Friday, Jan. 30 - There is only one type of Raccoon in New York State, but it is found practically everywhere. There's probably one outside your window right now; watching you.

Friday, Dec. 5 - Jim Weeks, known to our Community as Backpacker, talks about his recent feat: joining the exclusive club of people who have managed to conquer the 46 high peaks  of the Adirondacks. This interview will give you some great insight into his remarkable accomplishment; with accompanying photos and maps.

Kelly Lucero wins our November Photo Challenge with this excellent photo taken in Fairport. Our December Photo Challenge is now open. The subject: Lights. Submit the best photo taken in upstate NY and win.  

Friday, Nov 7 - Owasco Lake completes our coverage of the Finger Lakes. When I started covering the Finger Lakes, I knew little about them. Two years later, I feel I still know little- there is so much more out there to explore. I encourage you to get out and enjoy this region, and hopefully our guides can help you get started.

Our Monthly Photo Challenge covers Tombstones. It's easy to get out and find a cemetery and start taking pictures, so give it a try this month. Who knows, you may just snap the winning photo.

Friday, Oct 31 - Happy Halloween! Just a quick update today. The wildlife guide now has a page about freshwater herring.

The Capture Rochester book is out! Did you order your copy? 

Mon, Oct 20 -

I found Kelly Lucero through Capture Rochester where she was consistently uploading fantastic photos. She is now our new editor in charge of cleaning up my grammar and spelling. She's also very active in our community section. A very gifted "still life" photographer; I'm hoping we will be learning a lot from her in the upcoming months. Check out her excellent gallery.

Fri, Oct 10 - Check out all there is to do around Seneca Lake. The photo opportunities at the numerous parks alone was enough to keep me busy for the summer. After 4 visits this year, I came back with full memory cards and a craving to go back for more. It was a tough job narrowing all of those photos down to the 40 or so for the online gallery.

The numerous wineries (with several new ones springing up each year) not only present you with a reason to visit, but their varied architecture and upstate charm make them great subjects for the lens. Use this page as a guide and get out there before the color leaves the trees.

Mon, Oct 6 - We have just a quick update this week with some new questions answered for our Niagara Falls FAQ. Next week we have a much larger update in store.

Be sure to get out and capture anything related to football for our monthly challenge.  

Tues, Sept 9 -

We have a new Photo Challenge for September: Wineries. Snap the best photo of something to do with wineries in upstate New York, and win.

I know how tough it is to find a professional photographer for your wedding or other event. We are going to help make it easier for you. NYFalls.com is now qualifying local photographers and giving you their information in an organized and easy-to-compare fashion. If they are in the list, then you can expect professional service and quality. You can ask questions and leave feedback to help others. Our first approved photographer, is Spencerport's Josh Jones, who specializes in wedding photography.

We have a new Photo Challenge for August. Show us your best Zoo Pics from Upstate NY Zoos. 

Wed., May 21 - SheQuaGa Falls, often referred to as Montour Falls (which is actually the name of the village it's in), can be a startling sight if you aren't expecting it. Anyone driving down Genesee St. in the village can't resist slowing down or pulling over when they catch a glimpse of this massive, 156 ft drop from a sheer cliff.

We have a new Photo Challenge this month. Enter any photo you have taken of any Flowers and if we like it, you may win a prize. You can enter as many photos as you'd like. The only rules: 1: it has to be taken by you. 2: it has to be taken in Upstate NY. Give it a shot. Any photo can win.

Mon., April 28 - The Niagara Falls FAQ has been updated with some FAQs about Fish.

If you have any questions about Niagara Falls or the surrounding region that we haven't addressed here, please let us know. We'll try our best to find an answer for you.

April's Photo Challenge is now open. Any snapshot of a Funny Face can win it. What's the prize? Something that's sure to induce more funny faces.

Fri., March 28 - Regular updates continue as the weather gets warmer... and I start getting ready to get out and shoot the countless waterfalls and lakes we are still  missing here. I still have several locations from last year to write about too. Last summer I visited Twin Falls in Montour Falls, just minutes away from Watkins Glen. A nice, quick stop if you are in the vicinity.

