ATHENAEUM HOTEL ENTRANCE, CHAUTAUQUA, NY

The Athenaeum Hotel at the Chautauqua Institution was built in 1881. It was wired for electricity by Thomas Edison (the son-in-law of one of the founders of Chautauqua). It is a few steps away from the 5000-seat Amphitheater that hosts many concerts, lectures, other performances, and worship services.

ATHENAEUM HOTEL

The Athenaeum Hotel at the Chautauqua Institution was built in 1881. It was wired for electricity by Thomas Edison (the son-in-law of one of the founders of Chautauqua). It is a few steps away from the 5000-seat Amphitheater that hosts many concerts, lectures, other performances, and worship services.

VICTORIAN COTTAGES AND LUSH GARDENS ABOUND IN CHAUTAUQUA

Chautauquans love their gardens and care for their Cottages

Dunkirk LIghthouse

HORSESHOE FALLS

At the upstream part of Horseshoe Falls, a wide and fast-moving river suddenly drops 188 feet into the Niagara Gorge.

BRIDAL VEIL FALLS

Bridal Veil Falls is the "little" (by Niagara standards) falls between the American and Canadian Falls. The red walkways for visitors on the Cave-of-the-Winds trip must be rebuilt each year.

NIAGARA FALLS

The classic view of Niagara Falls from the New York Observation tower.

AMERICAN FALLS AT NIGHT

Niagara Falls are illuminated every evening. I never get tired of watching the falls.

WARSAW FALLS

A half-mile hike up the creek brings you to this 80-foot waterfall near Warsaw, NY

WARSAW KALEIDOSCOPE

A kaleidoscope view of Warsaw Falls

EASTERN SKY AT SUNSET FROM HAMLIN BEACH

Surprises have become the rule at sunset for this photographer. I had been tracking rain clouds on weather radar and knew there might be a good backdrop for the sunset if I drove to Hamlin Beach. Clouds don't show up on radar unless they are delivering rain. I had no idea there was a bank of clouds to the east and a clear sky in between that would produce this shot.

SUNSET AND MOONRISE FROM BRADDOCK'S POINT

When conditions are just right, it is possible to view the setting sun and the rising moon at the same time in a 200-degree panorama. A view of opposite horizons is required. The best times are a day or two before a full moon. In the Rochester area, this is possible near the summer solstice from Braddock's Point (west of Rochester). The friendly neighbors from Braddock's Point say this is the second or third time they have seen the sunset and moonrise at the same time in the decades they have lived there. A similar photo should also be possible from Nine-mile Point east of Rochester near the Equinox.

Wiscoy Falls

Wiscoy Creek is a tributary of the Genesee. It is just south of Portageville, NY.

MIDDLE FALLS IN LETCHWORTH STATE PARK

Fall foliage provides a beautiful backdrop to a major waterfall on the Genesee River. There are two places where the Genesee River was pushed out of its pre-ice age valley. One spot was Letchworth State Park where the river carved a canyon with three major waterfalls. The other spot was in Rochester, NY where the river in its newly carved canyon plunges over the Niagara Escarpment in three separate drops.

LOWER FALLS IN LETCHWORTH STATE PARK, NY

The hike down into the gorge is delightful on a sunny fall day. The stone footbridge across the river is an ideal spot to view the falls. From the west side, this requires about a 0.3-mile hike. From the east side, it is over 1 mile

MILKY WAY ABOVE UPPER FALLS IN LETCHWORTH STATE PARK

I chase waterfalls. I have been watching the night ski since I was a kid. In this photo I get to combine thee two passions. In mid-summer, the Milky Way lines up with the Genesee River valley above the Upper Falls in Letchworth State Park. It took me over a year to realize this photo. I visited Letchworth (60-mile drive) three times before I got it right. On my first trip, the river was running high and I couldn't get this close without getting lots of spray on my lens. On my second trip, people kept shining high-power searchlights on the bridge. Maybe there was a concern about the bridge or maybe they were afraid there might be a suicide attempt. They might have thought that because there was an empty car (mine) in the lot near the bridge. When I realized this might be a concern I packed up my gear and hiked up the trail to my car. By the time I got there the people with search lights were gone. On the third trip, I parked closer to the bottom of the falls. It was after midnight when the Milky Way lined up with the gorge. This will not be possible in the future if they continue to rigorously enforce the 11 pm closing time. While I was taking the photo my only company was a deer, a fox, two raccoons, and some lightning bugs (fireflies).

UPPER FALLS IN LETCHWORTH AND MILKY WAY (COMPOSITE)

It is not easy to see with the naked eye, but the Milky Way is always there on a clear night. The railroad bridge above the falls has become as much of an icon as the waterfall.

Upper Falls in Winter

The spray from the falls forms huge stalactite-like icicles.

The profile of a Seneca Chief appears in the falls

The Senecas were the Keepers of the Western Door for the Iroquois Nation. Their land included the falls along the Genesee River. When the water level is just right, a profile of a Seneca Chief appears in the middle of the falls.

INSPIRATION POINT, LETCHWORTH STATE PARK

From Inspiration Point one can see two major waterfalls on the Genesee River and the gorge that the river carved. In October, the red, yellow, and orange foliage attracts large crowds.

