Bushes and Trees at Ponca State Park, November 25, 2004

Bushes and trees along the Missouri River Backwater Trail in Ponca State Park, November 2004. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

This is a photo I initially overlooked until several years after I took it. There was something about the balance between the busy foreground foliage and the separately busy background branches. The black and white treatment also felt fitting, to keep focus on the textures and lines of the scene. It's a fairly simple arrangement, but I like it.

Tire Marks and a Tree, November 23, 2004

A lone tree near the entrance to Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area on Highway 20 near Merriman, Nebraska, November 2004. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Seems like a dreary day passing by the long-lost tree near the road to Cottonwood Lake. This is a scene I should revisit, preferably with a busy sky. Again we have a selection of geometric shapes to contrast the fractal branches of the tree. Continuing the idea of contrast and balance is the bit of foreground dirt as another element against the tree. I like the tire mark curves against the harder straight line on the road.

Sunset over the Buttes, Fort Robinson, November 6, 2004

Sunset over Red Cloud Buttes at Fort Robinson State Park, November 2004. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

On one of my first trips hiking in Fort Robinson State Park, I found this shot of one of the buttes at sunset to be a keeper. I have pushed the color contrast a bit beyond reality, but there is a sense of light and shadow I want to convey with this treatment. I'm normally not a fan of the whole orange-teal look. There is some delicate texture in the sandstone of the butte, and I like the tree on the left as a bit of punctuation for the scene.