Journey Of Light Photography

I'm Moving

2009-04-22T15:13:00.002-05:00

The time has come for me to move on to a new blogging platform. While blogspot has been great for me in the past, I felt that I needed a little more ability to set my template, I wanted more access to logging, and a little more control over the server. From now on, my blog will be hosted at blog.journeyoflight.com. If you follow my blog regularly, go ahead and join the new blog as a subscriber. I will no longer be updating derrald.blogspot.com. I look forward to seeing you on the other side!

ConnectIT Ad

2009-04-04T09:51:00.004-05:00

Recently, I've been venturing outside of my norm and taking photographs of some really different subjects. The other day I photographed some jeans for a ConnectIT ad. The jeans work really well into the marketing message of the company. It was an enjoyable experience and I always like to stretch myself photographically when possible. I still like doing the nature bit, but this project was pretty cool.

Balancing Family, Life, and Photography

2009-04-03T10:35:00.010-05:00

Canada Goose Profile

One of the things that I have found since becoming a father, is that it is can be difficult to find the time to capture images as I once did. In the past, I could leave and take photographs on a whim - I would look at the weather patterns, scout locations, and simply go if the conditions were right. Recently, I find that it just isn't that easy anymore - nor do I find myself as compelled previously. It's not that I don't have the same desire to photograph the world as I once did, it's just that there are times that I find myself in a field waiting for a sunset and I'd rather be home with my wife and daughter. My favorite times to photograph are when my daughter is with me and she is exploring the world, and I follow this exploration through my lens. This photograph is one such example. She loves to go see the ducks at Schramm State Recreation Area, and as such my collection of duck/bird photographs has increased considerably. By the way, she still thinks that Geese are ducks, although occasionally she will say "Geese!" to both geese and ducks. I try not to confuse her too much.

Our vacations have changed as well. We try to stick closer to home, and I've modified my schedule somewhat. I will still go out before sunrise to try and get that glorious morning shot, but the middle of my day is spent with activities with my family. I will still take photographs, but I really enjoy seeing how my daughter is reacting to her environment and the sights around her. I feel that my photography has evolved since she has come into the world - for the better. As I have said before, she has given me a new view of the world - I see things that before I may have passed over.

I will still continue to travel and photograph and I hope that as my daughter grows she will join me on these adventures. Who knows, maybe some day she'll pick up a camera and follow her daddy. All I know is that my life has changed and that I enjoy sharing the world with her. I continue to check out sunrises and sunsets, just sometimes it will be without a camera and with my daughter.

Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/5.6, 1/125 sec.

Schramm State Recreation Area, Nebraska

DeSoto Show, Postcards, and Screen Savers

2009-04-01T13:29:00.008-05:00

Today is the first day of my show at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge. This is going to run until the end of May, if you get an opportunity to visit this beautiful refuge be sure to take in a few (39) photographs as well. In addition to the show, I have produced 2 postcard designs and a screen saver that will be sold in the gift shop. These are nice 5x7 cards as shown above.

Directions and more information on DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge is available at: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/desoto/

After the Rain

2009-03-28T14:43:00.005-05:00

Today's image was taken the same day as yesterday's, just a little after. I moved to the right of the road and continued to use the widest angle to accentuate the length of the road.

The sun had just set and the clouds were picking up an intense magenta hue. I really wanted to show the sky as well, so I came close to cutting the image in half with the horizon, but cut the sky back a bit so it wasn't quite 50% of the image.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/11, 1.6 sec., 3-stop Singh-Ray 2-stop Hard ND Grad

Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska

Early Spring Rain

2009-03-27T16:12:00.002-05:00

A couple of days ago I returned to Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge after a soft spring rain to capture the clouds as they moved off from the storm. I always love the effects of this weather - the smell in the air, the reflecting puddles, and of course the light that can be captured right after a good rain. Here, a road that bisects part of the plain at the refuge had just been plowed and the rain left several nice puddles in the texture of the mud. I wanted to capture the road with the sky to give the full effect of the weather on this landscape so I used a vertical composition to elongate the road and accentuate the feel of the distance.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/11, .4 sec., Singh-Ray 2-stop hard ND grad
Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska

Gentle Meander - Outdoor Photographer

2009-03-25T08:00:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I received my April issue of Outdoor Photographer and within its covers is an article I wrote with my photograph "Gentle Meander". It is a piece on Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge near Ft. Calhoun, Nebraska. In the next couple of days I will post a couple of new images from this park.

This article can also be read online at: http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/locations/north-america/favorite-places-boyer-chute-national-wildlife-refuge-fort-calhoun-nebraska.html

Muskrat Profile

2009-03-19T08:12:00.004-05:00

Squaw Creek has many muskrat huts throughout the refuge. It is not unusual to see many of these guys working away, eating, or just swimming around. They are a little skittish and don't like it when you get out of your car. I managed to capture a few of them, but when you approach they tend to dive under the water and never come back up. In this case, this guy was close to shore and I was able to stick half my body out of the window to get a tighter shot. When I finally did open the door, he took off. I don't like startling these guys too much so I moved on. I never really knew that much about muskrats before taking this guys photo so I did a bit of research. Here's a tidbit of what I found out (wikipedia - it's probably accurate - right?)

Muskrats are found over most of Canada and the United States and a small part of northern Mexico. They always inhabit wetlands, areas in or near salt and fresh-water marshlands, rivers, lakes, or ponds. They are not found in the state of Florida where the round-tailed muskrat, or Florida water rat.

Muskrats continue to thrive in most of their native habitat and in areas where they have been introduced. While much wetland habitat has been eliminated due to human activity, new muskrat habitat has been created by the construction of canals or irrigation channels and the muskrat remains common and wide-spread.

Muskrats are most active at night or near dawn and dusk. They feed on cattails and other aquatic vegetation. They do not store food for the winter, but sometimes eat the insides of their lodges or steal food that beavers have stored. Plant materials make up about 95 percent of their diets, but they also eat small animals such as freshwater mussels, frogs, crayfish, fish, and small turtles.

For this image I utilized a Nik plug-in called "Vienza". It allows spot changes to saturation, contast, and brightness. I was a little skeptical about this product as I figured I could always mask the object in photoshop and apply whatever I needed to the mask, but I find that this plug-in helps cut down on the work. I am sure at this point, I am only scratching the surface of what it can do, but here it helped me apply a bit more saturation to the muskat, raise the brightess on the facial area, and increase the contrast slightly for a little more pop.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1/4tc, f/7.1, 1/1000 sec.
Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Missouri

Togetherness

2009-03-17T08:11:00.002-05:00

I made it down to Squaw Creek again for another trip on the way through to Kansas City. On one of the trips around the lake, I captured these two Canada geese hanging out on a muskrat hut. They just watched as I took their photo, content to be together. I felt the black and white treatment here was the best to isolate the subjects.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/8, 1/1600 sec.
Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge

Coot on the Run

2009-03-11T09:50:00.003-05:00

I wanted to get some up close shots of the Snow Geese at Squaw Creek, but every time I got fairly close, they decided to up and run away. So, I tried my hand at the American Coots. I got a little close, and when they go they almost look like little road runners before they take off.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/5.6, 1/8000 sec.
Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Missouri

Tornado of Birds

2009-03-10T09:56:00.002-05:00

Another type of image I wanted to capture from the visit to Squaw Creek was a wide-angle view of all the birds. In this photograph, some of the birds are discernible, while the majority exist only as a large black wave in the background. This really exemplifies the shear magnitude of this flock of geese on the lake.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 40mm, f/7.1, 1/2000 sec.
Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Missouri

Snow Goose Abstract

2009-03-09T14:59:00.002-05:00

For today's image, I wanted to shoot directly into the flock of snow geese in such a way, that unless you knew that they were birds, you might not be able to ascertain what exactly the photograph was. Here, I waited until they were really stirred up by something and then shot several directly into the storm of birds. It appears as an abstract with black and white and small touches of blue.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/5.6, 1/2500 sec.
Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Missouri

Ready.... Set.... Go!

