Where are they now?

These robins were filmed in December but have not been seen or heard for the last month.  Birds can't store up fat for energy or insulation so must eat daily to survive. Migration also has the risk of finding food along the way. This is a good winter to be a hibernator. 

Learning Lighting

Lincoln School, Pine County, Minnesota

I learned about lighting this weekend. Flash ratios, shutter speed sync, and flash placement are not typical topics in my vocabulary . As an available light photographer the direction of light and the time of day have been my primary lighting tools. My daughter was here for the weekend and she has different approach to lighting.  She uses flash extensively and her idea of natural light is to photograph in the dark.  Therefore we were out shooting this abandoned country school last night. Check out this website to see her subjects and approach to photography. Forty Five Degrees North

Technical: lighting from passing auto, natural light?

Sea Caves Closed

Lake Superior's sea caves have been closed, at least for now, due to high winds and potential ice instability. While out there I didn't think about being on ice over 30-40 feet of water. I was always looking up in awe.

Prairie Curves

I was out in the prairie a few days ago on a windblown, overcast afternoon. I thought I  saw birds in flight when looking at these curved blades of grass. Is this a sign of cabin fever?

Too Cold!

It was too cold for the camera!  One day last week I was filming with a Canon C100 and experienced pixelation that makes the footage unusable. the only way to salvage it was to share the experience. Canon lists it lowest operating temperature at 32F so I can't complain about the camera. 

GoPro for Wildlife

I'm testing my daughter's GoPro  for wildlife.  Despite its small size these feeder birds and squirrel definitely were aware of its presence. If I were serious I would put the housing in the area to allow the animals to get adjusted to it and then put the camera in. I don't know the minimum focusing distance and these shots may have been inside that limit. I think the wildlife focus is a little soft. On the other hand maybe the lens was a little cloudy from humidity in the case in the -10 degree weather.  More testing will be done in warmer weather.

Technical: camera controlled with iPhone app. Edited with iMovie

Lines and Space

Sometimes simple lines and space represent the state of mind which occurred as I was looking over the south unit of Namekagon Barrens. Space, distance, curiosity, dreaming, wonder, peace are words that come to mind looking at this image

Technical: Red leaves anchor the front of the image with curved lines gently leading into the distance. 

Moonlight at Dusk

We see snow as white in almost all light conditions just because that is what our brain is telling us the color should be, then we take a shot and see the color as the camera does. Sometimes that color works to create the mood we have envisioned, other times it doesn't. This night shot was taken recently and blue snow bothered me. Using the split filter in Lightroom I desaturated the snow making it white. 

Morning Fire

Have you ever seen a sunrise that is beyond the ordinary? One that dances with color, like flames of light moving as the sun rises. Sometimes simple documentation isn't enough to record what you are seeing.

Open water in February

It's unusual to find quiet open water this time of year, especially after the recent temperatures. This rust laden water along Main Dike Rd. in Crex Meadows stays open and can be a winter viewing location for otters and mink, but none on this day. The setting sun and water added color to an otherwise gray winter afternoon. White balance set at the cloudy preset to enhance the colors.

Parallel Lines

I'm going over sots from last Sunday and noticed this version of a previous post. After looking at the flower heads I see parallel lines in the stem shadows, then the parallel lines of snow drifts, and finally the stems themselves. I wonder if this is what I subconsciously saw before taking the shot. I didn't "see" the lines until this afternoon.

Shadow Grass

Winter shadows can be more interesting than the colorless plants that form them. As in all prairie photography the challenge is isolating them. 

Winter Textures

I went to Flandrau State Park to look for winter prairie images.The textures in the flower and snow caught my attention on the background of white and blue.