Blurred Tree from the Train, November 14, 2010

Motion blurred tree along the California Zephyr route in Eagle County, Colorado, November 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

While on the California Zephyr en route to western Colorado for some football coverage, I played with photographing objects in motion from the train window. This was one of the more interesting results. The tree had enough contrast against the background to help it stand out, even with the blur. I like the counterbalancing light tan patch on the left and blue patch of water on the right. Along with the shadow base of the tree, these help create an anchoring triangle opposite the feathery branches. This is a tight view, and I wouldn't mind seeing a bit more open space above the branches. But the tension from this tight arrangement has its own draw, too.

Trees in Motion from the Train, November 12, 2010

Scenery in motion along the California Zephyr Route in Roosevelt National Forest, November 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

While on the California Zephyr en route to western Colorado for some football coverage, I played with photographing objects in motion from the train window. This is one of my favorite motion blur photos, years later. The trees against the dark background create wonderful shapes in their own right, and I like the balance of mostly solid forms with the blurred lines. A bit of a longer shutter speed or faster train movement would have created too much blur, so this is an excellent bit of luck helping me out. There is plenty of post-processing contrast, and a blue-tone treatment. It felt right, considering the cold time of year up in the mountains.

Blurred Trees in Chadron, November 2, 2010

Motion-blurred leaves in Chadron, Nebraska, November 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

I like playing with motion blur, whether it's caused by the subject or the camera. Vivid fall colors make a good subject for the technique. This scene had plenty of contrast from the tree branches, which create a jagged set of lines to break up the curves. I also like the overall shift in brightness from dark at the bottom to light at the top, thanks to the bits of sky poking through the leaves. I don't usually include camera settings, but a few notes may be useful here. 200mm and 1/15 second, with my camera movement describing a “C” shape.

Silhouette at Ponca State Park, October 16, 2010

A fisherman sits on the Missouri River shoreline at Ponca State Park on an October morning, 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

While I was out doing the usual thing at Ponca State Park in October (Colors. Colors.), I found a fisherman framed by some trees. This treatment is a bit more golden that you'd expect in reality, but I think it fits the morning light theme. I think I took a shot with the figure in focus, but the amount of detail in the branches is delightful, and the background bokeh makes a nice backdrop.

Red Hoodoo at Toadstool Park, August 6, 2010

Hoodoo at Toadstool Geological Park lit by red light, August 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Recreating a photo from four years earlier: red flash on a hoodoo! I like the clouds with a bit of motion blur behind the rock, and all of the texture on the ground that gets picked up by the raking angle of the light. There’s no Big Dipper behind the rock this time, but I’m happy with the arrangement of stars as it is.

Blurred Trees, Yellowstone National Park, July 31, 2010

Blurred trees near Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park, July 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

If I’m in the passenger seat, at some point I’ll shoot for motion blur. The contrast between the white tree trunks and darker grass and leaves makes an excellent palette for smearing detail. I like the small details in the bark and foliage that have frozen at the right moment and provide additional contrast against the blurred portions.

Pilings on Flathead Lake, Somers, Montana, July 30, 2010

Birds and boats on Flathead Lake in Somers, Montana, July 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

It was a rainy morning on the shore of Flathead Lake in Somers. I was pleased to find this scene with old pilings, birds, boats, and mountains in the distance. The scene was monochromatic, and I pushed that further with a blue-tone treatment.

Hidden Creek Aerial, Glacier National Park, July 29, 2010

Hidden Creek, Mount Cannon, Clements Mountain, Mount Siyeh, Bearhat Mountain in Glacier National Park, July 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

I was fortunate to schedule a helicopter tour in the morning, and saw some wonderful mountain scenes. This shows Hidden Creek with shafts of light and shadow. I like the shadows on the lines of the mountains and the greenery against the rock.

Evening Light, Glacier National Park, July 28, 2010

McPartland Mountain, Mount Cannon, Mount Vaught, and Stanton Mountain, viewed from Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, July 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

At every turn on Going-to-the-Sun Road, there are all sorts of interesting views. This one shows the rough looking tree-filled texture of the near mountain, along with a few more in shadow to complete the scene. I like the varying angles that go with the afternoon light.

Sunset at Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park, July 27, 2010

Evening at Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park, July 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

The Lake McDonald shore is a short walk from the cabin, and I spent a couple evenings taking photos as the sun set. This is a composite to get detail in the shadow and highlight areas. The rocks in the foreground look beautiful, and then my eye looks across the log toward the shadowed mountains and finally to the sky with its texture of clouds. It’s a relaxing place to be.

Looking toward Mount Oberlin, Glacier National Park, July 26, 2010

Overlooking Going-to-the-Sun Road toward Mount Oberlin in Glacier National Park, July 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

There is harsh sunlight out here. I have pushed the contrast and saturation up, which also serves to simplify the scene, reducing it to a plant, a road, and a mountain. The lines in the leaves mirror the lines on the distant mountain. Though the road bisects the top and bottom, there is an implied line created by the stream leading to the shadowy ridge that reconnects the elements in the scene.

Sunlit Trees at the Helena National Forest, July 25, 2010

Late morning sunlight strikes trees at Helena National Forest, July 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

It may be marching toward noon, but here in a canyon in Helena National Forest, that might be the perfect time to catch trees lit up. There is ambient light bouncing around on the rocks, creating a combination of cool and warm tones. I like the triple shapes of lit trees against a darker backdrop of unlit trees, further framed by the rocks.

Unfocused Foliage, March 27, 2010

Unfocused foliage in Chadron State Park, March 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Every so often, I play with throwing things out of focus and seeing what the shapes look like. Light through a tree creates a collection of highlights broken by softer branch edges. You can see the needle leaves on the left, cutting through a few of the highlights. Plenty to keep the eye moving and exploring in a scene like this.

Steamboat Loop Trail, Chadron State Park, March 27, 2010

 

Butte viewed from Steamboat Loop Trail in Chadron State Park, March 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Steamboat Butte in Chadron State Park, March 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Unfocused foliage in Chadron State Park, March 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Reflections in a Puddle, March 11, 2010

Cloud reflections in a puddle, Chadron, Nebraska, March 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Every so often I see reflections in water and try to photograph them. Sometimes the results work. Here, the entire scene takes on an abstract quality, helped by showing it in black and white, and not the brown tones of the original color. The clouds are abstract forms surrounded by an abstract ovoid littered with tiny ovoids. I like the various tones of the pebbles, especially in the foreground. What is in there below the surface or above the clouds?

Scenes in Chadron, Nebraska, March 11, 2010

 

Snow and dirt in Chadron, Nebraska, March 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Cloud reflections in a puddle, Chadron, Nebraska, March 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Reflected evening sunlight and cat's eyes in Chadron, Nebraska, March 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Evening clouds over a power line in Dawes County, Nebraska, March 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Snow, Bark, Light at Island Park, January 1, 2010

Snow and trees at Island Park in Fargo, North Dakota, January 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

It was a warm day in Fargo, North Dakota, so I put on some shorts and a t-shirt and drove to Island Park to photograph the scenery. This was a fun curved tree branch to frame a light pole. The snow on the branch made for a strong contrasting outline to help make the overall form stand out against the smaller branches in the background.