Taughannock
Falls State Park is famous for having
the tallest straight drop of water in the northeast at
over 200 feet.
Its beauty in all seasons is apparent
from
these photographs. Often overlooked, though,
is the breathtaking sight above the falls
where one
looks down from a dizzying height to a deep canyon
embracing the lovely meandering river
that leads to
the high falls.
Move
the cursor over each thumbnail to increase
its size. Click on the thumbnail to see an even larger
version.
The sight of Taughannock Falls from the "Overlook" always
brings
comments of admiration and awe from visitors. I've heard them
uttered in more languages than I could guess at. The
first of these
photographs shows the Taughannock Falls Bowl just as a storm is
gathering. Packing up before getting soaked, I left, but stopped at
the lower part of the park to get some photographs of the cloud
formations over Cayuga Lake. The storm broke and soaked me
after all, but then repented with a glorious rainbow as seen at the
end of the top row.
This is the time of year when most people visit Taughannock
Falls
State Park. Both the lower section along Cayuga Lake and the
upper section along the gorge are lovely destinations, but the
walk up to the main waterfall is worth the effort. Many people
wade up the streambed. The second to last photograph on the
top row shows the first of the Taughannock waterfalls you will
see as you walk toward the major waterfalls. It was caught just
after a heavy rain and thus is especially forceful. One of my
favotite photos is the one that shows the dogwood flowers in
front of Taughannock Falls. You have to be there at the right
season and
choose just the right vantage point. The photo on
my home page was taken on Mid-Summer's Day - the only
time I have ever seen sunlight on the waterfall, iteslf.
As you can see from the gallery, I love autumn and sometimes
offer two images that were taken in very different light
conditions. The lower waterfall in Taughannock Park has much less
water than
earlier in the year, but more than compensates with
a show of sugar maples along the banks above it. That day the
camera picked up the clear green of the stream. I love taking
photographs
in that light! And winter is spectacular! That etherial
light flowing through the break in the cliff was dazzling. I named
this photograph of Taughannock Falls "Winterlight."
Not all trips out to take photographs are sun
drenched afternoons. I purposely chose a
rainy, foggy day to get this shot of lower
Taughannock Falls and got soaked in the
effort. The melting snow shrouded the
waterfalls and made it difficult to take
photographs without clouding the lens but
I am pleased with the results. I'll post a photograph of the main
falls later.
