Landscapes

Fen Landscape

Siebenthaler Fen, Beavercreek, Ohio "Love the trees until their leaves fall off, then encourage them to try again next year.” - Chad Sugg The month of May is American Wetlands Month. Something keeps me coming back, this area in particular is a stone's throw away from my house and is perhaps one of the most bio-diverse locations around Greene County. One can guess this is during late Autumn by the background red trees and the bare ones in the foreground. This capture is a simple late morning composition that is actually a throwback for me. This is a recreation of a film shot I took in high school photography class. While I unfortunately do not have the negative anymore, this digital photo will suffice. The Beaver Creek watershed is what geologists call an "underfit stream" where the channel is wider than the stream it flows into. Fens used to be abundant in pre-settlement southwest Ohio. Now there is only a handful left and Siebethaler is a prime example. Fens are important for the controlling of flooding by holding water underground. While most wetlands have been drained for residential development and cropland, this one has successfully been restored and hosts a diverse flora and fauna life. © 2017 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Caesar Creek State Park

Caesar Creek State Park, Waynesville, Ohio As someone plagued with bad memory, photography allows me to relive these adventures and places I've traveled and to share them with others. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Caesar Creek Lake Landscape

Caesar Creek State Park, Waynesville, Ohio "When life feels too big to handle, go outside. Everything looks smaller when you're standing under the sky.” - L.R. Knost March 30th is National Take a Walk in the Park Day Taking a walk in a park is powerful. Like self-therapy, I take temporary refuge from all stresses and welcome whatever may come. Ever since a child, something about this action has stuck with me. This particular day had me hiking the entire campground backpacking trail. Any time a trail led to the lake's edge, I wanted to see the view. This specific spot had a dead and fallen tree trunk, large stone slabs such as this and calming waters sloshing back and forth. Some places are so calming I can't help but sit down and think out compositions carefully. A wide angle point of view was essential here to show the stone in the foreground. I would consider this to be a very minimalist image with not too many elements to view. The background colors in the treeline help add a touch of interest to the overall frame. Nature helps me discover more about myself. As these landscapes grow and evolve, so do I © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Caesar Creek Lake Landscape

Caesar Creek State Park, Waynesville, Ohio "A portrait photographer waits for the right expression: a landscape photographer waits for the right light." - Yuan Li This is a lake landscape featuring the riprap of the water's edge and a windfallen tree. The driftwood in the foreground provides a solid focal point of interest. The nice and gentle curve in the tree trunk provides a nice visual angle compared to the very straight and rigid riprap that is aggressively at a tilt. I have noticed my lakeside landscape shots always seem to have me taking the image at an angle like this. I am still finding the answers to why that is so, then again, maybe this is my unique style? Or is it a nasty compositional habit? You decide. One can predict the seasons quite easily! The background treeline is slowly transitioning to Autumnal colors, yet the soft colors are exactly jumping out to the viewer. In fact, the brighter exposed riprap and driftwood are the main hook. Using a wide angle lens with a polarizer filter was a no-brainer. Overall a very compelling capture to my first trip to Caesar Lake. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Twilight Over the Marina

Buck Creek State Park, Springfield, Ohio "The point where the sky meets the ground. Kissing, breathing, expansive landscape." My first trip to Buck Creek ended the day with this amazing. sunset shot I took of the wide expanse given at the 2,120 acre lake. After shooting the orange glow of light facing the setting sun, I turned my back on it and found the light to be completely different as it turned out here. Whereas before I was shooting the Golden Hour, this image is displaying the Blue Hour. I particularly enjoy the off-kilter angle of the beachside pebbles that lead your eyes to the tree at the right horizon line. At least for me, when first viewing the image my eyes start at the bottom left and move the way up. Let's not forget to mention the pink and blue hues in the gorgeous sky that are also reflected in the lake water. Simply a stunning photographic moment I will never forget. This is one of a handful of images that piqued my interest in HDR (high dynamic range) photography after being against it for so long. I now can say it has a legitimate place in the post processing workflow for me and I bracket more than half my shots now for this reason. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Buck Creek State Park Lake Panorama

Buck Creek State Park, Springfield, Ohio This is three separate images stitched together to show off the wide field of view by the 2,830 acre lake. Up to this point, this is the largest body of water I've been able to stand near and in my eyes was a very impressive sight. I have made another edit that included up to nine images stitched together as well. I sat and took in the calmness of the sloshing waters with the wind. Taking my time with no hurries or worries, this was entirely worth waiting for. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Rainbow Over Pond & Trees

