COMMUNICATING MOTION


Our next campsite was in the Little Spearfish Creek Valley, which is located in the northern part of the Black Hills. The forest is denser than in Custer State Park and we were higher up in the mountains.

This arm of the creek was running not far from our small camp site and it was the right subject for trying out a new technique I recently learned from an article by Moose Peterson. It is about creating a long exposure look for moving water in order to communicate its motion. Without attaching a neutral density filter or very long exposure times we can achieve this look even in daylight under relative bright light conditions. The trick is to use the multiple-exposure function that is built into some cameras. If this triggers your interest, click on the link for the whole article. http://www.imagechaser.com/creating-long-exposure-look-without-wait-nd-filter/

The interesting thing is that not two pictures look alike and at home, in front of our computer screens, we can choose the pattern of blur that we like the best. After reading Moose Peterson’s article, about a month before our trip, I really was eager to try this new technique and finally along the Little Spearfish Creek, with its waterfalls and cascades, I found the perfect “testing ground”…

JEWEL CAVE


As a visitor of the Black Hills you have several options to visit a cave. We decided to see at least one and our choice was Jewel Cave, which is also a National Monument. There are books and websites out there that will tell you every geological and historical fact about this cave. We really enjoyed this visit and all the information we got from a very passionate ranger during our tour in the cave. Don’t miss it if you ever go to the Black Hills!

Within a few minutes being in the cave I figured out that it is impossible to catch the magnificence in just one “signature photo”. Instead I approached it with just composition and color in mind. I did not want to make just documentary shots. When the ranger asked who would volunteer to be the last person of the tour, to make sure nobody is left behind, my arm went up immediately. I may have missed some of the ranger talk, but being the last one leaving any part of the cave gave me a little more time for the extra shot without being pushed by another person.

The first image was made with the help of a speed light, which was used to throw some light into the foreground by pointing it towards the ceiling. Everybody who has a phone in their pocket can be a photographer these days, and I really believe this is a very good thing. As you can see in the lower right corner, I have not been the only one who was impressed by this cave and tried to capture the moment.

No flash light here, and by exposing strictly for the highlights, the black space around separates the viewer from this side track of the cave. Shapes and colors are talking.

This geological formation is called the “cave bacon”, and if you have ever watched how a piece of bacon changes its color if heated up in a pan, you know why… Oh boy, my good friend Anja will love the “meaty part” of this blog post…😉

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AT MOUNT RUSHMORE


Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4

If you go to the Black Hills for the first time you probably want to see Mount Rushmore National Memorial. It is impressive and definitive worth a visit. We had done this before a few years ago and skipped it this time. However, there are some interesting viewpoints around that give you a good opportunity to see the four presidents from different angles and perspectives.

The first photo was taken at a parking lot along the road that goes around the monument, called Profile Viewpoint. We didn’t have very many clouds during our time in the Black Hills, but here the deep blue sky and some white clouds brought some dynamic around the face of George Washington.

Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-120mm / f4

Another good point to stop the car was behind one of the road tunnels south of the memorial. In both images the Ponderosa Pines lead the eye to the subject and provide some color contrast to the blue sky and clouds.

GETTING UP EARLY: ESSENTIAL


Pronghorn, Custer Sate Park, Black Hills, South Dakota

Getting out of the sleeping bag before sunrise is important for seeing some of the wildlife and for maybe getting the photo that makes the difference. Well, the sun raises and sets 365 days during a year around the world and sometimes I think about what it is, that triggers our desire to snap a picture of something that occurs every day. The quality of light during these times plays probably a big role. We maybe just can’t get enough of it.

Being up early beares another advantage, you have the roads, trails, and locations almost for yourself. Not much interferes between you as the photographer and the critter that may become your subject in a good image.

The first photo was made five minutes after the sunrise picture. The Pronghorn buck is still in the shade of the mountains but his ears and horns are backlit by the morning sun. What a great moment!

The last photo was taken the day before and the metadata reveal that the click was made about an hour after sunrise. Still good light, but you can already tell with every minute it became more and more difficult to work an animal like the Pronghorn Antelope with the camera due to the high contrast. As always, a click on each photo opens a larger version on black background for better viewing. I hope you enjoy!

