SPRING WITH SMALL STEPS

It seems like spring is arriving here only with small steps. Today it was lovely, it was warm and the sun was shining, and finally all of our crocuses had a chance to appear in all their beauty. We really enjoy it but I believe it is the third week in a row that I have to write here that snow is in the forecast for part of the weekend again. As I said, small steps…

NOW ONLINE: VISUAL STORIES - THROUGH THE DAKOTAS

Castles-Slim Butte, North Dakota

Some projects take a long time to become reality and some take even a little longer…😉

I just finished a new set of VISUAL STORIES here in my blog. The collection THROUGH THE DAKOTAS is finally online and you can find it by clicking up in the “Collections”-bar or by clicking right HERE. Some of the photos about a journey through the Black Hills and different “Badland” areas in the Dakotas have been previously posted in my blog a while ago and a coffee table book “BADLANDS - North and South Dakota” has been created as well. The only thing missing was a slide show in the blog. Well, as people in Germany say, …. gut Ding will Weile haben!

FASCINATING WINTER WORLD

Hi friends, I’m back from the moon! (just kidding…). The photo was made today during a flight from Denver to Chicago. Business required my presence in Colorado this week and the only camera that was in the pocket was my iPhone. I don’t know the exact location of this shot, it was somewhere between eastern Colorado and western Nebraska. It was fascinating how every little creek and water vein was filled with snow or ice, while other parts of the fields below showed the blank soil. Back home here in the Little Maquoketa Valley in eastern Iowa the reality was more disenchanting. We don’t have any snow on the ground, very unusual for this time of the year, but the weather forecast says this may change during the next few days…

THE LONELY SYCAMORE

Down in our valley at the Little Maquoketa River is a lonely Sycamore tree (Platanus occidentalis) that has intrigued me many times before. It seemed in all the years I never found the right light to make a photo telling the story about this unique tree with its mottled and flaking bark, that makes the tree standing out from any other one around. Today, an hour before sunset, Joan and I went for a walk on the trail in the valley with our dog Cooper. I don’t remember a year without any snow on the ground in January but this abnormal weather situation suddenly delivered the photo opportunity I had somehow in mind. I exposed strictly for the highlights to make the almost white bark standing out. This would have not worked with a layer of snow on the ground. Although the sun was very low already, the light is not really warm and I was actually thinking of black & white when I took the picture. But I like how the crisp light strikes the scene and only the corn stalks in the foreground pick up a little bit of the warmer light.

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

FIVE RAPTORS

CYSCO, Harris’s Hawk, hatched in captivity in 1994, excelled as a falconry bird, and came to the Schlitz Audubon Center after retirement. ------------ 

It was fun at the 30th Annual Bald Eagle Watch in the Grand River Center of Dubuque yesterday. The event that celebrates the American Bald Eagle had a very good turnout with people of all ages. We had lots of good conversations with visitors at the information desk of the Dubuque Camera Club and the other participating organizations have been very busy as well. The highlight for many guests was without any doubt the live bird program, presented several times during the day by staff and volunteers of the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, Milwaukee WI. The program was great education, not just for all the kids who got involved by Sara, who did a very good job of moderating it.

BARON VON SCREECH, Eastern Screech Owl, lost his right eye in a car accident.

It was allowed to take pictures, even with flash lights, but I decided to use just the ambient light for making some images of the raptors and the people who showed them to the audience. All photos were made handheld at f/4 between 1/20s and 1/40s. The ISO was cranked up to 1600. Shooting indoors is not my usual thing to do and dealing with white balance in very dim incandescent light had its challenges. The presenters moved around to give everybody a chance to have a close-up view of these beautiful raptors and the birds themselves move as well, with other words, not an easy task to get a sharp image.

CUTRIGHT, Peregrine Falcon, a retired falconry bird.

All seven birds of prey that were introduced to the audience (I only show five of them) are unable to make a living out in the wild for various reasons. Since I didn’t make notes (too busy fiddling with the camera 😉), the information about each bird under the photos is from the website of the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center. https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/education/raptor-program

TSKILI, Great Horned Owl, was stolen from her nest by a human who wanted her as a pet.

VALKYRIE, Bald Eagle, Was left by her parents earlier than normal. She did not have the hunting skills to survive in the wild. I like this photo because it shows the enormous size of an eagle, next to Sara, the main presenter of the program.