2009-03-06T12:52:00.004-06:00

A few days ago I mentioned that I made it down to Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge for the snow geese migration. It was quite an experience, one that is hard to describe without being there. Today's image is just a minute selection of the birds that were hanging out on the lake. Here, the they are defined and you can actually see individual birds. In the next couple of days I will post some that simply look like an abstract painting. I wanted to post this image first so that you could get an idea of what a snow goose actually looks like if you haven't seen one.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 300 f/4l, f/4, 1/2500 sec.
Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Missouri

Little Blue Jay

2009-03-02T08:44:00.004-06:00

I made a trek down to Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge yesterday since they had over one million snow geese and 150 bald eagles. Recently, I rebuilt my computer to install the latest version of Photoshop and I haven't had an opportunity to color profile my monitor again, so I will have a lot of work when that is done. In the meantime, I found this blue jay photograph that I took on one of my circles around the lake.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/7.1, 1/2000 sec.
Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Missouri

Bashful

2009-02-25T12:43:00.003-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I managed to capture this image of a duck at Scramm State Recreation Area. While I like the color version of this image, the thing that really drew me into this photograph was the composition. To accentuate the composition, I decided to remove the color. I used a new plugin, Nik Silver Efex Pro to do the conversion. This is the first time I have used that utility and I found that I liked the results and the ease at which I was able to do it. It definitely opened some good Black and White possibilities for me.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/6.3, 1/1600 sec.
Schramm State Recreation Area, Nebraska

Bark Abstract

2009-02-24T15:20:00.003-06:00

Some images lend themselves to abstraction. There is some debate in the photographic community of what constitutes an abstract photograph. Some believe it needs to not be recognizable, while others say it must simply be patterns and shapes that can lend itself to imagination. Frankly, I am in the latter. If you can recognize it, yet still enjoy it for the patterns, shapes, and colors without it relying on the subject I believe that an abstract photograph can succeed. Today's image is that of tree bark with some moss for color. It could have also been an image of cliffs and valleys from high above the earth, or broken rocks on a shore.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/9, 1/80 sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska/Iowa

Flying High

2009-02-18T08:47:00.003-06:00

Today's image was taken a couple of weeks ago when I went to DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge to capture some sunset images. The sunset fizzled, but there were plenty of geese flying around overhead and I captured this when they flew directly over me. The pattern this creates in the sky is always different and always fascinates me.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l+1.4tc, f/6.3, 1/400 sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa/Nebraska

A Brief Glimpse of Spring

2009-02-16T12:59:00.002-06:00

Last week the highs were in the 60s and the birds were out chirping. I couldn't help but go capture a couple of images of the robins as they scurried around in the warm sun.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/5.6, 1/640 sec.
OPPD Arboretum, Omaha, Nebraska

Tonight the Storm Comes

2009-02-09T08:42:00.002-06:00

This photograph was taken last weekend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, while the last bit of sun was just touching the upper clouds. This is the storm coming across the plains that brought the snow that I photographed in downtown Omaha. It came fast and pelted some cold snow across the lake making the walk back to my car nice and icy cold.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/16, .6 sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

Focus on Feather

2009-02-08T21:23:00.003-06:00

This weekend I had the opportunity to spend some time at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge on a beautiful almost 60 degree day in February. I drove around and managed to see several hawks, a bald eagle, and numerous geese. I also got out and hiked a bit and came across this feather. I found a fallen tree that had begun decomposing and I liked the pattern in the wood. I laid the feather across the grain in such a way that the pattern of the feature was perpendicular for some visual interest. The dappled light created by the trees added a nice effect on the composition as well.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM lens, f/32, 1/25 sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska

A Lonely Omaha Street

2009-02-05T12:43:00.002-06:00

Today's image was taken the same night as the previous 3. I had wanted to get some snow flying through this photo, and while it was lightly snowing, it had let up pretty much by this point. I felt this image worked best in black and white with a sepia tone. I plan on returning here when it is snowing heavier and a little earlier so I can capture a bit of light behind the buildings.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 24mm, f/16, 30 sec.
Omaha, Nebraska

Illumina Confetti 3

2009-02-04T08:50:00.002-06:00

This is the final image from the "Illumina Confetti" images. The snow was beginning to let up a bit in this one, but there was still enough to create the confetti feel. I am planning on going back down to the Qwest Center to get some more images of this creative display later in the year. It is a very nice addition to the city and I look forward to photographing it again. Look for the new images in my blog when I do return.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/6.3, 1/40 sec.
Omaha, Nebraska

Illumina Confetti 2

2009-02-03T07:54:00.004-06:00

This is the next is the series of photographs that I captured at the "Illumina" display. The snow is really flying in this one, causing white streaks throughout the photograph - another confetti party feel.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/6.3, 1/25 sec.
Omaha, Nebraska

Illumina Confetti

2009-02-02T08:56:00.004-06:00

There have been a couple of images I have envisaged for downtown Omaha that involve large flakes of snow. Just after sunset, the snow began to fly while I was photographing north at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, so I hightailed it back to Omaha to get some shots. I ended up at the Qwest center where there is a striking display entitled "Illumina" by Matthew Placzek. The snow came down like confetti, enforcing the "party" feeling. Over the next couple of days I will be posting more images from this evening.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 21mm, f/5.6, 1/80 sec.
Omaha, Nebraska

Where's Rocky?

2009-01-28T08:37:00.004-06:00

A few years ago my wife and I took a two week trip to Glacier and Banff. It was a spectacular vacation and we saw an assortment of landscapes, weather, and creatures. We decided to take a short hike near a lake in Glacier where we saw a moose on the other side of the water. He started to move across the lake. Well, I hadn't brought my camera and the car wasn't far, so I rushed back to grab my gear. When I returned, I couldn't find my wife or the moose anywhere. After a short time, my wife appeared and proceeded to tell me that not only did the moose not stop, but he sped up towards her. She decided to head into the forest and wait for me. I'm not sure what would have happened if she had stayed, but I am sure that she did the right thing.

Over time, I have found that one of the hardest large animals to photograph is the moose. All in all, I have seen maybe 5 or 6 in the wild, and they are usually shy and hide within minutes of me spotting them. They are a powerful, magnificent creature that can charge at a moment's notice (obviously), so I tend to keep a pretty good distance when I do see them. This particular photograph was taken on my trip to Canada a couple of years ago. Hiding in the trees and just a bit off the road, this moose was eating the low foliage around her. She managed to stay for a few shots.

Technical Details:
Canon 20d, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/5.6, 1/200 sec.
Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada

Current and Upcoming Events

2009-01-27T14:11:00.003-06:00

I will be having an showing at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge's visitor center from April 1 until May 30, 2009. This is the second year for this event and I look forward to displaying about 30-35 framed images from my various collections. Some favorites and recent photographs will be exhibited. For more details and directions, visit the refuge website at http://midwest.fws.gov/desoto.

I have recently expanded the number of offerings on my webstore at Hamilton Color Labs. I will provide any image and size print requested, however, this website expedites the processing of some of the more popular images and sizes. It is also the featured gallery for the time being. Please visit the store at http://www.hamiltoncolorlab.com/cgi-bin/IFC/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Photography/Journey_of_Light.

