Last summer I shared a photograph of royal walnut moths mating on a tree in Cuyahoga Valley National Park in northeast Ohio. The large moths were spotted by my friend and fellow photographer Cheryl Osgood (aka Grasshopper) along a hiking trail after heavy rains. A couple of days [...]]]>

Mating cecropia moths, Cuyahoga Valley, Ohio

Last summer I shared a photograph of royal walnut moths mating on a tree in Cuyahoga Valley National Park in northeast Ohio. The large moths were spotted by my friend and fellow photographer Cheryl Osgood (aka Grasshopper) along a hiking trail after heavy rains. A couple of days ago I got an excited phone call from Grasshopper; her keen eyes had found another large moth, a cecropia, freshly emerged from its cocoon. By the time we arrived at the cecropia’s location, a shrub alongside another Cuyahoga Valley hiking trail, the cecropia moth, a female, had been joined by a male and the pair were mating. In the photo above, the female cecropia moth is on the right and the smaller male, which has dark feathery attennae, is behind her on the left. The male’s antennae are used to detect a sex attractant, called a pheromone, that is released by the female cecropia moth after she has emerged from her cocoon. The receptors in the male cecropia’s antennae are so sensitive that he can detect the presence of a female cecropia moth from a range of several miles.

Cecropia moth caterpillar on blueberry shrub

The cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), one of the giant silkworm, or Saturniid moths, is the largest moth in North America, with a wingspan of 4-6 inches. The caterpillar is also very impressive, and when fully grown may measure five inches in length. The caterpillars hatch around the beginning of June and progress through five stages of growth, called instars. The photo above shows a cecropia caterpillar in the penultimate, or fourth, instar. In late summer the caterpillar spins a cocoon and metamorphoses into a pupa, which will spend the fall and winter in the cocoon and emerge as an adult sometime in May. Many of the pupae are parasitized by wasps or eaten by birds, rodents, and other animals, and only a very small number will survive to emerge as adult cecropia moths the  following spring.

Cecropia moth cocoon

The photo above shows the remains of the cocoon in which the pupa of the female cecropia moth spent the winter. The cocoon, which has an inner and an outer layer, is very tough, and is impenetrable to many small birds. When I visited the cocoon again today to photograph it, after heavy rain and thunderstorms last night, there was no sign of the cecropia moths. With luck, the female will spend the next week laying her eggs on the leaves of a variety of trees, and the male will find and mate with several other female cecropia moths. Adult cecropia moths do not possess mouth parts and do not feed. Their sole purpose, during a brief lifespan of 1-2 weeks, is to mate and lay eggs to propagate their race.

Mating cecropia moths, Cuyahoga Valley, Ohio

Coincidentally, today I received my copy of the new Peterson Field Guide to Moths, by David Beadle and Seabrooke Leckie. This is the first comprehensive field guide to moths, and covers more than 1,500 species of moths found in northeastern North America. Unlike previous moth guides, which featured mostly illustrations of pinned specimens of moths, this new guide includes more than 2,000 photographs of live moths at rest, the way you can expect to observe them in the field. Buy the Peterson Field Guide to Moths from your local bookstore, Amazon.com, or an autographed copy directly from Seabrooke Leckie via her website, www.seabrookeleckie.com

To quote Seabrooke Leckie from her great new moth guide, “Happy mothing.”

Would you like to know how to find and photograph Ohio’s best scenic vistas, natural areas, public gardens, historic barns and bridges, rural areas, landmark buildings and town murals. These topics are explored in detail in Ian Adams’ latest book, A Photographer’s Guide to Ohio, and [...]]]>

Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve, Hocking Hills, Ohio

Would you like to know how to find and photograph Ohio’s best scenic vistas, natural areas, public gardens, historic barns and bridges, rural areas, landmark buildings and town murals. These topics are explored in detail in Ian Adams’ latest book, A Photographer’s Guide to Ohio, and are the focus of an intensive, weekend photography workshop that will be held on May 12-13 at The Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio.

