JUST LOOK FOR THEM

Little Maquoketa River Valley, Iowa

This photo was taken more than three weeks ago, down in our valley where the Little Maquoketa River meanders through the fields and meadows towards the Mississippi. I love the moody side of fall, with some leaves still present and fog hiding much of the clutter between the trees. The corn at the bottom of the picture was still waiting to be harvested, which by now is all done. On a gray day like this it is a much bigger challenge to tell a visual story about the season than with bold fall colors all over. It can happen I go home with still an empty memory card in the camera but sometimes the subtle things in the background make the image, we just have to look for them…

A UNIQUE ROCK

Little Missouri National Grassland, North Dakota, September 2020

When we drove by at this solitary towering sandstone rock on the way to the Elkhorn unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the morning, I saw some potential for a black & white image if some elements in the sky would be present. The unique shape of this rock drew our attention and how long it took for wind, rain, and snow to form it from sandstone that ones was a layer of sand on the bottom of a shallow sea, filled with abundant marine life.

While driving back from President Roosevelt’s former ranch in the afternoon a few clouds just moved through and we tried to take advantage of it. I remember that I had the camera slightly tilted to the right to give the grassy slope a little less presence in the photo. Other than climbing up the steep slope, it was an easy click to be made. In post process I applied a red filter B&W preset to make the sky darker and let the rock and single cloud stand out.

VISIBLE DYNAMICS

Little Missouri National Grasslands, North Dakota, September 2020

Some of the questions I wanted to find answers to during our vacation trip were, how can I make the dynamics in the sky at certain times part of my visual storytelling, or how can the fast movement of clouds be made visible in a still image? Therefor I have a lot experimented with neutral density filters. For example in the photo you see here, the Breakthrough 10-stop X4 ND filter extended a 1/40 s exposure up to 30 seconds at f/22. Much can happen in 30 seconds! The wind blew pretty strong that evening and it wasn’t just the clouds that were moving. As you can see, it also blurs part of the grass and the trees. First I thought that wouldn’t work well, but the rocks in the background become the anchor point for the eye. They are there since millions of years and as long as the tripod with the camera is not shaking, they will remain sharp. All the other elements, clouds, grass, sage brush, and trees show movement and let you hopefully feel the wind… 

MEDICINE ROCKS - AFTER SUNSET

One of the numerous rock formations in the state park that are sacred to Native Americans, September 2020

It’s election day here in the US and most people have probably other things to do than browsing through photography and nature websites tonight. But if your blood pressure needs some adjustment, stop right here and have a look at this peaceful scene, shot after sunset in Medicine Rocks State Park, Montana. 😉

Nikon D750, Nikkor 70-200mm / f4, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, RRS BH-55 ball head,   @70 mm, 1/160s, f/5.6, ISO100

MEDICINE ROCKS - A PHOTOGRAPHER’S PARADISE

Our last “base camp” during the trip in eastern Montana was in Medicine Rocks State Park. Medicine Rocks is a series of sandstone pillars with eerie undulations, holes, and tunnels in them. The rocks are considered a sacred holy place by Plain Indians. Archaeological evidence indicates that there has been human habitation at or near Medicine Rocks for about 11,000 years. Many Indian tribes resided there permanently or temporarily. (source: Wikipedia)

I could write a lot more about a place like this but I trust you know where to find more information if you are interested. All what I can say is, it is a photographer’s paradise for landscape and night photography.

On a sunny day the hours around sunrise and sunset are again your best times for exploring this 330 acres (130 ha) area with the camera.

MA-KO’-SHI-KA

During the height of a day areas of badlands do not always reveal their beauty completely. This is in particular true for days with a lot of sunshine and hazy weather conditions. That wasn’t any different at our next destination, Makoshika State Park in eastern Montana. It is the largest state park in Montana (11,538 acres, 46.7 square kilometer) and the name originates from the Lakota phrase Ma-ko’-shi-ka, meaning ‘bad land’ or ‘bad earth’. The park is not just known for its badland formations but also for fossil remains of Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops and others. (source: http://stateparks.mt.gov/makoshika/)

Getting out of the sleeping bag at dawn and having the camera ready before the first rays of sun hit the rocks isn’t always easy, but there was no regret when the warm light started filling the canyons below our campsite.

All images: Nikon D750, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4G ED VR

MOON AND CLOUDS IN MOTION

Moon light and clouds over Little Missouri National Grassland, North Dakota

Most nights during our trip out west we had moon light giving the landscape some shape. That was great and led to opportunities for night photography. The downside, as everybody knows, is making the Milky Way the subject of an image, this was not an option, except for the days at the end of the trip.

We had this National Forest campsite just outside of Theodore Roosevelt National Park almost for ourselves. When the moon light touched the fence, that was there to keep the cattle out, and clouds moved fast across the sky, I tried a 69 second exposure to make the dynamic in the sky visible. The light reflected by the fence leads into the picture. The stars show already a little trail. I have more photos with shorter exposure time and blending two pictures together would be an option, but I still like how this turned out.

