Black Sheep Photography

Hocking Hills

2010-06-20T12:13:00.005-04:00

So this trip to Hocking Hills State Park near Lancaster, Ohio (birthplace of my Great Grandmother Ruth Mae Miller-Hardy) was finally the addition we've been wanting to make to BlackSheep - it is now officially 2 BlackSheep and a Little Brown Dog! Larry and I have been talking about this for a long time since it is he and I and Emma the dog - in fact my license plates are BLKSHEP - when we get a different SUV, the plates could be 2BLKSHP and when we have a third vehicle, the plate will be LTLBWNDG. It's an inside family joke, but finally, a trip we could take Emma and make it official!

Hocking Hills State park is a great place to visit and there are some real attributes for "non-hikers". Larry and I are gearing up for a trip to Jackson Hole - where last time we realized how out of shape we were! So, we've been hiking at Oak Openings (we did 16 miles or so one day) and we've been trying to do 20 miles a week to "get in shape". Well, Hocking Hills got the best of us and all we realized was that both BlackSheep and the little brown dog were ALL out of shape!

However, one of the wonderful things about Hocking Hills is that even if you don't like to "hike" or if you're out of shape, almost all of the most beautiful attractions are within 1/4 to 1/2 mile of the parking lots. There are plenty of great cabin rentals and a lot of campgrounds. The facilities seem very nice and it was a beautiful place - even if it was hot and humid! That just made the ice-cream taste better!

I have to admit I didn't get as many artistic photos as I should have - I did take my camera, but it was pretty hot and since it was our first time there, I didn't plan our visits to the sites as they relate to the best light as well as I could do it now. However, there are a few shots that came out great and I'm happy to share. If you'd like to see all 189 photos which include our very cool zip line through the canopy of Hocking Hills, you can view the album on Picasa.

We enjoyed our trip and would go back for sure as long as we could have another dinner at the Inn at Cedar Falls - that place was just terrific!! Happy hiking for the summer!

Red River Gorge

2010-04-12T18:34:00.002-04:00

They have a Cabin rental company in the Red River called "Georgeous" - that seems appropriate. The Gorge was a great place to hike and see some beautiful scenery. We went on a Friday and came back on a Monday, so not a very long trip - but we saw a lot in a short period of time!

There are many short and easy hikes you can do right from the main roads - pretty easy for even those elderly or very out of shape people. However, the Gorge is known for world famous rock-climbing, so it attracts even the most "hard core" adventurer - and for good reason.

On Saturday, we did a handful of short, easy hikes from the road just to "see the sights", but we did choose one moderate hike - according to the trail guide. The hike was supposed to be 5 miles round trip. Well, let's get a few things straight - 5 miles means 6 miles. Moderate means starting at an elevation of 915 feet, climbing across a ridge, then down the ridge to 335 feet, across the floor of the Gorge and up another ridge to 922 feet, then down halfway from that ridge to climb out again to get back to the road. It took us about 3.5 hours to go 6 miles - we didn't break any speed records for sure, but I wouldn't exactly call our route "moderate".

Anyway, the photos were great and it was a great deal of fun, but be careful what you bite off if you go!

Where's my Camera??

2009-10-08T10:35:00.002-04:00

Once again, I have no photos to share - just like with the fashion show - I had the perfect opportunity but didn't have my camera. Isn't that the first rule of photography? Always have your camera with you! Since I haven't learned rule #1, I can only TELL you about what a great photo it would have been....

Emma and I are taking a walk around the Lily Pond in Iowa on vacation (after yet another Hawkeye win - we're 5-0 with a big game against Michigan coming up this weekend). It's about a 3 mile walk around the pond. The north side of the pond is generally the road, while the south side is more like the trails out by Grand Rapids - water on both sides and a path down the middle. Emma and I are walking along, taking in the sights of the pond when up pops a family of beavers. About 5 cute little heads bobbing in the water no more than 5 feet from us. Their water repellent fur made them look like they were greased, but their eyes were almost friendly! I'd seen all the beaver huts in the pond for years, but I'd never seen a family of beavers just hanging around - what a photo I missed!

