THE SECOND AND THIRD TRY…

In my last blog post I talked about looking back into the archives during winter time. It sounds a little bit like being sentimental and trying to find old memories that were buried under the impressions that touched our photography minds more recently. I think it is much more than that and the photo I show you today is just used as an example of my train of thoughts.

This was photographed in August 2008. After a business trip to the Pacific Northwest I pitched my tent at one of the beaches of Olympic National Park in Washington State. As you can see, it was a nice evening with a gorgeous sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

I used a Sigma 18-50mm / f2.8 lens on the Nikon D200, my first DSLR camera. I loved this lens for its versatility and the f/2.8 aperture, but from today’s point of view it was not the sharpest lens. Are the problems I see in this image just due to older equipment? I don’t think so. I cropped the picture because my choice of composition was poor at the time. However, I still like the scene and was wondering what can I get out of my almost 27 years old RAW file with the software features that are available to us photographers today?

Well, the old John Steward quote, you can’t polish a turd, is still true and can be applied to political figures as well as to our own photos. In the low resolution image you see here in my blog post you can’t really see how much is missing. Despite noise reduction with highest software standards, upscaling of the picture, or great sharpening technology, which we can apply these days, it still has to be a decent photo to make it worth to work within our post process. I still don’t want to print this photo even with all the above applied, but I believe sharing the moment here on the world wide web is legitimate.

The bottom line is to learn from our previous photo adventures. I have been back at these beaches last year but the light wasn’t nearly as good. Maybe a third time will render a photo I’m really proud of…

RETROSPECTS 2024 #4 - GREAT SKIES OVER THE VALLEY

After sunset, Green Island, Upper Mississippi Valley, Iowa, February 25, 2024

While digging through my photos from 2024 I got reminded that we had quite a few days with overcast or just a boring sky. Nevertheless, we also had our good share of great sunrises or sunsets here in eastern Iowa. This day at the end of February I mad a couple shots of a Rough-legged Hawk and a Sandhill Crane flying across the Green Island Wetlands in the afternoon, but they were not filling the frame, so more less just documentary shots for myself. I stayed late in hope to see maybe an owl but this didn’t happen. The clouds and setting sun came to my rescue and after capturing a few moments during the blue hour with the Z 24-70 f/4, I changed lens quickly when the day ended with a nice glow above the rocky bluffs of the Mississippi Valley.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,   @ 150 mm, 1/2000 s, f/8, ISO 1600

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2024 #4 - PEACEFUL SUNSET

Sunset in the valley, Mississippi River, Abel-Essman Island, Guttenberg, Iowa

I really rushed down the hill into the Mississippi Valley, hoping to reach the outlook before the shadow of the bluffs would cover the island, on my way home last night. Just as I pulled into the parking lot beside the road the shadows already crept up on the west side of the island. When I jumped out of the car with the camera in hand a small airplane just took off from the landing strip between the buildings on Abel-Essman Island. Too bad, I missed that rare opportunity but I’m happy with this peaceful sunset scene in the river valley.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 49 mm, 1/500 s, f/10, ISO 200

WATCHING THE SUNSET

Beach at Petoskey State Park, Lake Michigan

I guess it’s time to treat you with another photo from our recent trip to Michigan.

The beach at Petoskey State Park was a perfect place to watch the sunset from the east side of Lake Michigan. Many people from the campground behind the dunes came out and enjoyed the moment.

First I hesitated to include this aluminum walkway into my photo but then I liked how the sun was reflected on it all the way to the lower edge of the image. It also adds a little more story to the picture. Michigan’s state parks were all well maintained and offered visitors and campers with disabilities good opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. This aluminum walk- or driveway allows people in wheelchairs to access the lake with its crystal clear water.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S, GITZO tripod GT2931 Basalt, KIRK BH-3 ball head,   @ 62mm, 1/640s, f/8, ISO 100, image slightly cropped

EVENING AT THE DUNES

Sand Dunes at Petoskey State Park, Lake Michigan

Already deep in our vacation a long day of travel led us to Petoskey State Park at the northeast shore of Lake Michigan. When your senses are still trapped in a driving state it is more than a pleasure to walk barefoot on the access trail over the dunes to the beach and unwind by sitting in the sand and wait for the sunset. As much as we loved the beautiful weather, with lots of sun for camping and relaxing, but with hardly any clouds in the sky, the photographer rolls his eyes…

Well, it was time to make the best out of it and embrace the soft light of the setting sun over the dunes along Little Traverse Bay at Lake Michigan.

