Pioneer Cemetery

A nearby pioneer cemetery was a perfect location to learn drone video techniques. This is a truly team effort in film-making: Angela-equipment manager, Elizabeth-director and film editor, Sandi-managing editor, Dale-cinematographer. Lots to learn but have not mowed any grass or trimmed trees with it yet. Just starting to get out of "auto" in photo/video mode.

Country Road

This country road is more than an element of composition, it tells a story.  The overhead storm clouds are ominous and the road leads up a small hill.  What is your story in this image?  Are you optimistic or pessimistic?

Dealing with Light Pollution

Shooting in mixed light at night creates choices for white balance. Below are a couple choices showing the differences of 1000k. Which one is right? As in most photography the right one is the one that looks right, in this case most natural. We all know the night skbrowy is black but blue also seems to fit into this reality.  If in doubt I choose Auto WB and adjust until the colors look pleasing, a real scientific answer.

WB 5500k

WB 3800

The best solution is to minimize ground light by shooting into a false horizon like a small swale or hiding the points of light with foreground objects.

History at Night

This historic church was built in 1861 was a great playground for  photography last night. Multiple sources of light were used to create a this image. I had a bright light on the church, Sandi lit the crucifix, and the clouds reflected city lights. The fun of night photography is finding a subject in the dark. It was a perfect night to be out, more images to come.

The end of the day

I went storm chasing last night with my cell phone radar app hoping to record thunder heads boiling with timelapse. When it became clear that was not to be the case I headed east looking for a rainbow. No luck with that either but it was getting late and the eastern sky had some decent clouds. Suddenly I noticed a planted prairie under the developing clouds. I did 20 minutes of time lapse as the sun was setting and then worked the clouds with HDR settings.  This is not what I had envisioned leaving the house 3 hours earlier.

Summer Water

Mound Creek Falls usually dries up during the summer leaving only a rock ledge but the recent heavy rains have created the opportunity for some waterfall shots. Exploring the stream as it flows into the lake highlights the brilliant orange lichen on the rocks. 

Winter Wind

 

I usually think of the winter wind and how it will limit my outdoor time. Walking in the windswept prairie I think of its direction and how to keep it from watering my eyes,burning my face, and taking my breath away. There is a rhythm to it and watching prairie grass move with it can be mesmerizing, if you are dressed for it.

Small subject, small camera

I was walking with my iPhone and saw this bright color on a log covered with green moss.  It was a perfect opportunity to test a close up lens attachment. The depth of field cannot be controlled but the focus locked nicely on the leading edge of the mushroom.

Technical: iphone6, iProLens macro lens, Procamera 8 used which allows white balance adjustment.

Sisters

These sisters were competing in the pole weaving competition last weekend made me stop and think about the advantages of rural life. As a "dude" on vacation I discovered directing a horse is not an easy task.  At an age when riding a bike is considered a major skill these girls have learned to care for and control their ponies. I salute them and their proud parents who were waiting at the gate.

Concentration

Egg and Spoon Competition

The object is to be the last one with the egg in the spoon as the judge changes makes balancing more difficult. The rider gets to ride without feet in the stirrups or hold the arm outstretched while the horse moves into a trot. For someone who can spill coffee in a cup just walking to a chair this was an amazing feat of balance to watch.

Power and Grace

I went to the county fair yesterday to watch the pole weaving competition.This competitor was phenomenal, her ease in the saddle and the power of her horse were beauty in motion for 13 seconds. 

Technical: f16 @1/30 second, ISO 100, focal length 100mm

Busted!

I'm usually the one who gets busted in the field. This cottontail passed in front of the camera I set up in our rudimentary to check minimum focus distances and sensitivities to small birds. This passing cottontail looks guilty of something. The only thing edible we have uncaged are rhubarb, perhaps the cages need to go back on.

Summer Celebration

As you know I have not been traveling much this summer. It has  expanded my horizons to subjects I would not ordinarily consider photographing. Our annual Bavarian Blast summer festival is a case in point. After ignoring it for 10 years I sat on the curb and recorded this, a cacophonous contrast to the tranquil prairie I usually record. For those of you like me who have a hard time sitting thru a 90 minute parade the essence has been distilled to about 35 seconds. Sound recorded on the iPhone, otherwise my Canon made a brief appearance for the still shots.

Character in the Night

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

Winter Blue

It is a joy to see blue sky again! This was shot about half an hour after sunset as the bitter cold was setting in. Daylight WB used with minimal increase in saturation. Foreground lightened with Lightroom shadow slider.

A Drop of Rain

I know a little more than a drop has fallen recently but this is the only one that landed here. Southern Minnesota ephemerals are about on schedule despite this winter's snow and cold. Bloodroots are past peak, trout lilies are starting, and the forest floor is a brilliant green.

Shooting to the Sky

I'm torn between showing hepatic bursting through oak leaves or showing them reaching up to a blue sky. Most of the hepatica I shoot is on a steep hillside making it easier to try both images. It all comes down to the message. Is the message life springing forth or incredible color on a drab hillside? I think there's room for more than one right answer.
Question: How much of an image needs to be sharp?
Answer: It depends.

Cottonwood Color

I walked along the Cottonwood River one morning last week and its namesake trees produced this brilliant reflection on the river.  With most color past peak it was good to see some color remaining.

Technical: 70-200 lens, strong contrast curve used in Lightroom

Local Treasure

We explored the local county parks on Saturday and made it out to Mound Creek Park which is at the western edge of Brown County. We always seem to be there when the sky is overcast. Its unique feature is a 20 foot waterfall flowing over exposed red rock in the spring. Despite the recent heavy rains there was no water, a sign of the prolonged drought. 

Technical: This shot can be exposed in several ways. It would be a good HDR image to bring the sky in line with the foreground exposure.  A graduated neutral density filter would have been the choice with film.  Lately I have been exposing to get everything within  the histogram and using the graduated filter in Lightroom to show sky detail. Lots of different ways to achieve the same result.