WEEKEND IN WISCONSIN’S NORTHWOODS

Popple River, Forest County Wisconsin

I spent the weekend in the Northwoods of Wisconsin at a friend’s cabin, to be more precise, in the woods north of Crandon and Laona. With every mile I drove further north fall colors appeared more sparsely. In addition gray skies dominated the weekend’s weather. I still tried to find ways to tell the story with the camera about the changes at the end of the fall season.

I have photographed from this bridge, crossing the Popple River, several times in the past. My older photos show it mostly frozen, with a layer of snow on top. Most leaves were gone already but the patches of grass lead the eye to the background, where some fall colors tell us, it’s not all over yet.

Full moon revealed, near Double Bend Road, Forest County, Wisconsin

The rain had moved out of the area and the almost full moon started peeking through the clouds. The light and mood of the scene reminded me of paintings by German Romantic landscape painter Casper David Friedrich (1774 - 1840). A light at the cabin to my left gave the tree trunks some structure. It is very subtle, but made the difference instead of rendering the trees just as a silhouette and nothing but black on the lower part of the photo.

Most of the maples had lost their leaves already but I found this young maple on an island in a bog. I removed carefully everything bright below this branch to keep the background as dark as possible. After this little bit of preparation it was an easy click.

I’m always amazed about the variety of different tree species up north. On the small island in the bog near the cabin we found pine, fir, spruce, maple, birch, arborvitae, and others. With the absence of popping colors, even in the sky, the camera was set to black and white with a red filter effect applied, making the shape of the trees the subject of the image. Although the arborvitaes are evergreen trees, the may shed some of their leaves. Here they covered the forest floor and gave me another reason to make this photo.

Cascade in the Little Popple River, Forest County Wisconsin

The tinted water at this cascade is a good indicator that the river flows through a boggy and peaty landscape, shaped by the glaciers a long time ago. This was shot handhold at 190 mm focal length and 1/20 sec. exposure time. I wanted movement in the water but also keep some of the details and not making it just some ”chocolate milk” flowing over the rocks.

MINNESOTA NORTHWOODS - #11

Fall colors, Road in Superior National Forest, near Schroeder, Minnesota

This photo was made on our last day up in the Northwoods of Minnesota. We had moved to a campsite at Ninemile Lake in Superior National Forest, not far away from Lake Superior. It was raining almost all day long but we still went out and tried to capture some beauty along Lake Superior, the worlds largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. If nothing else can be done on a very rainy and almost stormy day, searching for interesting looking stones along the shore is still an option…

This was two and and a half weeks ago and while we drove back to camp, we enjoyed already the colors of fall. Well, we had to stop for this view to soak it all in and make a few clicks, but fifteen minutes later we entered the TRESTLE INN, a saloon and restaurant in the middle of nowhere, not far from our campsite. Great food, good beer, and just an incredible friendly staff! A great way to beat the rain and to end another wonderful day in the Great Outdoors!

MINNESOTA NORTHWOODS - #4

First I like to make clear that today’s photos are not wildlife images. These wolves are part in a pack of five arctic gray wolves, the ’ambassador wolves’ of the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota. This facility has a mission statement on their website I like to point out.

The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future.

We had a great visit there last week and learned new things about these very social animals.

We have seen and listened to the howling of wolves in Yellowstone National Park some years ago and that was very emotional for us, even if the wolves were quite a bit away from us. In Ely we had a chance to be very close to these predators, although big glass windows kept us apart from them. Can you tell these photos were all made through a glass window? As a photographer I like to mention that the staff in the wolf center did a fantastic job to keep the glass meticulously clean, so visitors can take pictures with their phones or cameras without much glare in the photo. I made quite a few pictures and tried to keep all human made elements, like fences, building walls, etc. out of the frame.

If you like to learn more about the International Wolf Center in Ely, MN, here is a link to their website: https://wolf.org/ . If you ever get up to northern Minnesota, I highly recommend a visit of this interesting, educational, and fun place.

All images: Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm

BETWEEN SEASONS

Grass in morning light, Mines of Spain Recreation Area, Dubuque, Iowa

During yesterday’s field trip and bird watching event with the Audubon Society there was a brief moment when the light reminded us that we are between seasons. The seeds of this grass are ready to fall out and the golden light in the early morning made them stand out against the background. I made a quick lens change to the Z 24-70 mm. It wasn’t possible to keep all sky out of the frame but I toned the background down a little bit in post process to keep the eye away from the brighter spots and make them less distracting.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 65 mm, 1/800 s, f/8, ISO 400

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2023 #10 - BLUE MOON, A FOURTH FULL MOON DURING THE SEASON

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.