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�Beauty alone is a sovereign remedy against fear, grief, and melancholic fits.� Robert Burton When my wife, Phyllis, and I were younger, our hikes were all about distance, pace, and destination. But over time our hikes became a journey and the beauty of nature became our pursuit. Wildflowers we once briskly passed over without a glance now captivated us. Time and again, as Phyllis and I explored terrain unfamiliar to us, we would be overtaken by the joy of finding and photographing a new wildflower or waterfall. I vividly recall holding my camera�s view finder to my eye while scanning the landscape of Dolly Sods in Tucker County, and thinking to myself, �This is more beauty than one soul can drink in!� I was enthralled by what I saw. The beauty of nature profoundly moved me.  Dolly Sods Long Lasting But I found that the power of nature�s beauty ran deeper than a momentary thrill or an emotional rush. The soothing power of beauty in nature was long lasting and could be captured in ...

As a photographer, I am frequently asked this question: �How do you get that �flowing water� effect in waterfalls?� It�s not difficult if you have the right equipment and a little �know-how.� Here are ten basic tips to help you take waterfall photographs. Slow Down the Shutter  The key to good waterfall photography is to slow down the shutter speed. I shoot most waterfalls at 1/4 to 2 seconds. At these shutter speeds, you�ll get the flowing water or motion blur effect. To capture swirls or eddies, you�ll have to go slower, say 5, 10, even 60 seconds depending on the speed of the water. On the other hands, to highlight flow details and texture, I shoot at 1/8 to 1/15 second. But there�s a catch to these slow shutter speeds. Brush Creek Falls Get a Neutral Density Filter In normal daylight, when you manually slow down your shutter for waterfall photography, the image will over expose no matter how much you reduce the aperture or lens opening. That�s just the way cameras are made. But...

West Virginia is known for its panoramic mountain views, but it�s also blessed with scenery below the surface, too. Limestone caverns taking millions of years to develop are laden with stunning rock formations, ancient fossils, and local history. To sample the beauty beneath our feet, there four commercial caverns or �show caves� in West Virginia:  Lost World Caverns in Lewisburg  Organ Cave near Ronceverte  Smoke Hole Caverns near Petersburg  Seneca Caverns near Riverton Each has its own claim to fame and offers guided tours to explore them. The tours follow well lighted paths and steps. Here are some things I�ve gleaned from my visits to the caves and from the internet. Lost World - by Shery Meiresis Lost World Caverns Lost World Caverns, a registered Natural Landmark, claims to have one of the nation�s largest compound stalactites (30 tons) called �The Snowy Chandelier.� My most vivid memory is the impressive �War Club,� a 28-foot tall stalagmite. Bob Addis once s...

Recently I posted on my blog about �The Seven Wonders of West Virginia.� For such a scenic state, seven is too few. I can think of seven more wonders of West Virginia that need to be mentioned. This is a list of �must-see� sights in West Virginia, five natural and two man-made. Some are well-known, others not so much. From north to south, here they are: 8. Blackwater Falls 9. Spruce Knob 10. Highland Scenic Highway 11. Beartown 12. New River Gorge Bridge 13. Babcock State Park 14. Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory Blackwater Falls Blackwater Falls Blackwater Falls State Park is located in the Allegheny Mountains near the town of Davis in Tucker County. After meandering leisurely through Canaan Valley, the Blackwater River at the state park picks up pace, takes a breath taking 62-foot leap, and begins a wild and tortuous eight-mile rush down the Blackwater Canyon. It�s one of the most photographed sights in West Virginia drawing nearly a million visitors a year. The falls are accessible f...

The world has its seven wonders. So why not West Virginia? After all the State is called �Wild, Wonderful West Virginia,� and rightly so. West Virginia, The Mountain State, abounds in scenic wonders. Nestled among more urban and populated eastern states, West Virginia is an island of mountains, forests, rivers, and plateaus. Indeed, choosing just seven natural wonders to highlight proved daunting. But subjective as it is, from north to south here is my list:  1. Dolly Sods 2. Canaan Valley 3. Seneca Rocks 4. The Cranberry Glades  5. The Falls of Hills Creek 6. The New River Gorge  7. Sandstone Falls Dolly Sods Credentials of the Seven To make the list, the seven wonders had to fit certain criteria. For instance, they all had to be well-known landmarks, if not nationally, certainly state-wide. They had to be �on the map,� that is, located and identified on a West Virginia State Highway Map. Furthermore, I felt the north, central and southern regions of West Virginia all ha...

For one unbroken chain of grand cascades, cataracts, and falls, try a hike up Marr Branch in the New River Gorge. But first be forewarned, this is not an easy hike, but a challenging scramble up a bushwhacked trail. Nevertheless, it�s well worth the effort.    To get to the mouth of Marr Branch, park at the white water rafting �take in� point on the New River (GPS: Lat. 38.067346, Long. -81.082240) just downstream from the Fayette Station Bridge. Park at the far end of the lot by the rest rooms and scramble up a short slope to the railroad tracks that run along the south side of the New River. Hike downstream on the railroad track for about a mile.  Marr Branch: Trinity Falls Getting to the mouth of Marr Branch requires walking on the railroad tracks, which technically is trespassing. It�s also a bit dangerous, so keep alert, listen and look both ways. At its confluence with the New River, Marr Branch makes a nice run as a waterfall, dives into a culvert, and rushes to jo...

The Lake View Trail makes a mile long circuit around Boley Lake in Babcock State Park. I hiked this trail last week in search of autumn colors. Fall foliage color was limited on the south side of the lake because the trail wound and tunneled through a lot of rhododendron. But the north side was pretty. Below are a few examples of color I found along the trail. Hope you enjoy the hike! Boley Lake, Oct. 2012 I might add that the lake is often ignored by photographers who come to Babcock seeking autumn colors. On any given day, the grist mill is cramped with photographers and visitors. It�s very difficult to get off a shot without someone in the frame. On the day I visited the park, this was true. But when I drove up to Boley Lake, the parking lot was empty! As I mentioned in a prior post, there is so much more to Babcock than the mill. Post of October 11, 2016 .  Boathouse Lake View Trail Lake View Trail Lake View Trail Lake View Trail