great Blue Heron- Albion, NY

2010-12-17T15:57:00.002-05:00

A rare sighting this time of year; a Great Blue Heron! Common much of the year I have only seen a handful of Great Blue's during the winter in my region. This particular individual was hunkered up trying to keep warm as the snow continues to fall in central NY. The bird barely moved for the 5 or so minutes I photographed it (from my vehicle).

With another 18+ inches of snow since my last post I figured I wouldn't see one until April. I plan on going out for a few hours tomorrow morning to make some nice snowy images and hope to get some good ones to share on the next update.

BIG SNOW EVENT / Cottrell Creek - Littlejohn WMA, Tug Hill

2010-12-11T13:36:00.005-05:00

Here is another image from last weekend; this is Cottrell Creek. Since last weekend the area (North Redfield) where I took this photo has received 5 feet of lake effect snow. The snow was not limited to the Tug Hill, however, with much of central NY now blanketed in snow from a four day snow event. From south of Syracuse to Sandy Creek totals ranged from 18"- 58". At my home in Albion, I measured 3' of snow since Sunday. I didn't see any huge one day totals like frequently occur in the region but it was more of a persistent, steady snowfall that added up when it was said and done.

Today the snow is consolidating nicely in the warm temps (upper 30's) and should make a nice base for snowshoeing next week with more snow in the forecast. I spent an hour snowshoeing my property on Wednesday night and another 4hrs this morning along the North Branch of the Salmon in Redfield and it was up to my knees or higher even in snowshoes.

This morning's explorations didn't produce any good photos (didn't even take a single shot) but it was nice being out in snowy woods. I followed many eskers crowned with spruces and nice, mature hemlocks along the river. The only wildlife seen were a few ruffed grouse, and a black-capped chickadee, though there were many scats and tracks in the snow.

Gillman Creek - Tug Hill Region

2010-12-04T21:28:00.002-05:00

Winter was late to arrive, but it is here now. Normally we would have had snow on the ground at some point in November; this year it was December 1st before the central NY region got it's first white blanket. As usual the Tug Hill has more snow than everywhere else but still it was only about 8-9".

I spent a few hours this morning driving the 4x4 roads through Littlejohn WMA in North Redfield. It was beautiful ,with a fresh several inches of lake effect snow covering every branch and horizontal surface. I especially like the snowy scenes with moving water, which you usually have to get early in the winter before the freeze.

This lovely scene on Gillman Creek was taken mid-morning with a group of golden-crowned kinglets watching curiously.

View from Cat Mt.- Adirondacks Five Ponds Wilderness

2010-11-27T09:09:00.005-05:00

This image is from a 3 day hike of the "Cranberry 50" during Labor Day weekend of 2009. Cat Mt. is actually a short sidetrip from the main 50 mile route. I spent the second night of the hike on the summit and photographed a rather uneventful sunset/rise (high pressure system locked in place).

That being said the summit provides very nice views into perhaps the most remote area in the northeast. While several lakes and ponds can be viewed on a clear day, it was neat to spot them, as well as many others the viewer can't actually see by spotting the dense fog that formed over them overnight above the trees. Just picture an unbroken forest with many clouds hanging randomly just above the treetops.

I took this shot with a large lens which was a little too big for my old tripod; this effected the sharpness of the image, but I still like it enough to share.

Gill Brook in Autumn- Adirondack High Peaks

2010-11-21T08:07:00.003-05:00

I have not done any photography since my early October Adirondack trip. I still have a couple photographs from that trip to feature as well as a couple of older images I went back and processed.

The above scene was photographed downstream a bit from the flume I featured in the previous posts. I really liked the sidelit hardwoods in the background, so I composed the scene with the brook leading the viewer's eye to those well colored trees.

Christmas is Coming!

2010-11-15T19:40:00.002-05:00

If you are interested in purchasing one of my prints as a gift this holiday season be aware that there is about a two week turnaround time before receiving an order. So plan ahead to have it for Christmas.

