Happy New Year

Happy New Year!!!! Have a joyous new year celebration and a prosperous 2014.

A few images from my latest winter explorations near my home.   A beautiful marsh that I'm dedicating some time to this winter to explore with the camera.

Medina Raptor Center

In early December, a group of photographers visited the Medina Raptor Center.   This is a rehabilitation and rescue facility run by volunteers to care and hopefully return to the wild, birds that have been injured.     Here is the web link for this amazing facility:

Medina Raptor Center

A group of about 15 photographers got the privilege of photographing some of the education birds.  These are birds that have injuries that are too severe to release back into the wild.   The raptor center uses these beautiful birds around the area to educate schools and other groups on the fragile existence of these beautiful animals.  

A special photographic opportunity with a special staff and beautiful birds.

You can view all of my images at my photography gallery:

Medina Raptor Center

Happy Holidays

Photographed by Norm Jelinek

Happy Holidays!!!!

Hope your holidays are going well and you are enjoying the warmth of family and friends during this special time of year.

Speaking of special, check out the cute little guy above.  That is me around 1968 or so.  My dad was the enthusiastic photographer for the family.   The above has always been one of my personal favorites.   Captures the innocence of youth along with my trusty companion (St. Nicholas).   Come to think of it, I still have that same feeling of wonder this time of year.

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For the second year in a row, I visited the 'North Pole' to photograph elves.   This is part of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroads Polar Express.  Thousands of families travel on the scenic railroad and listen to the story of the polar express.    The North Pole is greeting hundreds of elves give the families.

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I'll leave you during this holiday time with a special note from one of my favorite authors:

Rachel Carson - excerpt from a letter written to Dorothy Freeman - 12/11/1953

"Christmas brings most of all a sense of rather starry wonder - from the wonder of the first one that still shines through the years, to the miracle of friendship and of the warmth and joy that fill the human hearts when it experiences that rare and beautiful thing, a sense of perfect communication with another. And so tonight I want to say thank you for those precious gifts of friendship and love and understanding, that cannot be bought and could never be replaced."

Holiday Lights

Happy Holidays.   Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful holiday season.   It truly is my favorite time of year.   Sharing time with friends and family is a blessing that I never outgrown.

Also looking at holiday light decorations is another favorite past time.   Last year we didn't get our first good hard snowfall until Dec. 26.   So I rushed out after Christmas last year and captured some beautiful scenes from Chagrin Falls.

 

 

 

 

 

This town is always beautifully decorated and lots of fun to explore with the holiday lights.

 

The top image in this blog posting is an abstract display of the main holiday tree in Chagrin Falls.  The final image below is from one of the beautiful storefront displays.

 

Enjoy the holiday season.

 



Abstract Sunsets

Winter is a challenging time to find creative images within nature.   In past years I have enjoyed playing with 'light painting'.   Using a longer exposure and moving the camera during the exposure can create abstract images.

Last night I decided to head out to a favorite spot to try and create some of these abstract thoughts.  Fun technique and I think I have found a winter long project to explore. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a very special day in the year. We gather with those we love and find happiness with. Friends visit, we share food, drink, laughter and love.  
 
With that spirit, all of us gain a bit more humanity. We learn to love all those people who enrich our lives.  
   
No truer feelings can come from my heart this year. This time of year helps remind me of the friends and family that I hold so dear who help give me the truest reason to be thankful.  
    
During this time of year, make sure to extend your love to everyone who touches your life. Extend compassion to everyone who graces your presence. Extend kindness to those in need. Give love and you will get love back.  
   
Have a wonderful holiday. Love Jerry

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The Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Edgar Guest

It may be I am getting old and like too much to dwell Upon the days of bygone years, the days I loved so well; But thinking of them now I wish somehow that I could know A simple old Thanksgiving Day, like those of long ago, When all the family gathered round a table richly spread, With little Jamie at the foot and grandpa at the head, The youngest of us all to greet the oldest with a smile, With mother running in and out and laughing all the while.

   

It may be I'm old-fashioned, but it seems to me to-day We're too much bent on having fun to take the time to pray; Each little family grows up with fashions of its own; It lives within a world itself and wants to be alone. It has its special pleasures, its circle, too, of friends; There are no get-together days; each one his journey wends, Pursuing what he likes the best in his particular way, Letting the others do the same upon Thanksgiving Day.