FALL COLORS AND LIGHT

Hard to believe that was already a week ago. The Dubuque Camera Club had invited to a little photo walk at Eagle Point Park in Dubuque, Iowa. The park is high up on the bluffs above the Mississippi River and lock & dam #11. It is tempting to shoot only the great vista across the river, but with the low sitting afternoon sun I thought the fall details in the park deserved our attention as well. There is a small pond, built from big limestone rocks and that’s where I found the most inspiration.

It was an afternoon well spent, with good conversation and I can’t imagine that anybody who participated didn’t have fun shooting the colors and light of autumn.

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.

CANNONBALL CONCRETIONS

Cannonball Concretions, Theodore Roosevelt NP, North Dakota

There are many stunning geological features in the badland areas of Montana, South and North Dakota. One that nobody should miss while visiting the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park is Cannonball Concretions.

Here is my tip: If you visit the National Park, go to the Cannonball Concretions pull-out any time during the day. Explore the area, read and learn about the cannonball concretions on educational displays, take your selfie pictures or try to find a critter, and just have fun being there. However, come back for your serious photography of these fascinating geological features about an hour before sunset, when the slope and concretions reveal their colors and shades become almost horizontal.

You’ll find endless photo opportunities and even after several visits you probably discover shapes and structures you may have missed before. It is quiet, it is peaceful, and if you are able to disconnect for a moment from the rush of the modern world , you may start to understand why places like this had always a special meaning for Native people, long before the land was taken away from them.

FOLLOWING ROOSEVELT’S TRACKS

Near the Elkhorn Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

I have always said I never would have been President if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota. - Theodore Roosevelt, 1918

This photo was created not far from the Elkhorn Ranch, President Theodore Roosevelt’s ranch in North Dakota. Today this historic ground is a small part of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, called the Elkhorn Unit. 1884 Roosevelt moved to North Dakota and became a cattle rancher after he was devastated by personal tragedy and owned land on both sides of the Little Missouri River. He credited his Dakota experience as the basis for his ground-breaking preservation efforts and the shaping of his own character. Under his presidency (1901-09) 18 national monuments were proclaimed and he worked with congress to create 5 national parks, 150 national forests, and dozens of federal reserves - over 230 million acres of protected land. (source: National Park Service brochure)

It was a gorgeous but windy day when we visited this part of the Little Missouri Valley. Some things had probably not changed much since Roosevelt rode his horse along the river. The beauty of the surrounding North Dakota badlands and the great skies we were able to see are certainly among them.

The clouds over the valley moved fast and the questions was how to incorporate them into the story about this valley? Going wide, or going tall? Well, I wasn’t sure, as so often, and tried both. I finally decided for the tall orientation. It shows less of the valley and less of the clouds, but gives a better idea about the vastness of the landscape with the wind-beaten grass and sage in the foreground.

Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4, B+W F-PRO Kaesemann High Transmission Circular Polarizer MRC filter,   @ 16 mm, 1/320s, f/11, ISO200,

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2020 #7 - RAINBOW BEFORE SUNSET

Mississippi River, Mud Lake, Iowa

Visiting the Mississippi River during the hour before sunset can always lead to a good surprise. A couple days ago we took our dog Cooper down to Mud Lake, one of his (and our) favorite places. The rain cloud you see in the second image moved in quickly from the northwest. The rain drops started falling and we rushed back to the car. Suddenly a full fledged rainbow appeared right over the big river. Who cares about a few drops, but the dilemma was that I had the Nikkor 70-200, f/4 on camera, too long to capture the full rainbow while it lasted. The compromise was to shoot one end in tall orientation as you see it here. 

I was hoping for more, ran back to the car and changed lenses quickly. The Nikkor 16-35, f/4 has everything what it needs for a full rainbow, but the cloud had moved on to the southeast and with it what was left of the rainbow. Still one of the occurrences that will be remembered on the positive side for this crazy year…

THE WINKING MOUNTAIN

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

There are moments when the light unfolds in front of the lens where I clearly know that the final photo will be a black & white version. Not necessarily because the lack of colors, but indeed because of its graphic impact. This is true in particular if the landscape of so called badlands is your subject. Look at the mountain, hit by the bright light. Can you see how it talks, one eye open and the other one winking at us? OK, I admit I didn’t see that detail when I took the picture, but I saw seven different plains between foreground and sky, each of them in a different light, and that got me all excited to make the click.

EVERYTHING CAN WAIT

Sky after sunset, Little Missouri National Grassland, North Dakota

I promised you a few big skies we watched during our trip through the badlands of the Dakotas and Montana. Back in camp, after spending another day in and around the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, it was time to relax, but with a sky like this everything else can wait…

I exposed strictly for the vibrant sky, knowing I can pull back the shadows in the foreground a little bit in post process if I wanted to. Finally I decided for the silhouette, making the sky the only thing the eye wants to go in this image.

Nikon D750, Nikkor 70-200mm / f4,  @70 mm, 1/400s, f/5.6, ISO200