Do you know the best settings for your digital point-&-shoot or SLR camera for landscape and close-up photography? Do you understand how to display and interpret in-camera histograms to get accurate exposures every time? Need tips on how to get sharp photos, improve your compositional skills, and select the best lighting for outdoor photography? Are you familiar with Photoshop, Lightroom, and other image-editing software and know how to use them to fine-tune your digital photos? And do you know how to use email, slide programs, color inkjet prints, websites, and even self-published books to share your best images with family, friends, and clients? Join Ian Adams for a hands-on weekend exploring these topics and more in a beautiful setting during the peak of spring bloom at Holden Arboretum.

Barn Near Grand Rapids, Wood County, Ohio

There are still a few places available at this unique workshop, taught by Ohio’s foremost landscape photographer. To register or obtain more information, visit Holden Arboretum’s website at www.holdenarb.org or call Vonna Vecchio at (440)-602-3833.

The National Center for Nature Photography (NCNP), located in Secor Metropark near Toledo, is hosting a gallery exhibit of 27 Epson Ultrachrome inkjet prints, based on my book, A Photographer’s Guide to Ohio. The exhibit will open next Saturday, May 5 and run through the end of [...]]]>

Amish Farms near Wilmot, Holmes County, Ohio

The National Center for Nature Photography (NCNP), located in Secor Metropark near Toledo, is hosting a gallery exhibit of 27 Epson Ultrachrome inkjet prints, based on my book, A Photographer’s Guide to Ohio. The exhibit will open next Saturday, May 5 and run through the end of July. An informal reception and book signing will be held at the center from 2-4 pm on Sunday, May 6. Copies of the prints will be available for sale and may be ordered at the center.

Sunrise From Jeffrey Point, The Wilds, Muskingum County, Ohio

I will also be presenting a one-hour slide program, based on the book, at the center on Sunday, June 10 at 2:00 pm.

White Trilliums, Erie County, Ohio

For more information, visit the NCNP website at www.naturephotocenter.com

One of my favorite places to visit in mid-April is the Secrest Arboretum, which is tucked into the sprawling campus of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) just south of Wooster in Wayne County. The address is 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, Ohio 44691. Tel: (330)-263-3761. Website: [...]]]>

Crabapple 'Adirondack', Secrest Arboretum, Wooster, Ohio

One of my favorite places to visit in mid-April is the Secrest Arboretum, which is tucked into the sprawling campus of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) just south of Wooster in Wayne County. The address is 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, Ohio 44691. Tel: (330)-263-3761. Website: www.secrest.osu.edu. GPS Coordinates: 40.78352N 81.917585W.

Crabapples. Secrest Arboretum, Wooster, Ohio

Secrest Arboretum is an Ohio public garden that deserves to be better known. There has been an arboretum here since 1908, when the Forest Arboretum was established, and in 1950 it was renamed in honor of Dr. Edmund Secrest, the founder of Ohio Forestry. The gardens are open  year-round from dawn to dusk, and admission is free.

The Secrest Arboretum covers 115 acres, and includes about 700 crabapple (Malus) trees, one of the largest collections in North America. Secrest also has more than fifty specimens of dawn redwood, a deciduous tree that was discovered in China in 1944. There is a rhododendron garden and a prairie garden, and in May and June, 500 varieties of heirloom roses bloom in the Garden of Roses of Legend and Romance. I will devote another blog article to this rose garden later this year.

Crabapple 'Candymint', Secrest Arboretum, Wooster, Ohio

On Friday, September 17, 2010, at 5:30 pm, a tornado touched down and caused extensive damage to the OARDC campus and Secrest Arboretum. More than 1,500 trees, many of them more than a century old, were toppled or damaged. Thanks to the heroic efforts of Secrest’s curator, Ken Cochran, other OARDC staff and volunteers, and numerous generous donations of trees and shrubs from nurseries and other contributors nationwide, Secrest is recovering and is once more open to visitors. Because of the unusually warm weather during March, some of the crabapples bloomed earlier than usual, but the display right now is peaking and many of the crabapples are still in bud and will bloom over the next couple of weeks.

Crabapples, Secrest Arboretum, Wooster, Ohio

In addition to being a magnet for local photographers, the crabapples are beloved by butterflies, and during my visits over the weekend hundreds of Red Admirals were nectaring on the crabapple blossoms.

