OUT WEST #12

Morning in the Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming

So, how about the moose? The next morning after the evening we watched the Red-tailed Hawk we went back into the valley where the North Tongue River flows along highway 14A. The rock cliffs above the valley and the aspen groves below were in beautiful morning light and the colors suggested that fall wasn’t too far away. The hawk wasn’t there anymore but we watched Mule Deer and some elk far in the distance. Later, after we had packed our tent and camping gear, we drove through the valley again, and finally we found this young moose bull munching on willow leaves. Hard to beat a morning like this…

Young Moose bull

OUT WEST #10

North Tongue River, Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming

I was asked if I had anything new in my photo bag during our recent trip. Nothing big, except for one piece of accessories that helped me to solve a problem with my landscape photography that had bugged me since awhile. I finally added a 77 mm, 1.8 Solid Neutral Density Filter (6-stop) from Breakthrough to the “tool box”. I have experimented in the past with cheaper ND filters for long exposures and one reason I never used them very often was because I didn’t like how they rendered the colors. There seemed to be always an unwanted color cast. I can tell you, the Breakthrough is the cleanest filter I have ever used. I was wondering if a screw on filter with 6-stops can still be used with the camera’s auto focus. And yes, you can!

At North Tongue River, near our campsite in the Bighorn Mountains I had plenty of opportunities to test, play, and have fun with this piece of glass. With moving water every picture turns out a little different, but selecting the one I like to show here in the blog was not influenced by lack of quality due to an unwanted color cast.

One of the things I realized during these long exposure shots is that I payed a lot more attention to composition. Having the camera on a stabile tripod is mandatory and really taking the time to envision how the blur of the water may impact the final image led to results I’m quite happy with. Most of the time during our vacation we had a blue or sometimes hazy sky. I was hoping to have a chance experimenting with fast moving clouds but this has obviously to wait for another time…

Nikon D750, Nikkor 70-200mm / f4, Breakthrough X4 ND filter 1.8 (6-stop), Induro GIT 404XL tripod, KIRK BH-3 ball head, VELLO wired remote switch,  @200 mm, 6 s, f/25, ISO100

OUT WEST #9

Sunrise in the Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming

This week I like to introduce you to one of our favorite mountain areas during this trip in regards of wildlife and landscape. We have crossed the Bighorn Mountains, located in north central Wyoming, twice before on our way to Yellowstone National Park in 2005 and 2007. Every time we said, oh, we need to come back to this area. Well, it took a long time, but we finally returned and spent a few days in these beautiful mountains that are not on the average traveler’s agenda.

These cliffs were near our campsite at the North Tongue River. We were at this overlook the day before around late morning and it was clear to me that the photo deserved a better time. Next morning we were on site around sunrise and the picture envisioned the day before became a reality…

Nikon D750, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4G ED VR, @145 mm, 1/50 s, f/10, ISO100

OUT WEST #7

Aspens in color, Bighorn Mountains, near North Tongue River, Wyoming

Going out west early into mid September is not a guarantee for having leaves with great fall colors. We knew that, but going up higher in altitude can always be a game changer. The highest peak in the Bighorn Mountains is over 4,000 meters and this photo location near our campsite at North Tongue Campground in Bighorn National Forest was still at an altitude of 2,400 m. Higher elevation triggers earlier frost and so it was no surprise to see some aspens in their beautiful fall colors.

OUT WEST #6

Needles Highway, Black Hills, South Dakota

For my taste we had way too many days with just a plain blue sky and without any dramatic weather. The only exception was during a drive through the heart of the Black Hills, along the Needles Highway. I made quite a few clicks at this vantage point but when this dude with his “Hill Billy shirt” stopped his Harley right in front of me, I knew I had my photo…

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2018 #06 - GETTING SOME DRAMA IN THE FRAME

Mississippi River, Deere Marsh, Dubuque, Iowa

I interrupt my photo stories about this year’s “OUT WEST” trip for an actual photo from earlier this evening. While having a mini hike with dog Cooper to the end of the dyke in the Deere Marsh at the Mississippi River, the sky became very interesting. The sun sets 365 days of the year, but this one today was quite a performance. The bank of clouds was in the right place for some drama. I had the Carl Zeiss Distagon T*, 35mm / f2 ZF lens with manual focus on camera today, a lens I have neglected recently a little bit, despite its wonderful color rendering and sharpness. I do that quite often lately, going out with just one lens and try to make the best out of it. Sure, I miss a shot ones in a while because it might be the wrong lens or the wrong focal length for a particular subject that crosses my path. However, putting on this challenge helps me to practice and think about my shooting a little more. Today the Carl Zeiss 35/f2 wasn’t a bad choice. I hope you enjoy!

