Fall’s Final Curtain CallPosted by drfl on November 11th, 2009

This is an image of the same tree from Autumnal Brillance, close to sunset with the sun low in the sky. The leaves were completely gone in a matter of days after this photograph was captured.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/16, 1/60 sec.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa Side

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Fall’s Final Curtain Call – A maple tree bursts forth into glorious autumn colors.

Frosty Fall LeafPosted by drfl on October 21st, 2009

This past weekend I spent at my brother-in-law’s cabin in centralish Nebraska again. This is the same place that I made the photographs for my tractor series last month. Most of the leaves had fallen, but there was a nice cool morning that allowed me to get some frosty shots. Today’s image is a frosty fallen cottonwood leaf.

Techinical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM + Extension Tube, f/14, 1 sec.
Near Cedar Rapids, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: Frosty Fall Leaf

The Last MomentsPosted by drfl on October 20th, 2009

Today is the second installment of my tribute to the short Nebraska fall. Grabbing my macro and extension tube, I captured these beads of water on the fallen red maple leaves.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM + Extension Tube, f/10, 1/60 sec.
Schramm State Recreation Area, Nebraska

This photograph can be viewed on my website at: The Last Moments – Drops on a Fallen Maple Leaf

The Imperfect ImagePosted by drfl on July 23rd, 2009

I have always imagined capturing an image of a leaf under the ice.  In my imagination the leaf was preserved in pristine condition with a nice thin layer of ice covering it to add texture and depth.  Last winter at the OPPD Arboretum I went on a particularly cold day to capture some ice pattern abstracts and leaves trapped in the frozen pond.  I found a fallen fellow that was close to what I wanted, but when I returned to my computer I immediately dismissed the image as not “perfect” enough. 

7 months have gone by and I have reviewed the image again and this time I made a realization:  It is the imperfections which help give this image character and make it more “real”.  99% of the leaves I have seen trapped under the ice are somehow “misshapen”, but this is nature at work – decomposing and renewing for the following year.  In this image the bubbles and the notch out of the side of the leaf give it added interest that would not have been there otherwise.  Sometimes imperfection in our work shows a different glimpse of the beauty of nature.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 50 CM lens, f/10, 1/125 sec.
OPPD Arboretum, Omaha, Nebraska

This image can be viewed on my website at: http://www.journeyoflight.com/journey06/photo.asp?pictureid=FrozenInTime&xmlfile=/journey06/xml/color/midwest.xml&x=27

Reaching Out: RevisitedPosted by admin on January 6th, 2009

A couple of posts back I mentioned how many of my images have a “life”. Essentially, some are never quite finished for me. Tonight’s image is one such example. In a blog post on March 2, 2008 found here, I mentioned going back through some old photos and finding one that I liked the intricate details. Well, after reviewing that same image, yet again I felt I could add a little more to the photograph. One processing technique I use, especially with images with high contrast of color is a method called the “Orton effect”. Essentially, this effect takes an out of focus image and sandwiches with an in focus image to create a somewhat dreamy version of reality. It was originally used with slide film, but a technique still exists for digital. For more information, visit this tutorial on Orton imagery: http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0106/dw0106-1.html.

Technical Details:

Canon 5d, 300 f/4l + 1.4 tc, f/11, 1/5 sec., Orton
Alberta, Canada

Dreamy LeafPosted by admin on March 28th, 2008

Today at the arboretum, I continued to explore the textures on the logs and trees. I found this fallen leaf that still had some pigment and I liked how the leaf contrasted with the design on this recently wet log. Since the day was very overcast I have very little light and no tripod so I had to use a shallow depth of field. When I reviewed the image I liked the dreamy effect that was created. I increased this feel by utilizing the Orton technique.

Technical Details:
Canon 5d, 50 CM lens, f/7.1, 1/100 sec.
OPPD Arboretum

To view other photographs, order this photograph as a print, or purchase licensing rights, please visit my website at http://www.journeyoflight.com/.