Ferne Clyffe fun with friends in February


60s in February?!  Count us in!

Laura noticed a mild weekend on the horizon and invited some friends to join us on an easy hike at Ferne Clyffe.  We knew that the trails there would be good for the jogging stroller, so it was an easy choice.  I had ordered a new adapter ring so that Micah could make use of my lens filters, so the waterfall would be a good place for him to try them out.

We met up with Micah, Hannah, Steven, and Kate in the parking lot and then strolled out to the waterfall, fording a small waterway with the stroller along the way.

Photo by Laura

Photo by Laura

At the waterfall, I worked with Micah to help him take his first long exposure photos.  We weren't the only folks to get the memo about the weather, so it was a bit tough to get a shot without people stepping in front of the camera.  It can be frustrating, but I have to remember that it isn't my waterfall and that my standing there with a tripod is likely interfering with someone else's view.  Micah still got some nice pictures of the falls:

Photo by Micah Miller

Photo by Micah Miller

It seemed that Micah was getting the hang of it, so I got out my camera and took some pictures of friends before turning my attention to the falls.








Friends were also taking more flattering pictures of Hannah while she carried Lucy.

Photo by Kate Augustine

Photo by Laura

And Micah got in on the portrait-taking too:

Photo by Micah Miller

Photo by Micah Miller

Photo by Micah Miller

As I was hanging out, I saw a few shots that were different than Micah's and also fit with my recent efforts in "intimate landscapes", or photographing only part of the scene.  Luckily, our friends are patient and allowed me a few minutes to capture them.







We returned to the trailhead, but were not quite ready to head home yet, so went up Goreville Boy Scout Trail, hoping it would connect to Rebman Trail on the way back.  It was apparent very early on that we would be way too high in elevation to connect to the lower Rebman Trail, so we just did it as an out-and-back, stopping at the creek crossing for a few more pictures and taking a group photo near the top.  The dogs didn't all get the message about looking at the camera, as usual!

Photo by Micah Miller


Photo by Micah Miller





Lucy woke up and was ready for the mee-yook when we got back to the car, so she got to eat and be burped in nature while I introduced her to rocks, trees, and even lichen!  She normally only sees the back of her eyelids or the sky while outdoors, so it was extra fun!

Photo by Micah Miller

Photo by Laura

Photo by Laura

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