Look Deep Into Nature

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." - Albert Einstein

I read this quote a while back and thought - "You know, that Einstein was a pretty smart guy!" I also couldn't agree with him more. When I think about the times I have gone into the woods or walked along the beach and been amazed by the beauty surrounding me it is awe-inspiring. I could just as easily say that about being at a lake, in a field or even my own back yard, it doesn't matter; I still get lost in thought and the rest of the world goes away along with my problems.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do for the photography part of this post until I started going through some flower photos that I took at Deep Cut Gardens. If you haven't visited, you owe it to yourself to go one day. I have been many times and I always see something new. If you take time to explore the different areas of the park you will see any amazing diversity of nature but what I would encourage you do to is to quite literally - stop and smell the roses. Take some time and sit in the gazebo or on one of the benches in the rose parterre and just watch nature happen. You will see bees coming and going, butterflies of all types and sizes. Listen carefully and would will hear from more birds than you ever thought possible. A more rewarding concert you will never experience. Look overhead and you are almost certain to see a red-tailed hawk looking for it's next meal. Rabbits are common visitors, too. Take a walk to the Koi pond and watch these incredible fish for a while.

If you take the time to really watch, and listen, you will come away with a better understanding of the world around you. We take so many things for granted and have become creatures of comfort; many of us have lost an appreciation of the day-to-day struggle for life. The next time you feel like complaining about having no time to do the things you enjoy, think about the honeybee constantly going from one flower to the next, back to the hive and then out to the next flower.

How about the bird who has to gather material for a new nest every year and then constantly fly back and forth with food to feed it's young - not to mention fighting off predators. They don't have the luxury of a day off or the ability to take time to enjoy life. We do. Take time to enjoy life; take a walk, lay in a hammock and read a book, sit on the boardwalk and watch people go by. It doesn't matter what you do but it is important to take time for yourself and relax. If you ever find yourself saying that you are "too busy" or you "can't take the time" remember the busy bee and how short their life is.

---

All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

---

Parks of Monmouth County - Deep Cut Gardens

Welcome to the initial installment of a new series - Parks of Monmouth County. I will publish a new park on the 1^st day of each month; the posts will spotlight the beauty of the parks and share some of my favorite trails or attractions at each. I am writing this on a rainy April afternoon and the rhyme "April showers bring May flowers" popped into my head. I thought, since this is going to be published in May then maybe it should be about flowers. In my mind there is no better park for flowers than Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown, New Jersey.

For a full list of the series, with links, check out the "Parks of Monmouth County" page.

Tulips at Deep Cut Gardens

I made my first trip to the park in 2012 and have been back a number of times since. The tulip bed shown here is one of the first images I made there and I didn't even have to leave the parking lot! This was taken in April 2012 and all of the tulips were in full bloom - this is the main tulip bed but they can also be found in other areas of the park and the median strip in the parking lot. It doesn't matter when you go to the park because this flower bed always has something to see, depending on what is in season. Below is a similar image of the same flower bed but taken in August 2014.

Daisies at Deep Cut Gardens

If you walk past this bed and around the corner you will find the Koi Pond where you can sit on a bench, admiring the fish and flowers planted around the walkway. Continue past the pond to the Visitor Center; stop in and say hello to the staff - they are very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. They can help you identify something you saw in the park (although everything is usually well labeled) or fill you in on any interesting "visitors" there may have been - deer or hawks, for instance.

 

When you leave the Visitor Center continue your journey to the Rose Parterre - you will be glad you did. The panorama at the top of the page shows the entire parterre; it is even more beautiful in-person. When the roses are in bloom it is so colorful and fragrant you may never want to leave. Take a leisurely stroll through the garden, taking in the beauty. Each plant is identified so that you know exactly what you are looking at. I guarantee you will see a variety of rose that you never knew existed. There are benches on either side or you can go sit in the shade of the gazebo before continuing. Don't make the mistake that flowers are the only things to see; this tree is just a few short yards from the parking lot, just before the koi pond. It is just one of many throughout the park. You will find these trees along either side of the walk/stairs leading from the Visitor Center to the Rose Parterre. Park benches can be found under the trees, many of which have a small pond next to them. These benches make wonderful resting spots - you are out of the sun and can see a world of beauty spread out below you.