Dominick Lofino Park, Beavercreek, Ohio "You were looking, but did you really see?" What a special end to the day. Hours upon hours spent photographing waterfowl, both ducks and geese. With enough persistence I nabbed some simple portraits as well as many in flight images. If there's one location that gets me out of my introverted comfort zone, it is here. The rather small pond mixed in with the always busy walking paths around it means people are always here and on the move. A few times they happened to startle a duck or heron I was waiting patiently on. Couple this with me walking around with a very large lens strapped go my chest like a soldier. I look a little out of place to say the least. The early afternoon gave a bright sun that I had to work with. The clouds rolled in every now and then delivering a slight drizzle. Fortunately this did not stop me as I simply waited it out under the shelter gazebos conveniently placed around the pond. On and off this went for several hours. Nature photographers end up learning they simply have to work with the weather in tandem. After some sun showers it became pretty clear a beautiful sunset may occur. What I didn't expect was for there to be a rainbow. Along with this image of the treeline surrounding the park, I managed some captures of Mallard Ducks in flight with this rainbow in the background. There is nothing I love more than getting different results from the norm. It goes to show I easily could've stayed home that day or packed it up after rainfall began. While I certainly have entire days spent working on the computer, none of this would be achieved without getting out there. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Autumnal Colors Landscape

Carriage Hill Metropark, Dayton, Ohio “I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want.” - Andy Warhol My first visit to the vast and diverse Carriage Hill. This metropark features a decently sized pond, loop trails that take you through deep woods, forests, and meadows such as this image. This was the morning I broke a lens filter when it dropped on concrete and I got a lengthy hike through the whole metro park. I photographed Ring Billed Gulls, a Great Blue Heron, leaves both decaying and colorful, and this beautiful view. Another subject of HDR, I bracketed this shot three times to bring out all the colors and shadow details. The amount of colors and sharpness make this a "pleasant to the eye" photo. I deliberately used the path as a leading line to guide you down the frame into the colorful treeline. To top it all off, you get a very moody grey sky just after I waited out a short and heavy rainfall by standing under a forest canopy. As a personal arbitrary rule, I try to avoid photographing the trails or paths I walk. I would rather show a unkempt look within a natural location. However, this spot made me change my mind. There is no need to place silly limitations on oneself. Wandering through these prairies, these woods, I began to realize that these plants, these animals, this air, all of it is as much alive as I am, and I am not alone. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Eastwood Lake Sunset

Eastwood Lake, Dayton, Ohio What started out as a dull and cloudy rainy day ended with the warm amber glow of evening light seen in this image. The sun broke through the clouds and dropped under the horizon within a few minutes. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Woodland Morning

Fairborn Community Park, Fairborn, Ohio "For me nature is not landscape, but the dynamism of visual forces." - Bridget Riley A rather intimate landscape detail of a local patch of woodlands. The late summer green foliage mixed in with the dew-laden atmosphere and sunrise made for a compelling subject. An f-stop of f/13 provided enough detail throughout the frame, even though most of the image seems to be in the middle ground. ISO 800 and 1/13 worked well for the very calm morning. For this image, I was seeking to capture the atmosphere and mood of the moment, rather than to document the landscape alone. I have realized over time how "timely" images and photographs can be! As the habitats and landscapes evolve over time, these photos become reminders of what once was. As far as I know, no one else was in this particular spot to witness this celestial lighting gracing the green leaves in front of me. There's a pretty good chance that moments will never happen again, so let's enjoy each one for what it is. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Morning Meadow

Russ Nature Reserve, Beavercreek, Ohio "Life is like a landscape. You live in the midst of it but can describe it only from the vantage point of distance." - Charles Lindbergh A rather brisk hike to the farthest edge of the reserve away from the parking lot. There was a shot I previsualized from this point at the meadow. While this is not the image I envisioned as the sun was already above the horizon for the day. Sometimes plans go awry and we are left to improvise. An early spring morning in the meadow as seen here was the result. The higher elevation than I intended proved to work well, as the sun was about at level with the camera plane. I exposed several frames to let some light in the darkest parts of the treeline in the background. Photos should have a well-rounded contrast of light to shadow, a dull, flat image is almost never a good idea. I exposed enough to keep some trees in shadow while allowing the foreground to stay rather dark. About two or three brackets total are made in this manner, the last one being of the sky to retain detail from the rising sun. For the composition this fallen tree branch in the front provided a nice line right across the frame. Landscape photography at its' finest when everything seems to fall into place. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Woodland View