MILKY WAY FROM INSPIRATION POINT IN LETCHWORTH SP, NY

During the early morning hours of August, the Milky Way is vertical in the south-southwest. Near the center of the bottom of the photo is the Middle Falls. The light is coming from the Glen Iris Inn. During daylight, the Upper Falls and the railroad bridge would be visible above the Middle Falls. Milky Way photography is often a lonely endeavor. On this occasion, I met another photographer shooting the same scene. Joe Kopp does some nice work in this area. I met him again at Taughannock Falls.

Blue Angels

The US Navy precision flying team came to Rochester for a show. I had this viewing spot to myself.

BRADDOOCK POINT LIGHTHOUSE

The lighthouse was established and lit in 1896. Following deactivation, the upper two-thirds of the tower was removed by the Coast Guard in 1954 due to structural damage. I recent years it has been a private home and a guest house.

CHARLOTTE LIGHTHOUSE AT NIGHT

The lighthouse used to be on the shore of Lake Ontario in Rochester, NY. With extensive fill and natural sand deposition on the beach, it is now nearly a half-mile away. It currently serves as a museum.

CHARLOTTE LIGHTHOUSE

Charlotte is the neighborhood in Rochester, NY where the Genesee River meets Lake Ontario. This lighthouse has stood since 1822.

CHARLOTTE LIGHTHOUSE

Charlotte is the neighborhood in Rochester, NY where the Genesee River meets Lake Ontario. This lighthouse has stood since 1822. Once near the shore, it now stands about a half mile away. The beacon is now more symbolic than functional.

ZOO FALLS

A small stream flows past the Seneca Park Zoo and then cascades over the limestone and shale into the Genesee River Gorge.

VETERANS BRIDGE IN THE FALL

This memorial to World War I veterans carries Ridge Road (which follows the Niagara escarpment) across the Genesee River.

Waterfalls of Rochester

This poster should be printed at least 12x18 to be able to read the captions. The resolution is good enough for a 40x60 print.

FISHERMEN AT LOWER FALLS

I've always liked the contrast between placid fishermen and the raging torrent behind them.

LOWER FALLS IN ROCHESTER, NY

When the river isn't too high and the trail isn't too muddy or icy, it is fun to hike down into the gorge and get close to the waterfall.

LOWER FALLS OF THE GENESEE RIVER

View from the brink. Getting up close and personal.

RAINBOW FROM THE BRINK OF LOWER FALLS

If the flow rate is above 2000 CFS and the sun is shining there will be rainbows. Sometimes you need to climb out on rocks in the river to see it.

RAINBOW AT LOWER FALLS IN WINTER

Finding a rainbow at the lower falls is easy. Finding one when neither the ground nor the water is brown requires persistence and good fortune.

Lower Falls

The Lower Falls of the Genesee River in Rochester (not to be confused with the Lower Falls in Letchworth State Park) is higher and wider than the High Falls 2.3 miles upstream. Unlike the High Falls, the pool is very shallow. It produces much more spray. Rainbow chasers (like me) know that if the river's flow is more than 2000 cubic feet per second, there will be rainbows if the sun is shining.

ILLUMINATED HIGH FALLS

Venus hangs over the High Falls at sunset.

ILLUMINATED HIGH FALLS AT SUNSET

In the winter the sun sets closer to the Falls (from the observation deck)

HIGH FALLS SUNSET

Illuminated High Falls at sunset. Sometimes, I get lucky. I went to the High Falls in Rochester hoping there would be some clouds to make the sunset more interesting. The clouds appeared on the horizon as the sun was setting. When the sun was below the horizon, the floodlights were turned on. I haven't seen them in use for 10 years. The Empire Service train was also pulling out of the nearby station and was crossing the trestle above the falls.

ILLUMINATED HIGH FALLS

The floodlights were originally installed to augment a laser show. The lasers are long gone, but the floodlights have been returned to service.

LOWER FALLS + MILKY WAY

No one has seen the Milky Way from Rochester for a century. If there was a massive power outage, the Milky Way would look like this in July. (Of course, you wouldn't see much of the waterfall.)

High Falls

This shows the ledge that creates the High Falls. There is lots of space behind the 96 ft high curtain of water. There is also a very deep pool below the falls. There is a railroad locomotive and at least two automobiles in the pool.

FREDERICK DOUGLASS - SUSAN B ANTHONY BRIDGE

The "Freddie-Sue" bridge Is one of the landmarks of Downtown Rochester. The Frederick Douglass - Susan B Anthony Bridge carries I-490 across the Genesee River. By combining multiple exposures it is possible to make stars visible as they are to the naked eye. The water is calm here because the bridge is just above a dam. Below the dam, there are rapids and three waterfalls before the river gets to Lake Ontario.

BALD EAGLE

I never get tired of watching eagles. Photographing them is not easy.

VARIEGATED TULIPS

Highland Park, Rochester, NY

MONARCH BUTTERFLY ON ZINNIA AT HIGHLAND PARK

I shot more than 100 photos of this butterfly. It was the only one in the Zinnia bed that day. This was the only one where it had its wings open.

MONARCH BUTTERFLY ON ZINNIA

Monarch butterflies are threatened, but not extinct. This one posed for me.

Pink Tulip

One of several hundred in the tulip bed at Highland Park.

Tulips in Highland Park