Pleasure and Pain

I watched a television program recently that theorized that we enjoy eating hot spicy food because pleasure and pain centers of the brain are stimulated simulataneously. My walk along the Gulf at Mashes Sands was like that yesterday morning. The tide was extremely low ... colors were beyond vivid ... the ripple patterns in the sand were amazing ... and it was freeezing cold!

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Bald Point on Christmas Eve

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Lanark Shoreline

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Aucilla Sinks

These photos were taken last week along the Florida Trail south of the road to Goose Pasture on the Wacissa River. The trail follows the most extreme example that I have seen of a series of river "rises" and "sinks" through rugged karst limestone. The trail is well marked and is an easy hike. Aucilla Sinks is a natural high ... a premiere hiking destination in the region!

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November Vacation in the Mountains Post 4 of 4

This is the last post of photos taken during our vacation to the mountains of northern Georgia and southern North Carolina.





Chatooga River at Woodall Shoals

Tallulah River Gorge from suspension bridge

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November Vacation Post 4 of ?

Early one morning, I spent an hour rock hopping up Becky Creek in back of our log cabin. The rocky stream bed transforms the laminar flow of water into a series of sensuous curves and airy white foam.

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November Vacation in the Mountains Post 3 of ?

The black and white photo below is my favorite of the Coleman River, located west of Dillard, Georgia. This is my second hike along marvelous river, a small clear stream with huge boulders and green rhododendrum.

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FYI: I used Nik HDR Efex Pro a software to combine a series of seven photos, bracketed over-and-under exposed. The result has a wider dynamic range to capture more detail in the shadows and highlights. The photo below is the optimal single exposure of the series.

This is the output High Dynamic Range (HDR) combination of the series of seven images. I converted it to black and white for my favorite above.

November Vacation in the Mountains - Post 2 of ?

These images were taken along the Raven Cliff Trail in the Chattahoochee National Forest, west of Dillard, GA. All were taken bracketed using a Canon 40D on tripod and post processed with Nik HDR Efex Pro software.

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