If you are interested in one of the photos on this blog that has yet to be be added to my webstore( www.zacharywakemanphotography.com ) send me an email.

Gill Brook Flume- Adirondack High Peaks Region

2010-11-11T17:50:00.002-05:00

Here is the second image of an awesome flume on Gill Brook. For this image I scrambled out onto a couple of rocks and set my tripod in the water. I used a circular polarizer and a 2-stop graduated nd filter to get the desired effect. This is likely my favorite image from this trip.

Gill Brook- Adirondack High Peaks Region

2010-11-04T20:06:00.002-04:00

This image is from the second day of my overnight hike last month. Following Gill Brook downstream I arrived upon this unbelievable scene. I especially like the colorful glow reflecting in the pool at the bottom of the flume. This might be my favorite image from this trip.

Beaver Meadow Falls #3

2010-11-02T20:09:00.002-04:00

Here is the third and final image from Beaver Meadow Falls. I still have a few shots from this trip to come.

Beaver Meadow Falls #2

2010-10-27T06:29:00.002-04:00

Here is another image from Beaver Meadow Falls earlier this month. This composition was the hardest to get because the wind kept driving spray onto my lens. To get it I waited with a bandana over my camera until the wind abated just enough to keep the spray back.

Tug Hill Tomorrow Calendars - Now On Sale

2010-10-21T18:57:00.003-04:00

My photograph ,shown here (posted on this blog a couple of months back) was chosen by the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust for the cover of their 2011 calendar! My East Branch of Fish Creek image was also chosen for the month of May (it was a vertical image cropped to fit the horizontal format of the calender, which made it lose much image quality but still looks pretty good).

You may purchase a calendar from:

Carpenter's Hardware Store in Camden, NY

Adirondack Art & Picture Framing in Barneveld, NY

Lewis County Chamber of Commerce in Lowville, NY

NYS Zoo @ Thompson Park in Watertown

For more info or to purchase a calendar directly from the THTLT click here http://www.tughilltomorrowlandtrust.org/post_get.php?article_id=41

Proceeds from the sale of the calendars go to fund the Land Trust which helps protect the lands of the Tug Hill Region.

Beaver Meadow Falls- Adirondacks

2010-10-19T06:25:00.002-04:00

Continuing upriver from my previous post, I arrived at Beaver Meadow Falls. I have visited this cascade a few times over the years as part of longer hikes; I think that I got my best images of it on this trip though.

It was pretty windy, which combined with the high water, made it difficult to photograph without water droplets on my lens. However, after some work and waiting for clouds to pass over the sun, I was able to get a few nice ones.

Over the River and Through the Woods.......

2010-10-12T20:31:00.003-04:00

Taken the same morning of the previous post, this image was taken along the East Branch of the Ausable River from a young spruce stand. I was trying to incorporate the beautiful conifers with the raging river and splendid little cascade across the way.

The cascade is from a small drainage that was obviously flowing quite above normal capacity from the 3.5" or so of rain that fell two days prior.

Leave a comment and let me know if you like this shot or not.

Fall Foliage from Bear Run-Adirondack High Peaks Region

2010-10-07T19:06:00.002-04:00

Here is an image from last weekend's trip to the Adirondack High Peaks Region. I opted to hike along the East Branch of the Ausable River and take several side trips to lookout points instead of climbing a high peak. I slept at the trailhead Friday night to get an early start Saturday morning. I hiked and photographed all day before sleeping under the stars on a cliff Saturday night. I also spent time taking pictures on the way out on Sunday.

I found the color to be at peak except for the beech in the understory. Adding to the beautiful colors was a ridiculous amount of water from the copious amounts of rain we received; near spring melt levels. All of this water turned small drainages into large brooks; there was even a spot where there were 8-10 waterfalls cascading over one cliff within a short distance along one of the side trips. All of this water ends up in the East Branch of the Ausable River, which one could here thundering through the valley with a foamy, whitewater fury.

