Morning run

I’ve never been able to motivate myself to run in the morning, and I have some trouble understanding those who can. I can do afternoon (after I’m fully awake), and I can do evening (because sometimes I just procrastinate that long), but morning? Bleahhh, it’s physically tough just for me to roll out of bed. A morning run would be like dragging myself over hot coals; I’d rather just skip the run altogether.

But, y’know, good job to all you who can manage it. Good job.

…This is Briant Park, by the way.

Sunset 4

Everyone loves a generic sunset over a generic lake!

(This is actually Echo Lake, which I suppose is a very specific lake.)

Looking out

Lookout points are pretty spiffy, even if I need to go a little off-trail to get to them.

…weeeeeell, maybe more than a little off-trail. (*cough*)

Wood in the woods

I like living near the woods! Man oh man. All you city people with your culture and fancy restaurants and swanky nightlife, you ain’t got nothin’ on this.

Duck X-ing

Ducks! At Echo Lake in Mountainside. This is the east end of the lake.

I specify this because Echo Lake is a very long, narrow lake, and it matters.

Good morning!

Finally, FINALLY, we had a nice foggy morning on a weekend! I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting for this, and how psyched I am to have gotten this photo.

Without going into too much detail, there are two tips I read recently that directed me to this shot:

1. The best light for landscapes is usually within two hours of sunrise or sunset… or in fog, mist, rain, or atmospheric haze.* (Michael Reichmann)
2. “If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of better stuff.” (Jim Richardson)

For me, personally, “better stuff” often includes water. But this is still a working hypothesis.

Anyway. This is Briant Park (in Summit, NJ, no relation to Bryant Park in New York, NY).

 

* On the subject of taking photos within two hours of sunrise, Daylight Savings is helping me an awful lot on that front!

Can you hear the burbling brook?

This is the Green Brook of the Watchung Reservation.

The view is only available to those who go off the marked trail through an enticing little basalt valley.

There’s probably a technical name for it, but I am not up on my geology.

The best dam ever!

It’s no better than any other dam, really, but the lake it’s associated with is called “Best Lake,” so there ya go.

The Best Lake dam and spillway (which is what I’m guessing this is) in Watchung was reconstructed in 2008, according to a nearby marker.

I think I might go buy myself a neutral density filter and revisit this place, because I am pretty unhappy with the way this turned out.

Vistas

When I checked out Johnston Drive for its Weird NJ folklore, I was not expecting anything beyond a road with some bumps.

The panoramic mountaintop vista views were completely unexpected and A-MA-ZING.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to photograph them very well; it was the wrong time of day, and the wrong KIND of day, and I didn’t want to trespass too much, and there were trees and power lines and houses in the way, and I am unfortunately somewhat limited by my equipment.

But that didn’t stop me from wandering around and gazing at 180-degree panoramas and trying to bring them home with me.

Rivulet

Just a stony little rivulet off the Passaic River.