Canal ducks

I guess no one told the ducks.

The canal has been closed to traffic for the season, but the ducks did not get the notice (they are the little dots in the water... click for a bigger picture... still pretty small).

Of course, even with the canal drained, there is still enough water for a duck... so I guess they really don't care.

Southpoint

The cold snow of winter has rendered the bay a smooth white plane of white. The boat docks are empty. Abandoned isolation seems to have set in.

Cold morning

The last few morning have been cold... only in the single digits, and that is Fahrenheit single digits.

We aren't experinecing the coldest temperatures in New York State... it's been well below zero in the Adirondacks.

And there has been snow too... not a lot, but enough.

I guess is must be winter.

Intersection

A quick draw photo.

Keeping the camera near me sometimes means, even in traffic, grabbing a photo when something catches my eye. Often this hurried exposure leads nowhere, but other times it can be interesting.

By the way, this was a 1/2 second exposure handheld while waiting for the light... a testimony to how good image stabilization can be (notice the car light streaks). Not saying this is a technically great photo, but still surprising to me.

Waiting for the bus

This picture reminds me how big tress are, and how small people are.

The mounds of Monroe

Just having a little fun here.

My fellow blogger, Colin Griffiths, has created many fine photos of the Scottish Munros. He is a talented photographer and lover of the outdoors. I admire his work very much. So for some reason these mounds of soil on Monroe Avenue struck me as miniature versions of the Munros.

Yes it seems like a strange connection... but my mind, at times, works in mysterious ways.

Munros or Monroe's... not quite the same in grandeur or photographic interset, but that is what I have to offer this day.

What I see

What I see depends on where I am and where I go.

Obvious I know, but I sometimes feel like my options for pictures is limited by where I live. It seems that middle american suburban living is not as interesting picture wise as larger cities, small towns, European metros, forests, mountains or foot hills.

Maybe it is just an excuse.

What motivates you to take photos? Do you feel limited by your environment or am I just not "seeing" well?

College town

Rochester has two fairly large private universities; the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology... both are alma maters of mine. The University of Rochester is the largest employer in the area when you count the the medical center and Eastman School of Music. Then there is Monroe Community College, St. John Fisher and pictured above, Nazareth College. Also there are the two SUNY schools close by; Brockport and Geneseo. Not to mention Bryant & Stratton, a for profit college, and a former customer of mine.

Education is big business, but it also adds a lot to the community, for which I am thankful.