The Dark Forest Paths

The Dark Forest Paths

NCAR11D-254

October 23, 2011

Wandering through the forests of the Birkhead Wilderness, part of Uwharrie National Forest in North Carolina.  These deciduous trees were crouched overhead, menacing in a way, as they tried to block the way through the forest.  Even the sun, slipping behind a cloud, lent a dark, ominous feeling to the trek.  I felt that this image, with the heavy shadows in the foreground, and slightly dingy, dun colors, accurately represented this trepidation.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  26 mm

Exposure: 1/20 @ f/8, ISO 400

Post-processing: Cropped down with contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

The End of the Day

The End of the Day

THOR09D-83

July 11, 2009

The closing of a long day over the badlands of North Dakota.  After hiking, sightseeing, and train chasing, this day concluded with puffy white clouds over the dun hillsides, the sun lengthening the shadows.  I was pleasantly surprised at how the badlands looked, and the Dakotas in general impressed me.  While a lot of it is rolling hills and farmland, as I expected, these badlands, with their Bryce Canyon-esque tiers and canyons, were a joy to explore.  I hope to get back there some day, and who knows what else I will uncover.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6

Focal length:  20 mm

Exposure: 1/100 @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Cropped down with slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Wide Open Rivers

Wide Open Rivers

THOR09D-21

July 10, 2009

Floating down the river this morning, after a long weekend of Thanksgiving eats and treats.  This image comes from North Dakota, another from the badlands area just outside of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  Canoeing down the headwaters of the Missouri river, which flows north through the park before making an abrupt u-turn to head south along the grasslands of the prairie.  But for this stretch, it is cool, winding, very brown, and makes it a perfect way to relax against a summer sky.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  18 mm

Exposure: 1/160 @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Desaturated, cropped down with slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

The Wary Prey

The Wary Prey

THOR09D-35

July 10, 2009

Shooting wildlife isn't really my forte, as I've not been able to afford the lenses that go along with capturing wildlife in its natural habitat.  Having a DSLR has helped, as it gives me a natural 1.6x extension on my 200mm lens, but still that is the bare range of an acceptable lens.  But this guy held steady for me for a while, but giving me the weary eye at the same time.  Luckily I got a shot off before he scampered away.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 80-200 f/2.8

Focal length:  200 mm

Exposure: 1/400 @ f/4, ISO 400

Post-processing: Cropped down with slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

The Wind on the Prairie

The Wind on the Prairie

THOR09D-94

July 11, 2009

There is always so much static in nature photography, there is a lot of crisp, stationary shots that do not move, where the detail is recorded in perfection of a single snap (or multiple snaps squashed to an HDR).  But nature itself is a dynamic process, things are always moving and changing, even in the most serene scene.  I like the motion that is conveyed among these prairie grasses, the feeling of movement and chaos that a windy day in the badlands has.  Enjoy. 

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6

Focal length:  20 mm

Exposure: 2.5 sec @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Cropped with slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Roosevelt's Badlands

Roosevelt's Badlands

THOR09D-62_pano

July 11, 2009

The badlands are really a generic term, merely reserved for the scraps of land in the Dakotas that didn't fit the ideals of settlers heading west.  They did not have the gentle undulations of the prairie, they were not the beautiful forests of the east (or those soon to be encountered in the Rockies).  Instead they were blasted rock, worn canyons of burnt hues that were as gashes in the land.  While these areas look like mountains while hiking through them, they are actually just barely above the level of the surrounding grasslands.  From a far you cannot tell you're approaching them, they jump upon you quickly.  But they are distinct, like nothing I've seen yet.  The badlands of North Dakota, found in Roosevelt National Park, look old.  You see their rounded forms, partially covered in short grass and vegetation, and they just appear to be weathered, beaten down from years of conflict with the rivers and rain and snow.  But they are magnificent, and they helped inspire and craft one of our greatest conservationists.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  35 mm

Exposure: 1/80 @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Assembled from 6 images into a panoramic in PS4, cropped down with slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Valley of Daisies

Valley of Daisies

THOR09D-53

July 11, 2009

It is amazing how important foreground is to your images.  You hear about it from the professionals, the photographers that you admire, and all of their images have interest from front to back, little shapes, lines, textures that lead you through the image to the final destination.  And working on an image, it does make a huge difference.  This image, from North Dakota's Theodore Roosevelt National Park, is honestly not my greatest example of foreground inclusion.  The flowers were there, and that was my intent, but upon reflection they were too far dispersed, and I could have placed them better within the frame.  But they do help hook your interest, and only after looking at the image do you consider the tall butte in the background, where some of the daisies seem to be pointing at.  And in that case, it is a success.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  18 mm

Exposure: 1/80 @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4