On a not so unimportant note, it always amazes me how disrespectful many people are to nature and rules that try to protect our natural treasures. The campground was on the other side side of the dunes, and it is not a small one. Posted signs and fences make it very clear that walking across the dunes outside of the access trails may increase erosion and can lead to destruction of the dunes. The many human tracks in the sand make me wondering how many people in this country can’t read, or just give a dam about their natural resources… Very sad!

WAY TO END A DAY

Beach after sunset, Newport, Oregon, March 29, 2024

A minute earlier a small sliver of the sun was still visible. Of course, a few clicks were made with the sun above the horizon, but it was the glow that follows I was after. The people on the beach at low tide below our apartment give the scene a sense of scale.

What followed was a short drive to a restaurant at the harbor of Newport and a dinner with fresh seafood and wine. You can’t find a better way to end a great day at the Oregon coast…

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S, GITZO tripod GT2931 Basalt, KIRK BH-3 ball head    @ 24mm, 1/100 s, f/10, ISO 100

UNTIL THE LIGHT WAS GONE

Greater Yellowleg, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

The weather this week was not very pleasant, with temperatures around the freezing point, rain, even a little bit of snow, and almost no sun in the sky.This changed finally today and I could realize my plans going for some wildlife shooting to the Green Island Wetlands in the Mississippi Valley this evening. All the clouds disappeared and the best thing was that the air stayed relatively cool, means it was clear and the often feared heat shimmer above the surface of the wetland didn’t occur. With other words, great shooting conditions.

I saw lots of ducks, mostly Wood Ducks and Northern Shovelers, of course Canada Geese, Bald Eagles, the local Northern Harrier, and a small number of Tree Swallows. But the most exciting encounter were three Greater Yellowlegs. These migrating sandpipers were feeding in the shallow water at Green Island but they were quite a bit away. By attaching the 1.4x Teleconverter to the lens my focal length went up to 850 mm. This seemed still not close enough and I set the camera to ”crop mode”, which uses a smaller part of the sensor only, but gave me the equivalent of 1275 mm focal length. I thought without heat shimmer, as often present at this time of the year above the water surface, I can try it and had indeed quite a few sharp images.

Before driving back home I headed to the gravel road on the westside of the wetlands and found another Greater Yellowleg foraging in the water that covered the field below after the rain. The sun was setting behind me and the bird still searched for food and flew away only after all direct light was gone.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG, @850 mm (1275 mm DX mode), 1/1250 s, f/9, ISO800

QUICK LENS CHANGE

Sunset at the Green Island Wetlands , Mississippi Valley, Iowa

My ambitions to get some good results with wildlife in front of the camera were not rewarded today. This is not unusual for this time of the year and I don’t get too much frustrated. Yes, I saw a couple Sandhill Cranes, some hawks, eagles, lots of geese, and finally large numbers of Red-winged Blackbirds have started to claim their territories in the Green Island Wetlands. I made the usual documentary shots for myself, but nothing was close enough for a serious try to make a photo that stands out.

While waiting and hoping for something to happen I had an eye on the western horizon, where, what I call, a ”dirty sunset” unfolded. Suddenly the clouds started loosing their ”muddy” appearance and I saw the chance for a photo. A quick lens change from the Sigma 150-600 S to the Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S and dialing in a different white balance setting in camera to a warmer tone was all what it took to work with another subject, this time the light and clouds above the horizon.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 32 mm, 1/640s, f/8, ISO 400

NATURE CLICKS #569 - AMERICAN KESTREL

American Kestrel, Green Island Wetlands, Mississippi Valley, Iowa

Here is another image from last weekend’s visit to the Green Island Wetlands. I was already pretty happy since I just had photographed the Rough-legged Hawk I showed in my last blog post. A few minutes later, on my way out on the muddy road, this American Kestrel just landed on a branch in front of me. With a slight turn of the car and the window down I was able to make a few clicks of this small falcon. I have written about in the blog before, the American Kestrel perches nine times out of ten on a utility wire between the poles. The bird gave me less than a minute and half of the time it looked away from me. Having the kestrel sitting actually on a tree branch is much harder to get and with the warm light of the setting sun, this is definitely a keeper.