A Wintry Day in May II

2009-01-27T14:03:00.004-06:00

Taken the same day as the previous post, this is Mt. Cephron in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. I have obviously been in a black and white mood recently, as the winter tends to bring a monotone contrast to the landscape. Less than 2 hours after this photograph was taken, all of the snow on the grasses and trees had melted leaving behind a wet, damp mountain scene.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 35mm, f/16, 1/25 sec.
Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

A Wintry Day in May

2009-01-26T13:17:00.005-06:00

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days trekking through Alberta on my own. I went during the last couple days of May and the first week of June and on one of those mornings I arose to some heavy snowfall. I decided to wait it out and so I went back inside to the warmth for a good couple of hours until the snow slowed. Later, I ventured out to the beautiful wintry landscape. The snow was especially wet and sticking to everything. I only took a few photographs in these conditions, but what came out was some images that were very conducive to being converted to black and white.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 40mm, f/11, 1/50 sec.
Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada

Slowed Flow

2009-01-22T21:21:00.005-06:00

Today's image was taken on a rainy, overcast day during my last trip to Alberta, Canada. Overcast days are optimal for capturing the movement of the water and slowing it to a silky flow. I felt that this technique gave this photo a feeling of a bit of motion, instead of a "snapshot of time" where everything is completely frozen. Through this I hope that this allows you to be drawn into the composition more, rather than being just a viewer.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 27mm, f/18, 10 sec.
Alberta, Canada

Chirping in the Sunlight

2009-01-20T10:22:00.005-06:00

As I was returning the other morning when I ventured out to photograph the Platte River at sunrise, I heard an incessant chirping from a nearby tree. There I found a little red cardinal that was welcoming the day. Not wanting to disturb him for too long, I took only a couple of shots and then continued on.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/5.6, 1/500 sec.
Near the Platte River Connection Bridge, Nebraska

Frozen Platte River Sunrise

2009-01-19T08:37:00.003-06:00

For some time now, I have envisaged a composition with the warmth of the sun rising over the almost frozen Platte River. Yesterday, I ventured down to the Platte River Connection bridge, a pedestrian bridge near South Bend, Nebraska, because I knew that the sun would rise just above Platte River State park from this vantage point. I had hoped that there would be some interesting designs in the ice to add interest to the composition. I was a little disappointed by the lack of clouds, but the river looked about how I imagined it. I hope to venture that way again before the major spring thaw to see what ice patterns may emerge on the Platte River.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/13, 1/6 sec., 3-stop hard ND Singh-Ray Grad
Platte River, near South Bend, Nebraska

Tag, You're It!

2009-01-14T08:16:00.004-06:00

As a nature, landscape, and wildlife photographer, I have to be aware of the natural world around me. As such, I have learned things about weather, moon phases, migratory patterns, and species than I ever thought I would ever learn, a nice side reward of what I do.

A year and a half ago, my baby daughter was born. As most parents probably know, as she grows I find that I look at the world differently, things that I might have passed over before fascinates her and now they fascinate me. I love taking her outside to explore her world. One of her favorite activities is going to see animals of any kind. As I have said before, there are almost always ducks or geese at Schramm State Recreation Area at any time throughout the year. They get feed by the passer-byers often and we have found ourselves saving up old bread to feed to them when we visit. We have been a few times recently, and when it warms up I expect to be there again.

Because of my evolving view of the world, I felt the title was appropriate for these two ducks. Looking at the world like a child might.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/7.1, 1/800 sec.
Schramm State Recreation Area, Nebraska

Individuality

2009-01-12T22:08:00.005-06:00

Today brought us a winter weather advisory warning which made it a good day to look around for some abstract compositions near some warmth. This capture was the result of wet, blowing snow on a glass door that melted upon contact and then remained in this pattern. I was fascinated by the randomness and how some of the droplets merged to become larger droplets, while most others remained small and individual.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM, f/3.2, 1/160 sec.

More From the 50D

2009-01-10T09:00:00.001-06:00

On the Hunt

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec., ISO 800

Today I went to the arboretum to give the 50d another try. There was a woodpecker there when I had my G10 and I wanted to see if I could get some good up close shots. In the past I would have used my 20d, but that would not have allowed for much cropping at 8 megapixels. The woodpecker was there, but I didn't get a good angle, like I had last visit, plus I was crunched for time so I focused on the squirrels busily hunting for their hidden nuts. After a walker startled these guys, they carefully came back to their position, where I was waiting with my camera.

Munch, Munch
Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec., ISO 800

Platte River Ice Jam

2009-01-09T13:45:00.002-06:00

During this time every year the Platte River tends to freeze up and thaw several times. This creates several ice jams on the river which create a matrix of interesting ice pattens throughout the river channel. I went down by Schramm State Recreation Area to capture some of these patterns and channels of the water as it flows through the ice.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 34mm, f/14, .3 sec
Schramm State Recreation Area

Platte River Sunrise

2009-01-07T09:00:00.002-06:00

Today's image is one that I shot last August and have processed a few different times. Previously, I really didn't feel like the image evoked anything in me and so I left it in the archive. After I went back to it and processed it again, I felt like the image was closer to what I experienced that morning when I climbed the Platte River State Park tower and captured the rising sun hitting the fog across the Platte. It was a quiet, chilly morning with some birds chirping. It was a very calm way to start the day.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l @ 140mm, f/16, 1.3 sec.
Platte River State Park, Nebraska

Reaching Out: Revisited

2009-01-05T23:29:00.002-06:00

A couple of posts back I mentioned how many of my images have a "life". Essentially, some are never quite finished for me. Tonight's image is one such example. In a blog post on March 2, 2008 found here, I mentioned going back through some old photos and finding one that I liked the intricate details. Well, after reviewing that same image, yet again I felt I could add a little more to the photograph. One processing technique I use, especially with images with high contrast of color is a method called the "Orton effect". Essentially, this effect takes an out of focus image and sandwiches with an in focus image to create a somewhat dreamy version of reality. It was originally used with slide film, but a technique still exists for digital. For more information, visit this tutorial on Orton imagery: http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0106/dw0106-1.html.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/11, 1/5 sec., Orton
Alberta, Canada

Candid Duck!

2009-01-05T09:00:00.003-06:00

Once again I found myself at Schramm testing a new camera while my wife and daughter fed the ducks. I got some cute video on the G10. Anyway, here's the story with the new camera. Due to some unfortunate circumstances with my old 20d which only had a little less than 30,000 shots taken with it - died, two days before the repair plan was to expire. No, I did not hasten it's death, it just happened to have never really been repaired from the previous 4 times I had it in (not a fun experience, mind you). They finally gave up trying to fix and gave me a 50d. I won't say who, but let's say it's a big multi-national chain store that specializes in electronics.

Whenever a new Canon camera comes out (or probably any manufacturer for that matter), there is always fierce arguments on message boards about which is the better camera - the old or the new. And these always include what the poster would have done differently, or how Canon should have done B instead of A, or how Canon is genius. The 50d was no different, and actually received more pounding than any other recently released DSLR. Canonrumors.com even put it as the worst DSLR release of the year (really, that bad?). The price has fallen from $1,300 to $1,050 in less than 3 months (could be the economy too - but that is rarely to blame, I guess) For the most part I don't care. I read because I want to know what's new, but I always reserve judgement until I have it in my hands.

Here's what I think about the 50d after about 100 shots -no, not a thorough evaluation by any means. I like it. There I said it, I like it. The detail is better. The ISO performance? I think better, although I no longer have my 20d to compare, but then again I do have some old photos (30,000?) to look through, and my gut feeling. The features? Live View, Autofocus Adjust, better frame rate, spot metering (yep the 20d didn't have it) etc. Don't get me wrong, I loved my 20d, but the 50d is definitely a step up.

Oh, and the autofocus, better than the 5d Mark II. There was some discussion on this one and it's true. I hate to say it, but it's true, the autofocus on the outside points is faster on the 50d. I guess the posters were right about one thing.

Technical Details:
Canon 50d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/5.6, 1/400 sec., ISO 3200 - Noise Ninja used (barely)
Schramm State Recreation Area, Nebraska

Frozen Patterns

2009-01-04T00:01:00.000-06:00

Recently, I had been wanting a camera that was portable, but still had some of the main features I wanted in a camera, namely the RAW format and a flash shoe. I also wanted something with a video function, that way I could easily bring it to family functions without lugging some big gear. I settled on the G10 after looking at the G9 for sometime and deciding it had the best mix of funcationality and portability. Overall, I have found that the G10 is a fun camera to shoot. It's nice to just pull it out and snap a quick shot. On a fairly cold day last week I decided to take it to the OPPD arboretum and just walk around with it and see what I could capture. During this time of year crazy ice patterns emerge from the bottom of a little ravine. I got down and used the macro mode, all hand-held. I found the image stabilization of the camera really helped. I also found that the nearly 15 megapixels made for some really detailed images. The big drawback, however, is the noise at higher ISOs. After shooting with a Canon 5d Mark II, I really found the noise objectionable at anything more than 200, and even then that could be pushing it. If you stay in the 80 or 100 range the photographs are simply sharp and beautiful for a "pocket" camera. It has very seldom left my side in the past couple of weeks and I look forward to capturing some more spur of the moment type shots.

