After the Flood: A Return to DeSoto National Wildlife RefugePosted by drfl on January 16th, 2012

Technical Details:
Canon 5D Mark II, 70-200 f/4l @ 91mm, f/8, 1/320 sec.

For years I have visited DeSoto, my family often in tow. My eldest daughter, Riley loved to run the halls of the visitor center and look at the artifacts of the old Bertrand steamboat that had met its end in the mud and muck of what became DeSoto lake. I would occasionally visit by myself, finding a quiet solitude on the Cottonwood trail or on the shore of the lake.

The flooding of the Missouri this past spring, summer and into the fall affected lives, changed landscapes, and even modified the course of the river. Nuclear power plants stayed shut down, roads and highways were under water and destroyed, houses and farms were devastated. DeSoto was among the areas that was hit hard. The lake rose several feet and aerial photographs showed a large body of water covering the land that once existed in the former oxbow of the Missouri River.

The water has now receded. A week ago I returned to photograph it once again with a friend, Jayson Alder. Today I am presenting some images from that trip. I invite you to also check out Jayson’s blog to see what he captured as we hiked along the Cottonwood trail. I would also like to thank him for letting me use his 100 2.8 Macro lens. I really don’t need any help in wanting more equipment, but I must say the lens performed well. From the short time I used it, I do recommend taking a look at getting one if you are interested in doing some macro. Right now I use a 50 CM lens which works well, but you have to be close to your subject and it autofocuses ssssllllloooooowwww. Of course, it is one of only two lenses that remain from Canons original EF lineup from the 80s! The faster focus and longer distance of the 100 2.8 Macro was nice!

Technical Details:
Canon 5D Mark II, 100 2.8 Macro, f/8, 1/125 sec.

Technical Details:
Canon 5D Mark II, 70-200 f/4l @ 145mm, f/7.1, 1/640 sec.

Technical Details:
Canon 5D Mark II, 100 2.8 Macro, f/7.1, 1/125 sec.

Technical Details:
Canon 5D Mark II, 17-40 f/4l, f/16, 1/8 sec.

Rocky Mountain BlanketPosted by drfl on June 8th, 2011

Unfortunately, the flooding on the Missouri is getting worse. It probably will continue to get worse for sometime. All around there are stories of possible loss of property, damage, and people attempting to fight the onslaught. I hope they succeed. On Memorial Day I went to Ponca State Park to get some shots, but the flooding prevented me from going to parts of the park that I normally visit for photography. This event has also postponed my display at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, which is now closed indefinitely. Today I present an image of Rocky Mountain National Park that I captured, above the fog. I imagine that by mid-July this is how Nebraska and Iowa may look, only with water instead of clouds. I hope not, but it’s been a crazy spring and early summer so far.

Technical Details:
Canon 5D Mark II, 70-200 f/4l @ 98mm, f/8, .6 sec.
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Evolving Photography – The Forest and the FogPosted by drfl on May 25th, 2011

As I mentioned yesterday, I am in the process of processing (yes – process) my latest images. I have recently returned from a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and have a few thousand to go through. One of the first things I noticed as I was sorting my images was how my subjects have changed. Whereas I used to be all about the grand image, I now shoot more introspective smaller scenes. That doesn’t mean I don’t have the grand image, but I think I now have a better variation of subject matter. Another interesting thing I noted was that the images I processed first were these intimate scenes. I didn’t realize it until last night, but of the 17 images I have processed, only 4 are wide-angle landscapes.

I believe this is a good thing, for if I shot the same type over and over I think I would be bored with the art. Additionally, the more varied one’s work, I think that allows greater creativity in all aspects. Today’s image was taken from a location in the park known as “Many Parks Curve”. It’s essentially what it sounds, a curve on the road to the top of Trail Ridge (the main road through the park) that overlooks many of the parks in the park. This particular day was incredible with fog rolling throughout the valley engulfing the trees. As the sun rose, the trees emerged from the fog. I found myself shooting with telephoto lens mainly and although I have some wide-angle shots, I haven’t even begun to think about processing them yet. This image spoke to me first, so it was one of the first I processed.

With that I suggest that everyone go out and try to capture something a little different. I know this is something I’ve espoused before, but sometimes we need a little kick to get us out the door. Consider this your kick!

Technical Details:
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Canon 50D, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/5.6, 1/125 sec.

The JudgementPosted by drfl on December 29th, 2010

For a melancholy winter day.

Technical Details:
Canon 5D Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 19mm, f/10, 1/30 sec.
Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska

Printing and Preparation – DeSoto NWR Art FairPosted by drfl on November 19th, 2010

I’ve been a bit absent since I’ve been preparing for the DeSoto Art Fair being held this weekend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge near Missouri Valley, Iowa. I am very excited this year as I am expanding the prints that are available and working with some new panelling which should up the presentation values. If you get a chance to stop by, please say “Hi!”.

I would also like to thank Mrs. Waldron’s Second Period class at Andersen Middle School for letting me be a guest career speaker yesterday. It seems there are a few middle-schoolers that want to be photographers, which is great! I look forward to seeing some new faces in a few years in the photography world.

Technical Details:
Canon 5D Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/18, 1/50 sec.
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Photos of Rocky Mountain National Park – Day 9: Afternoon RestPosted by drfl on October 21st, 2010

This image was captured while on a family hike through the Lumpy Ridge area of Rocky Mountain National Park, my youngest daughter was fast asleep in her carrier on my back. During these hikes, I only brought one camera and one lens to force me to creatively work the area with a limited amount of equipment. I find these exercises (such as OLOH) allow me to further understand my lens and camera’s capability. So often we may feel limited by less equipment, but it is liberating not being bogged down by the weight allowing much easier movement.

Technical Details:
Canon 50D, 50 CM, f/4.5, 1/125 sec.
Lumpy Ridge, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado