Cyclists at the Black Hills Overlook, November 30, 2013

A pair of cyclists pause along a trail at the Black Hills Overlook in the Nebraska National Forest, November 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

While out hiking the Black Hills Overlook trail, I noticed a pair of cyclists making their way on one of the spurs that jut out from the main trail. The afternoon light gave the hill a lovely outline, and defined the trees and hills in the background. The dot of red from one of the bikers makes for a nice punctuation, along with the scale provided by the people themselves. I like the shapes and details that make up this scene from front to back.

Geometry in Dallas, September 11, 2013

Towers in Dallas, Texas, September 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

The afternoon sun and broken clouds create a good environment for architecture, and Dallas certainly has some fun shapes to work with. This is a study in contrasting shapes — curves and lines, with organics to provide an anchor.

Suspicious Squirrel Monkey, August 9, 2013

A squirrel monkey (S. sciureus) paces in its enclosure at the Greater Valley Zoo. According to experts from the Randall Graves Center for Primatology and Parasitology in Sioux Falls, S.D., if the monkeys ever escape, they could infect the greater Siouxland region and beyond with the deadly Hantavirus. But aren't they cute? Sioux Falls, South Dakota, August 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

The red eyes are not part of the original photo, but I couldn’t help myself. All this little cutie needs is some fangs. The light levels were low, and my camera was poor at high sensitivities, so I played with motion blur. The monkeys were moving all over the place, so I had lots of chances to photograph them. I like the implied arrangement of the monkey’s arms and legs, which suggest additional forward movement.

Sunset over Fort Robinson State Park, July 23, 2013

Sunset at Smiley Canyon in Fort Robinson State Park, July 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

This scene at the top of the Smiley Canyon jeep trail at Fort Robinson has plenty of detail to explore. That’s also a weakness, but in the intricacies there is beauty. Note the little cactus in the foreground and the trail snaking through the background. The triangle formed by the two near trees and the setting sun. There’s a little too much going on, but I’m still drawn to it.

Tree on a Hill in Chadron, Nebraska, July 20, 2013

Sunset in Chadron, Nebraska, July 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Evening in Chadron as I hike around the hillside on the south end of town. At sunset the skies can light up in oranges, purples, and blues, and tonight had an excellent selection of clouds. This tree on the hillside provided a good detailed counterpoint to the gentler curves of the clouds.

Jeep Trail Scenes at Fort Robinson State Park, May 26, 2013

 

Yucca along a Smiley Canyon trail at Fort Robinson State Park, May 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Smiley Canyon jeep trail at Fort Robinson State Park, May 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Blufftop view at Fort Robinson State Park, May 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Windmill at Fort Robinson State Park with Crow Butte behind, May 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Trees on the Hill, Nebraska National Forest, May 11, 2013

Trees on the hillside in the Nebraska National Forest, May 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

This is a shot I initially left alone, but on a later browse through the photos decided to elevate it. I like these simple arrangements. There's a certain elegance to the subtle gesture of the tree on the right, and the balancing trees on the other side. The clouds add a final background layer and keep the scene from being perfectly flat.

Rainbow over Nebraska National Forest, May 8, 2013

Rainbow over the Nebraska National Forest, May 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

There I was, out at the Black Hills Overlook trail and what did I see but an empty memory card slot in my camera. That's a lesson you have to repeat from time to time, but hopefully it happens less than once every five years, and then only on incidental shoots. Heck of a time to only have a mobile phone for a camera, because a shower came and went, with the rain backlit by the sun, and then glowing patches of light and a rainbow. These photos hold up well enough at small sizes, so I'll take it. Note the range of light and shadow, where the sun hits only certain areas. The foreground tree is a natural start, with the right-hand branch pointing toward the rainbow and middle tree, then you can follow the curve of the rainbow back to the front.

Black Hills Overlook Trail, May 5, 2013

Trail along the Black Hills Overlook in the Nebraska National Forest, May 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

It's a clear blue sky, and I'd sure like to see some clouds up there. But the blue contrasts nicely with the dead orange needles in the trees. The Black Hills Overlook got burned during the 2012 wildfires in the region, and six months later the area is regrowing, but the blackened trees will take a while to recede. The trail meanders up the hill, providing a nice curving counterbalance to the large tree in the foreground and leading quite literally from front to back. With a stately look like that, the clean blue sky feels appropriate.