The next day, Larry joined Emma and I and it was around 4p in the afternoon, so the sun was on it's way down, but the sky was bright blue and it was crisp outside. After my experience just the day before, you'd think I would have remembered my camera this day. Well, no. Blonds ARE slow, evidently, and I was not too happy with myself - yet again. As we turned on the south side of the pond, the entire turtle population of the Amana, Iowa Lilly Pond must have been having a sun bathing competition! Again, 5-10 feet from us were Turtles on logs everywhere! Turtles were actually stacked on top of each other to bathe in the sun. And I missed it. Again.

Well, the photos are in my head to enjoy, but the whole point is to share them with the rest of the world. I guess my brain really is taking a break this week - photos and all!

Fashion Show!

2009-10-08T10:32:00.006-04:00

Well, there was a successful Fashion Show event at Levis Commons in September. We had 2500 people and raised at least $10,000 for the Sight Center of Northwest Ohio. It was a terrific event and there are many wonderful fashionable photos - none of which I took. Thanks to many photographers on the scene, but a big thanks to Adam Rossi who was a hired "gun" the night of the event. I will post some photos on the site - but know they won't be mine! You'll love the shots, however, the event was great! View some of the photos at the links below!

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articleAID=/20090928/COLUMNIST10/909289983

http://www.flickr.com/photos/toledocom/sets/72157622474284216/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b-IvgUIgHU (I'm interviewed here!)

http://tell.toledo.com/2009/08/13/epic-rocks-fashion-announces-retailers-and-models/

Midland, Ontario - Canada

2009-08-18T15:23:00.002-04:00

Just back from the Georgian Bay in Canada and it was beautiful! The water is so clear, I thought I was in the Mediterranean. However, other than Scully's not a whole to do up there! Did manage to get a very technical mountain bike ride in at Hardwood Ski and Bike Trail. Very cool place if you're ever up there - 6-7 trails, none of them are easy - in fact Nadya and I did the two easiest and still ended up bloody and sweaty! But, we had a blast and have yet another story to tell! Oh Canada!

7.23.09 – New York, NY

2009-07-23T11:36:00.000-04:00

New York. What a place! As with most places I go, I could spend an entire year just in the city taking photographs and still not get to everything! I have just a couple photos from this trip – it was more for the company than for my photographic desires, but I was happy to get what I did. I’ll go back and get some more one day, for now, the photos will have to stay in my memory!

7.11.09 – Canadian Rockies

2009-07-11T11:35:00.000-04:00

Just returned from a rock-climbing and biking trip to the Canadian Rockies – Banff to be specific. Wow, what a trip. With the exception of some pretty overcast days that didn’t allow for much good photography, I could spend a year shooting there and still wouldn’t get all the shots I wanted!

There are a few photos that came out OK, Johnston’s Canyon was a fun day with good sun and we did see a grizzly after going to Lake Louise – yes, as Catherine mentioned, he’s looking right at us!

I recommend the Banff National Park and that area to anyone who would like to see some beautiful mountains, do some good hiking and especially for Nadya, anyone who needs to be humbled by the mountain on their bike! Lots of opportunities in Banff!

5.12.09 – Toledo Mud Hens

2009-05-12T11:35:00.000-04:00

Larry Dillin throws out the first pitch at the Mud Hens game – what a night! (These photos can be viewed on the “other galleries” page.) He looks like he could be on the team!

5.10.09 – Schedel Gardens

2009-05-10T11:33:00.000-04:00

Tiger and I visited one of my favorite spots in NW Ohio, Schedel Gardens. We spent less than an hour there on a brief tour, yet the photos were not hard to get!The frog was one that really got me – I honestly wasn’t sure he was real…until I got to his level and he jumped! Tiger said he thought I was going in the pond with him! Also the peacock – he was playing a fun game – for him, not me – of hide and seek. He would peer out from one side of the building to see if he could find me – when he did, he would run around to the other side! Animals are funny! It was a fun day, needless to say and Tiger and I capped it off with an ice-cream cone at Mr. Freeze!

