• HDR,  quotes

    Hundreds of Times

    November 9, 2012
    Golden Sunset

    “Landscape photographers should have a sense of adventure. Get out there yourself and explore. Stay off the beaten path and be instantly better by being different than the rest. Creativity can’t be taught by someone. It comes from doing, observing the results, analyzing them and doing it all over again, dozens or even hundreds of times.” Dan Jurak

    A few years ago I coached in a midget football program for 5th to 8th graders and had a blast. Our goal was to teach them the basics of the sport: stance, blocking, tackling and sportsmanship. But one of the most interesting aspects was the difference each individual had in learning. There were those who had it the first time, those who were not going to get it and those who were going to need hundreds of times. I learned I belong in the later category: hundreds of times?

    Read More
  • HDR,  landscape,  quotes,  sunsets

    County Road 19

    September 3, 2012
    Evening Sunset on County Road 19

    Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner sense of justice than we do.

    Wendell Berry

    Evening sunset taken a couple of weeks ago on County Road 19, just east of Fort Collins.

    Read More
  • HDR,  landscape,  sunsets

    A Place of Quiet

    July 23, 2012

    Sunset on the Pawnee National Grasslands

    Words fall short when expressing my feelings when I visit the Pawnee National Grasslands. There is this quiet. The only sounds are the wind, the birds, maybe a cow mooing in the distance, my footsteps and my breathing. None of the sounds of the city can be heard, the ones we are accustomed to hearing and are almost expected. The vastness of this landscape has a way of making me feel small and insignificant, yet I feel so much a part of it. It’s an ecosystem all its own, one many people never experience. This is a land where no plow has turned the soil. There is not much of that left in of the short, mixed and tall prairies. This is cowboy country where small dark specks in the distance are grazing cattle. It’s a place of quiet.

    Read More
  • clouds,  HDR,  landscape,  sunrises

    Cattail Chorus Ponds

    July 20, 2012

    Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 - 17 mm f16 @ 1/60
    Sunrise at Cattail Chorus Ponds

    I had planned on sleeping in but the internal body clock went off around 4:15 am. Tossed and turned then decided to grab the camera and see what the morning sunrise would offer. The nature areas within the city provide some wonderful opportunities for quiet and wonder as the day begins. I headed for the Cattail Chorus Ponds as it’s been a while since visiting the area. A smile came across my face as a meadowlark greeted me when I stepped out of the car. As I walked to the ponds I could feel my pants getting wet from the morning dew. The last time I was out there was about four years ago so there was a lot more growth along the banks than expected. Never the less, I found a rock to sit on along the bank and take it all in. I waited and I smiled.

    This is an HDR experiment. The image was taken with my D300 and a Tamron 17-50 mm f2.8 lens. The metered exposure was at 17 mm f16 @ 1/60. It is a series of nine (9) images exposed at 1 stop, then processed in HDR Efex Pro. I chose Full Scene Compression preset and lowered the tone compression then adjusted exposure and contrast/tone in Lightroom. I would like you to let me know what you like and don’t like about the image.

    Read More
  • Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  HDR,  landscape,  natural areas,  sunrises

    Morning Colors

    July 6, 2012
    Morning at Arapaho Bend Nature Area

    I’m one of those “morning” people who rises before the sun and on most mornings have a cheerful mood about me. It seems I always have been. Those few times I slept in late were during younger years when the party life, booze and loose women were the priorities of my life. After experiencing the suffering each of them offers, I’ve wised up and no longer consider the party life or booze to be that important. Loose women, well there seems to be the need for more suffering in that area.

    Anyway, the gist of this post is about morning colors. I enjoy the whole experience of a morning sunrise. Being there, taking it all in. Getting soaked. Hearing the sounds of nature awaking. Smelling the musty woods around me. The expectations of the colors as the sun breaks over the horizon. But, sometimes there are no colors or they’re more subdued. Well, a couple days ago I rose at 4:40 am and headed to the Arapaho Bend nature area. If you look closely, just behind the trees, you can see just a bit of orange glow. Ah, morning colors!

    Read More
  • HDR,  landscape,  Plants,  trees

    Happy 4th of July

    July 4, 2012

    Yesterday’s evening in the lowlands

    Sorry for posting another image of trees and another fence post but they seem to be everywhere I look. I did make a drive north of town last night and found some interesting areas I will need to search out. Seems like lots of potential for images. I do hope everyone enjoys their 4th of July!

    Read More
  • clouds,  HDR,  landscape,  sunrises

    Saturday Sunrise

    June 18, 2012

    Sunrise

    This past Saturday was a busy day. I drove out east for a few photos, replaced the garbage disposal, finished laundry and packed for my trip, that I’m now on. I also visited the farmers market mentioned yesterday. It was a good Saturday!

     

     

    Read More