13 November 2005

Moon over the Missouri River, November 13, 2005

The moon over the Missouri River. Ponca State Park, 2005.
While on a walk along the Missouri River shoreline, I found an arrangement of simple shapes that felt like a good fit. The trees along the far shore provide some context, keeping the scene from becoming purely abstract. The foreground spit and clouds above balance each other, while the moon and its reflection on the far right create another counterbalancing element. In looking at the arrangement, I think that if the moon were farther to the left, perhaps in the opening between the clouds, the composition would feel calmer. I'm perfectly happy with it as-is, since it provides tension in that location.

11 November 2005

Highway 20 Tree, Merriman, November 11, 2005

A lone tree near the entrance to Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area on Highway 20 near Merriman, Nebraska, November 2005. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)
The turn toward Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area is just west of this tree, long since cut down. On several trips down Highway 20, I made it a point to stop and photograph the tree. On this particular day, the clouds created a great sky, and I decided a simple single-point perspective would showcase the scene. The tree adds a final element on top of the road, landscape, and sky, off center to throw in some tension to the composition.