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

THE TWISTED TREE (2x)

This twisted American Arborvitae was sprayed by the waves from the surf of Lake Michigan every few minutes on that windy Friday after Thanksgiving. But that wasn’t what I was aiming for. It’s the killer light on the tree that made me push the shutter release button of the camera! Oh, you don’t believe me about the spray? Well, what can I say… 😊

ICICLES, BUT NOT WINTER YET

Icicles, Cana Island, Door County, Lake Michigan, Wisconsin

Happy Thanksgiving to all friends, family, and readers of my blog! Joan and I spend the long weekend up on the Door Peninsula at Lake Michigan in Wisconsin. After having a delicious Thanksgiving meal we wanted to burn some calories and took advantage of the gorgeous sunny weather up here. A visit of Cana Island Lighthouse has been always part of the program when we were up in Door County before and that’s where we did some walking and shooting pictures again today.

The photo of these iced bushes at the shore of the island suggests that it is very cold but it actually isn’t. There is no snow on the ground and the wind was moderate so far. However, it was still strong enough to create a nice surf along the shore of Lake Michigan, which probably formed the ice on the branches during the night.

WHEN LIGHT BECOMES THE SUBJECT

At Lewis Mountain campsite, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Ok, I’m jumping back and forth between actual photos, like the Tundra Swans from yesterday, and little stories and images from our tour through the mountains of West Virginia and Virginia in October.

Photography is all about light and how we use it to bring out the subject in our pictures. During an early morning walk around Lewis Mountain campsite in Shenandoah National Park I tried to work with backlit subjects, like ferns and grasses. With every minute more warm light from the low sun was pouring in and putting out some real magic. All the backlit plants are still in the frame but they play only a small role in the story. Suddenly the light itself, hitting the forest floor, became the subject. Not a bad way to start a day…

Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4, @ 35 mm, 1/25s, f/8, ISO400,

WHIRLIGIG’S DANCE FLOOR

Whirligig’s dance floor, Watoga Lake, Watoga State Park, Allegheny Mountains, West Virginia ———— 

Reading at Wikipedia website I learned that whirligig beetles got their common name from their habit of swimming in rapid circles on the water surface when alarmed. They are known for the bewildering and rapid gyrations in which they swim, and for their gregarious behavior.

I named this photo “Whirligig’s dance floor”. The crazy, dance like movements of the water bugs had shaped the open circle on the water, surrounded by pine needles and grass.

In this low light situation I shot the Nikkor 24-120, f/4 wide open at 120 mm and focused on the leaves under water to give the scene some depth. The natural light of the setting sun gave shape to all the elements that make this photo one of my favorites from our trip through West Virginia.

Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-120mm / f4, @120 mm, B+W F-PRO Kaesemann High Transmission Circular Polarizer MRC filter, @1/100s, f/4, ISO400

FALLEN BIRCHES

Fallen birches, Cranberry Wilderness, West Virginia ---------------

It’s easy to get lost and post , write, or reflect only on the great vistas and “standard views” the travel and photography websites suggest for a particular area. Sure, story telling is always important, but sometimes it is the subtle view of a detail that extracts the essence of a landscape and makes it finally a fine art print. This photo of fallen birches merges into these thoughts…

NATURE CLICKS #384 - GREEN CLEARWING

Green Clearwing, Mississippi River, Deere Dyke, Dubuque, Iowa

What do you do if you find a nice subject in great light that would require a macro lens and all what’s available is your widest lens? Some may say, enjoy the view and keep going. Well not me, I tried to get as close as possible with a 35 mm focal length, and I mean really close, only a few inches away. This still doesn’t do the trick, there is a reason that a true macro lens has at least a reproduction ratio of 1:1 and a longer focal length. I shot the beautiful Green Clearwing in a reasonable size but still way too much of its surrounding. To make this image work a pretty hefty crop was applied in post. Not my usual way to solve a problem. but hey, it’s a dragonfly in killer light… 😊

Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4, @ 35 mm, 1/320s, f/4, ISO200, B+W F-PRO Kaesemann High Transmission Circular Polarizer MRC filter

SOME STILL LOOK GOOD

We had a mild and lovely evening today and I was glad to have the camera with me during a walk with the dog down on the Heritage Trail in the Little Maquoketa River Valley. Most wildflowers have passed their prime around here as we are approaching fall but some still look good for a picture if the light hits them just right.

I’m testing a new polarizing filter (see info below) in anticipation of our vacation in October, which will hopefully lead to some good autumn photos. The B+W replaces an older 77mm Promaster filter that I never embraced 100% in regards of image quality and design. I have good experience with the 58mm B+W that I use since many years on the Carl Zeiss Distagon T*, 35mm / f2 ZF lens and I hope the 77 mm delivers the same good results.

Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4, B+W F-PRO Kaesemann High Transmission Circular Polarizer MRC filter,  @ 22mm, 1/250s, f/4, ISO100