MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2022 #9 - TUGBOAT AND BARGES GOING UPSTREAM

A convoy of tugboat and 15 barged going upstream

I’m following a famous photographer on social media who always claims, if my gear can do it, I can do it. I totaly agree and I’m not afraid of weather, and when a heavy rain started to come down last Saturday, I thought of it and just finished everything while the equipment got soaking wet. I guess it pays back to invest in cameras and lenses that have weather seals included in their design…

While eating lunch with friends in Clayton, Iowa, just a few feet away from the big river, I saw the barges being pushed upstream, the clouds changing dramatically within seconds, and just felt a picture opportunity is right around the corner.

It’s just amazing how the the tugboats manage to navigate a set of fifteen barges within the small channel that can be used for deep sitting loads in the Mississippi River. This convoy had nothing but coal onboard, probably heading to one of the last coal power plants upstream. I had the pleasure to see a coal powered plant disappear from the landscape not far from home in recent years and I’m pretty sure I will see this again. Coal has no future.

I have been able to remove any kind of digital noise from this image (an article about this topic will follow soon). What’s left is the texture a heavy rain can produce, and that’s what really makes for story telling in this photo. I really love how the light, coming from the back, sets the tugboat and the barges apart from the clouds and the rest of the Mississippi Valley.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2019 #14 - DYNAMIC IN THE SKY

Storm cloud over the Mississippi, Mud Lake, Iowa, June 2019

Here is another image from earlier this year. A thunderstorm had just passed our area and moved across the Mississippi River into Wisconsin and northwest Illinois. The storm was moving very fast and I made quite a few shots. The light and shape of the clouds in every photo looked quite different from the one before. I have photographed the Mississippi River at Mud Lake many times before and in every kind of weather. Rarely was I able to capture such a high dynamic in the sky.

GEAR TALK: MINDSHIFT MOOSE PETERSON BACKPACK SERIES / MP-3 V.2

I haven’t done a “Gear Talk” since a while and today I like to give you some thoughts about a piece of equipment that is in my possession since August 2016 and has been tested and used in many situations and all kinds of weather. The Moose Peterson backpack MP-3 V.2 is made by MindShift Gear ® and I want to tell you upfront, there is nothing about this great backpack what I dislike. This water resistant pack is well made and is mainly designed for wildlife and outdoor photographers. After 18 months of using it I can tell that MindShift’s partnership with renowned wildlife photographer Moose Peterson has led to a product that provides excellent protection for the gear from water, snow, dust, sand, and physical impact. Here are the features that I really like:

  • 3 compartments with easy and quick access. The big one holds the Sigma 150-600 with camera attached. All the gear you see in the photo above will fit into the MP-3 V.2 backpack.
  • Auto-close compartment flaps (“Moose Ears”) protect the interior from water, dust, and snow even if the zippers are not closed.
  • Handles on top and on the side.
  • Harness system that can be tucked-away, very practical while traveling by airplane or car.
  • Removable waist belt for shoulder relief during a longer hiking tour.
  • Rain cover included.
  • Large, robust zippers that can be opened and closed with gloves on.
  • Interior divider system allows for many configurations and that can fit a lot of different workflow styles.
  • Top pocket with zipper for easy access to memory cards, business cards, etc.
  • Stretchable pocket for water bottle on the side.
  • Mounting system for tripod.

Moose Peterson MP-3 V.2 fits in the overhead compartment of a regional jet

The Moose Peterson backpack MP-3 V.2 is sized for carry-on luggage and as you can see it fits even in the overhead compartment of a small regional jet, like the Embraer ERJ-145. The fabric and material is very robust and takes a lot of abuse. After using mine during the last year and a half it still looks like new, although it has been in contact with rain, mud, dust, and snow many times. Nevertheless, cleaning is mandatory after a “dirty shoot”, at least for me.

There are two other versions of this backpack available from MindShift Gear ®. The slightly longer MP-1 V.2 holds the camera with an 800 mm lens attached in the big compartment. The shorter MP-7 V.2 is long enough for a camera body with a big 200 mm lens.

Padded shoulder straps that can be tucked-away (great when going through security at the airport)

Verdict:

After going through two different cheaper packs over the years I found finally a backpack that I really love and that hasn’t disappointed a single time during heavy use in all kinds of weather. I can recommend the MP-3 V.2 for everybody who moves around in the great outdoors and wants quick access to camera gear and accessories and for everybody who needs to travel by airplane or car and wants upmost protection for their gear in extreme weather situations and harsh environments.

If my little article has triggered your interest you can find more technical details and pricing HERE.

UPDATE ON THE GREAT HORNED OWL

March 21, 2017  -------   

I have been several times at the nest of the Great Horned Owl at Mud Lake last week. As the two photos show the conditions can be very different from one day to the next.

Five days ago, March 21, great late afternoon light hit the nest. Mother owl didn’t change position at all. I recognized a ball of gray-black feathers on the right. This is probably the remains of some prey, possibly an American Coot, that she or the male owl had bagged.

March 26, 2017

This image is from today, March 26, 2017. The rain had just stopped and the owl still looks quite wet. She sits very high in the nest and that makes me believe that her offspring has hatched already some time ago. Here is a time table of my first sightings of an owlet at the same nest for each year:

2016: March 28, a second owlet March 31

2015: March 16

2014: March 28

2013: April 14

It looks like we may see some new life soon. I will try to visit the nest more frequently during the upcoming week.

Both photos were made with the Sigma 150-600, at 600 mm in DX-crop mode of the Nikon D750. This is the equivalent viewing angle of a 900 mm lens. I use the DX mode if I can’t go physically closer to my subject.

CHANGING WEATHER

Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4

I followed the Mississippi River north to Guttenberg, Iowa today. Temperatures above freezing made the snow pretty slushy but the next blizzard is already on its way. The clouds tell the story of changing weather…

The photo was made from the overlook just south of Guttenberg and you can see that the ice on the main channel of the river is not very solid.

CUMULONIMBUS INCUS

Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-120mm / f4

I’m back from another business trip with very little opportunity to shoot some images. The exception was this beautiful anvil cloud (Cumulonimbus incus) I watched developing from my hotel room in Milwaukee, WI. They can form into super-cells resulting in severe storms, hail, heavy rain, lightning, and even tornadoes. This one dissolved shortly after I made this simple click through the glass of the window...

TELLING THE WEATHER STORY

We have this typical End-of-May-weather, with the occasional thunderstorm and quick changes between sun and rain. An open area is better suited to tell the story about it than our woods here in the Little Maquoketa Valley. The Deere Marsh, located between the big John Deere factory and the Mississippi River, just north of Dubuque, Iowa , is a place that gives a sense of the marshy backwaters and leaves enough open space to let the clouds tell the story. The Little Maquoketa River actually helped to shape this landscape. It joins the Mississippi just behind the bushes on the right in this picture.