Geese on the Niobrara River, December 20, 2011

Canada geese on the Niobrara River near Valentine, Nebraska, December 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

A long-lens view of geese on the Niobrara River. This arrangement of warm and cold tones across the water, broken up by dozens of geese, is pretty straightforward. The far shoreline provides a stopping point for the composition. The fun thing with these scenes is the variety you can find from the various geese. Sadly, none are spreading their wings, which would be the perfect anchor for the composition.

The Lagoon, October 22, 2011

Tree on the lagoon shoreline at Chadron State Park, October 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

I borrowed a twin-lens reflex camera and shot a roll of TMAX-400, developed in some witch's brew or another, and repro-photographed the negatives. Plenty of dirty sky here, but that's partly my post-processing. The lagoon at Chadron State Park has been drained and refilled in the intervening years, and we've lost some of the trees. I like this tranquil scene, which includes a bit of father-son fishing day. Fun reflections, too. I kept one of my other shots from the day for the gallery, this time a closeup of the dock.

Dock on the lagoon at Chadron State Park, October 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Pine Needles on the Rocks, October 8, 2011

Pine needles on rocks in Grace Coolidge Creek, Custer State Park, October 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

A foggy, rainy day in Custer State Park is great fun. Even if you're not shooting, the heightened aerial perspective gives the park a different look. Grace Coolidge Creek flows near a small cave, Hole in the Wall Picnic Area. I liked the look of the fine pine needles on the mossy rocks in the stream, and played with an arrangement of the rocks with a long exposure. I like the contrast from the soft light on the water against the darker rocks, along with the dark green color contrasted with the bright yellow-orange needles and leaves.

Riders in the Dust, September 9, 2011

Rodeo in Chadron, Nebraska, September 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Before the rodeo started, the evening sun was glowing through a wall of dust that was kicked up by the riders as they moved up and down the dirt path beside the arena. I took several shots, which showcase the different movements and actions of the riders. The dust acts like a fog, obscuring most detail except for the shapes of the horses and riders. It was a beautiful scene.

Runner at Ponca State Park, August 13, 2011

A runner heads north through Ponca State Park in August 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

While heading toward the Missouri River, which is a hundred meters down the road from here, I saw a runner. She was heading in this direction, and I thought I’d get a fun balancing act between her and the tree trunk. A contrast study in a variety of ways: color, motion, size, time… The trick with running forms is to get the timing just right with the legs, heels, and arms conveying just the right form and sense of forward movement. Her right leg is too straight—a split-second earlier and it probably would have been bent enough to match the similar angle of the left leg. The motion blur helps to convey motion, so I’ll go with it. No, I’m not going to use the motor drive and try to grab it at five frames per second (in this case). That’s a crutch better not relied on. I like the subtle warm and cold light on the tree, especially how the texture comes out on the warm side.

Aerial Hills in Dawes County, August 12, 2011

Aerial view of hills near Chadron, Nebraska, August 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

An early flight around Chadron reveals texture and wonderful forms in the hills, valleys, and small canyons that make up the landscape. There is a bit of a triangle in the arrangement of the hilltops from lower right, to center left, and then on to the upper right. A veiling mist across the top of the frame makes a grand scene slightly more intimate than it would otherwise be.

Storm Clouds over Soldier Creek Wilderness, July 2 2011

Storm clouds over Fort Robinson State Park and Soldier Creek Wilderness, July 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

A stormy evening resulted in lovely cloud patterns after the rain passed. I climbed a hill near Soldier Creek for a better view. The hills in the distance, normally large enough, are dwarfed by the skyscape. I like the sweep of the cloud curves and varying contrast throughout.

Nail Spirals, Chadron, June 26, 2011

Nails in circles, Chadron, Nebraska, June 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

I noticed a soggy box of nails sitting outside a job site and took a quick photo of the spiral patterns. The light is at an angle that shows tactile texture on the left set and iridescent colors on the right set. Plenty of details to explore here.

Sunset over Dawes County, June 18, 2011

Sunset over Dawes County, Nebraska, June 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

A tree with half its leaves out of commission can still work nicely as a photographic object. This is pretty straightforward, with the three as subject, the sky as a colorful background, and the trees across the bottom anchoring the composition. I like the chaotic arrangement of the small branches hanging down across the sky.

Swollen River, South Sioux City, May 28, 2011

Flood waters from the swollen Missouri River encroach on the grounds at Scenic Park in South Sioux City, Nebraska, May, 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

The Missouri River experienced heavy flooding in 2011. During a lighter portion of the flood, I was out late at Scenic Park in South Sioux City with the idea of photographing a surreal landscape. Here, the water was pushing far onto the grass of the park, and I remember seeing frogs and a turtle taking up temporary residence earlier in the day. The composition is about mirror images, and is a long-exposure, high-dynamic-range composite. The curved strip in the middle is steam or something like that from an industrial building, blowing in the breeze. The long exposures that make up this composite smoothed out any motion in the water, creating clean reflections.

