Picture This

Picture This!
Secret Beauty

Shutterbug Staff  |  Aug 1, 2007

Our Picture This! assignment this month was Secret Beauty, out of the way places you love to photograph. The idea was that there are special places you have come to know that spark something deep in your photographic soul, places that only "locals" might know. It could also be places that you had come upon in your travels when you took a turn off the beaten track. Readers responded with a host of images from around the country, from deep glades to hidden waterfalls. Some gave explicit travel directions, while others only hinted at the location. Hopefully this selection will inspire you to find your special locale where your inner and photographic spirit come together.

Babcock State Park

This idyllic scene was photographed in the park located in the rural mountain community of Clifftop, West Virginia, by Amanda Haddox. She worked with a Canon EOS 20D and a 17-40mm L lens; exposure was f/8 at 1/2 sec using an 8x ND filter and a Moose Warming Polarizer.
© 2007, Amanda Haddox, All Rights Reserved

Beaver River

Rebecca A. Helm made this shot in Big Rock Park along the east bank of the Beaver River in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. She photographed with a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H1 with an exposure of f/4.5 at 1/200 sec, set at ISO 64.
© 2007, Rebecca A. Helm, All Rights Reserved

Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge

Isabel Rodriguez made this photograph near Alamosa, Colorado, on "El Rancho Lane, south of Highway 160." She worked with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi and a Canon 18-55mm lens; exposure at ISO 200 was f/16 at 1/200 sec.
© 2007, Isabel Rodriguez, All Rights Reserved

Moss Island

Roy H. Senn wrote: "Moss Island...is an intrusion of exceptionally hard rock that separates the Mohawk River and the Erie Canal near Little Falls, New York. It is best known for giant potholes." The photo was scanned from a 4x5 Ektachrome transparency. No camera or exposure information was provided.
© 2007, Roy H. Senn, All Rights Reserved

Croton Falls Reservoir

Tom Musante made this wintry landscape along the Croton Falls Reservoir in Carmel, New York. He wrote: "The New York City water system is comprised of a system of many reservoirs that are ideal for wildlife and nature photography." He worked with a Canon EOS 30D and a Canon 10-22mm lens; exposure was f/22 at 1 second.
© 2007, Tom Musante, All Rights Reserved

Fillmore Glen State Park

Bob Gates captures the greenery reflected in this series of small falls in Fillmore Glen State Park in Moravia, New York. He mounted his Canon EOS 10D atop a Manfrotto 3021 tripod to make his f/16 at a 1-second exposure.
© 2007, Bob Gates, All Rights Reserved

Wakodahatchee Wetlands

Jeffrey Ornstein wrote: "This large, manmade wetland is part of the Palm Beach County, Florida, utility water system. A winding boardwalk allows...photographers a relatively close-up experience...of the water birds." He photographed with a Canon EOS 5D and a Canon 100-400mm f/4 IS lens; exposure was f/7.1 at 1/200 sec, set at ISO 400.
© 2007, Jeffrey Ornstein, All Rights Reserved

Huckleberry Bald

This mountaintop vista was photographed by Bob Jones "near Robbinsville, North Carolina." He worked with a Minolta D7 and exposed at f/5.6 at 1/45 sec.
© 2007, Bob Jones, All Rights Reserved

Palouse Falls Gorge

Debbie Dahl-Cole wrote: "To get to this area take I-90 West in Washington, exit at Ritzville and go south on Highway 281 for about 50 miles. One small sign points to the left and then gravel roads take over where the pavement ends." She made this overlook photo with a Sony Alpha A100 with a circular polarizer; exposure was f/5.6 at 1/500 sec.
© 2007, Debbie Dahl-Cole, All Rights Reserved

Front Range

These formations are located near photographer Terry Sweatman's home in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He photographed with a Hasselblad 501c and a Carl Zeiss 150mm f/4 Sonnar T* lens; exposure was f/32 at 1/15 sec on Kodak Ektachrome E100VS.
© 2007, Terry Sweatman, All Rights Reserved
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