Day 36 - Gambrill Mill

Bridge over the Monocacy River on Rt. 355.

Even though it was chilly and spitting rain off and on, I went to Gambrill Mill today, because I had been looking forward to a walk there, and I knew that tree cover might provide some protection from the rain.  Luckily, no rain came down while I was on my walk.  I was one of just a few people there.  They all had cameras around their necks, too, so I fit right in with them.  No suspicions to be aroused today!

The railroad bridge over the Monocacy.

Gambrill Mill and Gambrill House are part of the Monocacy National Battlefield.  This particular site is very scenic and has good walking paths.  I have been there several times to photograph senior portraits, and it is also the site of Civil War reenactments in July, the month of the battle.  If you follow the trails, there are information posts that give good descriptions of what you are seeing.

The Gambrill House is just made for HDR photography, with its shadows and windows and architectural detail.  My little camera, the Nkon P7100, does an amazing job with taking the bracketed exposures, and HDR Efex Pro 2 does an amazing job of lining up handheld exposures.  I was happy with the way today's photo of the house turned out.

The Gambrill House

Huge tulip poplar trees dwarf the three story  house.

I was amazed by the gigantic tulip poplars that are on the front of the lawn on the house.  I was curious to find out if they were witness trees (having been alive at the time of the battle), but the battle at Gambrill Mill was on July 9, 1864, and the house was not built until 1872.  An early photo of the house shows them as saplings on the lawn.

Today is one of the coolest days we have had since fall officially began, so I prepared for the weather by going to a sporting goods store to find gloves with the special fingertips that allow you to use your cell phone without having to remove them.  I found a pair of ETIP gloves by North Face, and they not only kept my hands warm, but I was able to use all of the buttons on my camera easily.  I highly recommend a pair for cold weather photography!

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

1. walk every day
2. the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
3. post a photo every day
4. use my Nikon P7100 (it is a very convenient size and weight)
5. no weather excuses
6. walk only where it is safe to do so