In my first autumn 2022 post, I wrote that I was sick with covid and had to cancel my much anticipated trip to Vermont. Once recovered, I got out with a vengeance to photograph the Catskills and the Hudson Valley!
In that blog, I covered my excursion to the Trusten Stone Arch Bridge and the Ashokan Reservoir.
In this blog, I will share with you my time spent at the Palmer Hill Lookout, Pepacton Reservoir and the Millbrook Covered Bridge.
To be at Palmer Hill lookout, which is located in the town of Andes, NY before sunrise, I needed to be on the road by 5:00AM. It had been raining all night, and it was still sprinkling as I headed up to my destination.
Once there, the rain had stopped, but because of the changing air masses (always guarantee to create sky drama and beautiful light), there was an incredibly thick fog bank that was rolling over the high peaks of the Catskills, then sliding down into the valley below and eventually enveloped me where I was shooting. It was a sight to behold!
I came away with so many different perspectives without having to move about much, that I will be busy processing them all as time passes by)))
Here are two that I have processed, shared and are available for purchase here:
hudsonvalleylandsacpephotos.comcom/buy-prints-products/
After having a very productive photo session up at the Palmer Hill Lookout, I turned my attention to the Pepacton Reservoir, also known as the Downsville Reservoir in Delaware County which is located on the East Branch of the Delaware River in the Catskill Mountains of New York.
Having learned my lesson of not having a DEC Access Permit back in 2015, I have since made sure to have one so that I can be on their property for recreational purposes, as long as I do not approach the area by a spillway (which are monitored closely since 9/11).
I pulled off of State Route 30 to shoot from two different locations, this being the first one, where there is a boat launch for fishing.
As it was still very early in the morning, there were only two fisherman and myself taking advantage of the moody sky, autumn color, cool air and the silence of the reservoir.
The storm from the overnight hours was still hanging around, somewhat stubbornly giving way to clearing skies of an approaching high pressure system.
The light was even, with a filtered sun trying to poke its head through the cloud deck just enough to illuminate the colorful foliage that surrounded the reservoir.
I incorporated the two beached canoes as foreground subject matter that draws your eye into the overall composition.
As the time passed by while I was there, the sky conditions were constantly evolving, giving me the opportunity to come up with completely different perspectives every time I pressed the shutter button.
“Autumn Duo Cantata”
“Millbrook Covered Bridge Postlude”
This historic structure was my third stop of my recent trip up to the Catskill Mountains.
Last year, I bookmarked “The New York State Covered Bridge Society” website, and then began to read up about all the remaining covered bridges that are located in Greene, Sullivan and Ulster Counties.
I started photographing them last autumn, and wanted to continue my documentation this fall.
I had originally hoped to shoot at least three that day, but alas <sigh>, my GPS was either tripping, or I received the wrong coordinates and imputed them unknowingly. Whatever the case may had been, I was at least fortunate enough to find this one, and it was the last one on my list!
This perspective was my favorite (out of three), because I was able to photograph it while I was in the shade, and to be able to display the wonderful color contrasts between the October foliage and the quintessential autumn sky. Also, I was able to fully bring out the textures of this historic bridge from this vantage point.
An official Path Through History Site! The Mill Brook Covered Bridge (formerly known as the Grants Mill Covered Bridge) is one of five covered bridges still standing in Ulster County. It is owned and maintained by the Town of Hardenburgh and carries pedestrian traffic across Mill Brook. Built by Edgar and Orrin Marks, and Wesley Alton in 1902, this 66-foot-long, single span structure incorporates the Town lattice truss design patented on January 28, 1820, and again in 1835 by Ithiel Town of New Haven, Connecticut. The Mill Brook Covered Bridge is very similar in dimensions and design to other bridges in the Catskill region, all of which feature buttresses. The Mill Brook has four such buttresses on each side. The total cost to build the Mill Brook Covered Bridge in 1902 was $1,027 and the bridge was finished in late November 1902. This bridge was rehabilitated in 1991 by Bob Vredenburgh, great grandson of Edgar Marks, one of the original builders. To assist in the funding of the rehabilitation of this bridge, trunnels were sold to individuals with the stipulation that their names would be imprinted on them. When visiting the bridge, be sure to look for the many names written on the trunnels.
Stay tuned for the next blog about my Autumn 2022 adventures!