FUN IN THE SETTING SUN

Downy Woodpecker, Little Maquoketa Valley, Iowa

The sun came out finally this afternoon, reason enough to spent the hour before sunset behind the camera with the SIGMA 150-600 S attached. With the much warmer weather the birds seemed to visit the feeders less frequently and some patience was required at times. Most of the snow has melted away but in our front yard was still plenty enough to bounce the light upwards. With the sun sitting low above the ridge, the natural light had a nice quality and I didn’t employ a speed light for better color control this time.

Before the woodpeckers approach a suet feeder they carefully check the surrounding area from a nearby tree or shrub. This is the moment I’m mostly waiting for. Just fun in the setting sun…

ALWAYS ASK FOR A HIGH FLOOR

I made it a long time ago a habit to take the camera with me when I travel, even if a very tight schedule during a business trip may not allow to spend time behind the viewfinder. If nothing else, there is always a chance to have a view from the hotel window and one good reason why I always ask for a room on a higher floor. This time it was only the second floor but it was still high enough for this shot across a busy road in the foreground.

MINNESOTA NORTHWOODS - #3

The light tells the story, Lake Shumway, Savanna Portage State Park, Minnesota

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,    @ 56 mm, 1/50 s, f/22, ISO 1600

If you had an interest in my photography before you know already that I’m not looking much for the ”postcard view” in my landscape work. But when the light unfolds in front of me, the smallest detail of a landscape will draw my interest immediately.

I walked on a trail along Lake Shumway in Savanna Portage State Park, Minnesota late in the day and watched the light the low sun created in the woods along the lake. Closing down the aperture to f/22 creates the star burst around the setting sun between the woods. That part was easy and would have made a picture somehow. But as a bonus the lake right behind me bounced back some of the light onto the leaves in the foreground, and that made me push the shutter release. Lovely light, lovely light…! 😊

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2023 #9 - MOONRISE, SUNSET, AND AFTERWARDS

Mississippi River, Mines of Spain, Dubuque, Iowa

It wasn’t full moon today, this will be tomorrow night, but the waxing moon was at 98.3%, good enough for making photos over the Mississippi River. The overlook on top of the bluffs at the Julian Dubuque Monument in the Mines of Spain, just south of downtown Dubuque, was the place where I put the legs of the tripod in the ground. The moon was supposed to rise at 7:26 PM over ”Island Two hundred Twenty Eight” on the left side of the big river. Sunset was 7:42 PM and my hope was to have a hint of daylight on the water at moonrise. The photo below was shot exactly at sunset time but the moon just became visible from behind some haze at the horizon. Moody, but not dramatic.

The photo above was shot at 7:53 PM. It is important to change the white balance to a colder temperature for the feeling of the blue hour during the time after sunset. I underexposed up to 2 f-stops so the moon is not blown out and brought the shadows in the foreground back a little bit.

At sunset time, the moon just became visible in the haze.

As already mentioned, tomorrow is full moon. Sunset is 7:40 PM and the moon will raise at 7:56 PM. It will have its largest size 39 minutes later. The moon will raise 9º further to the east, which means it will be much higher above the water from the same vantage point in the Mines of Spain and I’m not sure if the reflection on the water will work the same way.

All images: Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, RRS BH-55 ball head,

1.   @ 170 mm, 1/8 s, f/8, ISO 100

2.   @ 112 mm, 1/13 s, f/8, ISO 100

WARM LIGHT, FRIGID WATER

Baltic Sea, Zinnowitz, Germany

It was a great day back in May this year at the Baltic Sea on the island of Usedom. Our family celebrated my moms 85th birthday and after dinner some of us went out for a walk on the beach and to enjoy the sunset. Of course I took the camera with me and had just started to capture the reflections on the sand when these kids stormed the beach and entered joyful the frigid water of the sea. I believe they belonged to a youth soccer team and were in a training camp nearby. I couldn’t ask for better actors in a scene like that. I underexposed up to two f-stops, having the kids sharp and just as a silhouette, still maintaining some color in the sun, and also capturing the glow on the water.

I can tell you, these girls and boys were brave. Most people made their walk on the beach in a warm coat or jacket…

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 62mm, 1/1250 s, f/20, ISO 1250, image slightly cropped