The image above was from my first side trip from the river trail. This is a view from the Bear Run trail which brought me by some spectacular cliffs and cascades, then up to this scene. This is looking from the flank of Hedgehog Mountain towards Bear Den, Dial, and Nippletop Mountains. In the valley below is the scenic East Branch Ausable River.

Stay tuned as I have more from this trip to come.

Peak Foliage in the Adirondacks

2010-09-30T08:55:00.003-04:00

I am heading up to the Adirondacks Friday evening to get in a weekend of photography. I am undecided about where exactly I will be heading, but it will be a backpacking trip. I am excited to get back out and photograph the spectacular colors of an Adirondack autumn. Hopefully this rain (up to 6"!!!) doesn't knock down all of the leaves. Check back next week for images from my trip.

Rainbow Falls #2- Tug Hill State Forest

2010-09-25T09:46:00.002-04:00

Here is another composition of Rainbow Falls in the Tug Hill's Inman Gulf. My wife prefers this one; I prefer the previous post. Which one do you prefer?

Inman Gulf's Rainbow Falls- Tug Hill State Forest

2010-09-17T20:44:00.002-04:00

Here is a second image from this past Saturday's hike in Inman Gulf. This cascade is known as Rainbow Falls and flows from an unnamed stream according to the USGS 7.5m maps. In composing this image I really wanted to incorporate the really neat, twisted cliffs seen here to the left of the falls. The cliffs were crowned with nice, mature eastern hemlocks while white cedar could be found clinging on cliff ledges.

I had to wait an hour or so for the sun to get into an advantageous position. I think it was worth the wait because I really like how the side lit scene illuminates the cliffs and foliage, as well as the rays near the top of the falls.

I will have the best images from my Inman Gulf trip added to my webstore's Tug Hill Region gallery in the coming week.

Inman Gulf- Tug Hill State Forest

2010-09-11T20:28:00.003-04:00

I finally got out with the camera today! I headed north to the Barnes Corners area to explore Inman Gulf. I have been on the rim trail a couple of times over the past several years or so, but this time I aimed to climb down into the gorge and get some quality images and explore this scenic wonder.

It was around 40f when I arrived and many of the leaves were showing faint yellows and oranges; another few weeks 'till peak. After about a mile and a half on the trail following the rim I was able to find a spot where I could descend to the bottom of the gulf. I would not recommend climbing down this gorge; most any slip would likely lead to death or at the very least severe injury. The gulf cliffs are highly unstable and the loose rock could be heard falling into the gorge throughout the time I spent on the bottom.

The gorge was spectacularly beautiful but was very difficult to photograph in. The contrast between the shaded side and sunny side are impossible to expose correctly. I did however get a couple of nice shots during the several hours I spent in the gulf.

This shot was taken after I descended about fifty feet and was able to find a good foothold to get this unique composition. The cliffs are probably about two-hundred feet high. The Gulf Stream is the sculptor of this fantastic landscape and can be seen near the bottom left corner of the image.

Black-throated Green Warbler

2010-09-03T15:53:00.002-04:00

Another image, from what turned out to be a highly successful photography trip to the Adirondacks last June. I wasn't so optimistic when I first returned home but by looking back through this blog I captured a number of keepers during those four days.

Anyway, I know that warblers are already starting on their way back to wintering grounds now, but I am running short on new images to post. I photographed this handsome male on the Whiteface Memorial Highway. My goal was to photograph Bicknell's Thrush but I will happily photograph any creature that pauses long enough to focus on. I am glad this bird did as I did not have a quality image of this species yet.

I am hoping to get an opportunity for at least a few hours of photography this holiday weekend.... will have to wait and see what the wife and daughter have to say about that though....

Dawn @ Ferd's Bog- Adirondacks

2010-08-27T20:06:00.002-04:00

This image is from my Adirondack photo trip this past June. It was a beautiful, cool morning, with a heavy fog. I took this shot after the sun had thinned out the fog enough to show the mountain in the background.

