November 30, 2021

As a frequent visitor to the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, I was familiar with the well-known Watkins Glen State Park and some of the terrific waterfalls around Ithaca. In a week-long trip, I recently discovered there is much more to the area in terms of diversity and counting over 200 named waterfalls.

Touring the area in Spring 2021 with the Adirondack Photography Institute introduced me to many of these lesser-known falls, including Taughannouck Falls, Buttermilk Falls, Fronteac Falls and Lucifer Falls in Robert H. Treman State Park.

Far from an expert in waterfalls, I still noticed the variety of glacially formed landscapes that gave each a distinctive character from dramatic fall-offs to thin bridal-like veils and sloping ledges. In the Spring season, it was mostly a green backdrop. I would like to return in the Fall season for more colors and leaves on the ground.

The lack of color encouraged the use of black and white as shown in these circular pool images taken by long exposure for an otherworldly perspective.

The incredible variation in falls and landscape makes the Finger Lakes region a spectacular area for viewing and photographing waterfalls. Even more alluring was the lack of people and traffic in these NY State parks, free (or nearly so) and all readily accessible without much walking or hiking. I can see several return trips in the future!