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.

Photo Friday: Calm and QuietPosted by drfl on August 26th, 2011

I found myself yet again at Jack Sinn last week photographing the marsh. It is similar to my image, “Listen to the Quiet” taken last year, abut different enough I though it warranted processing. This image is another stitched Tilt/Shift image. Weighing in at just over 32 megapixels I once again enjoy the ability to take multiple shots for stitching with ease. One thing I do want to say, though, is that the stitching technique can be performed with any normal and some wide angle (wide to about 24mm) lenses. Before the tilt/shift I used my 17-40 f/4l which worked well, but shifting the 24 TS-E lens is much easier than lining up my tripod head and moving it correctly.

Technical Details:
Canon 5D Mark II, 24 TS-E II, f/9, 2 seconds, 2-stop Singh-Ray Hard Stop, 3-stop Singh-Ray Hard Stop Reversed
Jack Sinn Wildlife Management Area, Nebraska

Photo Friday: Waiting for TomorrowPosted by drfl on July 8th, 2011

As a change from the recent wintry Colorado photos, today I present an image take just a couple of weeks ago at Mahoney State Park. Near the toboggan run, there are several large Burr Oak trees that I enjoy photographing on occasion. On this warm summer eve, I captured the setting sun through the branches of one of these large, old residents of the park.

Technical Details:
Canon 50D, 10-22 e-fs @ 10mm, f/20, 1/10 sec
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, Nebraska

Photo Friday: Soaring Sandhill CranesPosted by drfl on April 8th, 2011

In the evenings during their migration through Nebraska, Sandhill Cranes come back from the fields to the Platte River to rest. Hundreds to thousands can be visible for miles around during this time as they land during the sunset hours.

Technical Details:
Canon 50D, 300 f/4l + 1.4tc, f/6.3, 1/2000 sec.
Hall County, Nebraska

Photo Friday: Sand Dune StormPosted by drfl on March 25th, 2011

In keeping with my recent black and white theme, today I present an image from 2008 that I converted to monochrome. It didn’t work well as a color image, but the patterns and contrasts seem to really work in black and white.

Technical Details:
Canon 5D, 17-40 f/4l @ 17mm, f/13, .6 seconds, 2-stop Singh-Ray grad filter
Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

11 Necessities in Building A Photography BusinessPosted by drfl on January 26th, 2011

I would venture to say 99% of people who start in off in the photography business believe it’s all shooting, technique, and fun!. Sure, maybe there will be a little digital darkroom work, but that’s fun too, right?!

Coming from a fairly entrepreneurial family and having worked on building other businesses, I knew there would be more to it than the shooting and I even knew some of what I would need to do to get the business side done, but I didn’t realize everything I had to do. I’ve had my share of bruises and setbacks, but year after year I keep doing this and year after year my business grows. So today I’m going outline 11 things to keep in mind about what I’ve learned to keep up the business side of photography. Some of it may surprise, other may not, but let’s dive in.

1. Taxes, taxes, taxes! That’s right, if you’re in any kind of business, you must pay taxes. Some businesses go a long time without paying taxes on their income. I’m not advocating this in the least, but it will catch up with you. I just sent in my Nebraska Sales Tax form so it’s at the top of my mind. Oh, that brings up another point, be sure to understand the tax laws in your state. For instance, if I deliver photography to someone in Nebraska physically – i.e. on disk or print, I must collect Sales Tax. If I email it, i.e. for stock, then I do not have to collect.
2. Get a fax number. What? Fax – that’s so 1985! Well, it is, but I have to get forms with signatures faxed all the time. Email is not secure and most people do not know how to secure these forms. It’s ironic, but faxing is actually more secure and more accessible to several businesses. I choose to have a fax to email capability so that I can receive faxes (Such as a Nebraska Resale License – Form 13 – see above) and have them emailed to me.

Read the rest of this entry »