Bogs habitats, in my opinion, contain the most interesting plant species. Included are some of my favorites, such as; tamarack (pictured), bog laurel, sheep laurel (pictured here), sundew, and pitcher plants.

It's been a little while since I have had the chance to get out and do some photography but I have a couple of images still to share from this trip. Stay tuned.

Ruffed Grouse w/ Chick

2010-08-19T05:38:00.002-04:00

Last month I happened to have the camera in the vehicle while on a back road near my home; good thing. I saw this female ruffed grouse with several chicks along the side of the road. I was able to get pretty close and while a few chicks scampered down the bank, this one sat under the protection of it's mother for about ten seconds allowing me to get a decent shot.

Webstore Update: New Sizes!

2010-08-14T12:13:00.003-04:00

I am finally changing all of my print size options to full frame sizes. It is going to take some time to change all of the options as I have to do it individually for each photo in my webstore. But for now all though it still says 5x7, 8x10, etc. if you order here is what you will now receive:

5x7= 6x9 print

8x10= 8x12 print

11x14= 12x18 print

16x20= 16x24 print

The best part is the prices will remain the same.

Whetstone Creek Headwaters- Tug Hill Region

2010-08-12T05:32:00.002-04:00

I made this image within an hour and a half of taking the sunset in Montague photo two posts ago. In this large swamp several small streams combine to form Whetstone Creek, which in turn formed Whetstone Gulf.

It pays to keep tabs on the weather when it comes to making landscape images. I checked the weather on that morning and again before I left to make sure I would had a good chance of getting some worthwhile shots. The very interesting clouds and sky really make this photo.

If you are interested in a print of this or any other image click here www.zacharywakemanphotography.com

Broad-Winged Hawk- Tug Hill Region

2010-08-07T09:32:00.003-04:00

This past fourth of July my wife and then 7 month old girl, headed to the upper Salmon Reservoir in Redfield for a relaxing day paddling about in the canoe. En route I spied this broad-winged hawk off the road. It didn't seem bothered by my presence as I photographed from my vehicle. The bird appeared to have a possible broken leg (note how it is standing on it's right leg only). It never once used the left during the five minutes or so I was there even when switching perches.

At the reservoir we saw an immature bald eagle and had good looks at a mink (sadly no photos).

Tug Hill Sunset

2010-08-02T21:40:00.000-04:00

Here is an image from outside of the Adirondack's Blue Line for a change. I spent Saturday afternoon driving around some of the many Tug Hill 4x4 roads looking for photo opportunities and exploring.

I have found the Tug Hill to be quite difficult to photograph. It would seem that such a beautiful place would be quite easy to express in pictures but many of my images have fallen short of doing the Tug Hill justice. I think part of the reason is just the fact that it is mostly dense woods; forests are generally very difficult to compose a photograph in. There are no mountain summits and even most of the many creeks and brooks are wooded right to the banks.

Wetlands provide almost all of the open vistas on the Tug Hill (the other vistas are provided by "gulfs" or gorges). Even these are usually stuffed full of snags and dying trees. It is the abundance of water (and snow) mixed with large expanses of woods that give the Tug Hill it's character . As one drives or walks through the Tug Hill woods it isn't long before he/she crosses a small bubbling creek or stumbles upon a beaver flow.

The photo above is from one of those small swamps. This was taken at sunset from Flat Rock Road in the town of Montague. This is one of those rare times where I feel I got it right.

Adirondack Barred Owls

2010-07-28T16:49:00.000-04:00

My wife and I drove along the Moose River Plains road this past Sunday en route to Wakely Mountain. Along the way I noticed a small raptor perched in a tree a bit from the road. I backed up to get a better look, but couldn't get a clear view. When it clicked that there was some persistent calling going on I finally recognized the sound to be that of a merlin. Getting out of the vehicle in hopes of getting a photo, the one I first spotted remained on top of a snag and allowed me to get some mediocre images. It was a fledgling that was still a little nervous about flying. Meanwhile while my wife looked through her binoculars an adult dove at her several times before perching on a tree top. In all there were 4 merlins; one adult, and three fledglings.

