Upper Falls--Mattiessen Dells State Park

Got another long exposure shot of the slow motion whirlpool below the upper falls at Mattiessen SP near Starved Rock. Love this technique of using a filter to allow the camera shutter to stay open and catch the view of the water after it runs over the falls. Neat.

Mattiessen State Park, Illinois Upper Falls

Had a great time yesterday at Mattiessen State Park wandering around the amazing waterfalls and dells area. Took a photo tour of the area with local photography pro, Mark Rasmussen. Mattiessen is near the more popular Starved Rock, but this location has some beautiful areas to photograph. This shot has no Photoshop trickery (although I am not above that sort of thing). Just some finishing touches and some new tricks that I learned to do in camera (such as how to take a 30 second picture in daylight) so it could be seen via the computer. Because of the long shutter time, the camera picks up the whirlpool effect of the water after coming down from the falls. I got so many fun shots, that I will post several over the course of this week. Hope you enjoy.

Mad Hatters of Ottawa Illinois

The tittle says it all. They are all quire mad in the small town of Ottawa Illinois.

Rio Grande and the Sandia Mountains

I wasn't standing in the Rio Grande but I was close on this shot of the muddy river with the beautiful Sandia Mountains in the background. This shot was taken near my hotel just outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Hard to imagine how the early settlers or anyone on a horse got across this swift river to settle the west.

Chicago from on high

Coming in for a landing last Friday and caught a nice view of the downtown area. Chicago is a wonderful city with a beautiful waterfront. Of all the cities that I visit, I am hard pressed to think of one that uses its natural beauty better.

Rocky at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Strange to see a statue celebrating the success of a fictional character but the image of Rocky running up the stairs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art stuck with people. In Rocky III filmmakers briefly put a bronze statue on the top of the stairs. Currently, the statute has been moved to a shady grove near the front entrance and is a popular tourist shot. Although, I hate taking tourist shots, I couldn't resist.

Charles River and Boston Back Bay

View from my hotel room of the Back Bay area of Boston with the Charles River in the distance. The Back Bay is a great area for shopping and dinning with lots of wonderful architecture and character. Definitely a must see on any visit to Boston.