Fairborn Community Park, Fairborn, Ohio "Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love; it will all come back to you in abundance. This is the law of nature." - Steve Maraboli One can not expect a community park to have such a nice space to explore. Yet here I was, finding it hard to believe this beautiful woodland area was tucked away in the inner city. The amount of greenery in this ankle-high grasslands surrounded by old-growth trees caught my eye pretty quickly. Sometimes a scene will "jump out at me" and be begging to be photographed. The leading line of the footpath before me and the camera helped lead the viewer's eye into the background. The trees help pinpoint some visual interest in the frame, while establishing the habitat I was in for taking the photo. This to me is a nice and expansive shot to display what the woodland looks like, and the beautiful views one can enjoy from within. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Pollock Works

Indian Mound Reserve, Cedarville, Ohio "Beautiful things don't ask for attention." - Sean O' Connell The Pollock Works in Cedarville don't look like much at first sight, but these natural formations are older than you and I. These embankments date back to the Hopewell Indian culture (100 BC - 500 AD). They are currently preserved as a natural historic place and rightfully so. Walking between them is so fascinating. I fondly remember going on a field trip here in junior high and getting to see the Williamson Mound. Coming back all these years later felt nostalgic. This was actually taken during my second photographic trip back. The first time had me experimenting with an external flash inside the rather dark cliffs. I was not happy with the results at all. Having returned again a few months later and armed with more knowledge. I made this successful capture and a handful of others. It was essential to bracket this shot as it is very dark inside versus the outside. Everything here is now well exposed with the giant stones in the middle foreground being the main interest. Your eyes are then led to the leftmost opening and out. Once again, it pays off to let your "ideas be shelved" for a while only to return with a fresh eye and perspective. "Nature teaches life lessons and is a reminder to take action. Our time is finite so every fleeting moment is as special as the next." © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Early Morning Fog Prairie

Russ Nature Reserve, Beavercreek, Ohio "The vast and beautiful world is the home we share together.” - Bryant McGill When photography began to be something I took a little more seriously, I started getting up before dawn like the professionals did. Persistence is key with this, you may be greeted with a stunning sunrise or a dull cloud coverage that seems to go nowhere. In this day's case, intense fog permeated the entire scene. That grouping of trees in the background was shrouded in mist from my position. Fog creates mood and atmosphere to your images so use it to your advantage whenever the opportunity arises. This is another compostional exercise in leading lines. I was looking to use the walking path to lead your eyes somewhere, in this case the grouping of trees far away. A wide angle lens was needed to show off enough side detail of the prairie during late summer. Having too little of details can make for a confusing image to look at. Whereas too many visual elements makes for a cluttered and messy photo. I bracketed this frame several times to capture enough color and to bring out some detail in the foggy background trees. To me, I love using juxtapositions to make creative photos. In this case, the way the top half is greyed out and the bottom half has greens and yellows of color. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Spring Valley Wildlife Area Lake Sunrise

Spring Valley Wildlife Area, Spring Valley, Ohio "There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars." - Jack Kerouac The beauty of an early morning, out at the lake. The morning temperatures were frigid and so the landscapes were quite altered in appearance. Every single thing outdoors had a thick layer of frost which made for some unique compostions and textures within the frame. I first sought subjects like the exposed roots of a felled tree into the water. Then abstractions such as the branches hanging out of the water and casting reflections. By this point, I had "broken the ice" on the creative process and could work the scenes. That first photo is sometimes the most difficult hurdle to overcome. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Spring Valley Wildlife Area Lake Sunrise

Spring Valley Wildlife Area, Spring Valley, Ohio "There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs." - Ansel Adams Although not a true panorama, the cropping of the image felt natural to leave out unnecessary details. I composed the frame to include the reflected tree branches of a fallen tree to the left. The beautiful soft lighting on the horizon is also reflected to great effect. Landscape photography to me is the perfect excuse to get up early and stay out late. The calm morning to myself to focus on the producing three best image possible, or a serene evening out after dark. Successful photo or not, every trip out in the field is a successful lesson. I learn more as about my gear, the location and lighting as well as about my own development as a person. Photography is so much more than just a pretty picture. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Spring Valley Wildlife Area Lake Sunrise