Red Admiral, Secrest Arboretum, Wooster, Ohio

There is a gazebo with a parking area that is a convenient place to leave your vehicle during a visit. Several large crabapple trees line the drive through the arboretum, and the main display, which is called Crablandia, has long rows of crabapple trees, most of them with labels that identify the crabapple variety. My approach is to photograph the label, then the crabapple, so that when you get home you can easily identify and caption your crabapple photos. Each crabapple has thousands of flowers, and it can be challenging to compose close-up photographs. Try handholding your digital camera with a zoom lens so you can preview a variety of vertical and horizontal compositions. When you have found one you like, set up your tripod and wait for the wind to die down before taking the photograph. The Red Admiral butterflies are rapid fliers and are constantly on the move from blossom to blossom. Rather than using a tripod, I find it is much easier to use a high ISO setting, usually 400, and handhold the camera with my 180mm Sigma macro lens attached. Although the butterflies prefer sunny weather, they also fly on cloudy days as long as the temperature is at least 60 degrees, and I prefer to photograph close-ups of the crabapple blossoms on cloudy or partly cloudy days when the lighting is diffuse.

Malus 'Rosseau', Secrest Arboretum, Wooster, Ohio

Although there will be crabapples blooming for the next couple of weeks, each tree flowers for just a few days, so try to visit soon if you would like to enjoy and photograph one of America’s finest displays of flowering crabapples at the Secrest Arboretum.

During my visit to the Shawnee State Forest area in southern Ohio on April 2-3 there were many early spring wildflowers in bloom. In this article I’ll share images of some of my favorites, as well as provide some suggestions on where to find them and some tips [...]]]>

Bluets & Lousewort, Jackson County, Ohio

During my visit to the Shawnee State Forest area in southern Ohio on April 2-3 there were many early spring wildflowers in bloom. In this article I’ll share images of some of my favorites, as well as provide some suggestions on where to find them and some tips to help improve your wildflower photography.

There are scores of species of spring wildflowers in southern Ohio. One of my favorites is the tiny, delicate Bluets (Houstonia caerulia), also called Quaker Ladies and Innocence. Bluets grows in large groups in woodland and grassy areas throughout southern Ohio. In the scene shown above, taken along a rural road  in Jackson County, the Bluets were growing with Lousewort (Pedicularis canadensis), also called Wood Betony. Lousewort got its name in Europe, where it was thought, erroneously, that if cattle ate  the Lousewort they would become covered with lice.

Columbine, Shawnee State Forest, Ohio

The beautiful Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) grows on rocky bluffs and in dry, open woodlands throughout southern Ohio. Wild Columbine is the only species of columbine in Eastern North America, and is related to the blue, lavender, and white varieties found in the mountains of the American West. The slightest breeze causes the flowers to sway, so you’ll need to wait for a lull in order to get a sharp photograph of these gorgeous flowers. You may wish to set your camera’s ISO to 400 or even higher so you can use a faster shutter speed to combat any movement of the flowers during the exposure.

Dwarf Larkspur, Ohio River Bluffs Preserve, Ohio

The wooded bluffs along the Ohio River in Scioto and Adams Counties are great places to look for Dwarf Larkspur (Delphinium tricorne), whose deep purple flowers often cover the hillsides in early spring, as shown in the photo above, taken at Ohio River Bluffs Preserve, near Manchester in Adams County. Ohio River Bluffs is part of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve system, which protects more than 2,500 acres of natural areas in five counties between the Scioto River and the western edge of the Appalachians in southwest Ohio. Each year the Arc of Appalachia hosts a Wildflower Pilgrimage in mid-April – this year it will be held on April 20-22. Local naturalists lead hikes and auto trips to the Arc of Appalachia preserves as well as to Shawnee State Forest and other natural areas. This is a great way to learn more about spring wildflowers, as well as visit the Arc’s Appalachian Forest Museum, which features displays and educational programs that tell the story of America’s eastern temperate forest. For more information on the Arc of Appalachia and the Wildflower Pilgrimage, visit their website at:  www.arcofappalachia.org

Dwarf Crested Iris, Jackson County, Ohio

There are several species of wild iris in Ohio, and two of them can be found in the Shawnee area in spring. The more common variety is the Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata), which flowers in woodlands, often in large groups. Drive the forest roads of Shawnee State Forest in April and early May to find this beautiful wildflower. Maximize depth-of-field in these forest scenics by using a small f/stop (f/11 or f/16) and focusing about halfway up the picture frame. Technically you should focus on a point called the hyperfocal distance, about one-third of the way into the scene, but focusing halfway up the picture frame will usually provide a similar result.