   

I like the olden way the best, when relatives were glad To meet the way they used to do when I was but a lad; The old home was a rendezvous for all our kith and kin, And whether living far or near they all came trooping in With shouts of "Hello, daddy!" as they fairly stormed the place And made a rush for mother, who would stop to wipe her face Upon her gingham apron before she kissed them all, Hugging them proudly to her breast, the grownups and the small.

   

Then laughter rang throughout the home, and, Oh, the jokes they told; From Boston, Frank brought new ones, but father sprang the old; All afternoon we chatted, telling what we hoped to do, The struggles we were making and the hardships we'd gone through; We gathered round the fireside. How fast the hours would fly-- It seemed before we'd settled down 'twas time to say good-bye. Those were the glad Thanksgivings, the old-time families knew When relatives couLd still be friends and every heart was true.

Cuyahoga Valley Photo Society Awards

The Cuyahoga Valley National Park holds an annual contest in the fall to celebrate the talented photographers that visit the park.

Last evening the annual awards ceremony was held and I was fortunate enough to get the Tim Thomas award for Best in Show with the above image.  It is a humbling experience to be recognized from all the wonderful images in the competition.

Two other images received awards recognition.  

All of the images are on display in November at the Main Library in Akron.   Here is a link:

Google Plus - Akron Main Library

 

Hope you can enjoy the exhibit thru December 7th.

Fall Color Continued

Our fall color is starting to wind down.   It has been a longer than usual spell of colorful trees and the oaks are just starting to turn there deep reds and browns.    

Been trying to see as many color spectacles as I can.   The images above and below are from the South Chagrin Reservation of the Cleveland Metro Parks. 

From Indigo Lake a sunrise with the beautiful fall colors lighting up the morning trees.

After the sunrise, I walked to a beautiful spot of sumacs in flame red color.   Decided to get a different perspective of the fall display.

While exploring the beautiful woodland scenes, capturing the feel of the intimate fall color amongst the trees is always fun.   The following from Brecksville Reservation of the Cleveland Metro Parks.

This past week, we had an semi-unusual snow during our peak fall color.   It was a lot of fun to try and capture as many scenes as I could with snow and fall color before the snow melted away.  From the Bedford Reservation of the Cleveland Metro Parks.

The final image from a Tinkers Creek overlook in Cleveland Metro Parks.   Trying to capture the snow amongst the fall color again.  

Fall Color is Underway

The prettiest time of year around my home is underway.   Fall color is always a special treat.  Crips air, and beautiful colors in the trees makes fall the prettiest time of year.

The above image was from a beautiful sunrise this past weekend.  Bedford Gorge Overlook is the easiest location to enjoy the sunrise and Saturday morning it was at its most beautiful.

This scene is in Brecksville Reservation of the Cleveland Metro Parks.  Usually a beautiful display of early fall color.   This scene peaks in the first week of October.

These last 2 images are from a beautiful small waterfall in South Chagrin Reservation of the Cleveland Metro Parks called Sulfur Spring.

More fall color to come as we hit the peak in the next 2 weeks.

Cleveland From Terminal Tower

This past weekend the local Cleveland Photo Society had a group shoot high above downtown Cleveland.     It was a pretty sunset and the evening glow of the street and buildings was fun to photograph around dusk.

After the sunset, I started playing with 'light painting'; to create some dynamic energy to the lighting.

You can view all of my images from the sun evening at my photography web site:

Terminal Tower Sept 22, 2013

Summer Landscapes

Springfield Bog

With the final days of summer upon us, I thought it would be a good time to share some of the landscapes I've gathered over the last month especially.

The first image I shared about a month ago and it remains one of my favorite summer images.

Here are some black and white images I've been working on lately.

Kendall Lake Foggy Sunrise

Chippewa Creek

Chippewa Creek

Chippewa Creek

The Chippewa Creek series is an area I've been exploring for almost a year and finally have a feel for when to go and how to process the images.   The ability to return to an area over and over again helps build better images. 

The last two images give a colorful view of summer.   The next image is from a Nature Conservancy protected area that is open to the public - Herrick Fen Nature Preserve.  

Herrick Fen Nature Preserve

Finally the latest and is quickly becoming a favorite.   A beautiful sunrise near my home in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Stumpy Basin Valley Overlook

Lets hope fall gives us some beautiful color to capture more landscapes.