OUT WEST #19

Bucking Mule Canyon and Waterfall, Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming

It doesn’t happen very often that you can look from the sky at a waterfall that drops down 550 feet (167m). The hike to Bucking Mule Falls in the Bighorn Mountains was worth the effort. Arriving at the overlook at the end of the trail it became clear that the waterfall wouldn’t be the best or only subject for a photo. We were there in the early afternoon and a moody color shot wasn’t within reach either. My brain switched into “black & white mode” and this photo with Bucking Mule Canyon as the subject was what I came up with.

OUT WEST #18

Canary Spring, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone NP, Wyoming

Looking again at my photos about Yellowstone National Park from 2005 and 2007 it became clear, little did I know about photography and what makes a good image. Not that I think my photos are great today, but seeing some improvement that is not just due to better gear is motivation to continue.

The travertine terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs have always intrigued us and even if they are photographed probably several million times a year by visitors, you don’t want to leave your camera in the car. The Canary Spring is one of the most beautiful geological features in this area. Canary owes its name and brilliance in reference to the yellow filamentous algae growing along the edge of the spring. These terraces change fast, they emerge quickly but can dry up fast as well.

OUT WEST #17

Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, @ 200 mm

Yeah, we were back in Yellowstone National Park! It hasn’t lost anything of its magnificence since our last visits in 2005 and 2007. Our plan was to revisit places that we liked in particular, take it easy, and stay away from the big crowds whenever possible.

However, there was no way we would skip the Grand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin, the world’s largest hot spring. The question was again the same as during previous visits, how to photograph this beautiful feature in the park? Before our trip to Yellowstone I looked at my old images from 2007 and tried to find out what I would like to do different. Going with a wide angle lens and including the elements of the touristic infrastructure, like boardwalk, road, etc., or a more intimate view without any manmade elements in the frame? At 16 mm focal length you can get the great memory shot you always wanted, especially if you have nice clouds in the sky. When the sun hit the right spot all the colors created by the bacteria in the hot water came to life, and at 200 mm focal length I got some shots I never made before and they became my new favorites.

Grand Prismatic Spring, @ 16 mm

FEW LEAVES, BUT GOOD TIME

Little Paint Creek, Yellow River State Forest, Allamakee County, Iowa

It was maybe the last chance for a camping weekend during this season for us. We pitched our tent in northeast Iowa at Yellow River State Forest, only 90 minutes away from home. 8,900 acres of forestland and over 41 miles of hiking trails make it a great area for an autumn hiking trip. We had some good conversation with other hikers on the trail and friendly camp neighbors shared their dinner with us (Thank you again Pam and Phil!). At this time of the year, when the wind blows and the temperatures drop below freezing at night, the camp sites are usually not so full and often you find like minded people that enjoy the quiet side of tent camping as we do.

To be honest, I had high hopes to find still an abundance of leaves with fall colors, but if you look at the image below, most leaves were already on the ground. The rain and wind during the last few weeks is probably to blame for. No leaves means more light on the ground and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The challenge was to find the places where the light was not just a dappled mess. Little Paint Creek flows through the campsite and right before the sun disappeared behind the bluffs, the moss and lichen covered rock wall and the shadows from the trees behind me “painted” the surface of the water with warm colors and a pattern that worked for me…

Paint Creek, Yellow River State Forest, Allamakee County, Iowa

OUT WEST #16

Beartooth Highway, Shoshone National Forest, Montana

It has been a while since we visited Yellowstone National Park. This time we wanted to make a different approach and entered the park trough the northeast entrance. In order to get there we drove north into Montana and followed the Beartooth Highway all the way to Cooke City. All three images were shot during stops along this spectacular highway that winds from Red Lodge, MT through Shoshone National Forest and over the Beartooth Pass.

Overlook at Beartooth Pass (3,347 m / 10,947 ft)

Beartooth Lake with Beartooth Butte, a fossil repository that was pushed upwards during the last 75 million years.

OUT WEST #15

North Tongue River, Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming

Although the Bighorn Mountains may not be always as pristine as parts of some national parks, because the land is quite often national forest and the same degree of protection does not apply to it, but we fell in love with this landscape immediately. Part is that you wouldn’t find mass tourism, as it becomes more of a problem lately for some of the big national parks. In addition there is no lack of beauty or stories that can be told, despite the fact there is no “iconic” view (a term that drives me crazy, which just seems to mean, everybody needs to take a picture where someone else has taken a picture before).