4.18.09 – Cancun, Mexico

2009-04-18T11:33:00.000-04:00

Cancun is always a great place to just relax and enjoy some quality time doing absolutely nothing. However, when you’re me, absolutely nothing can only be done for a short period of time. It wasn’t long and I was off seeing what Cancun and Isla Mujeres had to offer. Lots and lots of ocean/horizon photos – no surprise there, a few beaches and a nice sunset here and there. I was only there 3 days and I took over 700 photos, so...

10.31.08 – Germany

2008-10-31T11:33:00.000-04:00

Europe is just a great place to visit. I don’t think I’ve ever been anywhere that I don’t appreciate the culture, but Germany was certainly a favorite of mine – Munich to be specific. Berlin was a great history lesson and with the Garforth’s as our guides, we not only saw a lot, we learned a lot! Although it was a business trip, I can not complain about how much we were able to capture. Runs in the park, biking through town, museums, river boats and we even got to see a football (soccer) game!Germany vs. Italy – great fun and thanks to our hosts, MVV.

9.30.08 – Napa Valley

2008-09-30T11:39:00.000-04:00

Napa was a wonderful trip, but I have to tell you I’m amazed at some of the crisp photos I was able to capture – considering the amount of wine that was flowing through my blood at any given moment! We actually had a private wine tasting (thanks to Dad) that included 17 glasses of wine…let me tell you – those are some funny photos! They didn’t make the site though!

I recommend Napa to anyone. The food is wonderful and it’s a great place to really find out what kind of wine you like – if you’re not sure. And if you’re like me, it’s a great place to hone your wine skills and taste buds!

9.18.08 – Paris, France

2008-09-18T11:32:00.000-04:00

Paris Really? Yes, it’s another Cheryl and Nadya trip and the theme was shopping, drinking and eating…in that order. Oh, and we took quite a few photos as well! Although most of the photos I take never make it to the website, I think that you can see that we really did Paris right! Euro Disney with Tarek and just about every other tourist monument that exists in Paris – we were there. My favorite was the Eiffel Tower at night. I made a lot of phone calls from the top of the tower and tried to share my experience with many of my friends – I wished they were all there with me – however, Nadya is so much fun, she’s really all I can handle!

7.10.08 – Jackson Hole, WY

2008-07-10T11:31:00.000-04:00

Jackson Hole, Wyoming – my favorite place on earth (so far!). Larry and I took a much need trip and did a whole bunch of hiking and had even more than our fair share of animal encounters. Bull Moose, grizzly bears, elk, elk and more elk and more black bears than I thought could be in one place! I enjoyed myself so much, I hope we can make it an annual trip. The photos from Jackson Hole and Yellowstone park are amazing, but honestly, I could have closed my eyes at any moment and taken a photo and it still would have been breath taking – it’s just a beautiful place!

7.15.07 – Middle East, Jordan

2007-07-15T11:41:00.000-04:00

I have been so fortunate to travel to many places in this world, but my trip to Jordan in the Middle East to visit Nadya’s family is one of my all time favorite vacations.

I spent three weeks touring Jordan (a bit smaller than the size of Ohio in land mass, but shaped differently). Although I didn’t have my “professional camera” at that time, it didn’t stop me from capturing some of the beauty that is otherwise not know to this part of the world. Petra is one of the most amazing places I’ve ever traveled…and then on top of that, a Tiesto concert in Petra the night before it’s voted as one of the new natural wonders of the world…honestly, it was magic! You may know Petra from the Indiana Jones movies, and it has all the allure of Hollywood movie – but it’s real! In addition to Petra, the Dead Sea was unbelievable, the Red Sea was the bluest water in the world and Egypt was just plain HOT! Like 110 degrees hot!

My adventures with Nadya are always something to remember, but meeting her family and touring a country that seemed like another world – before I went – changed the way I view the world. It’s not like you might think...

10.31.06 – Spain and Morocco

2006-10-31T11:42:00.000-05:00

Four girls visited the Costa Del Sol in Spain…trouble was the name of that trip! We had a wonderful time and took a day trip to Morocco, Africa and soaked up some culture. We visited many of the small cities that dot the coast - each with it’s own personality – and we even rented a teeny, tiny little car to get us around. Let me tell you that the mountains were not kind to this little car – at one point, we actually had to push the car up a hill... backwards.

Anyway, it was a beautiful place and allowed for some great photos... and we had a great time!