Spring Valley Wildlife Area, Spring Valley, Ohio "Great photographs begin with a personal vision." - Jeff Zuckerman When shooting sunrises and sunsets, I will almost always choose the latter over the former. Sunrises to me always feel rushed no matter how early I get to a location. However this is one special moment where I made it just on time to hike around the 150 acre lake. Positioning myself facing the sunrise, I made two or three brackets showing highlights, shadows and everything in between. Compositionally, I was hyper aware of not settling the horizon line right in the middle of the frame. When making this choice, one has to decide which is more important, the foreground (in this case the lake water) or the sky? I chose the sky as being more interesting, even more than the reflection. Reflections are one exception where the horizon line looks best in the middle, yet I still insisted on showing more of the dramatic sky. As you can see the treeline is also silhouetted against the morning fog and mist over the lake. To be honest I feel as though this image was a little overproduced on my end, yet I like the ethereal vibe that it captures. Sunrises are for sure a whole different realm compared to sunsets. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Golf Course Sunset

Hills & Dales Metropark, Kettering, Ohio "The Earth without art is just "eh."" - Demetri Martin When the end of the day lighting begins to look promising, I start pining over the best way to photograph it. This special evening had me basically scurrying around looking for the best composition possible with time running out. I settled upon this telephoto landscape shot with the sunburst hitting right at the tree branch. The stone bench underneath the tree lined up perfectly with the setting sun and casted a long shadow along the ground. Typically I would shy away from shooting directly towards the sun, however this image gave me more confidence in the possibilities available when I do. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Golf Course Sunset

Hills & Dales Metropark, Kettering, Ohio "Dusk is just an illusion because the sun is either above the horizon or below it. And that means that day and night are linked in a way that few things are. There cannot be one without the other yet they cannot exist at the same time. How would it feel I remember wondering to be always together yet forever apart?” - Nicholas Sparks A long and sporadic day of hiking in the early spring woodlands ended with this photo. I set out in the afternoon to photograph the early spring blooms of wildflowers, namely the bluebells and various springbeauties. A sunset is always a treat over the rolling hills at the metropark, and so I kept that idea in the back of my mind. I managed to hike all the trails in that single afternoon, and the waning hours of daylight led me to this golf course across the road from the metropark. The tree in front of me held such allure and coupled with the bench underneath allowed me to create a special kind of sunset landscape. I prepared my camera on the tripod way ahead of time to relax and have a snack. The goal was to allow the sunburst to strike right through the bench as a focal point, then with the tree deep in shadow mixed with the sky and its' gradiant lighting. One of my favorite sunset images taken thus far. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Pond Quarry Sunset

Oakes Quarry, Fairborn, Ohio I can only describe it as like you're walking in a desert. Oakes Quarry is a bit of a puzzling landscape to hike and photograph. It has a fossil pile with stones broken away from million year old dolomite. There is a dried up coral reef. Not to mention multiple ponds among pine needle trees and areas where there is sparse vegetation. One spur on the loop trail around the massive quarry is heavily covered with dense brush and is a hotspot for Robins. Waterfowl such as Killdeer and Great Egrets are commonly seen in the lowland ponds. Not to mention the impressive views seen from the far side on the cliff face right above the fossil piles. Not real satisfied with the spot I set up my composition at facing the sunset I opted for taking it with my back against the sun. I always try to look for different angles like with my back turned to see what is bathing the light. This place is certainly a one of a kind in Southwest Ohio. I look forward to returning more often in the future. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Ohio Winter Scene

Beaver Creek Wetland Nature Reserve, Beavercreek, Ohio While the location is tagged as Rotary Park, the official name for this area is the "Beaver Creek Wetland Nature Reserve." This area is a stones throw away from my house and was the sentimental location of many photo op's early on. The close proximity made it easily accessible by bike. Featured here is some varied hiking trails (albeit muddy most of the year) and an observation tower on one of the loop trails. Adjacent to the nature reserve is Philips Park and the newly added Dane Mutter Prairie. The reserve is also a prime hotspot during spring bird migration and is used for the annual Christmas Bird Count. Photographing snow is tricky at first. You have to learn how to compensate for the cameras misunderstanding of the exposure reading. Naturally DSLR's will believe the whiteness is overexposed so if set to auto exposure will darken the color to a dull grey. By compensating for this you will have to overexpose by typically up to one stop. This particular photo was also bracketed to bring out more depth in the sky and for the snow. I used to shrug off using a wide angle lens but now it is one of my most used in my kit. As long as every detail in the frame adds to the composition or story then you have a compelling photo at hand. I have walked by this spot dozens upon dozens of times before yet no matter how many times I return, I still find interesting subjects to capture. It pays off to revisit your habitats more than once and in all four seasons. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

