Last Gasp of Summer Weather

We've had positively glorious weather this weekend!  It's felt like summertime during the sun-drenched days.  In between all the Super Dirt Week events (yes, I confess it, dirt track racing is my guilty pleasure) we managed to get in a brief photography trip Saturday morning.

We went to a place called Trenton Falls, which is just north of Utica near the junction of Routes 12 and 28.  Trenton Falls are on privately owned land, and are only open to the public a couple of weekends a year.  My Dad had raved about the place, so my husband and I decided to grab our photographer friend D and take a peek.

It is a lovely spot, with deep gorges and a series of water falls.  In autumn, there isn't much water coming over the falls - I imagine they would be much more impressive during spring runoff.  I gather the area was historically popular, with the signs showing quite a number of old photographs and prints of the falls.

Unfortunately, it was SO sunny on Saturday, and the sun was at the wrong angles, so getting good photos of the falls themselves was a bit tough.  On the other hand, all the sunlight made for some positively luminous fall leaf photos.

There are a few other nice little tidbits at Trenton Falls, including a sweet little overgrown cemetery enclosed by an ornate wrought iron fence, old industrial, concrete cradles that used to support a giant water pipe, and an old barn with some character.  All told, those little extras provided me with the type of photography opportunities I relish - a mix of nature and decaying human construction.

Here are my favorite shots: