It was the perfect summer morning to be out north of Lake Okoboji in Iowa hunting for photos. This is one of the three captures I like for the hour I spent looking. I especially like the strong green color of the corn contrasting with the soft, muted color of the pre-sunrise sky.
Leafscape I
This leaf, born sometime in May, is beautiful in its old age.
The Mighty Acorn
in Black Hills, Nature
Of course, the saying is, "From tiny acorns mighty oaks do grow." Or something like that.But when you get down on your belly and point a macro lens at them, they seem plenty big.
Misty Sunrise
This is another shot taken a little north and west of Lake Okoboji this past August. This photo has a look that reminds me of the famous painting by Millet called "The Shepherdess."
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
in Photography, Seasons
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.
On Location
Here are a few of my favorite people in one of my favorite places. The place: the old Redlin farmstead 15 miles north of Watertown. The people: Kendra, Sara, Ashley, McKenzie, Kelly, Holly and Alli (sitting). These are 6 of my second year Photo/Media students at LATI and one of my first year students (Alli). The occasion was an on-location portrait shoot.When I was doing senior portraits, I used to bring my subjects out to this old farm all the time. I liked the many looks that the buildings could give a portrait but I also liked how I could find spots with good light that were also protected from the wind. Wind is rarely an outdoor portrait artist's friend, especially with females. And in South Dakota, windy days are more common than calm ones.I had a good time on the day I took this photo but I think most of my students got better results than I did, which is what I would hope for.
Ready For Harvest
in Seasons, Uncategorized
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?