Peaceful places – Page 69 – LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC

A Few Minutes Of Peace In A Natural Sanctuary

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my page. Tonight’s feature image is titled “Sanctuary” and is available for purchase by using the contact instructions at the bottom of the page. This image is also available in black and white.

The cove of Cathedral Falls is quiet. The only sounds are the peaceful songs of the birds and the trickling of the water cascading down the rocks. Ripples emanate across the pool at the base of the cascade. Crayfish scoot about in pool and hide among the painted sandstone rocks. I take in the moment breathe in the oxygenated air at the bottom of the falls. Looking up towards the break in the canopy I notice the butterflies who seem to float down on a sunbeam and come to rest on a clump of moss for a drink. It’s a warm day and I take off my sandals and clip them to the snap link on my belt. The stone bed of the creek is worn smooth by the flowing water and a few crayfish dart out as I wade in. The water is only ankle deep but is a little cold at first. A glimmer catches my eye as I wade through. Bending over for a better look, I discover a shiny new penny. And it’s even heads up. I started to reach for it but had the second thought that maybe it’s a wish penny tossed into the pool by a child. I’m not superstitious but I suddenly felt like I was betraying the hopes of someone who made the wish and moved on leaving the penny where it landed. I’ve no need for any extra luck today anyway. All I really needed was a few minutes of peace in this natural Cathedral to seek some inspiration.

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my page. If you have enjoyed the photos or the writings please let me know by commenting and sharing my work on your social media. I also want to invite you to Follow Lloyds Lens Photography on Facebook

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Looking Down To Fayette Station & A Little Boy’s Dreams Of Flight

Color Photography

Tonight’s post contains extra information for Facebook users who are being blocked from using the links on my blog.

The New River Gorge is one of the most beautiful places in West Virginia. Normally photos taken of this area feature the New River Gorge Bridge spanning the gorge 876 feet above the water. However, once per year the bridge is open to pedestrians and there’s a chance to get the opposite angle featuring Fayette Station. The view of the canyon is as good as it gets without a helicopter. I remember back in late 70s and early 80s there was a hang glider craze and at least one time I saw gliders on the canyon rim. I have no idea if it was a good idea due to wind but it sounded like fun. The big concern would have been winds blowing the glider into a rock. I’ve stood up on a ledge along the canyon walls and experienced the rain coming up from valley below due to those winds.

Walking the bridge and the high cliff overhangs of West Virginia always inspired the sensation of flying for me. As a child with a very active imagination I always pretended that I could build a giant paper airplane and sail it from the edge of canyon. In my little fantasy I would bank by leaning one way or the other and sail all the way to Gauley Bridge. It’s a fantasy brought back to me by standing on the edge of the New River Gorge Bridge and looking down at Fayette Station.

Hello Friends! I hope that are enjoying my blog. In the closing of my nightly post I normally include links built into the images to give those who interested in subscribing or buying a copy of the photo a way to do so. The vast majority of my readers find my through Facebook and I have enjoyed exchanging comments and the occasional email with feedback about the image or the story. All made easy by the links on my website which I keep free from ads and spam. Unfortunately in their last update Facebook gas found a way to block those links. I’ve checked the posts by other bloggers and their links are deactivated as well. This only happens when a reader gets here via Facebook. So, below each photo I’ve included a separate link that can be copied and pasted if the link in photo doesn’t work.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

Clicking on the photo should take you to https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

This photo should take you to https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Where you can sign up for email alerts and never miss a post.