Vernal Iris, Shawnee State Forest, Ohio

Much less common in Ohio is the Vernal Iris (Iris verna), which has bright green, narrow leaves and lavender flowers which have a yellow stripe, bordered in white, but no crest. Most of the places I have found this plant have been on the rocky edges of the forest roads on the high ridges of Shawnee State Forest, especially along the western section of Forest Road 2. This photograph was made with a 180mm macro lens, my favorite lens for close-up photography. A long focal length macro lens, in the range of 180-200mm, provides a comfortable working distance that was very helpful with these plants, which were growing high on a steep rocky bank and hard to approach.

Bird's-foot Violets, Shawnee State Forest, Ohio

Even rarer in Ohio is the bi-colored form of the Bird’s-foot Violet (Viola pedata var. bicolor), named for the shape of its leaves. In southern Ohio, where only a handful of isolated colonies of this splendid plant exist, the upper petals are deep purple and the lower petals are lavender. Look for the Bird’s-foot Violet on high rocky edges of the dirt roads, especially Forest Roads 2 and 5, in Shawnee State Forest.

Cross Vine at the Ohio Governor's Residence in Bexley, Ohio

The last plant I would like to share is a native vine, Cross Vine (Bignonia capreolata), that grows in a few counties in southern Ohio near the Ohio River, using its tendrils to climb up to 50 feet on rock faces and trees. I first became acquainted with this attractive plant several years ago while working on the photography for a book, Our First Family’s Home: The Ohio Governor’s Residence and Heritage Garden (Ohio University Press, 2006). The photo above was taken in the Wall Garden at the Ohio Heritage Garden, where the Cross Vine thrives. The photo below shows a large colony of Cross Vine flowering on a roadside limestone bluff near Rome in Adams County.

Cross Vine in Full Sun, Adams County

Notice anything different between this photo and all the others in this article? The photo above was made in full sun, which the Cross Vine loves but which is the kiss of death in wildflower photography. The washed out highlights and black shadows add a degree of visual complexity that ruins both the composition and the delicate colors of the flowers and foliage. The photo below, of the same group of Cross Vine, was taken early the next morning when the cliff and the Cross Vine were shaded and in diffuse light. Let me repeat: bright sunlight is the KISS OF DEATH for expressive wildflower photography. No exceptions! Take record shots of plants on sunny days if you must, but reserve your serious wildflower photography for cloudy or partly days, or early and late on sunny days. If you must shoot wildflowers on a bright sunny day, carry a diffusion screen (e.g. by Photoflex) that can be held or propped up between the plant and the sun to create diffused light.

Cross Vine in Shade, Adams County

The Shawnee State Forest area in Scioto and Adams Counties is a wonderful place for wildflower photography in spring, as well as a great destination for birdwatchers and butterfly lovers. If you would like to learn more about these subjects in the company of other nature enthusiasts, join the folks at Flora-Quest, a weekend event organized by Ohio nature lover and conservationist Cheryl Harner. Flora-Quest is held at the Shawnee State Park Lodge, and this year the event is scheduled for May 4-6.  Speakers include my friend and outstanding Ohio naturalist Guy Denny, who will give a presentation on Native Americans and ethnobotany. No less than 24 local and regional naturalists will conduct hikes into the far corners of Shawnee State Forest and the nearby Edge of Appalachia preserves in Adams County. There is no better way to learn about the birds, butterflies, plants, and cultural history of the Shawnee State Forest area than to join your fellow nature enthusiasts at Flora-Quest. For more information visit www.flora-quest.com

These photos, taken many years ago, remind me that flowers and snow can be beautiful, albeit brief, companions.

Reticulated Iris, The Holden Arboretum, Ohio

Have a great day, in or out of the snow.