Our community member redreamer will be exhibiting her unique brand of art at Moravia's Coffee 'N Cream  on May 5th at 6:30pm.
I am quite intrigued by her 'Paintings within Paintings.'

Last August Matt explored Peppermill Gulf, near South Onondaga. I've heard before that this was a beautiful 90' waterfall, found at the end of an ugly, grimy creek walk. Matt confirmed this story to be mostly true. His photos show a unique waterfall, of various categorization. The water, however, is clean and the trash that lines the creek is old junk from years past. Is Peppermill Falls worth the 2-mile creek walk? I think so.

Totally unrelated to our new team members, today's update is a wildlife identification guide for Mice and Rats. Some are cute, others disgusting. Most are harmless, but a choice few are deadly to humans.  Did I pique your interest? Learn about them before "killed by a mouse" ends up on your tombstone.

The new year brings a few deals on NYFalls.com prints. Starting today you will find 5x7 prints  for only $1.99 each.  Adding to that, use the coupon code: newyears08 for 20% off all other size prints. The deal won't last long, so order soon. Every sale goes towards paying the bill here, so your purchase is appreciated. (minimum $10 order required for using coupons).

Fri., Dec. 21 - Frontenac Falls can be considered Taughannock's little brother as it cuts through the same rock. Just north of the state park and nestled within private Boy Scout camp, Frontenac is certainly doesn't get the traffic the falls at the state park get. Our own Matt Champlin received permission from Camp Barton to photograph the falls. He found a setting similar to Taughannock - gigantic canyon walls with forested tops, towering high over the waterfall.  Surprisingly this falls isn't a straight plunge of water like Taughannock, but a chaotic, A-shaped cascade. We have found that there is a waterfall of similar size just upstream on another plot of private land.

Our message board has been upgraded. We now have a section to dedicated to Fishing. Stop and and tell us about your favorite spot or show us your catch. The new message board has plenty of new features including picture and file attachments, message tracking, and embedded videos. Stop in and introduce yourself.

Fri., Dec. 7 - I've heard Medina Falls  referred to as "ugly" before. When I first checked it out for myself in July, I saw it from above on the Erie Canal towpath and although it certainly wasn't the prettiest, I didn't think it was "ugly." At least I figured I could capture a beautiful photo of it... that is until I climbed down in the disgusting creek bed below. Everything was coated in smelly gray sludge, with trash thrown all about. Standing down there for just a few minutes and I was already craving a shower. I wonder who would tolerate hanging around down there long enough to empty all the beer cans that I saw lying about?

Have any photos of Christmas trees you want to share? Submit them to our December Photo Challenge and you just may win.

Today though the month of December, 8x10 prints are on sale for only $10.99. In addition, you can still use the coupon: GRANDOPENING to get 15% off all other sizes. If you want to receive the prints by Christmas you should order by the 17th.

Abbott's  Frozen Custard will be your walking companion here. This classic ice-cream shop, which has been dishing out scoops here for decades, is possibly even more popular than the neighboring beach. And if your up for some fattening, yet delicious grilled-to-order burgers and fries, there's plenty of that available in the neighboring food joints.

The history of the park is of particular interest to me, being a fan of amusement parks, I at first found it hard to believe this strip of land covered in grass and sand was once a booming amusement park, complete with thrill rides and sideshows.

There's only a few more days left to get you entries in for the November Photo Challenge: Scenes from a Road.

Often I'm asked which photos are may favorites, or which ones do I recommend. That's a tough question for me as my taste is kind of odd. I would say the following are my favorites at the time being, mostly do to personal reasons. These will probably change over the year. The reasons?... too much to say in such a little space.

Matt Champlin was out during peak foliage the last several weeks. He brought us some beautiful fall shots of New Hope Mills and Carpenter Falls. Check them out- they are outstanding.

Our October Photo Challenge is now closed and we have a new topic to concentrate on this month. The challenge is to post some creative Roadside scenes. Remember to bring your camera on your next drive.