09-14-13 Morning Procession

I was anchored near the mouth of Mission Creek at Lake Oahe (Missouri River) a couple weeks ago when I noticed movement on the point of the far shore. Using my binoculars, I noticed that it was a group of deer walking slowly along the beach. A few minutes later, I saw them walk into the water and then start to swim to the south point of the bay I was in. I estimated that the swim was about 1/4 mile and was more than a little surprised since I didn't know deer could swim.

Eventually, they arrived on the near shore and, having checked me out, hurried up the hill and out of sight. Below you will find two other photos I took in the sequence, including one where the buck (who was last in the line) has stopped and is checking me out. Given that he didn't have his Speedos on, do I dare say that he was "buck naked?" (Sorry.)

Canon 5DIII 1/1600s f/8.0 ISO400 200mm

08-29-13 Reprise: Early

I’m off on a junket to Alaskan waters on an Un Cruise Adventure and will be off the grid for a while. And so I’m posting old stuff but I’m making it sound special by calling it “Reprise.” I’ll back back on September 3.

08-28-13 Reprise: He's Watching Us

I’m off on a junket to Alaskan waters on and Un Cruise Adventure and will be off the grid for a while. And so I’m posting old stuff but I’m making it sound special by calling it “Reprise.” I’ll back back on September 3.

08-27-13 Reprise: Classes Canceled

I’m off on a junket to Alaskan waters on and Un Cruise Adventure and will be off the grid for a while. And so I’m posting old stuff but I’m making it sound special by calling it “Reprise.” I’ll back back on September 3.

08-26-13 Reprise: Morning Light

I'm off on a junket to Alaskan waters on and Un Cruise Adventure and will be off the grid for a while. And so I'm posting old stuff but I'm making it sound special by calling it "Reprise." I'll back back on September 3.

08-25-13 Singled Out - Morning Light on Grass #3

This is the last of three macro photos that are intended to suggest that photographers have the potential to make common things interesting by finding the right framing, focus and light.

08-24-13 Singled Out - Morning Light on Grass #2

Second is a series of three.

08-23-13 Singled Out - Morning Light on Grass #1

This is the first in a series that I am calling "Singled Out." The series is an attempt to show you that photographers have the power to make the mundane interesting. All it takes is the right framing and the right light. All of the subjects in this series are considered weeds.

08-21-13 Harvest, 2013

The Arrow Education Foundation of Watertown, South Dakota, works hard to support public education in Watertown. They depend on donations from people like you (especially if you live in Watertown or have benefited from Watertown Public Schools.)

Each year they host a charity fundraiser called "Harvest." It is a casual, but gala, fall affair. Invitations were just send out and I'm pleased to say that a photo I donated to the cause is the background art for the invitations. This backlit sunflower was featured in this blog before (click).

Have you made your reservations for Harvest, 2013? Have you donated the Arrow Education Foundation? The world will be a better place if you do.

08-20-13 Prairie Relic

When Deb and I were driving back to Watertown on the day we did Lacey and Matt's engagement session, I remember driving by this tree and saying, "That's an amazing tree." And so, before I ended my session north of town a few days ago (that resulted in the two previous posts) I stopped by this tree and took several photos. I ended up liking this one, largely because of the way the stark monotone of the skeletal tree contrasts with the strong colors of the earth and sky.

Post Script

There is a bit of a back story to this photo. I took this photo on the morning of August 11. Three days later, I was packing my camera gear and discovered that my beloved Canon 24-105 4.0L lens was missing. I searched the house. Twice. No lens. I opened Aperture on my computer to find the last photo I had taken with the lens. It was of this tree. I concluded that I had left the lens exactly where I had taken it off - sitting on top of a fence post. (I used my 70-200 telephoto lens so I could try to blur the background.)

I drove north of town feeling pretty confident that I would find the lens. After all, this spot is fairly remote and I didn't think the country road would have had much traffic. I also imagined that the lens would blend in, looking like part of the post.

And from an eighth of a mile away, I could see the lens. But it didn't look like part of the fencing - it looked like a lens. Fortunately, it hadn't rained and there had been little dew over the three days that it sat on the post. And, aside from a fine layer of dust on the filter (no, I hadn't put on the lens cap), the lens was pretty much as I had left it. Lucky me!

08-19-13 Serenity

Those who follow this blog know that Lonesome Lake is one of my favorite places. Even if I didn't have a camera and tripod, I would enjoy this place, especially on a morning like the one this photo taken on. It was cool and windless, which on an August day is South Dakota, is somewhat rare. And there was a kind of silence here that it hard to describe. But I will say that I could hear and feel the silence. And when I look at this photo, I still do. I wish you had been there with me.

Canon 5DIII 1/125s f/13.0 ISO500 200mm

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08-18-13 Morning Glory

The title of this post may suggest that it is another flower photo. But, instead, it is another sunrise photo. This photo is the result of serendipity, I suppose, in that I just happened to be in the right place at the right moment. But serendipity doesn't suggest that it was an accident. When I left home just before sunset on this morning, I drove north hoping to find something worthy to photograph. And this is the first photo I took. I'll post others in the next few days.

It occurs to me that my photographic process generally begins with a "hunt." In this case, I was slowly driving the back roads near Lonesome Lake looking for the perfect picture. Initially, I drove over the little bridge that this photo was taken from but I backed up thinking that the still water in the foreground would do a good job of reflecting the beautiful morning sky. I guess you would say that this photo is a good example of chance favoring the prepared mind. Sometimes we are lucky to get the photos we get but this "luck" depends on our ability to see and then on our technical ability to capture what we see.

Canon 5DIII 1/80s f/10.0 ISO250 24mm