BRENTON ARBORETUM, WITH AN EYE ON THE SKY

Summer sky over Brenton Arboretum, near Dallas Center, Iowa

We were introduced to an Iowa nature gem by good friends last weekend. The Brenton Arboretum near Dallas Center in Central Iowa is not just about trees, but also prairie, grasslands, ponds, and wetland areas. There were plenty of opportunities for macro photography, but as the avid reader of my blog already knows, I’m not so much into that field. Clouds were moving all around and I had my eye on them, hoping for some interesting light and maybe drama in the sky. Almost at the end of our short hike a picture unfolded, as the light hit the wildflowers in the prairie on this hillside, the clouds formed a pattern, and the sky took care for some color contrast.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 47mm, 1/1250 s, f/8, ISO 200

STILL LOVE THE RED FILTER

Approaching thunderstorm, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

If you camp out west in a small tent it is mandatory to have always an eye on the weather. This approaching thunderstorm turned out relatively harmless. It came with a little bit of lightning, not even close, and some rain for the night. Letting this opportunity to make a photo pass by was not an option. The question was, how to capture the drama in the sky?

Back in the days of black & white film a red filter in front of the lens was the way to go. We made the click and then waited for the results until the film was developed. Today with a mirrorless camera things are a lot easier. While shooting always in RAW format, all what it takes is to set the camera to B&W and include the settings for a red filter (or any other setting you may have in mind). In the viewfinder or on screen in the back of the camera we can then evaluate the results immediately and decide if it matches our vision for the final image. If not, we can always revert to the color data embedded in the RAW file and let our creativity go in a different direction.

The results for this photo match pretty much the settings I had used already in the camera. I like the drama a red filter can produce. Very little is tweaked in post process on the computer at home. The landscape doesn’t take the stage, just gets a hint of light, while the clouds are clearly the subject that tells the story of this evening ten days ago in the Badlands.

GOING FOR THE DRAMA (NOT THE BRIDGE)

Rain front moving in over Iowa, Mississippi River, East Dubuque, Illinois

Last Friday evening I went across the Mississippi River to East Dubuque, the northwest corner of the state of Illinois. Over on the Iowa side a rain front moved in and started to cover already partially the low sitting sun. It is tempting to have only an eye for the Julien Dubuque Bridge that connects both states but there was more to consider as the subject for this photo. I was intrigued by the reflections on the water and the drama in the sky above. The bridge as a silhouette still holds the picture together and all lines, from below, above, and from the sides of the image converge near the brightest spot.

I started out shooting in color mode from different angles and distances to the bridge but non of the shots held the drama I saw as a possibility for the final photo. My monochrome settings in the Nikon Z6II apply the effect of a red filter. It gives extreme contrast, darkens the sky and makes the clouds really stand out. Seeing the effect right in the electronic viewfinder or on the camera screen gave me a good direction how I wanted to compose and how my exposure would effect the drama in the scene. Finally, later in post process at the computer, I reduced the effect of the red filter by lowering the contrast a little bit, and making it more looking like an orange filter was used.

Don’t take me wrong, the bridge is a nice subject for a picture, but this was all about the drama in the sky and its reflection on the Mississippi River.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2019 #10 - “CLOUD FINGERS”

Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4, Breakthrough GND filter 0.6

Heading back home from a business trip in Wisconsin a couple days ago I saw some nice clouds formations developing on the horizon over the Mississippi Valley. Just before crossing the river into Iowa I was finally able to pull off the highway to a rest stop, located on top of the bluffs that border the valley. It was too late, the magic I saw while driving, with sun beams breaking through the “clouds fingers”, was already gone. Still not bad, but too much of the sun in the west was covered. Color didn’t really play an important role in the scene for the story and doing this in B&W brings back a little bit of the drama in the sky.

CHASING CLOUDS AGAIN

Thunderstorm cell moving out, near Sherrill, Eastern Iowa

A little storm cell showed up on the radar this evening and brought finally a few rain showers. I jumped in my car and tried to chase the clouds, hoping for some exciting light and drama in the sky. Well, the clouds dissolved pretty quickly and the big drama didn’t happen. I have photographed this old farm house many times before over the years. It’s condition doesn’t get any better, another reason for not making it the subject of my image, but in context with clouds and landscape it makes sense to include it anyway.

OUT WEST #6

Needles Highway, Black Hills, South Dakota

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

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

Mississippi River, Deere Marsh, Dubuque, Iowa

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

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

DOES SUMMER HAVE AN END?

To my friends and family in Germany I always describe September as a month that has in general still the character of summer here in Iowa, This is in particular true for this year. During the last few days unusual high temperatures made life a little uncomfortable for people like me, who love a more moderate climate. This all had to come to an end and this evening thunderstorms crossed the country and will continue to cool down the air in the next 24 hours. With thunderstorms come big, puffy clouds. If you follow my blog since a while you know already that I like to make clouds the subject of photos in my landscape photography quite often. I just love how clouds, and the ever changing light that comes with them, can create drama in a landscape. If in addition a string of Canada Geese crosses the sky, the shutter of my Nikon D750 is rattling… Oh, I love fall, even if it still feels like summer…😉

DEPTH AND DRAMA

Clouds and other weather related things have always triggered my interest and so it may not be a total surprise that I make them increasingly the subject in my landscape photography. There were high winds last Wednesday and these clouds moved very fast and changed shape and colors constantly. The low sun that came out briefly gave the scene some depth and drama.