Blustery cold Sunday

 

The snow storm from yesterday was followed by a sunny day with blowing wind and very cold temperatures. It didn’t stop us from driving through the open country and looking for some wildlife. Joan and I went to the gravel road where I had seen the American Kestrel a few days ago but we didn’t have any luck today. Instead the fresh snow and some clouds made for a wide angle shot of this old farm house on the hill.

Joan wanted to see if we can see the Blue Birds again that I discovered last weekend in the valley. To my surprise we found three of them sitting in a tree above the creek at the same place. Despite the very cold temperatures the creek had open water. This and the fact that this location in the valley is a little protected from the icy wind draws probably the birds in. We also discovered a bunch of American Robins in a nearby tree. I guess spring can’t be that far away anymore… ;-)

Iowa storm chase

 

We were lucky this evening to get a local thunderstorms that brought some much needed rain. Not much, but better than nothing. When the rain slowed down I drove down to the valley, and up again to the plateau into open area. I didn't have to go very far to see where the dramatic of the light unfolded while the storm moved away.

Both images were made within six minutes from the same location and that's when landscape photography becomes real fun in Iowa.

I chased the storm at a couple more places but the drama diminished quickly. Old farm buildings can make for a nice picture but quite often a uniform blue sky or dull light make it less interesting and I don't even bother taking the camera out. Turning east the tall thunderheads gave this farm the background that I like to see in a photo like this. Will try this one in black & white sometime...

Wishing all of you here in the US a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

Easter on the farm

 

We spent Easter on the farm with our family in Northwest Iowa. Thank you to Don, Shelly, and Shelby for having us again and for being such wonderful hosts! Beside eating a wonderful Easter dinner we spent quite some time outside and despite a snow shower coming down we had a nice fire going.

It is an exciting time on the farm. Eight calves were born in the last few days and a few more are expected soon.

I always like to walk around on the farm with my camera and look for interesting subjects. This time I was on a mission. I have made many pictures of the more than 100 years old barn before but this weekend was probably my very last chance to work with this old farm building. It will be replaced by a new barn very soon because its shape may bare a safety risk and repair is not really an option anymore. The barn is still in use and everybody is a little sad about the fact that it has to go. It was the first time that I made pictures of the barn at night. There is a lamp post right beside the building and its position is just perfect for this shot. The fresh snow solves the problem with the muddy foreground and shoots some extra light towards the barn.

Adding to my previous story

 

It was a great day for being outside. It was chilly but the air was very clear and the light just perfect for all kinds of photography. Joan and I went on a road trip this afternoon. We followed the Mississippi north to Guttenberg in search for wildlife or just a good view over the river valley. But let me start with the final stop of our tour. On our way back home I wanted to show Joan the location from where I made the image you can see in my last post. The clouds were not nearly as good as two days ago. Not far away from the farm house we discovered an old graveyard, named Platt Cemetery. The light doesn't get any better for a photo like this. I tried different angles and views, and different depth of field settings by changing my aperture, but always included the farm in the frame. I wanted this image telling the story who might be buried there, probably farmers and their families that tried to make a living in Iowa after coming over from Europe. The date on the gravestone in focus is not 100% legible but the stone is probably from 1868, according to the website iowagravestones.org.

Landscape photography in Iowa?

 

Iowa is not so famous for its landscape beauty as some other states in the US are but I tell everybody who is asking me about this area that, if you go around with open eyes you may find some lovely spots. If the weather ingredients are right you can even get some interesting views out in the open farmland.

I took off from home in the late afternoon when some mixed clouds crossed the area and even the sun came out occasionally. I like to watch out for farm settings that don't look completely industrial yet. This is not easy anymore. Farmers need to have modern production facilities, no matter what kind of farming they do, in order to stay in business successfully. As a result the old farm buildings disappear more and more.

I found this farm house on the hill, surrounded by old trees, that probably have been planted by the Great-grandfather of the current owner. The remaining patches of snow tell the story about the still ongoing winter and the dark top soil in the foreground lets you know how fertile the land is here and why farming plays such a big role in this part of the country. It's my kind of photography when the photo tells a story and if you just add some clouds and subtle late-afternoon-light you may have a good landscape image, even in Iowa... ;-)