Continuing on another ten miles or so we rounded a bend to discover a barred owl in the middle of the road! I stopped as it flew into a rather low limb just off of the road. I snapped a few pictures and then backed up for a better composition. As I reversed I happened to look up a bit and found another owl even closer! This one appeared to be a fledgling judging by it's appearance and it's curious and totally unafraid demeanor, whereas the first one was calling persistently and was aggravated by our presence. After a minute or so the adult cooled off and they just sat there allowing me to photograph them, from my vehicle, for several minutes. When I pulled away they remained on their perches; must've been a good hunting spot.

Wakely Mt. itself was rather uneventful as far as wildlife goes. We heard and saw the expected bird species with the highlight being a few boreal chickadees calling on the summit. The hike itself was very enjoyable and the views from the fire tower were awesome, with the elevation of the clouds about the same to just higher than the summit.

To purchase prints of these images click here:

http://zacharywakemanphotography.com/webstore/index.php?cat_path=17_26_32_68

Everton Falls

2010-07-23T16:40:00.000-04:00

This is yet another image from my productive Adirondack trip in June. This is a scene at the base of Everton Falls on the East Branch of the St. Regis River. This section of the river is an Adirondack Nature Conservancy preserve.

To compose this image I had to fight a strong current, slippery rocks, and waist deep water. It was a bit nerve-wracking knowing that a slip would destroy my camera; but I do like this photo. I placed my tripod on a boulder above the water to keep it from moving during the slow exposure.

To purchase a print follow this link http://zacharywakemanphotography.com/webstore/details.php?id=391&back_ref=index.php?cat_path=7_14&page=1

Snowshoe Hare

2010-07-18T10:29:00.000-04:00

Another photo from the Adirondacks, this is a snowshoe hare. I photographed this hare in the Moose River Plains Wild Forest on a drizzly morning.

Stormy Sunset on a Wild Pond

2010-07-10T05:06:00.000-04:00

Day two of my trip saw heavy rains most of the day. So after hiking for several hours along the East Branch Sacandaga, I changed into some dry clothes and headed for my next location; the Moose River Plains Wild Forest.

I had my wipers at full speed most of the way, and conditions being what they were I figured it would be impossible for any kind of sunset images. It would be even more unlikely on the Moose River Plains roads as there are miles of unbroken forest with only a couple of ponds along the roadsides.

As I drove along the dark roads the rain subsided and I came to a little opening in the canopy and saw some amazing clouds and light setting up for an awesome sunset. I kicked myself for driving by a good location a ways back but it was pouring at the time. Anyway I sped up, I thought in vain, until twenty of so minutes later I caught this scene.

This was the last of the light; it was to last only about three minutes once I got my camera out. I had to use two 2 stop graduated neutral density filters and a polarizer to balance the sky with the dark forest and mountainside. The dark scene also required a longer exposure which blurred the fast moving storm clouds, which at first I didn't like, but are growing on me. Given the odds against this image being created it might be my favorite from the trip.

To order a print of this image click here: http://zacharywakemanphotography.com/webstore/details.php?id=398&back_ref=index.php?cat_path=7_14&page=1

Canada Warbler

2010-07-02T06:27:00.000-04:00

Here is another image from my 4 day Adirondack trip two weeks ago. This shot is a male Canada Warbler in the Moose River Plains Wild Forest. I have seen a couple of pairs of Canada Warblers in this same spot for the past two years but this is my first decent image of the species.

I have this and other new photos in my webstore gallery on my website.

Sunrise Over Tupper Lake

2010-06-26T08:05:00.000-04:00

I slept in the bed of my truck near Tupper Lake the first night of my trip last week in hopes of a nice sunrise. Well, I got one. I didn't get up early enough to scout for a better spot so I had to work with what was nearby, and quickly as the light didn't last long. This was taken at the mouth of the Bog River which can be seen running over the boulder in the bottom of the frame.