Blue Morning

I am in Yellowstone Park for a few days and this morning I'm editing while sipping coffee before going out. The weather has been balmy during the afternoons, in the mid 30's. Sunrise yesterday was about zero degrees and I thought this shot of the footbridge over Soda Butte Cr. reflected the cold morning temperature.  WB at 5500K. 

Remember when?

A year ago we we were braving a subzero windchill and tramping out to the sea caves. I noted -40 degree windchill in southern MN on January 27th. Today it was 47 degrees above zero. Maybe the ice caves were a once in a lifetime event. Life is short, don't wait for the next time around when you see something to photograph.  

Winter Red

Man its tough finding color on the prairie in January! Warming to 7000K helped with the grasses but I was looking for something more vibrant. I found these rose hips and with carefully burrowing into the snow I could minimize the background distractions. The red was slightly enhanced in Lightroom but comes primarily from fill flash.

Night Visitors

We visit "wild" areas during the day but I am fascinated by creatures who call this place home and wander at night. I set this camera trap up over a partially eaten raccoon carcass and was surprised to see we are not the only domestic creatures who visit.

Sky Lights

I went to the Butternut Valley SNA a few nights ago to photograph the Milky Way in the western sky but clouds moved in and reflected all the ground lights.  To get an idea where the darkest skies are check this website: Dark Site Finder

Technical: WB 2800, shadows opened in Lightroom, light on prairie from farm lights. 2 minute exposure

Winter on the Prairie

Warm light is expected at a January sunset, a warm breeze is not. A great afternoon was spent exploring Cottonwood Prairie SNA enjoying the fresh air and open space. My eyes need to be stretched to the horizon every now and then.

A Slow Start

It has been awhile since my last post. A combination of circumstances have prevented me from getting out much. I am also concentrating on video in 2015 making the stories harder to come by and produce. Anyhow, enough excuses, this was shot last week when preparing for a night photography class. This is a composition test shot for star trails using a Canon 30D at ISO 3200.  Unfortunately I did not get a chance to do star trails that night, the joy of carrying a cell phone.

Technical: Marginally acceptable noise levels that shows how far sensors have come since the 30D was introduced.  I'm still working on the best color for the night sky. This is at about 2800k with blue saturation at near 100.

Spring Grooming

With the windchill at -30F and a snow storm predicted I thought it was a good time to share a spring evening with a great horned owl. 

Character in the Night

I love the character of oaks, even in the winter. 

A Nature Minute

Each year I resolve to shoot more video. As a result I'm always looking for new ideas and inspiration. I plan to follow this video series by Jim Brandenburg for new ideas throughout the year. Enjoy!

Nature 365 : January 1, 2015 from FollowFocus on Vimeo.