Daffodils, The Holden Arboretum

One of my favorite Ohio places for scenic and wildflower photography in early spring is Shawnee State Forest, which sprawls over more than 60,000 acres in Scioto County and Adams County west of Portsmouth and north of the Ohio River. Shawnee is a 4-hour drive from [...]]]>

View from Copperhead Fire Tower, Shawnee State Forest

One of my favorite Ohio places for scenic and wildflower photography in early spring is Shawnee State Forest, which sprawls over more than 60,000 acres in Scioto County and Adams County west of Portsmouth and north of the Ohio River. Shawnee is a 4-hour drive from my home in Cuyahoga Falls, but the forest panoramas and diversity of wildflowers make this area a “must visit” place for me during April each year.

Shawnee State Forest is bisected by Rte. 125, which runs northwest to southeast, with about a third of the state forest north of Rte. 125 and the major portion to the south. Most of the scenic vistas are in the southern section, except for a fine view from the Copperhead fire tower near the northern edge of the forest. It’s easy to get lost in this large area, so make sure you have a detailed map of the forest, which can be downloaded from this website:   http://www.ohiodnr.com/Portals/18/forests/pdf/ShawneeForest.pdf

There is an extensive vista from the parking area just west of the Copperhead fire tower, which is on Forest Road 6 a few miles north of Roosevelt Lake. If you are not afraid of heights, climb the fire tower for some better views of the forested ridges. The fire tower is safe to climb, but it has a lot of steps and the top is very exposed, so the climb is not for the faint of heart. The view to the north from the top of the tower is blocked by trees, but the view to the south, shown in the photo above, is very fine, with ridges of forest as far as the eye can see. Because you will be facing south, this view is best photographed early or late on a sunny or partly cloudy day. The hillsides are at their most attractive in early or mid-April when the trees are partly leafed out and each hillside is a mosaic of different colors.  The photo above was made with my full-frame Sony Alpha 850 and a 24-70mm lens at a 40mm setting.

Misty Hillside, Shawnee State Forest, Ohio

If you are an early riser, and the weather cooperates, you may be blessed with morning mist, which can provide great opportunities for landscape photography. The photo above was made from Rte. 125, east of Roosevelt Lake. I used my Nikon D2X with a 70-200mm lens at a setting of 170mm. Be sure to check the histogram on your camera to make sure you do not underexpose these misty scenes.

Shawnee State Forest near Blue Creek, Ohio

There are few extensive views from Rte. 125, which runs through a valley for the most part, but there is a nice vista from the road, looking to the southwest, near the western edge of the state forest just before it descends a steep hill to the Adams County line  near Blue Creek. There are some trees in the foreground, shown in the photo above, that may be used to provide depth and a sense of scale. This image was made with a 70-200mm lens at a 75mm setting on my Nikon D2x.

Mist, Shawnee State Forest

Forest interior photographs like the one above are plentiful on a misty morning along any of the forest roads at Shawnee. I strongly recommend using a tripod for all these photographs, so you can use a low ISO value for the best quality image, and a small f/stop and slow shutter speed, if needed. Using a tripod also forces you to slow down and lets you examine the composition carefully in the viewfinder. The photo above was made about 12 years ago, when I was still shooting with film, along Forest Road 2, which provides an exhilarating drive for more than a dozen miles along the ridge tops of the southern section of the state forest. I used a 65mm wide-angle lens on my 6x8cm Fuji GX680 view camera, using Fujichrome Velvia film.

Shawnee State Forest from Forest Road 2

Scenes like the view shown above, when early morning mist fills the hollows of the forest, have earned Shawnee State Forest its nickname as the “Little Smoky Mountains of Ohio.” There is nowhere else in the Buckeye State where you can experience endless vistas of forest, easily reached by an exciting drive on well-maintained dirt roads that are easily traversed without the need for a high-clearance or 4-wheel-drive vehicle.

Shawnee State Forest is also a great place for photographing spring wildflowers, and later this week I’ll share another blog article on a few of my favorites.

