Still Green

We are closing in on the end of September in South Dakota and that means that fall is here. While there plenty of leaves on the ground, there are also tenacious plans that aren't quite ready to give up.When I saw these leaves, what caught my attention was the subtle backlighting caused by the low western sun. When I pointed my camera at this leaf, I was hoping that I could isolate this one leaf from all the rest. In fact, when I took the photo, I was thinking of using it here with the title "E pluribus unum." But who wants to figure out Latin in a photo blog?

Manipulation of Another Kind

In yesterday's post, taken yesterday morning, I was commenting on how manipulative HDR photos could be. Later in the day, I was taking a few photos of some fancy gourds my wife bought at the farmers' market on Saturday and I realized that these gourds must be the product of manipulation, too.I think some geneticist somewhere sprinkled his/her magic mutation powder on regular gourd seeds to see what would happen. And this green, white and yellow thing is one of the products.I think that software manipulation of photos is much less insidious. Just imagine what would happen if the geneticist dusted you or your children with his/her special powder. . .(PS: My friend, Jim, inspired this post because of a comment he made on my Facebook page. Thanks, Jim.)

Shadow and Light

This is the fourth in a series of sunrise shots that were all taken within 30 minutes or so of each other. This photo was almost rejected (which is my way of throwing things away - kind of). The rejection would have been based on the fact that so little is well exposed on this frame. In fact I would say that as much as 1/2 of this photo is almost pure black. In my mind, that's not good.But, when I looked at this picture again, I like how the black parts of the photo frame the incipient sunrise. I think that how the water goes from black to deep blue to orange is especially interesting.So this one became a keeper.

A Sign of Summer

I'm not sure if this macro photo of an ear of sweet corn is too abstract or not but when I was unwrapping this ear to prepare for tonight's supper, I knew I had to stop what I was doing and photograph it.I liked the beautiful soft glow of window light on the deep yellow kernels. I also liked the symmetry of the rows, though there is an interesting asymmetry at the focal point of the photo. Nothing's perfect, I guess.I was about to take the tenth photo in the series when Deb told me to put my camera down so we could eat. I think the 11th photo would have been the masterpiece of corn macros. She's a bit of a spoil sport sometimes. :-(Canon 5DII 1/60s f/4.5 ISO800 100mm

Standing Out

If you saw yesterday's post you might recognize this flower. Is it really the exact same tulip that Katie is holding? Only the tulip knows.But, like dandelions, this tulip is a genetic clone. It is an exact duplicate of all the other lavender tulips that came in the package of bulbs my wife planted. That's what you get when you have self-pollination and asexual reproduction. Humans, on the other hand, are a rich and varied species. Human duplication (I'm trying not to use the word "sex" here) is a little less convenient but the results are worth it.Which is to say that I'm glad I'm not a tulip. . .

A Bit of Color

I generally don't like selective coloring, which is what this photo illustrates. It's done in Photoshop. Compositionally, this is very simple photo but the software processing wasn't - I ultimately had 6 different layers in this photo. A goal was to emphasis the flower, which would have been the focal point even if I had done nothing to the photo.But I also wanted to soften the skin texture in Katie's hands, blur parts of the photo but keep the detail in the bodice of the dress.

Mirror With Shades of Pink

As if to prove my point about redundancy (or obsession, compulsion, practice, repetition, etc.) here's a morning cloud shot.To be honest, though, when the sun rose high enough the morning I woke up in this back bay on Lake Oahe, this is the first thing that caught my eye: narrow, nearly pink clouds reflected almost perfectly in the calm, dark water of the bay. I also liked the silhouette of the land, which is almost black and nondescript.But enough words. . . Just imagine the cool, quiet calm that I was wrapped in when I took this photo.Or this oneAnd this oneAnd finally, this one

I Am No Claude Monet

Nor was meant to be. (As TS Elliot might say.)*But just as Monet painted canvas after canvas of haystacks in different light, I seem to photograph clouds at sunrise fairly regularly. Redundant? Just as it was with Monet, for me it's not so much about the subject; it's about the light. And the place. . . .*No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;Am an attendant lord, one that will doTo swell a progress, start a scene or twoAdvise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool,Deferential, glad to be of use,Politic, cautious, and meticulous;Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;At times, indeed, almost ridiculous—Almost, at times, the Fool.Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Still Seeing Green

I took this photo this summer but when and where I don't remember. For me, this is unusual since taking a photo is rarely a casual or unconscious decision. I am generally pretty "focused" and very aware of the subject, the place and the act.This photo isn't anything to write home about, though there is something simple and elemental in drops of water on deep green leaves. And I do like taking photos of vegetation.

Hot Pink

I remember these as being more purple than pink when I spotted them in the garden. But in the post-processing, this is the color that my white balance adjustments got me. I can live with that. . .

Purple Dawn

This is pretty much the same view as yesterday's post, though taken several minutes later with no sailboat to block the view.Seasoned Oahe boaters all know that one of the most unusual features of the shoreline this summer is that for late August, things are still incredibly green. Pierre, SD, which lies just south of the reservoir, has had 8" more rain than it normally gets by this time in August.For the sake of comparison, check out this shot of the Little Bend camp ground taken in early September in 2005 when the reservoir water level was much lower and central South Dakota was experiencing a more typical dry summer. As I study the 2005 photo, today's post makes it look almost tropical on the western shore of Lake Oahe.For those who like analogies, check out another sunrise photo taken of the Missouri in mid-winter. The hues are similar, though the water temperature is a few degrees cooler. :-)

First Light In Mission Creek

I made the 15 mile trip from the Spring Creek Marina to Mission Creek largely under power since the wind was light to non-existant. The weather forecast was for good weather overnight and light winds in the morning. For me there isn't much better in my sailing world than to wake up in a remote bay with calm winds and the hint of a glorious sunrise. And this morning was one of those experiences.When I first slid the hatch cover open and put my head out, I wasn't thinking of taking photos. But right away I noticed very light fog low on the water, which I thought was interesting. I also liked the curves of the sloping green hills that came down to the water's edge.Compositionally and aesthetically, then, I liked what I saw. But the problem was that there was very little light. But knowing that the camera sees things in ways that the eye can't, I thought that I'd crank up the ISO and see what I got. And you are looking at it.