It was a little less haze in the air today and I decided to chase the full moon, the second one during the month of August, also called a ”Blue Moon”, due to the fact that it is the fourth full moon during a season. As mentioned in my last blog post yesterday, the moon would rise even further to the east and having a photo with the moon low above the water of the Mississippi River wasn’t really an option around here. I wanted to do something different and chose the location for the camera much closer to the city of Dubuque, and just a bit above water level this time. Moonrise was exactly half an hour later than yesterday, sunset about fifteen minutes earlier, and making the click and process the image in post was a different kind of challenge as I found out in front of my computer. What you see in the photo is the romance I felt when the moon showed up above this island in the river. The green of the leaves in the trees is still lush, despite the heat we had recently. There were quite a few boats making a ”full moon river cruise” on the Mississippi. I was happy to keep them all out of the frame and enjoyed having the end of the dike, that protects Dubuque, Iowa from flooding, just for myself…
SUMMER CLOSE-UP
Of course, we can make all kinds of ”technical exercise” with our cameras, from focus stacking to multiple exposures, etc., etc., you name it. I like the simple shot that reveals beauty, may tell a story, but most important doesn’t need a lot of ”pixel bending” in post process to make the image work. The light came from the right but the white prickles make it almost look like the teasel was backlit. It’s certainly an invasive plant but there is no reason to think it doesn’t look gorgeous.
Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4, @ 200mm, 1/1250s, f/5, ISO 400
MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2023 #8 - SAGITTARIA LATIFOLIA
Broadleaf Arrowhead, Mississippi River, John Deere Marsh, Iowa
During my short walks with our dog Cooper during lunch time I almost always take the camera with me, although due to the time of the day the light is often not flattering. I’m glad I did yesterday. The Broadleaf Arrowheads, also known as common arrowheads, in the Mississippi River cover huge areas along the shore. Its blossoms stand out and look gorgeous against the lush green of the arrowhead shaped leaves. After going down on my knees it was an easy click at 200 mm focal length.
Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4, @ 200mm, 1/500s, f/5.6, ISO 100
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
DEALING WITH HIGH ISO SETTINGS
1/40s, ISO1600
There were many ways to escape the summer heat during the weekend. Since we had the grandkids in town a visit in the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium was one of the options. We went there actually twice… It’s such an interesting place that has many things to offer for people of all ages and although we have been there often before, there is always something new to see and to learn.
1/125s, ISO 4000
I in particular enjoy all the big aquariums with displays of different habitats in the Mississippi River and about the marine life along the coast lines of North America. It’s always a challenge to shoot through the thick glass under low light conditions. Fish usually do not stand still and to freeze the action my ISO settings were between 1600 and even 10000. These high ISO values pump up the amount of digital noise in the photo to a level that just doesn’t look good anymore.
1/200s, ISO 4000
The Nikon Z6II handles digital noise much better than any DSLR camera I have ever owned, but in that range some noise removal needs to be applied in post process. Thanks to noise removal software that is powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) we can enjoy some amazing results these days. Adobe Lightroom is the first software for most of my editing and it has a pretty good AI powered Denoise feature built in. However, I still prefer Topaz DeNoise AI, which has more choices about how the final noise removal is done.
1/160s, ISO 4000
All images: Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S
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.
A SEASON IN PROGRESS
The water level in the Mississippi River drops since more than a week but is still not below flood stage. I could show you pictures of areas that are still flooded and are interesting for some people but I always approach even the documentary scenes with an eye on the light and colors that may not take center stage in a news paper story.
A little bit of rain during the last days took some of the blossoms down from the blooming trees. This carpet of freshly fallen petals drew my attention while going on a walk at the John Deere Marsh north of Dubuque, Iowa. Although not attached to a tree anymore, they still give us a sense of beauty and definitely tell the story that summer is just around the corner.
Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S, @ 70mm, 1/400 s, f/5.6, ISO 200
ICY ART, WORK IN PROGRESS
The avid reader of my blog may remember that I had a project going on during the last few years, called ICY ART. A gallery of images I made over the years is on my website, just click HERE to have a look at it. This winter season I didn’t see much that was better than what has been photographed before, but finally on February 18, the shape, texture of the ice, and light came together for a new picture that will make it into the gallery. I hope you enjoy!
LOOKS FROM A FAIRY TALE
Everybody could have made this kind of a photo here in our region today. Most of the tree branches had a thick ice cover after the ice storm during the last couple days. To include the sunburst the aperture of the lens is closed down to f/18 - f/22 and you can zoom with your feet until you have the desired position for the sun in the viewfinder. I drove a bit around today, hoping to catch some of the beauty nature provided for us, but at the end the photos I liked the best came from right here on the bluffs above the Little Maquoketa Valley. Our oaks were still covered with ice this afternoon but these ”looks from a fairy tale” disappeared rapidly under a powerful sun and with the help of some wind.
Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S, @ 60mm, 1/500 s, f/22, ISO 100
ICE STORM (THE UPSIDE)
We are still dealing with the outcome of a big ice storm with freezing rain that hit us last night and today. I probably could host a bob sled race here in our drive way…😉 With all the negative impacts it brings for the people it also comes with a certain beauty. Nobody likes icy roads, electrical power lines down, or falling trees, but the glass-like look of tree branches bares some photo opportunities. A small adjustable LED light, set to 5000 Kelvin, was used to bring out some colors in the yew bushes that grow in front of the house.
The second photo was made on the balcony already last night when the ice cover was still growing. The power of two LED lights, that we use to illuminate the deck if necessary, comes from behind the camera. All the boards overhead that support a climbing vine plant had this gallery of icicles. I shot this with ISO 10000, something I have never done before. The Nikon Z6II does a very good job for noise reduction in general, but of course at ISO 10000 there was noticeable noise in the picture. Since a few months I use Topaz DeNoise AI in my post-processing workflow whenever necessary for an image. The noise in this photo was most visible on the illuminated boards in the background. I’m amazed about the results, even at such a high ISO level, with no noise left and the icicles remained sharp and unaffected.
WINTER WONDERLAND RESTORED
The view into the valley wasn’t pretty during the last days, with the old snow from earlier this year almost gone. But a new thick layer of the white stuff poured on us again all morning. It was very wet snow and it did cling to the trees. “Winter Wonderland” restored, even if it was only for a few hours…
The deciduous forest here, without its leaves, bares a lot of distractions that often do not work for a photo very well. The chaos of branches is reduced by their snow cover, they stand out and it almost becomes a texture. Using black and white for the final image emphasizes the beauty that we saw today while looking at the trees above the valley below.
OZARK MOUNTAINS (9)
Ferns and lichens, Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas
While I’m writing this blog post snow comes down and will probably not stop before tomorrow afternoon. Well, it’s a good reason to post a photo with some green in it. In my first article about the Ozarks I talked about the challenge to find interesting details in late fall, when most leaves were gone already. These ferns and lichens on a rock wall along Cedar Creek in Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas are a good proof that beauty in a landscape is not just found at the great vistas. I’m pretty sure I will process this image as a black & white sometime later but for now, let’s enjoy some color.
Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S, GITZO tripod GT2931 Basalt, KIRK BH-3 ball head, @ 70mm, 1/50s, f/8, ISO 800
OZARK MOUNTAINS (4)
Grasses in the river bed, Haw Creek Falls, Ozark Mountains, Arkansas
Today I have something for the more art-minded viewers. In my first blog post about the Ozark Mountains about a week ago I mentioned the challenge to find interesting details in the landscape. Deep in the woods of the Ozarks we checked out a campground at Haw Creek Falls. The summer was dry, not just in this part of the country, and many creeks and rivers have still low water levels and the waterfalls of Haw Creek were not very impressive to say it mildly. But a hike with the camera on the exposed rocks in the river bed seemed to be promising. Harsh light can be your friend sometimes and these grasses in the river bed, that obviously had not seen a flash flood this summer, stood out against the dark background of the river nicely. The curves of the rocks gives us an idea how the water has carved out this valley over a long period of time.
And here is one of the aspects I like about the Nikon Z 6II, the first mirrorless camera that I use since exactly a year now. I really love the ability to set the camera into a particular picture mode and see a preview of the photo right in the viewfinder before I even make the click. In this matter I set it to monochrome. My presets in camera include a red filter applied to the image and relatively high contrast and sharpening. I still shoot in RAW mode, and if I don’t like the final result, it allows me to go back to color because all color information is still stored in the RAW file. In this case, with “Grasses in the river bed”, it was exactly what I had envisioned and saw in the viewfinder when the click was made, except for the fact that I cropped the final picture slightly.
Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4, GITZO tripod GT2931 Basalt, KIRK BH-3 ball head @ 200mm, 1/400s, f/4, ISO 100
NO DOUBT
We were greeted this morning with a few snow flakes, coming down slowly but steady. I grabbed the camera and walked out the door, still in my pajamas, and made a few clicks of the pumpkin at the edge of our porch. Halloween is over but we leave the big fruit there until it starts looking ugly. The orange of the pumpkin goes well with the blue of the wooden post. There is still a blossom on the petunia behind but the photo leaves no doubt, winter is knocking at the door…
TIME IS FLYING BY
Fall colors, gone for this season
I drove through our valley today and realized that hardly any colorful leaves are left on the trees. The oaks that keep their leaves possibly until spring are all dried up and brown is the dominating color. Leaves from other trees are on the ground, with very little exceptions. Reason enough to post today’s photo, shot already three weeks ago here on top of our rocky bluffs. Time is flying by…