The photograph above shows the largest American Sycamore in Ohio. It’s also the National Champion, bigger than any other sycamore in the United States. This behemoth measures more than 48 feet around its base, and its largest single trunk is over 35 feet in circumference. The tree [...]]]>

American Sycamore, Near Jeromesville, Wayne County, Ohio

The photograph above shows the largest American Sycamore in Ohio. It’s also the National Champion, bigger than any other sycamore in the United States. This behemoth measures more than 48 feet around its base, and its largest single trunk is over 35 feet in circumference. The tree stands 129 feet tall and its average crown spread is 105 feet, giving a total of 577 points, more than any other tree in the Buckeye State. Its closest rival in Ohio is the giant Eastern Cottonwood in Delaware County, with 540 points, that I described about a year ago in another blog article. Here’s the link:    http://ianadamsphotography.com/news/2011/03/

Even with a very wide-angle lens, you need to stand some distance from this sycamore to be able to include the entire tree in a photograph, and the image above only hints at the huge scale of the tree. In order to truly appreciate the tree’s enormous dimensions, I needed to take a photograph with something that would provide a reference from a size viewpoint. With this in mind, I set my Sony A850 on a tripod, activated the self-timer, and sprinted over to the tree as fast as my mid-sixties body could cover the distance.

American Sycamore and photographer, Jeromesville, Ohio

I stand around 5 feet 11 inches and top the scales (to my chagrin) at about 240 pounds, yet I take on the dimensions of an insect when compared to this monumental tree. The large cavity in the base of the trunk next to the out-of-breath photographer has enough space for a dozen people to fit inside.

Ohio forester and big tree expert Brian Riley has compared these two majestic trees in an article, “Tree Talk with Brian Riley”, published in the Fall, 2010 issue of The Ohio Woodland Journal. The American Sycamore in Wayne County is several hundred years old, and Riley estimates that the Delaware County Eastern Cottonwood is 150-200 years in age. One of these two giants is without question the largest living thing in the Buckeye State.

As a photographer, I found the American Sycamore to be much more challenging to photograph. The Eastern Cottonwood is very accessible and makes a great image from virtually any viewpoint around its huge, almost symmetrical, trunk. The sprawling multiple trunks of the American Sycamore are hard to photograph from any angle. Sycamore foliage is not very attractive, but the light gray and white trunks and upper branches contrast well with a blue sky in winter.

The American Sycamore stands near a creek in a privately owned woodland south of Jeromesville, near the intersection of SR 30 and SR 89. The owner does not object to people visiting the tree, and public trips to view the giant sycamore are arranged from time to time during the year by local organizations in the Jeromesville area. If you would like to visit the tree, send me an email and I will provide additional information and directions.

There aren’t many waterfalls in central Ohio, but Honey Run Falls, near Danville in Knox County, is a gem. The 25-foot waterfall cascades over sandstone rock in a hemlock hollow a few hundred yards south of the Kokosing River. Knox County Parks acquired the 2-acre property that includes [...]]]>

Honey Run Falls, Knox County, Ohio

There aren’t many waterfalls in central Ohio, but Honey Run Falls, near Danville in Knox County, is a gem. The 25-foot waterfall cascades over sandstone rock in a hemlock hollow a few hundred yards south of the Kokosing River. Knox County Parks acquired the 2-acre property that includes the falls in late April, 2007, and a parking area with room for several vehicles is located nearby on Hazel Dell Road. A short trail leads to the base of the falls.

The parking area for Honey Run Falls is located at 11416 Hazel Dell Road (County Road 71), 1.2 miles east of SR 62. From the intersection of SR 36 and SR 62, head south across the Kokosing River and take the first road on the left, which is Hazel Dell Road. Honey Run Falls are about 13.3 miles east of Mount Vernon and 5 miles south of Danville.

Website: www.knoxcountyparks.org

GPS: 40.382685N 82.266034W

Honey Run Falls faces north northwest, and can almost dry up after long periods without rain, especially in summer and fall. On a sunny day, early morning and late evening are the only times the falls will be totally in shade. On a cloudy day, you can photograph the falls anytime, though afternoon provides optimal lighting. Most of the best views of the falls are from its base, but you can also scramble up to the top of the falls and photograph it from above.

From the base of the waterfall, a woodland trail leads a few hundred yards to the Kokosing River, one of Ohio’s most picturesque state scenic rivers. Large sandstone boulders along the edge of the river provide good vantage points for photography. In April, 2010 the park district purchased an additional 348 acres of meadows and woodlands across Hazel Dell Road, including a 60-acre restored prairie and four miles of hiking trails.