Fence line, Dawes County, May 1, 2011

Fence line, Dawes County, May 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

It was a great day for clouds, and this fence had just the right amount of weathering. Usually I see scenes while I'm driving, and it's impractical to stop. Or the scene turns out to not work when I do stop. The grass is the third element in the object triangle, providing a set of gentle curves to offset the straight lines of the fence and the foreboding clouds.

Afternoon Clouds over Dawes County, Nebraska, May 1, 2011

 

There's that spare tire you've been looking for, Dawes County, Nebraska, May 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Clouds over Dawes County, Nebraska, May 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Fence line, Dawes County, Nebraska, May 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Clouds over Ormesher Road in Dawes County, Nebraska, May 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Clouds gather over a farming implement in Dawes County, Nebraska, May 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Bison in Dawes County, Nebraska, May 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Dark clouds over a treeline in Dawes County, Nebraska, May 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Growth on Highway 61, April 20, 2011

Plants grow through the surface of an old portion of Highway 61 near Arthur, Nebraska in April 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Worm's eye view of old Highway 61 and the organic material protruding through the asphalt. I'm not a fan of the horizontal bits on the left and should have pushed them aside. But I like the monumental feeling of the main bush, and the orderly yellow line making its way to the horizon.

Hillside Trees at Fort Robinson State Park, April 3, 2011

 

Fallen trees at Fort Robinson State Park, April 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Fallen tree at Fort Robinson State Park, April 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Fallen trees at Fort Robinson State Park, April 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Fallen tree at Fort Robinson State Park, April 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Yucca and trees on a hillside at Fort Robinson State Park, April 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Clouds Over Crow Butte, April 3, 2011

Clouds over Dawes County, Nebraska, April 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

It was a Sunday afternoon with soft, but dramatic, clouds in the sky. I drove down a gravel road, looking for an angle on Crow Butte, and this simple scene seemed sufficient. The nearby tree provides a tiny bit of foreground material to punctuate things, but the key pieces are the butte itself and the wonderful clouds above. I like the closer puffs set against the soft striations beyond. I should play with the details at the bottom, to keep the tree from disappearing against the hills behind it.

Sunset at Fort Robinson State Park, April 2, 2011

 

Sunset at Fort Robinson State Park, April 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sunset at Fort Robinson State Park, April 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sunset at Fort Robinson State Park, April 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sunset at Fort Robinson State Park, April 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sunset at Fort Robinson State Park, April 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sunset at Fort Robinson State Park, April 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Pigtail at Iron Mountain Road, March 18, 2011

Spiral bridge on Iron Mountain Road in the Black Hills National Forest, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Panorama of a pigtail road in the Black Hills. These roads allow for large elevation drops in confined spaces, perfect for the mountains. Before the tourist season really starts, Iron Mountain Road is a quiet place, perfect for a drive to enjoy the scenery. This scene shows the sweep of the road leading to the curve, with some distortion from the wide panorama projection.

Soft Skies and Trees, March 14, 2011

Soft clouds and trees near Dead Horse Road in Dawes County, Nebraska, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

I like distant scenes brought close with a telephoto lens. This is a stark landscape made special by the wonderful soft cloud above the trees. I'd like to get the hillside behind the trees to go a bit lower and showcase the tree forms even more. Aside from that, I like the simplicity and softness of this scene. But you need the contrast from the bare branches. It just might be too soft with leaves and greenery.

Hillside Variety at Fort Robinson State Park, March 12, 2011

 

Horses on a hillside at Fort Robinson State Park, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Horses on a hillside at Fort Robinson State Park, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Horses at sunset in Fort Robinson State Park, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Yucca and rocks on a hillside in Fort Robinson State Park, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Hillside tree root in Fort Robinson State Park, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sunset over Smiley Canyon in Fort Robinson State Park, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Tree at sunset in Fort Robinson State Park, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Horses at Fort Robinson, March 12, 2011

Horses on a hillside at Fort Robinson State Park, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Up a hillside near Saddle Rock at Fort Robinson State Park, I found these horses. I think they were relaxing after work. The afternoon light created subtle outlines on the horses and hillside, and I worked on it later with extra contrast. I like the arrangement of the horses on the varying angles, though I wish the one on the left had turned to say hello. The one in the middle has a nice leg arrangement, and I like the turned heads on the second and fourth horses. A study in silhouettes with some variety in the forms.

Grass in the Snow in Rapid City, March 5, 2011

S. faberi in the snow at Dinosaur Hill in Rapid City, South Dakota, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Every so often I see an arrangement of grass in the snow, or in some ice, and I think I'd better photograph it. Usually it doesn't quite work, but I like this simple set of lines and poofs. The texture of the snow adds plenty of detail in addition to the stronger lines of the grass.

Frost on Dinosaur Hill, March 5, 2011

 

Frost outlines a tree overlooking Rapid City, South Dakota, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

S. faberi in the snow at Dinosaur Hill in Rapid City, South Dakota, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Frost covers the side of a pine tree in Rapid City, South Dakota, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Frosty trees in Rapid City, South Dakota, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Frosty trees on Dinosaur Hill in Rapid City, South Dakota, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Overlooking Rapid City, South Dakota, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Blue Shadows and Purple Clouds, February 28, 2011

 

Crow Butte at sunset, February 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Saddle Rock at sunset, February 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)