09-25-13 Shoreline

No, this is not typical shoreline along my beloved Lake Oahe in central South Dakota. You might have already guessed that this is one of several photos I took in Alaska. This photo was taken near Ford's Terror in the Endicott Arm and if you go back to my Captain Jenna post, you might notice that the shoreline visible out the window to the left is this very shore.

I shouldn't tell you what you should be looking at, but it's hard not to notice the big, black hole worn in the rocky shoreline. If you are hoping I'd tell you how it came to be there, I can't. But my theory is that it was caused by erosion. And a few hundred thousand years.

Oh, and you no doubt noticed my new theme? I thought it was time for a new look. How about signing up to be notified by email when I post a new photo. It's easy and it's free. Go to the bottom of the page and put your email address in. You can always cancel your subscription. :-)

Canon 5DIII 1/400s f/4.0 ISO400 280mm

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09-24-13 Harvest Moon II

Yes, I'm a lunatic, though I don't howl at the full moon. I just try to take photos of it. This photo is chronologically misplaced in this blog in that it was taken about 12 hours earlier than the other full moon posted a few days ago. As you can see, the moon plays a much less prominent role in this photo. And I guess that was my intent. Here the landscape dominates and the moon just peeks in at the scene.

09-23-13 Crystal Blue

As I've already said, our recent trip to Alaska on the Un-Cruise ship Safari Endeavor was an incredible experience. There were many highlights but what I will remember the longest, I think, is our tour of the Endicott Arm near the Dawes Glacier. The eerie silence, the steady drizzle, and the awesome geology of this place contributed to the experience. It didn't hurt that our son, Jon, who is Chief Mate of the Safari Endeavor, was our excursion pilot.

And, of course, there was the blue ice, with its fascinating textures and its inner, blue glow. I know it's a leap to say it, but as I was photographing the chunks of ice, I couldn't help thinking of Walter's blue, crystal meth in the hit series "Breaking Bad." And I was also thinking of the '60s hit "Crystal Blue Persuasion" by Tommy James and the Shondells, which has nothing to do with glaciers. If you are in to chain of consciousness, here's mine on this post:

Un-Cruise > Dawes Glacier > ice bergs > blue > "Breaking Bad" > crystal meth > "Crystal Blue Persuasion" > the 1960s

Look over yonder what do you see The sun is a-risin' most definitely A new day is comin' people are changin' Ain't it beautiful crystal blue persuasion Better get ready gonna see the light Love, love is the answer and that's all right So don't you give up now so easy to find Just look to your soul and open your mind Crystal blue persuasion, mm-hmm It's a new vibration Crystal blue persuasion, crystal blue persuasion Maybe tomorrow when He looks down Every green field and every town All of his children every nation There'll be peace and good brotherhood Crystal blue persuasion

Buy it on iTunes

09-18-13 Scaling Down

Since I talked about the immense scale of Alaska yesterday, I thought it would be proper to show the smaller side of nature. In the context of looking at mountains, forests and glaciers, it's easy to miss things that are under foot some times. Of course, this is the power that we have as photographers.

Also, when I post my mushroom photo, I can feel better about myself: there are things in the Alaskan wilderness that are smaller than me. :-)

Canon 5DIII 1/80s f/2.8 ISO1000 100mm

09-17-13 A Different Scale

I have read that the great cathedrals and basilicas of Europe were designed, in part, to make humans feel small in the presence of the awesome power of God. And I'll have to admit that even to a 21st century traveler, these structures still have that impact on me.

But the amazing wilderness of southeast Alaska makes the biggest structure than humans have built seem puny. And, frankly, there is little that a photo or a mere description can do to communicate this. Suffice it to say that for most of the seven days we cruised the waters of Alaska, I felt small - both in terms of my size and in terms of the brief time my life represents compared to the geologic time it took to craft and scour the mountains and fjords of Alaska. But the effect of this on me and other viewers is not to be overwhelmed but instead to be inspired.

09-16-13 Nice Ice

My wife explicitly warned me not to publish too many photos of glacier ice so I guess I'm defying her with this one, since I published another ice photo a few posts ago. But I can't help myself. How can you not be fascinated with the colors and textures of this ice. And how can you not think about the Titantic, when you hear the thumping of small chunks of ice against the hull of the Safari Endeavor? But our captain is much smarter about ice than Captain Edward Smith. :-)

Canon 5DIII 1/800s f/6.3 ISO400 200mm

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

08-25-13 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.

08-22-13 The Darkest Hour?

The saying is that "the darkest hour is just before dawn" and I was aware of that when I went quickly to my camera bag so I could get the moment pictured in this post. I'm not sure how one defines "dawn" but I concluded that the saying was a bit inaccurate even if it is more metaphorical than literal.

I'll have to admit that I've shot the sunrise from this same spot before. And as Monet no doubt felt good about painting the same haystacks over and over again, I can live with my redundancy: even though it's the same spot and the same old sun, this sunrise is unique in all of the 4.6 billion years of the Earth's existence. And I was there to capture it.

On a technical note, those who are inclined to study my photos closely might be inclined to say that part of my style is, as one student said recently, "crispness." Generally, because I shoot with a high resolution camera, use good lenses, generally use a a tripod and use fairly elaborate sharpening processes, they are clean and crisp. But this one is a little blurry. Was it premeditated? Not really. I was standing in a boat that was moving ever so slightly and I was hand-holding my camera with an impossible-to-hand-hold shutter speed of 1/3 of a second. I know that's a sin. But the blur actually adds to the impressionistic nature of this photo. I suspect that Monet might approve.

Canon 5DIII 0.3s f/4.0 ISO800 32mm

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.