Winter 2021

First Hike

Many Fairfax County residents were happy to kiss 2020 good-bye and head outdoors to get a fresh start on the New Year.

Throughout the pandemic turmoil of the last year, parks provided a respite from stress and a safe place to get some exercise and escape from Zoom-time. As 2021 began, residents headed to parks to take part in our First Hike photo contest that celebrated the Park Authority’s 70th Anniversary with prizes valued at $70 or more. Nearly 200 hikers entered photos for judging by the Park Authority’s Executive Director, a panel of Park Authority judges, and a public vote.

Here are the winners:

People’s Choice Winner Mike Crosby Huntley Meadows Park

Judges’ Choice Winner Elaine Starr Huntley Meadows Park

Director’s Choice Winner Jack Ledgerwood Folly Lick Stream Valley Park

Best in Show (Scenery/Landscapes) Heather Rabinowitz Cross County Trail at Accotink

Best in Show (People) Sherry Schellenger Parker, Green Spring Gardens

Best in Show (Wildlife) Nancy McDonough Ellanor C. Lawrence Park

Unusual Hummingbird Entertaining Photographers at Green Spring Gardens

Photographers and birders have been aflutter in recent weeks over the appearance of a Rufous hummingbird at Green Spring Gardens.

These hummingbirds are usually found out West and only make occasional visits to the East Coast. Photographer and Virginia Master Naturalist Barbara J. Saffir captured some images of the bird and noted, “It is exceedingly rare for the public to view any hummingbird in the cold weather, especially in a public garden and especially up close.”

Photo credit: Barbara J. Saffir

Jane Gamble, a frequent photo contributor to the Park Authority, snapped some photos of the hummingbird, too.

Photo credit: Jane Gamble

A credentialed bird bander visited the park on January 13, 2021, to gather some vital statistics on the bird and band it for future study. If you go to Green Spring in search of this unusual visitor, please keep your distance so it isn’t scared away.

Photo credit: Don Sweeney

Record-breaking Photo of Huntley Meadows

A photo of the boardwalk at Huntley Meadows Park helped Visit Fairfax set a new record on its Instagram site.

The photo, which ran last October, quickly catapulted to 1,450 likes. That far outpaced the typical number of likes for photos published by the organization that promotes tourism in Fairfax County.

The photo credit goes to a park visitor known on Instagram as est_73.

Winning Katydid

Photo credit: Barbara J. Saffir

A katydid from Huntley Meadows Park was ready for its close-up when photographer Barbara J. Saffir walked by one day. The pair gained national attention last year when “Handsome Meadow Katydid” received an honorable mention in the National Wildlife Federation’s 2019 photo contest – a contest that received more than 23,000 entries.

The Fairfax photographer and Virginia Master Naturalist is a self-described “former journalist turned wildlife photography addict.” She says, “Now my addiction is on steroids during this global pandemic. I photograph several times a week. It is calming, fulfilling, and downright mesmerizing to search for ‘Where's Waldo’ wildlife when you're hiking in the woods. And it's a ‘two-fer’ because you get healthy exercise, too.”

Saffir thinks of herself as “a hunter who lassos live critters to share with others,” and she has shared that passion for nature through photo talks at Fairfax County libraries. Though she took some photography courses in college, she says she never considered wildlife photography back then. She fell back into photography when she got her first digital camera a decade ago.

Saffir learned about Handsome Meadow Katydids when the Fairfax Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists held a training session at Huntley Meadows. As for her winning photo, Saffir says, “I didn't need an expensive camera or lens to capture the katydid, which should encourage everyone to get out and photograph, even if it's with a cell phone. I shot this with my Panasonic DMC-ZS50 pocket camera. It does, however, have a trusty Leica lens. I shot in macro mode with shutter priority. My settings were f3.9, 7.8mm, 1/2000, ISO 100 with flash.” Saffir says birds are her biggest love, “so most of the time you'll find me photographing with my heavy, biceps-building 150-600 Sigma lens.”

Her tip for others interested in photography, “Just get out and shoot whatever you love most.” She encourages photographers at all levels to share their photos and join a local photo club to meet other photographers and hone their skills. And don’t let winter stop you from taking photographs. Saffir notes, “Many birds flock to the Mid-Atlantic each winter like it’s their Miami Beach.”

Parkpix Memories

Ahhh. Remember when there were leaves on the trees?

Amy Heuer took a walk to Lake Mercer on a lovely day last autumn and shared some of her photos via Parkpix. Thank you, Amy, for taking us back to warmer days.

Photo credit: Amy Heuer

Share your park photos with the Park Authority for use in our publications and on our social media by sending your images to Parkpix@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Discover the Path to Better Photos with a Park Photo Class This Winter

Photo credit: Don Sweeney

If you got a new DSLR for the holidays or want to stretch beyond the automatic settings, check out the variety of classes the Park Authority is offering over the winter to help you get the most from your camera.

Head to Parktakes Online and enter the word “photo” in the search text box to find a complete list of photography-themed classes.

Choose from general offerings such as Digital Photography or Digital Photography II, or become a specialist with programs such as Nature Photography at Huntley Meadows or Photographing Local History. If you have a child with an interest in photography, what could be more fun than “Explore the Farm with your Camera” at Frying Pan Farm Park. There’s even a Photography Merit Badge program for Scouts and a class on Keepsake Photography.

SNAPSHOTS Reflections

We would love to hear from you! Comments or suggestions for SNAPSHOTS E-News are welcome. We encourage you to contribute an article and share your photographs to be included in a future SNAPSHOTS E-News.

Email comments, articles and photographs to Parkpix@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Contributors

Editor: Judy Pedersen, Public Information Officer

Writers and Contributors: Carol Ochs

Layout and Design: Don Tubel

Photograph Contributors: Don Sweeney, Barbara J. Saffir, Amy Heuer, Jane Gamble