EVER CHANGING LANDSCAPE


Cloudscape, near Remsen, Iowa

Many landscape photographers would probably not unpack their cameras in most parts of northwest Iowa. Flat land predominates and intensive agriculture use over more than a century has turned, what probably was once beautiful tall-grass prairie, into habitats with very little biological diversity. A trend we can see all over the world, including my home country Germany. Oh no, I’m not saying the area doesn’t have any charm, but you have to open your eyes, look into details, and most importantly watch how the weather develops to see the potential for a landscape photo.

We have been out west in Iowa’s Plymouth County this week for a family reunion (thank you Don & Shelly for hosting!). Shortly after our arrival at the farm I was intrigued by the clouds crossing the land and rushed down to the gravel road below in order to keep the utility wires out of the frame. I have photographed the place around this farm since many years and can see the changes. This is my first mage with wind turbines in the frame. They create an income for some farms that accepted them on their property, but I also learned that not everybody is happy with the noise…

Alright, let’s talk about the photography. I admit I didn’t have a black & white image in mind when I made the click. There were enough colors and color contrast I thought that would express my feelings. But back home at the computer I recognized the much better storytelling of this photo in black & white. It’s not an image with a lot of leading lines, it’s more about the eye wandering through the image. The highlights of the blooming grasses in the foreground lead to the light in the vegetation in front of this small river bank. But the eye finally goes to the clouds in the sky and after a second we can recognize the wind turbines even in the background.

FALL COLORS - NORTHEAST IOWA AT ITS BEST


Turkey River, near Motor Mill, Iowa

The five photos I show you today don’t need a lot of text. Gorgeous weather and fall colors probably at their peak last weekend in Northeast Iowa. We pitched the tent for a night at Motor Mill along the Turkey River. Finding the colors wasn’t the problem, finding a way to let the light tell the story is the challenge that is left to us…

As always, a click on each photo gives you an enlarged view.

GOING FOR THE DETAIL SHOTS


Shaft of light on a rock in the Volga River, Iowa -----

Yesterday’s photo here in the blog was all about the river, the season, and the mood of the landscape. But I always like to look for the lines and textures, and when the light or just color contrast make a subject pop I see another image. This was sometimes a challenge along the Volga River last weekend. The recent flash flood left a lot of clutter, like sticks and broken trees, along the shore and between the rocks. Keeping them out of the frame is not always possible and cleaning a few sticks up in post process is not a crime in my books.

Fern, Brush Creek Canyon State Preserve, Iowa

On our way home we briefly checked out another area, Brush Creek Canyon State Preserve, near Arlington, Iowa. The preserve contains a rugged forested gorge along the Silurian Escarpment, a prominent ridge located on the western edge of the Paleozoic Plateau landform region in northeast Iowa. We didn’t have the right boots to hike down into the canyon but want to come back better prepared another time. However, a few images were made. The fern growing out of 435 million years old Silurian dolomite didn’t have a shaft of light on it, like the rock in the first image, but the color contrast makes this photo work for me.