Technical Details:
Canon G10, 6.1mm, f/4, 1/250 sec.
Desaturated with a cyan-blue tint (more like how I saw the ice)

Beaver Hut Sunrise

2009-01-03T23:42:00.003-06:00

Today's image is the first of the new year. Before sunrise on New Year's Day I ventured out to near Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge at a little lake called Nathan's Lake. When I arrived I found several beaver huts where the inhabitants I am sure were in deep hibernation. Nothing like starting a new year with a beautiful sunrise!

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 21mm, f/13, 1 sec.
3-stop hard Singh-Ray ND Grad Filter

The End of 2008 and New Years Resolutions for 2009

2008-12-31T13:35:00.006-06:00

Chilly DeSoto Sunrise

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/14, 2 sec., 3-stop Singh-Ray Hard-Step ND Grad

As 2008 draws to a close, I have made several changes to my website. First and foremost, I have added a search function that should make looking up specific subjects easier. This can be accessed from http://www.journeyoflight.com/journey06/search.asp. Another side benefit of this function is that I can keyword tag some photos in various collections and then create an easy access page. For example: http://www.journeyoflight.com/journey06/keywordsort.asp?Keywordselected=Omaha,Holiday will display all the images I have taken of the Holiday Lights Display in downtown Omaha. Hopefully, this will prove useful for those looking to narrow down choices for print or stock image options.

I have also refined the images on my website. I have removed several photographs from all the collections. They are still accessible through the search page using the "Extended Photo Set" option. Additionally, I have also added several new images and will continue to expand the collections with new images.

As for 2009 I hope to update my blog more frequently. Some times of the year are busier than others, but I try to photograph through every season. I also hope to explore some new terroritory and find some images in some new places. Keep checking back to my website and blog for new images!

Make the Cut

2008-12-30T09:04:00.005-06:00

It's that time of year again. The time when one day we can have a pretty snowfall with some nice ice patterns, or the next wet, slushy muddy stuff. Right now it's the later and so I turn to the library of previous images to see what I should process or process differently. Some photographers finish processing an image and that's the end. To me, some images have a life and they need to be readdressed and readdressed (and sometimes readdressed) before I am happy with the results. Sometimes, this is due envisaging an existing composition differently while reading about a new Photoshop technique. Sometimes, this is due to a tool change, such as Photoshop CS4 (not yet installed). Sometimes, it's due to a mood change. Perhaps, I am feeling creative, or maybe I'm stressed and want to calm myself, or maybe I'm just a little tired and feeling a little outside of reality. Whatever the reason, I find myself coming back to some images. Today's image from the rock cut at Rocky Mountain National Park is one such photograph. I have probably processed this image 3 or 4 times (actually a pretty low number compared to others). I think I may finally have it. Then again, tomorrow I may change my mind.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l @ 100mm, f/13, 1/30 sec.
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Real-World Impressions of the Canon 5d Mark II

2008-12-29T08:53:00.044-06:00

To the Sky

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 300 f/4l+1.4 tc, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec., ISO 400

Today's post contains several images captured over the weekend at Schramm State Recreation Area in eastern Nebraska. I had recently received my new Canon 5d Mark II camera and wanted to test out some of its new features and performance on some real-world moving subjects. Schramm is the perfect location for some performance testing as there are always some ducks swimming and you can usually get fairly close to your subjects. Here are some of my thoughts on the Canon 5d Mark II as they pertain to my experience with the camera in regards to wildlife photography on three major subjects: autofocus, megapixels, and ISO speeds.

Coming in for a Landing

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/5.6, 1/500 sec., ISO 200

First up I am addressing the autofocus system. There has been a lot of discussion on the web about the fact that the autofocus system is the same from the 3 year old Canon 5d (Mark I) and that an upgrade should have been necessary. Over the years, I have found the autofocus in the Canon 5d acceptable, but not exemplary. For the majority of my landscape, this is a non-issue since I focus manually most of the time. For large critters such as bears and deer, this becomes more of an issue, but I have found the autofocus hits more than it doesn't. Birds, however, are a different story. I found that the autofocus was lacking slightly more of the time. Most birding and wildilfe photographers would use AI Servo, however, on the Canon 5d I found AI Servo slower than one-shot, although I am sure that this is more a photographer technique issue than a technical issue. As such, I have stuck with one-shot mode, of which was used to capture all of these photographs. The Canon 5d Mark II, like its predecessor sports 6 helper autofocus points for AI Servo which may have helped my cause. I do plan on getting more experience with AI Servo on the Canon 5d Mark II in the future, however.

The second subject I have really noticed the average autofocus speed is on my 18 month old daughter. I have found that the autofocus is just not fast enough to capture her most of the time, although I think even the 1d Mark III (no AI Servo here!) or Nikons 3-d autofocus system would have trouble with that moving subject. Regardless, my experience is that the speed of autofocus with the accuracy is about the same as the Canon 5d, no real improvement there. It would have been nice, but for me, not a deal killer.

The last note I would like to make regarding the autofocus system is the addition of microadjustment of autofocus on a per lens basis. For years photographers have complained about lenses front focusing or back focusing on each new model of camera. Essentially, since both the lens and the camera are machined parts there is an allowance for a variance of some specifications while still considered being "calibrated". For the most part, this variance is not detected, but for photographers who require precise focus (and shouldn't we all?) this could cause photos with some lens+camera combinations to be slightly out of focus. The Canon 5d Mark II now addresses this by allowing each lens to be calibrated by the user to the camera. This now allows all those lens+camera combinations that front focus or back focus to focus precisely. I welcome this addition as I have found that my Canon 20d front-focused slightly with my 300 f/4l lens. At first, I thought the lens was fuzzy, or it was a lack of megapixels, but after it focused perfectly on my Canon 5d (and other lens focused find on my 20d) I realized I too was subccumbing to the "front/backfocusing" hell that others had complained/blogged/reviewed/previewed/etc. about.

A Flight with Friends

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/5.6, 1/320 sec., ISO 400

The next feature (and the most important one in the marketing department) is the increase in megapixels. The Canon 5d Mark II packs 21 megapixels into a full-frame sensor. This allows for better detail and tighter cropping of the composition. I know when I used to use my Canon 20d with 8 megapixels, I would be hesitant to crop some of my compositions, but now even a liberal crop retains great detail, granted that you are using a high-quality lens. I am quite pleased with the new number of megapixels. The resolution and detail is definitely there and I feel like it is a great upgrade from 12.8 megapixels from the previous generation. A lot of people comment that the megapixel race should end as there are all sorts of adverse effects that start manifesting themselves (such as noise) at higher pixel densities. If 21 was the upper limit on a full-frame sensor, I think I could definitely live with that.

A Quick Stop

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/6.3, 1/320 sec., ISO 640

The third item I am going to address is ISO performance. There has been quite a bit of discussion on the net surrounding the noise levels at higher settings. Since this is more of a real-world look than a technical review (there are lots of sites dedicated to that), I am going to simply discuss what I have seen. The ISO levels seem better than the Canon 5d by somewhere from about 1 to a little less than 2 stops. This means that greater detail and less noise is available at higher ISOs. On my Canon 5d I never had any problem dialing the ISO up to about 800 for some shots. 1600 was about my absolute maximum for retaining detail. Beyond that I found that I had to use noise programs fairly liberally. All the wildlife photographs on this blog post were shot using a minimum of ISO 400 up to 640. This allowed me to achieve shutter speeds that would stop the action, but allow a little blur to show the movement of the birds. At these speeds there is virtually no noise.

Quiet Day

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM, f/5.6, 1/50 sec., ISO 6400

To follow up with a little more testing in a (little) more controlled environment, I decided to purposely photograph my stationary cats at ISO 6400. I found the noise was well-controlled and definitely an welcome improvement. Another nice feature is that the ISOs are set at third (or half depending on your preferences) stops up to 6400. That means that I have good selection of ISO speeds between 1600 and 6400 to use without changing a full stop. On the Canon 5d, after 1600 the only choice was a full stop up to 3200. Beyond 6400 on the Canon 5d Mark II, the noise makes the image degrade to a point where I would find it unusable for a print, unless I was applying liberal use of filters and noise control. Even then I question it's real-world application for my primary work. In a pinch, though it is useful to capture the shot in conditions that I would have been unable to get it before, although it may just frustrate me in post-processing.

Reflection on Libby

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM, f/2.5, 1/60 sec., ISO 6400

Overall, I find the Canon 5d Mark II to be a worthy successor to the Canon 5d. It doesn't have everything I wanted (I would like DEP mode back, but that's just me I think), but it has enough to warrant an upgrade. There are always function and features to be added and on future posts I may comment on a few of those. Check back to see what new feature I might dig up.

One last note, I processed all these photographs from RAW using Adobe Photoshop CS3 and the free DNG converter found here. Adobe conveniently ended RAW support for CS3 right before the Canon 5d Mark II was released (and well after it was announced). Some couldn't even get a copy of CS4 prior to receiving their camera! While I agree with drawing a line in the sand for support, most companies, including ones like Microsoft offer support for the current version and one previous. I find that ending support as a way of forcing upgrade when the product (CS4) isn't even released a bit much. For those who cannot afford the upgrade there are several support sites dedicated to the DNG converter (such as scripting and processing) and I recommend that you look into those.

PCPhoto Contest - Finalist

2008-12-23T09:12:00.005-06:00

Today is the last chance to vote in the PCPhoto "Your Best Shot" 2nd annual contest. The above photo of Lake Helene at Rocky Mountain National Park is a finalist in the mix for the People's Choice. This is a shameless request for a vote for me.

Please visit: http://www2.pcphotomag.com/bestshotcontest/gallery-fin-lg.php?gal=Top%20Pics&id=1820#j

And take some time to see the other wonderful images there.

Thank You.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 22mm, f/13, 1/100 sec.

Lake Helene, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Downtown Omaha - Holiday Lights 2008

2008-12-22T12:55:00.007-06:00

Every year I go downtown to photograph Omaha's holiday lights. I attempt to take a unique image each year so that I am not duplicating previous years efforts. This year I tried to focus more on the trees and the lights and made the buildings secondary in scope to the rest. In past years compositions I had the buildings as the primary subjects with the lights there to accompany them in the scene. By the way, this was the coldest night in several years. Before going out, I bundled up in gear I bought for a Canada trip and in many layers. Fleece pants, underarmor, gortex, 2 sets of socks, 2 sets of gloves and a heavy winter coat. My feet and hands were still numb when I was done.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d MK II, 17-40 f/4l @ 19mm, f/11, 15 sec.

Omaha, Nebraska

A Pelican Profile

2008-11-12T13:21:00.004-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, my family and I went through the Wildlife Safari park near Mahoney State Park in eastern Nebraska. It allows one to get an upclose view of several birds and animals that wouldn't be normal in the wild. Here, a pelican grooms himself while carefully watching me get some close shots.

On another note, I will be one of 20 artists attending the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge's "Art of the Wild" show occruing on the 22nd and 23rd of November. DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge is located near Missouri Valley, Iowa. If you have questions or need directions visit their page at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/desoto/.

Technical Details:
Canon5d, 300 f/4l +1.4tc, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec.
Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari, Ashland, Nebraska

Wading it Out

2008-10-29T13:38:00.002-05:00

While waiting for sunrise on Sprague Lake at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, this bull elk wandered out into the lake to cool off.

Technical Details:
Canon 20d, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/5.6, 1/2 sec.
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

On Top of the World

2008-10-21T13:12:00.002-05:00

This image was taken around sunset on the tundra in Rocky Mountain National Park. The clouds this evening slowly moved across the tops of the mountains as the light filtered through.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/16, 1/8 sec., 3-stop hard ND Grad
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Hidden Falls

2008-10-17T12:33:00.002-05:00

Today's post is the first image from a recent excursion to Colorado. This is Zapata Falls near Great Sand Dune National Park in the southern area of the state. It is a small hike through a creek to get here, but it is worth the effort.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/13, 1.6 sec.
Zapata Falls, Colorado

Born Free

2008-10-13T13:05:00.004-05:00

As many people know, I do not do a lot of bird photography. I find that there are quite a few good photographers who specialize in this and who have equipment that enables them to get in close for a shot. My equipment for the most part usually puts me too far away, especially from the easily scared birds such as herons. Recently, I have been visiting DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge since they have had quite a few birds fairly close. While driving around we came across a lone pelican. When I got out of my car to take a shot of him floating down the lake, he took flight. At first he started flying away from me and I thought that he was going to be no where near me, but then banked and came right in front of me. I was able to snap about 3 shots off as he continued into the distance.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

No More Sleepy Dreaming

2008-10-10T13:03:00.003-05:00

After a fairly long absence I decided it was time to update the blog. I have lots of new photos to share that will be coming along. Today's photo was actually taken in the beginning of September at a marsh right outside of Lincoln. This is a perfect example of how landscape photographers (especially in Nebraska) really have to be aware of the weather. I have several websites I check to see how the clouds will be lining up for the evening. Occasionally, I get right and have a spectacular sunset. Sometimes, I am completely wrong and the clouds change direction and the sunset fizzles. For about two months I had been aware of this location and realized it would be a great location for sunset. On this particular evening, the clouds looked like they were going to be right over the marsh with an opening to the west to allow the setting sun to underlight the clouds. It was not disappointing.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 26mm, f/11, 4 sec., 3-stop singh-ray hard dodged
Frank Shoemaker Marsh, Near Lincoln, Nebraska

Simplicity

2008-08-13T14:49:00.004-05:00

During our trip to Kansas City, we visited Powell Gardens. This is a wonderful garden with flowers, waterfalls, and butterflies! So much to photograph. It was overcast with rain off and on with made for some wonderful flower photography. Here I focused in on a lily pad flower and the dark background really helped contrast the image and made the flower pop.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/5.6, 1/800 sec.
Powell Gardens, Missouri

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Power and Light

2008-08-12T08:37:00.004-05:00

This image was taken in Kansas City as well, in the Power and Light District. This particular evening, the lead singer of Boston was performing at the KC Live, which is at the far right of the image. I used a long exposure with the street in the foreground to capture the streaks of the headlights of the cars passing by.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/16, 30 sec.
Power and Light District, Kansas City, Missouri

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Musical Infinity

2008-08-11T10:34:00.006-05:00

Over the weekend, my family and I went to Kansas City for a photo shoot with some members of the BetterPhoto website. We went to several places that I have never been and I had the opportunity to photograph some unique items. This particular photograph was taken of the inside of an old piano that was at the historic Harris-Kearney House in Westport. I used a wide angle lens very close with a large aperature in order to place the focus on a few of the strings.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 29mm, f/4, 1/25 sec.
Harris-Kearney House, Westport, Kansas City, Missouri

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Floral Patterns

2008-08-01T13:51:00.002-05:00

On an overcast day at the arboretum, I focused on the center of this flower and the interesting patterns intentionally throwing the rest of the flower out of focus.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 50 CM Lens, f/5.6, 1/125 sec.
OPPD Arboretum

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Silent Transition

2008-07-31T08:38:00.003-05:00

A storm was rolling through on this particular evening and I headed out to Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge to setup a prairie/sky shot. I found this interesting tree stump instead and used it to anchor the scene with the sky.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 19mm, f/16, 2 sec.
Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Someday we'll find it...

2008-07-30T10:46:00.003-05:00

This is the last photograph that was taken during the storm near Herman, Nebraska. In this image, I offsetted the rainbow in the distance with the fence in the foreground. I also captured a bit of the reflection of the rainbow in the rain water in the fields.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 23mm, f/11, 1 sec.
Near Herman, Nebraska

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Unordinary World

2008-07-29T08:30:00.003-05:00

This summer Nebraska has had some spectacular boomers. This was an image I actually captured in early June as one rolled through. I drove up to Herman, Nebraska in order to capture what I though was the most intense part of the storm (from a distance) only to find out that it had been pretty intense in Omaha. This image was taken after the "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" photograph previously. I will post one more photo from this evening.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 19mm, f/13, 4 sec., 2-stop hard ND Grad
Near Herman, Nebraska

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Lily in Bloom

2008-07-28T08:48:00.005-05:00

It has been a while since I done any photography at the OPPD Arboretum so I went there last week on an overcast day to see what I find. The lilies in the small pond looked particularly pertty in bloom so I grabbed a couple of images.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l @ 200+ 1.4 tc, f/5.6, 1/800 sec.
OPPD Arboretum

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Short Rest

2008-07-24T13:49:00.003-05:00

Last evening I went to DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge hoping for a good sunset. I carefully scouted a location at the edge of a pond with a ton of lily pads with some blooming. While I waited I pulled out my 300 lens and started to focus on some of the patterns around the lake. This little guy showed up while I was working on this particular bud and I worked him into the scene. The sunset never came and the evening remained overcast the entire time. Great light for something like this.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 300 f/4l+1/4 tc, f/5.6, 1/4 sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

2008-07-23T10:45:00.002-05:00

One thing that Nebraska has had this year is some spectacular storms. This has led to some pretty awesome sunsets. This evening I traveled north to Herman, Nebraska as this was the path of the storm, not knowing it was going to hit Omaha equally as hard. I witnessed this rainbow, and you can make out a bit of the double rainbow, right after the hard rain.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 18mm, f/14, 1 sec.
Herman, Nebraska

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Silent Friend

2008-07-22T13:21:00.003-05:00

My family and I went to the zoo with some visiting friends. We had the opportunity to see the new Butterfly and Insect exhibit that has just opened there. You walk into a room with a multitude of butterflies flying around. It was quite an experience and I will definitely be returning.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l + 1.4 tc + extension tube, f/5.6, 1/250 sec.
Henry Doorly Zoo

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Family Dinner

2008-07-21T12:23:00.003-05:00

The other night I visited DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge in order to capture some blooming lily pads on Wood Duck pond. I cam across this family of deer feasting on a field in the refuge and stoped to capture them.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/6.3, 1/500 sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Beauty in Bloom

2008-06-12T16:47:00.003-05:00

It has been a while since I last posted, but I did manage to take a couple of photographs when my sister was in town visiting. This particular image was taken on a hike in DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge near the wood duck pond. It is a wildflower of some sort, but I am not sure what. What I do know is that I left with this photograph and some poison ivy!

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 50 CM lens, f/6.3, 1/400 sec.

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Spring Warmth

2008-05-19T18:08:00.000-05:00

Yesterday evening I went hiking in Platte River State Park to explore the eastern side which is mainly used for horseback riding and mountain biking. I had never walked this section, but enjoyed the peacefulness of my surroundings. As the sun began to set, the rays came through the forest and I stopped to capture this image along my journey.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 22, f/18, 1/30 sec.
Platte River State Park

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Quiet Field

2008-05-09T09:30:00.004-05:00

On Wednesday evening I decided to try and find the most western area of DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge on the western side of the Missouri River. This area is only open from the middle of April until the end of May for mushroom hunting and bow turkey hunting. There are no roads through this section, so you have to hike through this area. After hiking in over a mile I found this run-down shed on the edge of a field. I waited for just after sunset to capture this photograph. I used 2 captures and blended the results for the final image.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 22mm, f/13, Various Shutter Speeds
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Spring Blossoms (Spring Is Here)

2008-04-21T20:26:00.003-05:00

It appears that spring has made it to Omaha, Nebraska, and just in time for Earth Day. As a result I went to the arboretum with my macro lens to capture some blossoms in bloom. I used a shallow Depth of Field to capture a dreamy look to this bud.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 50 CM lens + extension tube, f/3.2, 1/1600 sec.
OPPD Arboretum

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Painting in the Sky

2008-04-20T20:32:00.002-05:00

Today's simple image reminded me of a painter's canvas with small white brush strokes on a blue canvas.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 50 CM, f/8, 1/50 sec.
Outside My Window, Omaha, NE

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Swift Fox

2008-04-16T20:30:00.004-05:00

Continuing on with images from my weekend excursion to the zoo, is this image of a swift fox from the desert dome. While he was napping, he was aware of me, although obviously not too concerned.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/5.6, 1/125 sec.
Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, Nebraska

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Glowing Tentacles

2008-04-14T20:18:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite areas at the local zoo is the aquarium. Here I can always find intriguing sea life that I may never see natively, and would be less likely to photograph. In several small tanks there are little creatures that I use my macro lens to capture. I am not quite sure what this critter is, but I liked the patterns in the floating "tenatcles". I used a shallow depth of field to create more of an abstract composition.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 50 CM lens, f/2.5, 1/250 sec.
Henry Doorly Zoo

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Tye and Brenda

2008-04-13T20:09:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday I had the opportunity to photograph Tye and Brenda for their engagement photographs. We went to the arboretum and used several of the areas for backdrops, and I kept a shallow depth of field to focus on Tye and Brenda. In the above photograph these bushes were just starting to bloom and the yellow created a nice bright background, but not too bright to eclipse the cute couple. In the photograph below, I tilted the camera a bit to add something to the photograph, converted it to black and white and did a little platinum tinting for the final touch.

Technical Details:
Above: Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l @ 200mm, f/4.5, 1/160 sec.
Below: Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l @ 98mm, f/4, 1/400 sec.

Field of Trees

2008-04-07T20:12:00.002-05:00

This past weekend I delivered 38 of my framed prints to DeSoto National Wildilfe Refuge to be on display from April 12-June 7. While there I took the opportunity to drive around the refuge and to hike a little. The patterns in this particular grove of trees has always interested me and I took some time to stop and photograph them. After processing this photograph I used the nik "Monday Morning" filter to give it a more surreal appearance.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/9, 1/100 sec.
DeSoto National Wildilfe Refuge

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

The Dark Road

2008-04-03T22:33:00.008-05:00

Today's image was taken at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge. There was a section of the road that passed through a tunnel of trees and it was a very foreboding type passage. I used a smaller depth of field in order to intentionally blur the foreground to force one's eye down the road. To accentuate the uneasy feeling, I converted the image to black and white, tinted it with a little red, green, and yellow, and then I used the nik "Midnight" filter. This creates an even more ominous environment.

The original photograph:

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l @ 200, f/5, 1/1250 sec.
Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

A Touch of the Old World

2008-04-02T19:41:00.004-05:00

This is an image of the Giralda Tower near the Cheesecake Factory in The Plaza in Kansas City. It is a 138 foot replica of a tower that is in Seville, Spain. Since this tower was built in the 1920's and had an old world feel, I converted this image to black and white and then gave it a bit of a brown tint. I also used OnOne's PhotoFrame program to frame the image with an old film type emulsion frame.

This is the original black and white converted image:

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l @ 73mm, f/10, 1/1250 sec.
The Plaza, Kansas City, Missouri

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Forboding Faces

2008-04-01T19:23:00.011-05:00

While going through my photographs from the Plaza, I came across an image of a fountain from that area. It was essentially a black and white image, but I decided to do something a little different. I tinted the image slightly green and used the "Poster Edges" Photoshop filter (under artistic) to give it a forboding comic book feel. The before an after conversion:

Some trivia: Besides Rome, Kansas City has the most fountains of any city.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l lens @ 145mm, f/10, 1/800 sec.
The Plaza, Kansas City, Missouri

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Brick and Glass

2008-03-31T21:19:00.001-05:00

During my recent weekend trip to Kansas City, my family and I visited the Plaza, an upscale shopping area, with very ornate, unique architecture from an earlier time. The primary focus of this trip was not photography, but I managed the few occasional shots. Since the weather was primarily overcast, and the architecture was fairly old, I felt that shooting for later conversion to black and white would be the most effective.

While shooting this photograph, I was filled with questions. How long have these buildings been here? What influenced their design? Unlike today's designs, even the windows on the top and back of this building were designed with a purpose. What was that purpose?

In this composition I focused on the tonalities of the bricks and shingles as well as capturing the ornate glass windows. From the era in which this was built even the back and top of the building had artistic qualities and it is in this image that I attempt to capture some of these qualities.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 70-200 f/4l lens @ , f/10, 1/250 sec.
The Plaza, Kansas City, Missouri

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Double Trouble

2008-03-30T20:36:00.013-05:00

During the 50th anniversary celebration at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, I had the opportunity to dine with the manager of Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge in Northwestern Missouri. It is a place I have passed perhaps 40 times and never stopped on trips to Kansas City from Omaha. I knew that I would be making the trip again in just a couple of weeks and I decided that I should stop this time, and ended up stopping on both directions of the journey.

During my time on the refuge I saw multiple types of ducks, a bald eagle, a small army of muskrats, Sandhill Cranes, and these Double-Crested Cormoran. Now, I do not normally go out of my way to photograph birds. Yes, I like birds, as I like all things nature, and yes, I like to photograph them, but my general photography setup is currently not such that allows for good bird photography.

What I mean by this, is that besides the general deep-seated desire to photograph, and the will to execute, you need some pretty powerful equipment. Now, I have a 300 f/4l lens, which has been excellent, excellent, excellent for me for larger animals such as bears, elk, deer, etc., but when it comes down to birds, not so great. With that 300 f/4l lens, I can add (and usually do) a 1.4x canon teleconverter (or extender) which makes it a pretty darn good 420 f/5.6 lens. This still, is not enough. In order to get the shot above, I coupled a tamron 2x extender to the 300 + 1.4 combination to get 840 f/11. Add that to my Canon 20d to get the extra 1.6 crop factor and you now have 1344mm of reach. Not to stop there, I also had to crop the image to a little less than a 7 megapixel photo from an 8 megapixel sensor.

Ultimately, why wouldn't I do that everyday? At f/11. I've lost quite a bit of light and consequently I must use a significantly slower shutter speed. Since the Canon 20d does not autofocus with anything less than f/5.6, I must now rely on manually focusing. In my pentax k-1000 days, this was common for me, but as I reviewed the shots from the refuge, I realize that I am not that great at it anymore, and I definitely think that my diopter setting is off. Additionally, and most importantly all this glass ends up degrading the sharpness and contrast of the image.

So why bother at all? Simple, for me it's better to attempt the shot and perhaps get a single good one, than to try at all. I think that my shot above is acceptable, not award-winning, but I believe it to still be a fairly decent shot.

As for the refuge, I thoroughly enjoyed my 2 stops at Squaw Creek and I hope to return again soon. The wildlife, though at the tail end of the spring migration, was outstanding and fun to photograph. I can only imagine how it would be during the height of one of the migrations.

Technical Details:
Canon 20d, 300 f/4l +1.4tc + 2.0tc, 1/640 sec.
Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Dreamy Leaf

2008-03-27T20:39:00.001-05:00

Today at the arboretum, I continued to explore the textures on the logs and trees. I found this fallen leaf that still had some pigment and I liked how the leaf contrasted with the design on this recently wet log. Since the day was very overcast I have very little light and no tripod so I had to use a shallow depth of field. When I reviewed the image I liked the dreamy effect that was created. I increased this feel by utilizing the Orton technique.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 50 CM lens, f/7.1, 1/100 sec.
OPPD Arboretum

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Pine Cone Designs

2008-03-20T21:33:00.003-05:00

For today's image I went to the arboretum and worked on extremely up close shots of pine cones. I particularly worked on keeping a small depth of field which creates a very small area of focus. I wanted to create a little more of an abstract feel to this pine cone. This is a good example of how small the depth of field is in macro work. This particular photograph was taken with an aperature of f/5, which is fairly shallow, but is extremely shallow here, leaving only the very tips of the pine cone closest to the camera in focus.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 50 CM lens + extension tube, f/5, 1/160 sec.
OPPD Arboretum

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Snail Spiral

2008-03-16T20:15:00.006-05:00

Today I took a short walk through Platte River State Park in eastern Nebraska. It was fairly overcast and still a bit muddy, but there were bits of green appearing so it was a good day to focus on macro. After walking for a bit, I entered a small clearing of trees that I explored carefully looking for interesting items. I came across a snail shell whose owner had vacated and I spent the next hour focused on working on this shot.

I composed this shot using the golden ratio which is similar to the rule of thirds. If you are not familar with composition, the rule of thirds states that the primary subject should be placed at a third horizontally and vertically in the frame for maximum effectiveness. The rule of thirds is actually a simplified version of the golden ratio which is 1:1.618. This means that items of importance should be placed at .388 or a little more than a third from each side vertically and horizontally.

Additionally, this photograph follows the golden spiral which encourages the eye to spiral into the most important subject, here it follows the spiral pattern of the shell. This is one of the most blatant examples of the golden spiral I have ever taken, simply because the shell itself is a spiral pattern.

The golden ratio and the golden spiral can be found throughout nature and the more one is aware of this, the most impact your photographs generally have. Of course, like everything these are simply guidelines, which like everything creative, should be broken. I find I follow these rules, but also break them quite often. For more information about both of these compositional guidelines visit: Golden Section and Photography.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 50 CM + extension tube, f/10, .4 sec
Platte River State Park, Nebraska

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Intrinsic Patterns

2008-03-14T22:52:00.004-05:00

After a short spell, I finally made it back to the arboretum. The very first hints of spring are just arriving in Omaha and little bits of green are appearing, albeit among some remnants of snow and dead leaves. I took a walk through the mostly wooded portion of the park, stopping to look at some of the interesting patterns on the trees and within the leaves. I have walked by a particular dead log countless times, but for some reason it has never caused me to pause for more than a few seconds. Today was different. As the sun ducked in and out of the clouds, patterns emerged on this log and coupled with the intrinsic lines created a scene I felt compelled to record.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d, 50 CM, f/32, 1/125 sec.
OPPD Arboretum

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

From the Archives: Radiant Omaha

2008-03-10T19:07:00.003-05:00

A combination of being ill with having the pre-spring muddy mess outside contributed to another review of the archives. As spring is just around the corner I went through the old season shots to see what I should be getting ready to shoot. I almost skipped over this old downtown Omaha file taken from the Gene Leahy Mall from 2006, but decided to give it another view. I had processed a vertical of this same shot about a year and a half ago and it didn't give the scene the sense of grandjuer I had witnessed. A new Photoshop version later and more experience with the tools allowed me to process this image more like the actual scene I witnessed. Yes, the godbeams and clouds were actually brilliantly like this, it was a very calm nice spring stroll through downtown. I only used a polarizer, I didn't even carry my tripod with me. Goes to show what you can capture when you make sure to have your camera with you.

Technical Details:

Canon 20d, 10-22 ef-s lens @11mm, f/11, 1/200 sec., Polarizer
Downtown Omaha (June, 2006)

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

From the Archives: An Eastern Nebraska Field

2008-03-06T19:06:00.006-06:00

For today's image I dug deep into the archive, way back to May of 2006 and found this image. On this day in May my wife Holly and I had been on a driving excursion looking for hay bales to photograph. We didn't find any, but we found this field and I stopped and snapped a few images. I have never processed this image previously since it did not have the dramatic landscape light that I prefer. While going back through my old images again, however, I stopped on this image due to the contrasts between the yellow of the field and the cyan in the sky. Further exploration fo this image led me to the barn and the trees in the background of the image. I consider this to be a stereotypical Nebraska image, which I sometimes try to avoid, but it is still a serene view. Incidently, this was taken the same evening as one of my most popular photographs, "A Country Road".

Technical Details:

Canon 20d, 10-22 ef-s @ 22mm, f/10, 1/60 sec., May 2006
Eastern Nebraska near Greenwood (I think)

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

A Frozen World

2008-03-04T20:18:00.006-06:00

After nearly a week of being closed, the arboretum opened and I took the opportunity to take a look around. It had been a fairly nice weekend with Saturday close to 60 degrees. The first part of Sunday was also nice, but then the temperature dove below freezing. This gave me another opportunity to look for ice that had thawed and refrozen which can create for some interesting natural patterns. For the most part, however, the ice and snow were scare and there was only a mucky muddy residue left. I did manage to find some nice rock patterns that continued below the ice in a small pond. In this image I particularly liked how the edge of the ice went around some of the rocks that poked above the surface.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d, 50 CM, f/9, 1/125 sec.
OPPD Arboretum

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

From the Archives: Reaching Out

2008-03-02T20:46:00.005-06:00

Of the many great things about digital photography, one of the best is quick review. Quick review when you take the photo to make sure it looks right, quick review when you download your photos, and quick review when you want to go back and look for images. Occasionally, I go back and review photographs from the past. Sometimes, I learn a new technique in Photoshop that I want to try, other times I need a specific type of image, and then again sometimes I'm just in a mood to see what I can do with old photos. Today's image fell into the last category. I have probably passed up this image 20 times in my reviews before I decided to process it finally. The hint of green among the interesting patterns of rocks caught my eye and I wanted to explore this image further. This is the end result. This is also the first non-midwest photograph entry into my blog.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/11, 1/5 sec.
Alberta, Canada (June, 2007)

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Cold Surroundings

2008-02-28T18:44:00.004-06:00

Today's black and white image is reminiscent of my older images from when I was in college and shortly after. I used to photograph nature items almost exclusively in black and white. Back then I used a Pentax all manual camera (including focus), first a k-1000, and then later a ZX-M. I would normally use Kodak Tri-X 400 or T-MAX 100 film. After this phase I moved onto carrying two cameras, one with black and white and one with saturated slide film like Fuji Velvia and Provia and for a long time that is what I shot with. In January of 2005 when I bought my first digital SLR camera, the praised Canon 20d, one of the largest selling points was the ability to set a Black and White mode on the camera. I would often go out and shoot both and see how they would turn out. The Canon 20d even had the ability to simulate yellow, red, or orange filters which I used to carry everywhere. It was like 2 cameras in one! Since then I have tempered my use of the function since Photoshop has excellent conversion utilities for black and white. I still shoot images I plan to convert later and this is one such example.

This particular photograph was taken on an overcast day at the OPPD arboretum in Omaha, Nebraska. I wanted to focus on the contrast between the trunks and the snow so when I converted this image I wanted to make sure the snow was as white as possible without blowing out the highlights. Additionally, I processed this so that the tree trunks maintained their darker density.

Technical Details:

Canon 20d, 50 CM lens, f/18, 1/250 sec.
OPPD Arboretum

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Orange and Blue

2008-02-27T21:07:00.006-06:00

Tonight's image of a sunset over DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge was taken the same evening as "Petals in the Snow". As I get my prints ready for my upcoming exhibits at the refuge I came across this one and processed it. This one will not be in the exhibit as I already have several other wintery type frozen lake photographs and I am trying to avoid too many of the same type of image.

Anyway, I have a story related to this image. That evening, as I was composing this photograph I saw what I thought was a dust spot in the view finder. I looked at my filters, looked at the view finder itself and tried to figure out what it was. Finally I just looked up to see if it could be something on the lake. Lo and behold it was a deer standing in the middle of the frozen lake looking at me, still as can be! It was too far away to really be made out with a wide-angle lens which made it look like a spot, but it was definitely a surprise - for both of us.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 28mm, 1/4 sec., f/22, Singh-Ray 2-stop Hard ND grad, Singh-Ray 3-stop ND Filter, 2 exposures combined in Photoshop CS3
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Winter Contrasts

2008-02-26T20:13:00.008-06:00

In the last couple of weeks the snow and ice has been slowly melting in Omaha. Most of what was left was in the shaded areas or where it would melt and refreeze. Last week during one of my trips to the arboretum, I came across this old yellowed pine needle on a sheet of ice where water had obviously melted and refroze. The patterns in the ice were interesting, but when juxtaposed with the yellowed pine needle created an even more interest contrast.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d, 50 CM + Extension Tube, f/9, 1/60 sec.
OPPD Arboretum

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Petals in the Snow

2008-02-25T08:35:00.004-06:00

On Sunday, I went to DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge with the intent of photographing the sunset on the ice. It has been a little warmer so alot of the snow has melted off the lake. While wondering around the lake, I found this opened seed pod in the snow. At first it looked like little petals hence the title. I used my extension tube to get in closer for this composition.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d, 50 CM + Extension Tube, f/13, 1/125th sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Coming Together

2008-02-23T21:05:00.005-06:00

Continuing with my work from the local arboretum, I went on Friday with the intention of using just my macro lens with an extension tube. The extension tube is a nice addition since it allows a closer look at the world without the loss of any optical quality since there is no glass which also makes it relatively inexpensive and light. Additionally, it works with any lens, so it is very verstile. Today's photograph was an extreme closeup of the end of a branch of a pine tree.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d, 50 CM, Extension Tube, f/5.6, 1/100
OPPD Arboretum

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Sunlit Prairie Grass

2008-02-22T09:06:00.008-06:00

Since I will be having two photographic art showings at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, I have been going there more frequently to try and get some new shots. In the winter I particularly like the frozen lake since it has some fascinating cracks and reflections that I can include in my composition. Unfortunately, the lake has been covered with snow quite a bit this winter so I've been going to other parts of the refuge and creating images. I decided to capture an expansive prairie type shot. I liked this one since the light was still hitting the grasses and I also went for a sunstar effect here.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/22, 1/30 sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

2008 Lunar Eclipse

2008-02-21T14:02:00.017-06:00

Last night there was a specatcular lunar eclipse that was visible from several continents including North America. Normally, I do not do any astronomy type photography, but the night was clear enough that I decided to give it a go. I don't have very long lenses or a camera-compatible telescope, so I used my 300 f/4,coupled it with my 1.4 tc, and used my Canon 20d. This is a pretty standard setup for me for wildlife and it allowed me to go a little closer to our closest celestial neighbor. This is a pretty liberal crop as well and left me with a little more than a 2 megapixel image from an 8 megapixel sensor. Additionally, I had to bump the ISO level to 1600 which is higher than I usually allow for my photography in order to keep the moon from blurring too much. Remember, the moon and the earth both move and this is evident when the shutter is open any length of time in night photography. Even about a half a second is too long! This photograph was taken right before the moon began to enter totality at 8:58 PM CST.

Technical Details:

Canon 20d, 300f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/5.6, .6 sec.

Near Schramm State Recreation Area, Nebraska

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Quiet Watch

2008-02-19T19:55:00.010-06:00

I decided that since I had posted a landscape and an intimate nature scene, that it is only fitting that I post a wildlife photograph. About a month ago I went looking for deer with their winter full winter coats. It has been a particularly cold winter in Nebraska and Iowa this winter so I figured they would be especially wooly. This is a mule deer that hangs out at Lake Manawa State Park near Council Bluffs, Iowa. Feed is put out for the deer and several people drive slowly by to see these friendly critters. This was taken on January 20, 2008.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/5.6, 1/200 sec.
Lake Manawa State Park, Iowa

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

Nature's Hug

2008-02-17T17:51:00.008-06:00

Recently, I've been visiting the local arboretum. I have an exercise where I like to walk around with only one lens and try to see the world through that lens. The lens I choose on February 15th was my 50 mm compact macro lens which allows me to get fairly close in on intimate nature scenes. The weather has been fairly uncooperative with negative temperatures and little snow making for a nice brown frozen muck. So, I've set my sights a little higher and found this single leaf caught in two branches in a tree. The light on the branches was dappled which gave the needles an extra element for the composition.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d, 50 CM lens, f/6.3, 1/100 sec.
OPPD Arboretum, Omaha, Nebraska

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.

First Post

2008-02-15T13:09:00.006-06:00

It's February 15th, 2008 and I am creating my blog to showcase my recent photography work. For those of you reading this for the first time, I am a Nebraska-based Photographer specializing mainly in Scenic Landscape, Wildlife, and Nature shots. I enjoy traveling with my family and photographing not only the world, but the area close to my home here in Nebraska. I have been visiting DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge quite a bit recently since I will be having 2 showings of my work at the visitor center. The first is the week of March 10th, the second will be from April 12th-June 7th. Come up and visit!

My first image was taken on February 13th. It was a beautiful sunset that evening with the setting sun lighting up the clouds above the snow-covered DeSoto Lake.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d, 17-40 f/4l @ 28mm, 5 sec., 2-stop Singh-Ray Hard Grad
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska Side

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.