Cambria (American) Tradition

Cambria is a tiny unincorporated town in southern Minnesota that has been inhabited for about 8000 years. It has a tradition of celebrating on July 3rd with a town parade, it circles the block twice, and a better than expected fireworks display. If you can't get out tonight this is will give you a chance to see some 4th fireworks this year.

For those who want more:

Technical: Music from iTunes. Produced using the slide show feature on LightRoom.

Busy Mice

Elves are not the only little creatures busy at this time of year. These field mice were recorded over 13 nights of camera trapping at Townsend Woods SNA.  I hope to get out during a full moon to record their activity in person.

Winter Coat

Not needed today. The longer it stays warm the happier this guy will be. Red squirrels and grays tend to sleep in cold weather but fox squirrels are out most of the winter, benefiting from more fur and body fat. The red squirrels we see at feeders are taking advantage of a free meal and in the process giving us a few hours of entertainment.

Three blind mice

The title is the first thought that comes to mind when I see this camera trap image. When watching them scurry around I can understand how that term was coined. There was near constant motion for around this pile acorns nestled at the base of the log. About 2500 files were captured over a 2 week period. The task of reviewing them for unique content or other creatures has been completed so now the fun of putting a video together is the next step.  It will be M rated, definitely not for those who are squeamish at the sight of a mouse.

Fox squirrel at the knot

I love this pose. Squirrels frequently stopped for a picture on their in and out of this log. Shots coming out are much more appealing than those going in. I thing these are the second most colorful animals in the woods with the red fox being number one. I have yet to capture one of those in a camera trap here. That seeks to their scarcity in the habitat or extreme shyness. My guess is the former.

Technical: It could be argued the squirrel is centered but I think the composition works because of the depth provided by the distant trees.

December Sunrise

This was taken on the way to my current project site. This tree caught my attention as I was driving by and I just had to turn around. I was reminded of a lesson which I often forget and regret when I do. When the scene inspires it is worth the time to stop. Clouds and fog descended the next day.

Technical: iPhone6, color enhancement with clarity, vibrance, and +2 saturation 

Are you watching me?

This guy was busy burying acorns when he looked up and suddenly realized I was not a tree. Working in such close quarters I had a hard time maintaining focus and keeping him in the frame.

Technical: cropped vertical from C100 video frame

Purple Coneflowers at Peak

I usually find a couple coneflowers at peak and the rest in various stages of bloom. Earlier this week I fund most of them in the same stage.  As you can see domestic coneflowers have been significantly modified from their wild relatives.  Recorded at Cottonwood River Prairie SNA. 

Simplicity

I was surprised to see a caterpillar on this iris when walking exploring the prairie one day in June.  This common buckeye caterpillar is more colorful than the adult which has a more graphic design. Now to find an adult this month. 

Hanging On

The fierce prairie wind that blew my cap off was also a nuisance for the pollinating green bees. This one was hanging on before it took off to another blossom. 

Cactus Close Up

I was in photographer's heaven shooting cactus on Thursday. Yellow is almost one stop brighter than neutral and would have been a real challenge back in the old days of film. Lightroom has solved the exposure problem although I still shoot yellow at +2/3 or +1. More to come.

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?

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.

Editor's Choice

I posted the lower image a few days ago and showed the original to my editor who liked the color version. She has the benefit of being objective, not remembering the struggle with numb fingers and crusted snow required to get the shot. I have trusted her judgement for 37 years.

Prairie Snow

This is another image from Cottonwood Prairie SNA. Despite all the snow in northern Minnesota this area has not had that much. The beauty of space and sky keep me returning to the prairies.

Prairie Sunset

Yes, this is a Minnesota prairie. I made a trip to Cottonwood Prairie SNA yesterday afternoon. While returning to the truck I was rewarded with a sunset with character but not much color. Technical: Lightroom used to converted to B & W and lighten the foreground

Sweet Light

 The  winter afternoon light and eastern sky were captured while doing yoga positions in the snow on snowshoes.

Above zero

There is something about the number zero. It is not really that much different than +5 or -5 but the psychological impact is there and it has kept me indoors for too long. Yesterday afternoon the temperature was in the single digits so I was out the door roaming the prairie.