The Yellow Springs in Autumn
The Story: One of the Miami Valley’s favored parks is Glen Helen Nature Preserve in Yellow Springs, Ohio. A 100 years ago, Hugh Taylor Birch donated land in his daughter’s name, Helen. Today, visitors enjoy 15 miles of trails, one of which leads hikers to this magical spot. On this day, the park’s Sugar Maple trees took on their golden hues as the fall sun magnified their luminance as they dropped to the ground around The Yellow Springs.
Happy Accidents
The Rest of the Story: One of the treats of living in the Miami Valley lies in the autumn experience. The region caters to maple trees and Dayton offers many trails which meander through groves of these trees displaying their vivid fall color. A favored park lies in Glen Helen Nature Preserve where its winding trails descend in and out of the gorge carved by Yellow Springs Creek and Birch Creek.
On this autumn day, I entered Glen Helen in hopes to capture The Yellow Springs. The springs are only about four feet high but display a distinctive yellow color. In reality, it’s more an orange as its iron-rich waters stain the surrounding limestone and dolomite rocks. Upon climbing up to the springs, I found the water feature filled with four and five-year-olds wading through the waterfall basin. It was all a hot mess. In hindsight, it was probably a happy accident, as when I first arrived, the waterfall was still enveloped in the shadows. With the distraction, I hiked around the park and waited until its waters cleared and more yellow leaves repopulated the surrounding pathway. With this delay the sun moved further westward, thereby illuminating The Yellow Springs for a bright and glistening waterfall scene.
Yellow Springs Fine Art Photography
There are a host of techniques that define my photography. One of my flaws lies in the desire to point my lens into the light. The subsequent exposures are unforgiving and filled with challenges. Many times, the effort becomes a loss. For me my favorite lens is so wide, the sun will always be in the frame. Given this, I embrace the light, pursuing the contre-jour technique of pointing into the light. I keep working it until I get it right. This art print captures one of my successes.
Sugarcreek Photography Gallery
With the release of this image, I have a 20 x 30-inch framed giclee canvas print hanging in the Sugarcreek Photography Gallery! If you’d like to see more of this natural wonder throughout the seasons, be sure to check out my Glen Helen Nature Preserve art prints.
