Mysterious

This photo was taken on a foggy summer morning north of Lake Okoboji in Iowa. And, yes, it's been enhanced with Photoshop.

Through the Bus Window

I went to Sica Hollow, west of Sisseton, SD, with several of my photo students. Sica Hollow is a state park that I thought would provide unique photo opportunities for photographers. We were closing in on the park when I thought I should take a photo. What struck me about this this scene, of course, is the color and the landscape.When I took the photo, I was hoping to get the driver, Ronnie, and a well exposed landscape. The camera was a Canon SX230 HS and I was impressed with the range that this camera was able to capture in this photo - from the bright, blue sky to the subdued tones of Ronnie.This may be one of those photos I like more because of what it helps me remember about this trip than because I think it is a good photograph.For a little insight into the creative process that went into this video, watch this three minute screen cast.

Ready For Harvest

Our Back Yard

This is a volunteer tree growing in our raspberry patch that really should be cut down. I worked hard most of the summer trying to ignore this weedy treeBut, with the right light, a proper point of view and good timing, even a "weed" can be glamorous.

Yellow

My wife and I were out for our morning walk the other day and even in the relatively poor light of a street light, I could tell that this tree would be worth seeing in sunlight.So I went back yesterday morning and took several photos. I'm not sure if the people who own the house where this tree is saw me in their back yard. But I figured my camera would explain everything. . .

Textures

I wandered into our backyard looking for color in the soft morning light. I found color. But instead of subdued light, I found a couple leaves lit by the angular sun. And this relatively bright light also brought out the texture of these leaves.I say it over and over, but I like the fact that photographers have the power to get people to look at things that would otherwise be missed. These small raspberry leaves, in their last days before our long winter, would most likely be ignored.

Still Green

We are closing in on the end of September in South Dakota and that means that fall is here. While there plenty of leaves on the ground, there are also tenacious plans that aren't quite ready to give up.When I saw these leaves, what caught my attention was the subtle backlighting caused by the low western sun. When I pointed my camera at this leaf, I was hoping that I could isolate this one leaf from all the rest. In fact, when I took the photo, I was thinking of using it here with the title "E pluribus unum." But who wants to figure out Latin in a photo blog?

Before the Start

In the minutes before the start of a sailboat race, things can look a little chaotic. The challenge is to cross the start line (not visible in this photo) after the starting gun goes off, not before. Before the race, then, you might have boats that are going in opposite or seemingly random directions.All of this happened in slow motion on the nearly calm day Deb and I were in Gig Harbor, Washington, a few years ago.The dull, cloudy day is made to look a little brighter due to some Photoshop magic. A tutorial is in the works for those who might be interested in knowing the technique.

Slowly Going Nowhere

Somebody once said that a good definition of sailing was "slowly going nowhere at great expense." These boats were photographed leaving Gig Harbor in Washington state on a nearly windless day and they were certainly moving at a deliberate pace.Though it was a generally gray (a typical western Washington) day, the boats in this Saturday regatta were still photogenic.

Manipulation of Another Kind

In yesterday's post, taken yesterday morning, I was commenting on how manipulative HDR photos could be. Later in the day, I was taking a few photos of some fancy gourds my wife bought at the farmers' market on Saturday and I realized that these gourds must be the product of manipulation, too.I think some geneticist somewhere sprinkled his/her magic mutation powder on regular gourd seeds to see what would happen. And this green, white and yellow thing is one of the products.I think that software manipulation of photos is much less insidious. Just imagine what would happen if the geneticist dusted you or your children with his/her special powder. . .(PS: My friend, Jim, inspired this post because of a comment he made on my Facebook page. Thanks, Jim.)

First Flowers

Finally, after what seemed like an endless winter, the snow is almost gone and the first delicate crocus are pushing up through the bare earth.This flower shot isn't anything new on this blog but these flowers are only a few days old. And to me they stand as a symbol of good things to come.

What Is Reality?

Here's something that just occurred to me when I saw this picture: Much of "Reality" is what we perceive superimposed with what our culture tells us we should think and feel about our perceptions. Thus, the distorted image of the Colorado state capitol building reflected in a nearby office building isn't real. But if that's not real, is Fox News or or any work by Shakespeare more real?If you are intrigued by this, go back and re-read Plato's "Allegory of the Cave." And for now, that's enough philosophy!