Nikon D750, Carl Zeiss Distagon T*, 35mm / f2 ZF

OUT WEST #2

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

The landscape of the Badlands in South Dakota is unique and has pulled me into fascination for the fourth time during the last thirteen years. As a child I was reading books about the Prairie Indians that used to live in these vast areas out west and were brutally bereaved from their living basis, the roaming bisons of the prairie, by military and the unrelenting pressure of European settlers heading west.

For some people it may look like a moonscape but the Badlands are full of life and any time we come out here we discover more of the beauty and nurture our love for this beautiful piece of land. It is a photographers paradise and the change of light and abundance of wildlife make for constant changes of lenses, at least if you only employ one camera…

OUT WEST #1

DIGNITY of Earth and Sky, Chamberlain, South Dakota

No activity for almost three weeks in my blog? Yes you guessed it, we were on vacation, a time I usually take a break from posting here in the blog. Joan and I, and of course our little dog Cooper, made an 18-day trip out west to the grasslands and mountains of South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. If this is something that may interest you, stay tuned for the next few weeks. As I slowly work my way through all the pictures that were taken, I will try to tell a story with my photos of our journey, about the landscapes we discovered, and some of the wildlife we found.

Any time we head out west it is mandatory for us to stop near Chamberlain, South Dakota, just before we cross the Missouri River. New at this rest stop along Interstate 90 is the statue “DIGNITY of Earth and Sky”, dedicated September 17, 2016, and created by sculptor and South Dakota artist and laureate Dale Claude Lamphere.

“Standing at a crossroads, DIGNITY echoes the interaction of earth, sky, and people. She brings to light the beauty and promise of the indigenous people and cultures that still thrive on this land. My intend is to have the sculpture stand as an enduring symbol of our shared belief that all here are sacred, and in a sacred place.” Dale Claude Lamphere

Crossing the Missouri River, Chamberlain, South Dakota

It was our fourth time that we stood at this vantage point together, overlooking the Missouri River, and it is no coincidence that a truck with parts for another giant wind turbine rolls by. Many of them were on the road, telling the story about how the true decision makers in this country, the leaders in economy and business with a view beyond just local interests, understand the need for change in energy and climate policies.

Black-tailed Prairie Dogs, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Our first place to pitch the tent was at Sage Creek Campground in Badlands National Park, South Dakota, a campsite we have been before three times, and one of our favorite places to be. New was that the Black-tailed Prairie Dogs have now expanded their territory into the camp area. Sitting in a camping chair behind tripod and camera, having a beer or glass of wine, and shooting these funny critters in the killer light of the setting sun is a great way to start a vacation, at least in my books… 😊

ROMANCING AN UNROMANTIC LOCATION

Heritage Pond, Dubuque, Iowa

This shot with soft light and reflections on the water suggest a quiet, romantic location, just a few minutes before sunset, right? But nothing of the above was true. Behind the belt of reeds is a busy highway where people headed home from work or shopping. The noise level was not bad but definitely not quiet and the sunset was still 45 minutes away.

The steep bluffs of the Mississippi Valley make the sun disappear a little earlier, hence the blue reflections from the sky on the water. The light is nevertheless very warm and by watching the white balance settings in camera and underexpose by one f-stop we can romance the photo to the final result. Shooting from across the pond and keeping any distracting element from the highway out of the frame was possible by using the Nikon Nikkor 70-200, f/4 at 200 mm. No magic, just using what the camera has to offer…

CHASE THE LIGHT (AND THE CLOUDS)

While friends and family in Germany suffer under a heat wave since a while, we enjoy moderate temperatures, and even more important, relative low humidity here in Iowa. Nevertheless, small thunderstorms cross the country, with very little effect, but still with great clouds. Last night I went out to chase the light that comes with thunderheads and dark clouds and I didn’t have to go very far. Here in the Driftless Area of the Midwest, where the landscape was never glaciated, we have to drive out of the valleys and find a spot in the hills that allows an unobstructed view for such a photo. One of my favorite places is Hantelman Road, a gravel road near the town of Sherrill, Iowa. The state of Iowa has power lines that can spoil an image everywhere, but knowing the location I knew exactly where to go. Why do I call it a chase? Well, it happened before, the magic light and clouds might be gone before the photographer arrives on location. This time it worked out just right… 😊

