I took a few shots that I haven't shared much, except for the Photo-A-Day January gallery.  So, I thought I would spend a little time on Feb 1 to talk about a couple of the memories associated with the shots.

Memory 1:  Camera Club was there to shoot Eagles, I took these instead

The Eagles are flying along the Fox River and our Camera Club was gathering in the early morning in January.  The day was cold and we started before Sunrise.  As we walked along there was a lot of brush along the River's edge.  The ridge we were hiking on was so narrow that only one person could walk on a time.  Only four of us went to the Point which is usually a great place for siting Eagles.  We spotted one Eagle, but it was so far away that it's difficult to tell whether it's a bird or just an unusual branch on the tree.  So, I turned around and played around with shots of trees along the shoreline.

Fourth Week: Lone Tree PAD Jan 17 Lone Tree Study Three

Then I decided to jazz up the photo a bit by using Topaz Filters.  I actually got this idea while I was waiting for the Eagles to fly.  I was wondering how I could take a shot and spice it up a bit.  Here is one of the results.

Fourth Week: Lone Tree PAD Jan 17 Lone Tree Study One

We were just not seeing any Eagles so we decided to break off from the Camera Club gathering early.  I kept on photographing for about another hour.  It was darn cold since I was walking along an old railroad trestle that had the cold water on both sides.  I kept walking and stopping to take pictures, most hand held, but some with my tripod.

Memory #2

Going on Drives with my Dad was a delightful time during the cold month of January.  We tended to visit the water areas, the lakes and the rivers that I sometimes forget that is a rich heritage and the reason why the towns started in this area in the 1840s.  Paper Mills and Woolen Mills were a big part of the economy back then.  They are mostly gone now, with the mills being torn down lately to make way for condos and eateries that are near the river.  

As a part of the recent development efforts there are many viewpoints and walkways along the River.  Here are a couple of photos that I took during a walk during January.  I really enjoyed this walk.  The air was fresh.  The walkway was pretty clear of snow and ice.  It was a time of day when I pretty much had the area to myself.