Creeks – C'est la vie

Antietam Creek was the sight of a major battle during the War of the Rebellion (Civil War). It is also called the Battle of Sharpstown (Maryland). This battle occurred when the Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee invaded Maryland which was not part of the Confederacy. The opposing army of Union forces was under the command of General George McClellan. Some experts consider the outcome a stalemate; however, the Union forces claimed it was their victory since it forced General Lee’s army out of northern territory. Please check this link for more details.

https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-antietam

This post is not about the battle. It so happens that my family held a summer picnic this past Saturday at Devil’s Backbone County Park on Antietam Creek near the site of the battlefield.

I chose not to bring my DSLR camera since this was not a photography outing, but I did have my smartphone with me. The photos that I am sharing in this post were taken with my phone and some editing was done with Adobe Lightroom after I returned home. Although the photos are nice, you can easily see that they do not compare to the quality that would be produced with a good DSLR.

Taking photos is an enjoyable hobby with either a smartphone or my DSLR for me. I thought that some of you might enjoy seeing these photos. My smartphone is a Motorola Moto Z3 Play and is certainly not a high-end model, but the camera takes acceptable quality photos for viewing on a blog, Facebook, Instagram etc.

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Antietam Creek and Dam

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Antietam Creek Dam

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Bridge over Antietam Creek

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Mossy Tree

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Meandering Creek

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Ant’s View

Please come back to www.cestlavie4me.com to see where my photography takes me in the future. Keep shooting even if it is with your smartphone! You might enjoy the results.

I suspect that many of us tend to photograph in a somewhat solitary manner. We go out on a photo shoot usually with just our camera, bag, tripod and our thoughts. If we do go out with someone else, it is usually better if they are also a photographer. Taking time out during a family vacation or group activity to photograph something other than your family members or the group will not make you the most popular person that day.

There are many times during something like a family vacation or group outing where you can plan ahead and carve out some time to take photographs without interfering with everyone else’s activity. I had this opportunity during the past week when my wife and I went on holiday with our grandchildren, daughter and son-in-law. My daughter found a beautiful house that was available for short-term rentals in the Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The Mehoopany Creek which is a tributary of the Susquehanna River was just a short walk down the mountain from the house. A small stream flowed from near the house down to the creek and provided some nice photo opportunities. I found an area that had a small waterfall. Early one day before everyone was up I went to the waterfall and took some photographs. In this post I decided to show the before and after version of one of my photographs. I used Adobe Lightroom Classic for the edits. So even when you are on a family vacation or with a group, if you plan ahead you can find some time to enjoy your photographic hobby. Just remember not to abuse the opportunity or you’ll become that person constantly getting the evil eye while you are taking your photos!

Singing Waters Creek