Tree Skeletons in Chadron State Park, May 5, 2013

 

Burned trees in Chadron State Park, May 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Trail along the Black Hills Overlook in Chadron State Park, May 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Trail and burned trees along the Black Hills Overlook in Chadron State Park, May 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Statue and Fountain in Las Vegas, April 9, 2013

Statue and fountain  in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Plenty of carefully curated, tourist-friendly bits of architecture and sculpture in Vegas. This statue proved quite intriguing with the sun creating a halo of light (as opposed to a halo of shadow?), and the drops of mist on the lens from the fountain got lit up too. It's a bit of a grab shot, but every time I see it I have to smile. That's how you know you have your head on right.

Las Vegas Scenes, April 9, 2013

 

Ducks in a fountain in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Statue and fountain  in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

The Roman elite communicated through a complex system of horns. The richest Roman nobility could exchange information at the equivalent of a 14.4 modem. Most of this information consisted of explicit renderings. Las Vegas, Nevada, April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sightseers gather along the shores of Bellagio to watch the fountains in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Motion blur view of people on a sidewalk in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Waterfall in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Vegas Night Lights, April 8, 2013

Night activity in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Looking toward an intersection on the Las Vegas strip for some long exposure car light streaks. The explosion of light in a place like this is surreal, and I enjoy looking for arrangements as I walk through it. All it really needs is some faux sky, perhaps a scene of stars being stretched into hyperspace. There is plenty of contrast beyond light and dark: the curve of the car lights against the more rigid buildings and the static cars in the middle.

Las Vegas Scenes, April 8, 2013

 

Sunset at Las Vegas, April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Evening sidewalk, Las Vegas, April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Lit tree and buildings in Las Vegas, April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Car lights in Las Vegas, April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Hot waterfalls direct to you in Las Vegas, April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Clouds Over Box Butte County, Nebraska, April 7, 2013

 

Cloud formations over Box Butte County, Nebraska, in April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Cloud formations over Box Butte County, Nebraska, in April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Cloud formations over Box Butte County, Nebraska, in April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Cloud Formations, April 7, 2013

Cloud formations near Alliance, Nebraska in April 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Usually I have land as the grounding element for my cloud photos. This time, I was airborne, so a layer of clouds grounded the other clouds. I like clouds. The top of this is a bit too dark, something to adjust. Sometimes you're never quite finished with post-processing work, but that's part of the fun. The whispy cloud up there is almost a figure dancing. Then I find my eye drawn to the endless puffy shapes on the bottom.

Chadron Creek Infrared, March 30, 2013

Infrared photo of the Chadron Creek shoreline in Chadron State Park, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Chadron Creek winds through Chadron State Park, with plenty of places to get water plant photos in a variety of ways. This is an infrared way, toned blue in post. It's all about the leaf shapes of the plants on the shore and in the water. Maybe a colder blue than you'd expect, but I hesitate to put too much green in my toned photos. The water is subtle in the background, appearing as a bit of motion blurred distortion over the plants.

Infrared Chadron State Park, March 30, 2013

 

Infrared view of Chadron Creek in Chadron State Park, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Infrared view of plant life on the Chadron Creek shoreline in Chadron State Park, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Infrared trees in Chadron State Park, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Infrared trees in Chadron State Park, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Infrared tree in Chadron State Park, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Infrared ducks on the lagoon in Chadron State Park, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Corn Husk Closeup, March 15, 2013

Corn husk on the ground at a rest stop in Dawson County, Nebraska, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

An advantage small-sensor cameras have over large-sensor cameras is the ability to have lenses that can focus ridiculously close, along with short focal lengths and extended depth of field. I took this ability and created a monumental view of a corn husk overlooking an outhouse. Might be a shed. But either way, there's plenty of color, and I like the strong lines in the husk.

Roadside Attractions in Central Nebraska, March 15, 2013

 

Seed pod closeup with powerline backdrop in Dawson County, Nebraska, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Corn husk on the ground at a rest stop in Dawson County, Nebraska, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Picnic area closeup in Dawson County, Nebraska, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sculpture in Lincoln County, Nebraska, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sculpture in Lincoln County, Nebraska, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Tree in Lincoln County, Nebraska, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Frozen Grass at Custer State Park, March 8, 2013

Frozen grass at Legion Lake in Custer State Park, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

This arrangement of grass in the ice is a theme I visit from time to time. This is a chaotic arrangement, one whose lines I enjoy following above the pebbly ice.

Afternoon at Box Butte Reservoir, March 3, 2013

 

Mailbox on the road to Box Butte Reservoir, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

High-water marks on trees at Box Butte Reservoir, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Trees along the shore at Box Butte Reservoir, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Late afternoon at Box Butte Reservoir, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Roadside post at Box Butte Reservoir, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Trees and clouds at Box Butte Reservoir, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Trees along the shore at Box Butte Reservoir, March 2013. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)