A Lone Tree

Ellis Park, Yellow Springs, Ohio "Nature doesn't need people, people need nature, nature would survive the extinction of the human being and go on just fine, but human culture, human beings, cannot survive without nature." - Harrison Ford A lonely tree out in the crop field, on this snow drifting day I too was alone out in the field with it. Keeping this arbor friend of mine company, I set up a small telephoto lens on my DSLR and mounted it all to a tripod. There was no close proximity here, as the distance was compressed with the telephoto perspective (typically any focal length over 100mm.) The challenge was to record the scene by working the position of the subject. Options were limited and yet I found this quite freeing. I could offset the tree to the left or right on a horizontal plane, or center it straight like in this vertically driven image. A tree will always look taller in a vertical photograph, however this one from afar shared more of the landscape surrounding it. Slow down, take some time to befriend your photographic subjects. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

A Lone Tree

Ellis Park, Yellow Springs, Ohio "Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire." - Jennifer Lee I have a soft spot, a weakness for singular lone trees found in farm fields. Every chance I get to scour the rural parts of my home state has me finding these beauties out in the middle of nowhere. The rule (read: guideline) of thirds helped offset this lone tree from the rest of the frame with a small telephoto lens from afar. Trees in general just contain so much personality. It is any wonder that they are like photographing a portrait. Each one has their own characteristics and the best light to see them in. The day fit this one perfectly, as it was the bare leaves and the cold snow made it seem rather glum in contrast. Ask yourself how your subject will look the best in a photo. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Yellow Springs Creek

Ellis Park, Yellow Springs, Ohio "To the complaint, 'There are no people in these photographs,' I respond, There are always two people: the photographer and the viewer.” - Ansel Adams The colder times of the year bring forth a different and unique set of challenges with the camera. Out in the field, typically the elements can be just as harsh as summer. This day brought forth a rather large snowfall with fairly high winds carrying it around the wind. These images were some of the first I took for the day. A set of compositonally-driven frames detailing the ice and murky concrete waters below. This transition and duality was what I aimed to achieve. The stark contrast in colors begged for some camera time. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Yellow Springs Creek

Ellis Park, Yellow Springs, Ohio "To the complaint, 'There are no people in these photographs,' I respond, There are always two people: the photographer and the viewer.” - Ansel Adams The colder times of the year bring forth a different and unique set of challenges with the camera. Out in the field, typically the elements can be just as harsh as summer. This day brought forth a rather large snowfall with fairly high winds carrying it around the wind. These images were some of the first I took for the day. A set of compositonally-driven frames detailing the ice and murky concrete waters below. This transition and duality was what I aimed to achieve. The stark contrast in colors begged for some camera time. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Yellow Springs Creek

Ellis Park, Yellow Springs, Ohio "To the complaint, 'There are no people in these photographs,' I respond, There are always two people: the photographer and the viewer.” - Ansel Adams The colder times of the year bring forth a different and unique set of challenges with the camera. Out in the field, typically the elements can be just as harsh as summer. This day brought forth a rather large snowfall with fairly high winds carrying it around the wind. These images were some of the first I took for the day. A set of compositonally-driven frames detailing the ice and murky concrete waters below. This transition and duality was what I aimed to achieve. The stark contrast in colors begged for some camera time. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Yellow Springs Creek

Ellis Park, Yellow Springs, Ohio "To the complaint, 'There are no people in these photographs,' I respond, There are always two people: the photographer and the viewer.” - Ansel Adams The colder times of the year bring forth a different and unique set of challenges with the camera. Out in the field, typically the elements can be just as harsh as summer. This day brought forth a rather large snowfall with fairly high winds carrying it around the wind. These images were some of the first I took for the day. A set of compositonally-driven frames detailing the ice and murky concrete waters below. This transition and duality was what I aimed to achieve. The stark contrast in colors begged for some camera time. © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Yellow Springs Creek Winter Scene

Glen Helen Nature Preserve, Yellow Springs, Ohio © 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.