Not only early morning or evening, as when this photo was made, you share the light and wildlife observations on location with only few people or even nobody at all…

Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4, @ 35 mm, 2.5s, f/20, ISO50, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, KIRK BH-3 ball head, VELLO wired remote switch


OUT WEST #12

Morning in the Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming

So, how about the moose? The next morning after the evening we watched the Red-tailed Hawk we went back into the valley where the North Tongue River flows along highway 14A. The rock cliffs above the valley and the aspen groves below were in beautiful morning light and the colors suggested that fall wasn’t too far away. The hawk wasn’t there anymore but we watched Mule Deer and some elk far in the distance. Later, after we had packed our tent and camping gear, we drove through the valley again, and finally we found this young moose bull munching on willow leaves. Hard to beat a morning like this…

Young Moose bull

OUT WEST #10

North Tongue River, Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming

I was asked if I had anything new in my photo bag during our recent trip. Nothing big, except for one piece of accessories that helped me to solve a problem with my landscape photography that had bugged me since awhile. I finally added a 77 mm, 1.8 Solid Neutral Density Filter (6-stop) from Breakthrough to the “tool box”. I have experimented in the past with cheaper ND filters for long exposures and one reason I never used them very often was because I didn’t like how they rendered the colors. There seemed to be always an unwanted color cast. I can tell you, the Breakthrough is the cleanest filter I have ever used. I was wondering if a screw on filter with 6-stops can still be used with the camera’s auto focus. And yes, you can!

At North Tongue River, near our campsite in the Bighorn Mountains I had plenty of opportunities to test, play, and have fun with this piece of glass. With moving water every picture turns out a little different, but selecting the one I like to show here in the blog was not influenced by lack of quality due to an unwanted color cast.

One of the things I realized during these long exposure shots is that I payed a lot more attention to composition. Having the camera on a stabile tripod is mandatory and really taking the time to envision how the blur of the water may impact the final image led to results I’m quite happy with. Most of the time during our vacation we had a blue or sometimes hazy sky. I was hoping to have a chance experimenting with fast moving clouds but this has obviously to wait for another time…

Nikon D750, Nikkor 70-200mm / f4, Breakthrough X4 ND filter 1.8 (6-stop), Induro GIT 404XL tripod, KIRK BH-3 ball head, VELLO wired remote switch,  @200 mm, 6 s, f/25, ISO100

OUT WEST #9

Sunrise in the Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming

This week I like to introduce you to one of our favorite mountain areas during this trip in regards of wildlife and landscape. We have crossed the Bighorn Mountains, located in north central Wyoming, twice before on our way to Yellowstone National Park in 2005 and 2007. Every time we said, oh, we need to come back to this area. Well, it took a long time, but we finally returned and spent a few days in these beautiful mountains that are not on the average traveler’s agenda.

These cliffs were near our campsite at the North Tongue River. We were at this overlook the day before around late morning and it was clear to me that the photo deserved a better time. Next morning we were on site around sunrise and the picture envisioned the day before became a reality…

Nikon D750, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4G ED VR, @145 mm, 1/50 s, f/10, ISO100

OUT WEST #7

Aspens in color, Bighorn Mountains, near North Tongue River, Wyoming

Going out west early into mid September is not a guarantee for having leaves with great fall colors. We knew that, but going up higher in altitude can always be a game changer. The highest peak in the Bighorn Mountains is over 4,000 meters and this photo location near our campsite at North Tongue Campground in Bighorn National Forest was still at an altitude of 2,400 m. Higher elevation triggers earlier frost and so it was no surprise to see some aspens in their beautiful fall colors.