NATURE CLICKS #305 - BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE


Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4

The Lakota knew this landscape as mako sica and early French trappers called it les mauvaises terres a traverser. Both means “bad lands”. However, if you take some time to visit, the Badlands will reveal themselves as a landscape with great biological diversity and you will find out that it is full of life.

Nikon D750, Sigma 50-500mm / f4.5-6.3 APO DG HSM

The Black-billed Magpie is a great looking bird. We have seen them in every part of the western half in South and North Dakota during our trip. That doesn’t mean we had a lot of photo opportunities. Quite often they flew away as soon we stopped the car and left us no time for pointing a lens at them. They built nests with domes on top and unlike most birds, they can use scent to locate food.

BACK TO THE BADLANDS


Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4

No, I didn’t go back literally to the Badlands, South Dakota, I just like to continue my little stories about the landscapes and wildlife in the Dakotas last October. 

The rock layers of the Badlands have been built over millions of years. The highest peaks are “only” 28 - 30 million years old and belong to the Sharp Formation, while the oldest rocks down below we can see today as a result of erosion are roughly 70 million years old. One of the most colorful formations are the 67 million years old Yellow Mounds. After the sea drained away, the black ocean mud was exposed to surface weathering. The upper layers of this mud developed into a yellow soil called Yellow Mounds. The gray formation above is the Chadron Formation and these sediments were deposited about 34 - 37 million years ago. Interestingly there is a gap of 30 million years in the geological record in between, the result of non-deposit and erosion. Excuse my excursion but I think this is just mind-boggling… 😆

Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-120mm / f4

The photographer could care less (but he doesn’t) and the Yellow Mounds formation is just perfect to tell a visual story about the geology and age of the Badlands. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we had a few rain drops that day and it was a blessing for working the landscape with the camera. You can’t get these colors on a day with bald blue sky and sunlight that burns the hell out of everything. Every focal length, wide or close, seemed to work and could lead to an image. It was just a matter to answer the question, what’s my subject, before pressing the shutter button…😉

STAY LATE, BE REWARDED


Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35, f/4 @ 35 mm, 1/160 s, f/11, ISO 200

The question is, how can we beat the harsh light at the Grand Canyon in Arizona when there is no single cloud expected for the whole day and be finally rewarded with some good images? It is simple, be there before sunrise or during sunset. The first didn’t work for me, my hotel was too far away to make it, but I probably would have kicked myself later, if I had left the canyon too early. There are many overlooks and locations that are good for shooting during sunset. My choice was Navajo Point near the east entrance of the National Park. The Colorado River changes direction in this area, you have a deep view into the tribal lands of the Navajo nation, all the way to the Vermilion Cliffs at the horizon, and the watch tower at the Desert View visitor center sits on top of the steep canyon walls. I watched the shadows creeping up the canyon walls facing to the west and tried many different focal lengths from 16 mm to 35 mm. Not using a tripod made me actually very flexible (my luggage space was limited and I left it at home) and so I shot from a variety of different angles and positions, with and without foreground. The setting sun is not in this image, but the long shadows that quickly took possession of every sunny spot tell the story about a gorgeous evening at the Grand Canyon.

OVERDUE VISIT


Grand Canyon, Arizona

I interrupt my stories about our trip to the Dakotas for a more actual photo. I’m stitching two business trips together into one right now. I’m in Arizona since Wednesday, spent the weekend here, and will will leave for Denver Colorado tomorrow morning.

The Saturday was used for a more than overdue trip to the Grand Canyon. I flew over it many times in the past but never had been actually in the National Park. I wished the big storm area that came through here last Thursday would have waited a couple more days but this is history and all what was left was a boring bald blue sky with not a single cloud in the air. Well, I deal with what is presented to me when it comes to weather and try to get the best out of it.

The Grand Canyon is magnificent and no words or photo can completely describe its beauty and vastness. 

I took a lot of pictures with the wide angle lens, the Nikkor 16-35, f/4. I love this lens for its incredible sharpness and relative small size and I have really embraced it during our trip in the Dakotas. It is a great tool for an outdoor photographer that needs to pack small and light and wants to come home with sharp images. More to come…

RAIN AND COLORS


Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4

We set up our first camp for a few days in Badlands National Park, South Dakota. We were there before twice in the last ten years, but always only for a brief stop on the way to Yellowstone. This time we wanted to explore the park and the surrounding grasslands much more and also spend time with the wildlife. The name Badlands suggests nothing really good but I can tell you, colors, landforms, and wildlife will surprise the visitor with every turn you take.

Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-120mm / f4

From our previous visits we knew that landscape photography can be very tricky during the day because the harsh light mutes the colors quite often. We were lucky on our second day that a few rain drops came down, not much, but just enough to bring out the colors of layered sediments, volcanic ashes, and of the prairie grass and plants. The Badlands are a place of extremes between summer and winter and sometimes it is hard to imagine that much can exist there. However, the biological diversity is rich and wildlife abounds. But more about this later...

TRAVELS THROUGH THE DAKOTAS


Bison at sunset - Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Hello everyone! Yes, we are back from a 19 days long vacation trip in the Dakotas. We explored the grasslands, wilderness, and mountains of South and North Dakota this time. There were plenty of opportunities to see and watch wildlife and many stunning moments while visiting beautiful landscapes. Most of the time we pitched our little tent right where the action takes place, where the light unfolds, and where the only sound you may hear at night is the howling of the coyotes or the hooting of an owl. Of course, a “few” clicks were made along the roads and trails, and if this stirred up your interest, please stay tuned during the next weeks. 😊

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2015 #9


All images: Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4

Today’s photos are still from my visit at the Deere Marsh last Friday night and both tell a totally different story. The first one is about migration of the Red-winged blackbird. They gather by the thousands and fly south, a sure indicator that winter will approach soon.

The second photo was made only a few minutes before the first one and at a first glimpse there is not much going on in the marsh or on the Mississippi in the background. But wait, if you look down at the bottom beside the shadow of my left leg, there is Cooper’s shadow. As so often he sits and waits until I’m done clicking and fiddling with the camera. Most of the time I can concentrate on the photography or on the critters we are watching. I don’t have to worry about all the time what Cooper is doing. He waits patiently. We couldn’t ask for a better dog! 😊

CUMULONIMBUS INCUS


Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-120mm / f4

I’m back from another business trip with very little opportunity to shoot some images. The exception was this beautiful anvil cloud (Cumulonimbus incus) I watched developing from my hotel room in Milwaukee, WI. They can form into super-cells resulting in severe storms, hail, heavy rain, lightning, and even tornadoes. This one dissolved shortly after I made this simple click through the glass of the window...

LATE SUMMER, BUT NOT FALL YET


Nikon D750, Sigma 150mm / f2.8 APO EX DG HSM

I flew back from Texas today, drove home from the airport, unpacked the suitcase, grabbed the camera gear and the dog, and went out the door again… Couldn’t wait to go on a wildlife mission after a week of being away. Ok, I will talk about the wildlife in another post but like to show you a photo instead I made while returning to the car, just a few minutes before the sun disappeared behind the ridge. I looked over my shoulder and across the pond and saw the potential for a shot. Although we don’t have any fall colors yet, it doesn’t mean you can’t “romance” the landscape. I switched the white balance from ‘Auto’ to ‘cloudy’ and exposed for the highlights on the tree trunks. This keeps the colors warm and strong and the darker shadows provide the contrast for the subject in this image. Some tree branches are already bare but many leaves are still green, and so are the reeds in the pond. A photo you can only make in late, late summer...

ROMANCING THE LANDSCAPE


I’m not a big hunter for sunset photos but sometimes I come across of one that sets it apart and romances the landscape in a special way. In August we had a few days when the smoke of wildfires in the western US made the sun more hazy and gave the sunsets a different mood. The photo shows how the last light of the day touches the hills and ridges here in the eastern part of Iowa along the Mississippi River. The white farm buildings and plastic covers of hey bales reflect the light and even some fog seems to creep into the valleys. To get the color the way it is I underexposed by 2 stops and set the white balance to cloudy. No reason to fiddle in Lightroom or Photoshop, just simple settings in the camera.