While walking make sure to keep an eye out for the fauna that take up residence in the park. My wife and I found this little guy while walking along one of the wooded paths. You will also find chipmunks, squirrels and deer to name but a few. Look up to the sky and you are bound to see a red-tailed hawk circling overhead, I don’t think I have been to the park yet where I haven’t seen at least one. Birders would do well to bring their binoculars, too.

I think this is a good place to end the words and leave you with a few more images from my trips. I hope you will put Deep Cut Gardens on your “to-do” list and visit at least once.

---

All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

---

Nature is the art of God eternal. – Dante

I am always on the lookout for something to inspire me - whether it inspire my writing, my photography, or something else. I will often see a quote somewhere and stash it away for safe keeping, just in case. This post is inspired by Dante; yes, the guy who wrote the Divine Comedy.

The beautiful rose shown above was shot at Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown, New Jersey. The name of the rose escapes me, if anyone recognizes it please let me know in the comments section. I was drawn to it by the mix of colors the the lone blossom. You can see there are two buds about to open. Deep Cut Gardens is an incredibly beautiful place to visit and photograph. If you are in the area you owe it to yourself to stop and walk around - there is something to see year-round.

This is a section of the Patriot's Path at Black River Wildlife Management Area in Chester, New Jersey. I spent a lot of time in this part of North Jersey when I was growing up but it was only a few years ago that I discovered this beautiful trail. The river is just beyond the trees to the left. I was there on a beautiful October afternoon a few years ago and ended up walking 3.5 miles along this trail before turning around and walking back to the car. There are several trails that break off to the right and I took one of them to the top of the hill.

Lastly I present a purple iris. There is a small park close to my office called Lake Topanemus Park. I go there often to take walks and shoot during my lunch breaks - I have written about this park before in Birds of New Jersey: The Gray Catbird and you will be reading more about it in the coming months. There are a variety of flowers growing in a small flower garden along the lake, these iris' are just a few.

And so ends my homage to Dante and the beauty of nature.

For more information about the places mentioned here, check out their websites:

• Deep Cut Gardens website and Facebook page
• Black River Wildlife Management Area

---

All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

---

A Grasshopper's View - ground level photography

Ah yes, did you ever wonder what the world looks like to a grasshopper? No? Honestly, I never did either but I have a feeling the photos here come close to capturing the experience. Ground-level photography (for lack of a better phrase) is something that not a lot of us think about but maybe we should. When I started seriously exploring photography I didn’t think twice about laying in the dirt (or grass or sand or whatever) and doing whatever was necessary to get the shot. Today my first thought is – can I get back up? Well, I have made a decision to re-examine the world from ground-level whenever I can.

The Weeds

I visited a park one evening and was content just to sit and listen to the birds while the sun slowly set but, of course I still had my camera at the ready. I was looking around when a lone dandelion caught my eye with it’s big white head a stark contrast to the sea of green all around it. I thought about getting down and shooting it but as I got up from my chair I saw these weeds reaching up through the grass. I was drawn by the “glow” and thought the subject was worth exploring. I popped open the screen^*, set the camera to “Live View” and got down on one knee. Holding the camera about an inch or two from the ground I started shooting. I had the lens wide open (f/5.6) to minimize my depth of field and really throw the background out of focus. (For more on Depth of Field, refer to "Improve Your Photography: Depth of field – what it is and why you should care")

A View from Below

This shot is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I don't remember the exact circumstances but a friend had posted on a social media site that they were feeling down - could someone cheer them up. My wife has a variety of flowers planted throughout our yard so I went out to see what I could find. I was only looking for a quick snapshot so I went out armed only with my smartphone. I love the colors of this flower but the light was a bit harsh and I couldn't get a good angle without my shadow so I decided to shoot up. This is a perfect example of what can be done with the lowly smartphone camera. I did get down on a knee for this but certainly didn't have to crawl around in the dirt.

Speaking of Dandelion

This tight shot of a dandelion was taken during a lunchtime walk and had decided to mount my old Canon 80-200mm f/4L on the DSLR. I have had this lens for about 30 years and still bring it out on occasion, even though manually focusing can be a bit of a chore these days. While I, thankfully, didn't have to lie on the ground to shoot this I did sit so that I could get closer to it's level and still have a steady base.