OUT WEST #6

Needles Highway, Black Hills, South Dakota

For my taste we had way too many days with just a plain blue sky and without any dramatic weather. The only exception was during a drive through the heart of the Black Hills, along the Needles Highway. I made quite a few clicks at this vantage point but when this dude with his “Hill Billy shirt” stopped his Harley right in front of me, I knew I had my photo…

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2018 #06 - GETTING SOME DRAMA IN THE FRAME

Mississippi River, Deere Marsh, Dubuque, Iowa

I interrupt my photo stories about this year’s “OUT WEST” trip for an actual photo from earlier this evening. While having a mini hike with dog Cooper to the end of the dyke in the Deere Marsh at the Mississippi River, the sky became very interesting. The sun sets 365 days of the year, but this one today was quite a performance. The bank of clouds was in the right place for some drama. I had the Carl Zeiss Distagon T*, 35mm / f2 ZF lens with manual focus on camera today, a lens I have neglected recently a little bit, despite its wonderful color rendering and sharpness. I do that quite often lately, going out with just one lens and try to make the best out of it. Sure, I miss a shot ones in a while because it might be the wrong lens or the wrong focal length for a particular subject that crosses my path. However, putting on this challenge helps me to practice and think about my shooting a little more. Today the Carl Zeiss 35/f2 wasn’t a bad choice. I hope you enjoy!

Nikon D750, Carl Zeiss Distagon T*, 35mm / f2 ZF

OUT WEST #2

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

The landscape of the Badlands in South Dakota is unique and has pulled me into fascination for the fourth time during the last thirteen years. As a child I was reading books about the Prairie Indians that used to live in these vast areas out west and were brutally bereaved from their living basis, the roaming bisons of the prairie, by military and the unrelenting pressure of European settlers heading west.

For some people it may look like a moonscape but the Badlands are full of life and any time we come out here we discover more of the beauty and nurture our love for this beautiful piece of land. It is a photographers paradise and the change of light and abundance of wildlife make for constant changes of lenses, at least if you only employ one camera…

OUT WEST #1

DIGNITY of Earth and Sky, Chamberlain, South Dakota

No activity for almost three weeks in my blog? Yes you guessed it, we were on vacation, a time I usually take a break from posting here in the blog. Joan and I, and of course our little dog Cooper, made an 18-day trip out west to the grasslands and mountains of South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. If this is something that may interest you, stay tuned for the next few weeks. As I slowly work my way through all the pictures that were taken, I will try to tell a story with my photos of our journey, about the landscapes we discovered, and some of the wildlife we found.

Any time we head out west it is mandatory for us to stop near Chamberlain, South Dakota, just before we cross the Missouri River. New at this rest stop along Interstate 90 is the statue “DIGNITY of Earth and Sky”, dedicated September 17, 2016, and created by sculptor and South Dakota artist and laureate Dale Claude Lamphere.

“Standing at a crossroads, DIGNITY echoes the interaction of earth, sky, and people. She brings to light the beauty and promise of the indigenous people and cultures that still thrive on this land. My intend is to have the sculpture stand as an enduring symbol of our shared belief that all here are sacred, and in a sacred place.” Dale Claude Lamphere

Crossing the Missouri River, Chamberlain, South Dakota

It was our fourth time that we stood at this vantage point together, overlooking the Missouri River, and it is no coincidence that a truck with parts for another giant wind turbine rolls by. Many of them were on the road, telling the story about how the true decision makers in this country, the leaders in economy and business with a view beyond just local interests, understand the need for change in energy and climate policies.

Black-tailed Prairie Dogs, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Our first place to pitch the tent was at Sage Creek Campground in Badlands National Park, South Dakota, a campsite we have been before three times, and one of our favorite places to be. New was that the Black-tailed Prairie Dogs have now expanded their territory into the camp area. Sitting in a camping chair behind tripod and camera, having a beer or glass of wine, and shooting these funny critters in the killer light of the setting sun is a great way to start a vacation, at least in my books… 😊

ROMANCING AN UNROMANTIC LOCATION

Heritage Pond, Dubuque, Iowa

This shot with soft light and reflections on the water suggest a quiet, romantic location, just a few minutes before sunset, right? But nothing of the above was true. Behind the belt of reeds is a busy highway where people headed home from work or shopping. The noise level was not bad but definitely not quiet and the sunset was still 45 minutes away.

The steep bluffs of the Mississippi Valley make the sun disappear a little earlier, hence the blue reflections from the sky on the water. The light is nevertheless very warm and by watching the white balance settings in camera and underexpose by one f-stop we can romance the photo to the final result. Shooting from across the pond and keeping any distracting element from the highway out of the frame was possible by using the Nikon Nikkor 70-200, f/4 at 200 mm. No magic, just using what the camera has to offer…