The cliffs of Vermilion

Soaring shale bluffs tower over the scenic Vermilion River in western Lorain County. I found myself in this area last Saturday, and could not resist a stop to admire the big cliffs, and attempt some photographs.

This spot is within Lorain County Metroparks' Vermilion River Reservation. The park is subdivided into Mill Hollow on the river's west side, and Bacon Woods on the east. I took this shot from the Mill Hollow side, and it's an easy little hike back to this part of the stream.

One more shot for the road. Fall foliage was fairly crisp on this nippy, blustery day, and massive puffy clouds blocked the sun far more than they allowed its exposure. I waited some time to get these images, for the very few brief interludes in which the sun popped out and cast its glow on the river's corridor.

For photography buffs: These are High Dynamic Range (HDR) photos. Each is a composite of five images made in immediate succession, from a tripod and using a remote shutter release to trip the shutter. They were made with the ultra-high resolution Canon 5DS-R, and 16-35mm f/4L lens. Bracketing mode was used, with 2/3rd stop intervals; only the shutter speed changes between exposures, giving five different exposures in each burst. The top image was made at f/11, ISO 100, with the lens wide open at 16mm. The second image was shot at 27mm, and f/16. Photomatix software was used to blend the images into the final product.