Spring is Here!

Few things say "Spring" to me than seeing the first daffodils poking throw the ground. I have groups of them throughout my yard and find myself shooting them year after year. This was a time I did lay in the dirt; there was no way around it. I will often go out every day (or every other) and shoot them from the very first time they break through to when they are in full bloom. I have had times when I shoot one day in glorious sunshine and the next I am laying in an inch or two of snow. This shot was taken after a brief period of rain. Plants and flowers are always a bit more photogenic with some water on them; don't you agree?

The Dock

I leave you with the most difficult image to shoot. I was hiking through Turkey Swamp Park after work one afternoon when I came across this scene. It was so tranquil and inviting - I immediately know it had to be a panorama and it had to be shot from ground-level. I was on the dock just a couple feet from the shoreline. I didn't have a tripod so I had my elbows on the dock, camera turned to portrait and started shooting. I didn't have my T3i with me, I was shooting a Nikon D60 which doesn't have the flip-out screen so I had the camera up to my eye. It was awkward but worth the trouble.

I hope I inspired you to get out and get down. Working at ground-level presents it's own set of challenges but I think the result is well worth the effort. What do you think? I'd love to hear your stories - leave a comment below.

^* - I own a Canon T3i which makes ground-level work easier than ever; the screen at the back of the camera swivels. This is great because I can hold the camera down low, tilt the screen, compose and shoot. This technique also makes it possible to take shots that would be very difficult, if not impossible, to shoot with the camera to your eye. Have you ever tried to shoot up at a dandelion? Not easy! Now, I still get down on the ground when I need to but it isn’t very often anymore.

---

All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

---

"Take nothing but pictures...."

“Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.” – Unknown

I love this quote! I wish I knew who said it so that I could give proper credit but it appears their name is lost forever. As a Boy Scout I learned the "Leave No Trace" principle and it is a lesson that I took to heart. As a nature and landscape photographer I continue to practice "Leave No Trace" and do my very best to have a little impact on the environment as possible. This quote says essentially the same thing but takes it a bit further.

"Take nothing but photographs"

- how many times have you been hiking in the woods or walking through a meadow and come across some beautiful wildflowers? Have you had the urge to pick a few to bring home for your dining room table? Did you want to pick it so that you can photograph it under better lighting conditions? You may have said "yes" to one or both of these questions - I know I have. I hope that you, like me, have suppressed that urge and left the flowers to grow. I found this daffodil while hiking along a wooded trail at Monmouth Battlefield State Park. I love spring and the re-birth of the woods with daffodils (and their relatives) being among my favorite subjects. It is only right to leave them for others to enjoy. The same goes with trying to dig them up and replanting them at home - don't do it! It is being more and more common to hear stories of "invasive, non-native" plants taking over. There is a reason the flowers aren't growing naturally in your yard - keep it that way.

"Leave nothing but footprints"

- most of the time that I am hiking I will stay on established trails but I do, occasionally leave the trail to explore or to get a better shot. I only do this when it is safe for the surrounding environment - if I ever see a sign indicating a sensitive area or find that I cannot enter an area without damaging it, I stay on the trail. I am also very careful not to cause damage - I am not blazing a new trail, there is not need for a machete to cut down trees and brush. I carefully plot my course and then take a different route back to the trail. This also includes carving your mark in a tree or painting rocks - if you want to profess your love for someone do it in a song or poem, no one wants to see "Jimmy loves Sally" carved in the trunk of a beautiful oak tree or spray painted on a rock wall.

"Kill nothing but time"

- this is self-explanatory and is related to "leave nothing but footprints." There is no reason to wantonly kill things when you are out enjoying what nature has to offer. This includes not only creatures that walk, crawl, fly, wiggle, etc.... but also the plants and trees you encounter. This, of course, changes if you are lost in the wilderness and have to live off the land or die but that isn't what this post is all about. Find a place to sit and quietly observe to natural world going by. This bench is one of many at Lake Topanemus Park, a place I visit often during lunch when I need to relax and recharge.

---

All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

---

Protected with PIXSY