Nikon D750, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4G ED VR

THUNDERSTORM, BUT PEACEFUL VIEW

A line of thunderstorms made it through the northwest of Iowa in the evening of the Fourth of July holiday and the camera was rattling while the storm moved out. I have photographed this farm on the hill across from the family farm of my wife before, but never with so much drama in the sky. The storm was violent, trees were down in the nearby city of Remsen, Iowa, and some branches hit the ground on the farm as well, but the grazing cattle in the foreground make it look very peaceful.

Nikon D750, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4G ED VR

 

LOVE WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER…

Mississippi River, Finleys Landing, Iowa

I often struggle with scenes that are backlit, in my wildlife photography and as well with landscape work. This evening I left the Mississippi River with a smile on my face, I knew I had something. I wished light would prevail always this way and the decision how to dial in the settings in camera would match my imagination about the final image as it did today.

Waters are high in the Mississippi right now, for example, the flood gates were closed at Ice Harbor in Dubuque, Iowa, but the higher water level makes the muddy banks below the grass in this shot disappear. Knowing the location helped to anticipate the shot before I even went there. Oh, I love when it all comes together sometimes…

CHASING CLOUDS

I have two photos for you today, both taken during my chase for some clouds and light this evening. We had thunderstorms moving out of the area and on the south side of Dubuque, Iowa, at the local airport, I finally found what I was looking for.

As some of you may already know, I like these images where the clouds are actually the subject and the horizon line gives you just a hint where the photo may have been taken, and otherwise giving nothing but a sense of scale.

Both images: Nikon D750, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4G ED VR

LOCATIONS: BACKBONE STATE PARK / IOWA

In my last blog post I mentioned a location here in eastern Iowa we hadn’t visited for a while but a nice hike last Sunday made me considering it more often for future wildlife or landscape shootings.

Backbone State Park is a heavily forested area, mainly oaks and maples, measuring over 2000 acres (8.1 km2). As part of the driftless area it was left unglaciated during the last ice age. It has an interesting geology with ancient dolomite formations dating from the Silurian period. A large ridge of rock divides the park, resembling a spine, and lends its name to the park and adjacent forest. The area is characterized by active springs, caves, sinkholes and karsts. (source: Wikipedia)

A lake was created by building a dam across the Maquoketa River in 1933/34 and during my hike along the shore I found ducks, geese, a pair of Hooded Mergansers, and finally saw three Eastern Phoebes catching insects by perching on branches hanging over the water. The phoebe is a sure sign that spring is just around the corner, despite the fact that we had some light snow again today…

It was the pattern of old snow below one of the rock formations that made me push the shutter button. At this time of the year (no sign of any green yet) and with last Sunday’s gray overcast it was not so easy to “romance” the landscape. I tried to combine the textures of the grass, snow, rocks, and the trees on the slope and let the river guide the eye through the image.

Nikon D750, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4G ED VR, @ 200 mm, 1/320 s, f/8, ISO 200

CAN’T DO THIS ONE ANYMORE…

February 18, 2018

On February 18, 2018 I crossed for the first time the new bridge over the Mississippi River between Sabula, Iowa and Savannah, Illinois. I thought it was interesting to see both, the old truss bridge and the new one, side by side and so I stopped and made a few clicks. Since around 10:30AM today the same picture cannot be made anymore because the old bridge was demolished and imploded with a big BOOM and clouds of smoke and sits now in the river. I read that cutting apart the remains started immediately and the pieces will be transported away by barges.

I didn’t really plan to publish this photo here in the blog. I was a little sloppy while taking the picture, not paying enough attention to the details around the edges and a different view point would have been probably better. After reviewing my photos on the computer screen I thought even about going back and shoot it again. Well, it is too late now…😏

Below are a couple pictures I took almost three years ago when I heard for the first time that the old truss bridge will be replaced. I even wrote a blog post about it. http://www.exnerimages.net/blog/2015/4/7/mississippi-river-stories-2015-5

It’s good to have these images!

April 5, 2015