Clicking on the photo should take you to https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Down To Fayette Station ”and is available forpurchase by using the Contact Form onmy website. Found at https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/contact/

NON-FACEBOOK USERS CAN STILL CLICK ON THE BELL PHOTO BELOW

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

If Facebook is blocking the link please use https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/contact/

Twilight Stillness

black and white photography

The ebbing daylight lingers a little more each day. Slowly but surely the melting ice soaks into the earth or makes it’s way to the river. I’ve begun to hear birds singing throughout the day. Already the Tuffed Titmouse and the Sapsucker gave been spotted on the sides of the trees. These birds are here year-round but tend to stay sheltered in the deep woods during the darkest days. I’ve also noticed that the wind is shifting from Northwest to Southwest. It will bounce back and forth over the next month or so before settling down. The exciting part for me is the increased opportunity for twilight and sunsets. Most of the photos I post are taken on the fly as I travel to and from my day job. Tonight’s Feature Image was taken in the parking lot of Tractor Supply. Silhouette of the windmill and fading light was something that I couldn’t resist. The contrail from the passing jet gave me the impression of a shooting star. So much so that I almost made a wish when I pulled up the file. Within a few minutes of snapping the shutter the last rays of light faded behind the mountain and the window for shooting closed. I clicked the button on my key fob and the headlights of my big blue truck came to life to guide me home to my wife and pup.

Antique Service Desk Bell — Ring this bell for Facebook

Recently, I’ve been made aware that many of my posts on Facebook are being buried in the feed. So, if you don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website at the bottom of theWelcome Page

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “The Twilight Stillness 1”and is available forpurchase by using the Contact Form onmy website. ( justclick on the the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

Antique Service Desk Bell in Black and White — Ring this bell to order prints or schedule portraits

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook.

January’s Crossings 1

Color Photography

The winter winds whip across the three rivers as the steam rises up from my morning coffee. The wintery scene makes me feel like I’ve woken up inside if a snow globe. If not for the fact that I’m on my way to my day job I’d engage the four wheel drive and just idle my big blue truck through the Appalachian Mountains looking for magical places to just sit and watch the snow. The mists and snow seem to merge together as I begin to set up the shot making it look as if the other end of bridge disappears somewhere beyond the known world. For a moment I’m tempted to call off from the day job and allow my inner child to explore the frozen wilderness.

I know that if I travel beyond the bridge and up Gauley Mountain there will be frozen waterfalls with long icicles hanging from the painted sandstone cliffs. There will be little alcoves formed by snow covered bent trees that bright red cardinals play in. Across the forest floor squirrels bounce from tree trunk to tree trunk trying to remember where they stashed their acorns. It was just about that time that the real world recalled me from my daydreaming and I eased my big blue truck back onto the main road.

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “January’s Crossings 1”and is available forpurchase by using the Contact Form onmy website. ( just click on the the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook.

Tracking People And Making Decisions

Color Photography

Not that long ago I was fascinated with Tom Brown Jr and his books on tracking. His reputation in the wilderness survival community is unparalleled. He’s actually been a consultant for several Hollywood Movies and it’s been said that he can track your footsteps across a bare concrete floor and tell you what kind of mood you was in when you passed through. I was never anywhere near that good but even today I have a tendency to notice footprints and try to figure out what was happening when the tracks were made. People will often say that they talk with their hands meaning that they gesture a lot but believe it or not we also talk with our feet too. It’s a little more subtle but it’s there in one degree or another. For example, a person deep in thought might have a tendency to move his/her feet in semi-circles as if mapping out their options. As a lefthander I normally take longer strides with my left leg than I do my right. There’s a whole discipline of forensics dedicated footprints.

On a more philosophical note, I sometimes wonder what I would learn about myself if I look into the past and read my own tracks at key moments in my life. Especially those moments when I “built experience” ( AKA made the wrong decision). I’m willing to bet that I would see evidence of talking myself out of what I knew was the right choices. Search & Rescue trackers will often comment that they could tell that a person paused for an extended period facing the right path before turning and heading into danger. We can only see so far into the past but we can be active observers in the present. I don’t think it’s essential to base our decisions on our foot placement but if I catch myself hesitating towards a particular choice I know that I should probably investigate that choice a little closer before walking away from it. And of course ask myself if I’m just trying to take the easy way out for the wrong reasons.

The footprints in the feature image are not mine. They belong to a young lady who I stumbled upon just enjoying Cane Branch that feeds Cathedral Falls in Gauley Bridge. What do I think that her footprints say? They say “This a great place to enjoy life!”

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “The Wandering”and is available forpurchase by using the Contact Form onmy website. ( justclick on the the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook.