After the Rain

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

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

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

Tonight the Storm Comes

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

A Wintry Day in May II

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

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

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

Frozen Platte River Sunrise

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

Platte River Ice Jam

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

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

Beaver Hut Sunrise

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

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

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

PCPhoto Contest - Finalist

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

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

On Top of the World

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

No More Sleepy Dreaming

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

Unordinary World

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/.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

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/.

Spring Warmth

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/.