Earlier this year I posted my disappointment after visiting Gunn Falls in Sunderland, MA only to find a lot of litter…mostly beer cans and bottles along with remnants of a bonfire…in several places and stated that I was done visiting there….only a loss to me as I am sure the property owners couldn’t care less about my absence. There had always been one spot, but apparently the folks who visited decided to franchise out the stupidity. On Saturday, after the sunrise, I decided to check out the situation. No litter, but there was a handmade sign on a tree at one of the offending spots stating that there would be a $1000 fine for littering and that there were cameras monitoring the site. I am not sure there are actual cameras, but it seemed to be working.
Consequently, I have revised my pledge and made this image of the lower falls. It’s not the prettiest time of year, but it is a lovely little waterfall and we’ve had a fair amount of water falling from the sky lately.
Kind of tight quarters as I was backed up against a fallen oak. We have seen a lot of falling trees this year. For some reason unknown to me, WP is showing the water with a bit of a blue cast which does not exist in Photoshop.
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
I see the blue cast you mention Steve. I wish all the sites were well color managed even if (especially if?) I am color vision deficient. It really is a wonderful waterfall. The multi-level character is like that which we see at Proxy Falls or Ramona Falls here in Oregon.
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It is and there is one more above this one although this is the better of them, IMO.
Here is a look at the upper falls.
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So, this is private property? Do you routinely introduce yourself to land owners before venturing forth … or do you take your chances? I too have seen my fair share of damage wrought by local youth, out to have a good time with a small fire and a few beers. I am not the sort to have them forgo the fun, but it’s just too bad they can’t do so and leave these places unperturbed. I cannot believe they don’t see the beauty of the natural areas they frequent. Perhaps it’s simply a matter of priorities. Nice image … looks rather like late fall or early spring, rather than winter. D
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It depends on the situation, David. If I have never been to a place prior then I do try to get permission as with the barn. But I have been going to this place for over thirty years for both the falls and spring wildflowers with the owners waving at me in a friendly way on a few occasions. I think they are happy to share the property with those who respect it.
It’s disappointing that we have such drap conditions right now.
I won’t say what I think of people whose priority is to get drunk and throw their trash down a hill.
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The slight blue cast doesn’t bother me in the least, Steve. It’s good to learn that measures have been taken to preserve its integrity, and you must certainly be able to take some pride in the improvement. I’ve been to 50 countries so far, and I have been repeatedly (though, thankfully, not frequently) appalled by the callousness with which some visitors toss their trash about. I always carry a plastic bag with me in the field and gather as much of the littershit as I can before I leave.
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Thanks, Gary. Yes, it is sad that the indifference to nature and consideration for others knows no boundaries. Depressing that a clean ash tray in one’s car etc. is more important than a clean environment.
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Blue cast on the water,m or not, this is quite a pretty “little falls” as you have described it. There are so many falls in your spot of the world. There is nothing of the sort where I live. Just not enough rain or the right terrain, But it’s very interesting that the on property camera sign has apparently been a nice deterrent to the interlopers or rather the litter bugs. 🙂
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I still have to check out the upper and most used party spot, but from a distance the upper falls looked less littered.
Thanks, Yvonne. I hope 2015 sees you with better health.
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Thank you, Steve.
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I think the color cast comes from the fact that WordPress is the blueblood of blogs.
Once you noticed more blue from WP than you intended, did you consider preparing a version of the picture in which you made the water warmer (in color) than you wanted so that it would end up okay after WP did its thing?
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I used to do that, Steve. I have so many duplicate and triplicate entries in my WP library from the different corrections over the years that I have just decided that one size fits all when it comes to WP and FB. Sometimes the image looks better in one place and some times the other. But there isn’t any consistency. My bigger issue is with PhotoShelter and they way everything is over-saturated. I can’t adjust for internet appearance there because the files can be downloaded through purchase for editorial use or by the PhotoShelter provided printing house for print sales.
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I’m glad you returned to this one. I would, too. There is a slight blue cast. Melanie complains about the changes she sees in quilt pictures she posts. She get them adjusted to her liking. WP degrades them and changes colors.
We often come back from walks or hikes carrying the crap others have left along the way. Also, here in town they dog owners are supposed to bag their poop. Some trails have bag dispensers and trash cans for them. I still see them set down by lamp posts, along the trail, or dangling from branches. I don’t get it. If you are going to do that, why bother bagging it in the first place?
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I also carry a grocery store plastic bag for picking up after others, Jim. Occasionally I need a second. I suppose it is better to have a poop baggie lying by the side of the path than the poop, but it is rude to leave them behind for others to have to pick up. Mary Beth picks up the poop from other people’s dogs when walking Murphy and brings it home. We have a bag hanging in the garage for all the poop bags which I then take to the dumpster at work. Dangling from branches seems like a strange way to advertise that your dog has been somewhere.
I always knew I would return to Gunn Falls.
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One of the little details I like is the way the ferns (?) seem to drape down the rocks, mimicking the water’s flow. It’s a lovely, warm photo. I almost can smell the leaves. I didn’t notice any blue cast to the water, and even after you mentioned it, I still don’t quite see it. Is it possible that monitors make a difference, too? Or is it just my eyes? (Interesting note: it was a difference in color intensity between my left and right eye that first sent me off to the eye doctor when I sensed trouble.)
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I’ve always liked the hanging garden of ferns at these falls too, Linda. The upper has the same feature.
Yes, monitors can make a big difference depending on whether they have been calibrated and to what temperatures.
What eye trouble have you had? You may have mentioned it before, but I don’t recall….a confession I have to make all too often.
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It is a shame that threat of a fine is necessary, but I am happy to hear the litterers bugged off. Very pretty. WP alters the colors on my images sometimes, too.
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For some, beer trumps all, so there is little respect in those cases. I am not a fan of alcoholic beverages for the most part and it definitely rankles when I go somewhere that should be naturally pristine and see cans, bottles and the attending crap that comes with the stuff.
I wish they could be color managed on the blogs, but as it is a free service I can’t complain. If I were a paying customer I would.
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