Day 92: April 2, 2010

Monochrome Reflections of a Swamp

I ventured out to Secor Metropark today to see what was blooming.  I had the car windows down as I drove slowly through the park and was drawn to this spot not by the sights of the trees standing ankle-deep in swampy water, but by the choruses of frogs calling to their mates and woodpeckers grabbing a bite to eat.  The air reverberated with their staccato beats.  I stopped the car to attempt to find the source of either sound, but had not luck - and I was NOT about to wade out into the leaf-littered flood plain.

However, I quickly saw the potential in the reflections of the trees in this temporary pond.  I really like how the leaves are visible through the water in the darker reflections of the tree trunks.  This part of Ohio was once known as the Great Black Swamp - and this photo clearly shows why!  The ground was quite spongy around this small area and there were numerous other spots identical to this one throughout the park.

I couldn't decide which color-scheme I liked better - desaturated (top photo) or my attempt at sepia tones (GIMP has no pre-set for sepia).  So you get both!  And I'm also killing two birds with one stone and listing this entry over at Monochrome Weekend AND Weekend Reflections! Go check out both sites - they're both awesome!