Daniel Binkard: 2015

30 December 2015

Falls Park in the Snow, December 30, 2015

Snow at Falls Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, December 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

I'm usually looking for water photos at Falls Park, but it's good to look at the surroundings from time to time. They've got decorations on the light poles, footprints in the snow, and people on the observation platform kind enough to point for me. I appreciate the help. Next edit needed for this composition will be to tame the tree branches intruding on the upper right.

24 November 2015

Views from Dinosaur Hill, November 24, 2015

Rapid City, South Dakota, from Dinosaur Hill, November 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Double exposure of Rapid City, South Dakota, from Dinosaur Hill, November 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

When I look at my past photos from Dinosaur Hill in Rapid City, I think that I need to get back up there, posthaste! This was an afternoon shoot, with the sun somewhat low to give some dimension to the landscape. The first photo is a compressed perspective view across the hill toward the larger hills in the distance. It's the power lines dividing — and connecting — the hills that I like. They act as a bridge to the middle and background planes. The second photo is a double exposure with a focus shift for the near trees and distant cityscape. As with many photos that use this technique, the image is jarring at first, but I keep coming back to it and enjoying the blurred details.

27 September 2015

Lunar Eclipse, September 27, 2015

Lunar eclipse near Box Butte Reservoir, September 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

The 2015 lunar eclipse seemed like a good opportunity to stress test the newest camera I owned at the time, which was six years old. As everyone knows, once a camera becomes more than a year old, it becomes incapable of taking good pitchers, and should be replaced by whatever is on sale at Walmart.
Astrophotography with minimal motion blur is an excellent stress test for a camera, because you're dealing with high ISOs to maintain a high enough shutter speed to keep the point-light stars from turning into arcs of light. It's also a good lens test, because coma is a factor in keeping clean points of light. Then I added an extra dose of dynamic range with a (partially) sunlit moon face.
All that technical junk aside, let's look at the three photos I kept as a sort of triptych of the eclipse.
The first is an early partial eclipse, with the earth's shadow just starting to slide across the lunar disc (These terms sound great. Umbra is another fun word.). The wispy clouds in front of the moon add a bit of depth. I always like seeing the moon through clouds.
Stage two shows the sharp shadow about halfway across the moon. While shooting, I ran through a bracketed set of exposures, intending to do an HDR merge and keep the sunlit portion from blowing out. Never did get things lined up and merged properly, whether through automatic means or old-fashioned Photoshop tricks. Better astrophotographers have undoubtedly made this sort of shot work. In the end, I decided to keep the overexposed portion. And the subtle rays coming off that area are fun. The clouds had changed by this time, with some puffy wisps getting lit up by the moon.
Stage three shows the moon fully ensconced (a made up word for sure) in velvety cloud and scattered red light from the earth's atmosphere. This is the ISO 3200 test on a 2009 camera, and the noise is definitely there. Working with the shadowy detail in the clouds is where things fall apart, and I'd like to try this kind of shot again with a modern camera. But I'm pleased with the results of this collection. It was a good night to be out under the stars, in the middle of nowhere, with the coyotes in the distance.

08 August 2015

Foliage on a Fence, August 8, 2015

Multiple exposure of foliage and fence, Chadron, Nebraska, August 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

This is a double exposure of fence and foliage, taken at two distances. Normally I’m playing with a focus shift and the same distance, but this arrangement worked nicely. The overexposed patterns in the background are welcome, adding texture to the scene.

02 August 2015

Sunflowers at Fort Robinson, August 2, 2015

Sunflowers at Smiley Canyon in Fort Robinson State Park, August 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

The Jeep trail at Smiley Canyon has wonderful views of Fort Robinson, including Johnson Lake to the north. At this time of year, the sunflowers are out in force and provide natural foreground and framing objects. Some are more weathered than others. I like the variety of trees throughout the scene, leading from the near hill off to the lake in the distance.

24 July 2015

Sunset at Toadstool Geological Park, July 24, 2015

Sunset over Toadstool Geologic Park, July 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Too often I find myself at Toadstool Park at midday, with harsh shadows and a cloudless sky. But if I come early or stay late, I am often treated to a lovely sunset and softening light on the hoodoos. The striations in the rock stand out, and the sky can have its own lovely detail to complement the curves and jagged edges of the rocks.

19 June 2015

Repeated Grass, Nebraska National Forest, June 19, 2015

Multiple exposure of grass at sunset in the Nebraska National Forest, June 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

A 10-frame multiple exposure of grass in the breeze at sunset. There are many uses for multiple exposures, and the ability to repeat shapes in new ways has great opportunity for experimentation. The grass takes on a new character with each blade multiplied tenfold. The gentle arc has a calm feeling.

22 May 2015

Fishing on the Jetty at Ocean Shores, Washington, May 22, 2015

Fishermen at Point Brown, Ocean Shores, Washington, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

On clear day, the jetty at Point Brown, the south end of Ocean Shores, will have plenty of beachgoers combing the rocks, looking for rock things. On this dreary day, fishermen were out looking for fish things. I like the front most fisherman, standing at a jaunty angle on the rock, surrounded by water pounding the jetty around him. The monotone scene called for black and white; even in color it wouldn't show much.

Sandpipers at Ocean Shores, Washington, May 22, 2015

Sandpipers at Point Brown, Ocean Shores, Washington, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sandpipers and fishermen at Point Brown, Ocean Shores, Washington, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Fishermen at Point Brown, Ocean Shores, Washington, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sandpipers at Point Brown, Ocean Shores, Washington, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Double exposure of fishermen at Point Brown, Ocean Shores, Washington, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

21 May 2015

Cape Disappointment North Head Lighthouse, May 21, 2015

North Head Lighthouse at Cape Disappointment State Park, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

There are two paths leading to the North Head Lighthouse, which is on the western face of the peninsula. The north path has a great sight line toward the lighthouse, and is framed by plenty of greenery. I played with various shots and focus distances, and then a person came up the trail and provided a third element for the composition. As always with moving people, it helps if you can time your exposure so their arms and legs look like they're walking, and not standing stiffly or about to fall over. I think this arrangement worked pretty well, and I like how the lighthouse frames her inside the frame of greenery.

20 May 2015

Evening at the Needles, Haystack Rock, May 20, 2015

The Needles at Haystack Rock Marine Garden, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

A long exposure at Haystack Rock, looking toward the Needles. I did some work to accentuate the monochromatic light and bring up the contrast between the rocks and the water. The water encircling the foreground rock further locks it as the primary element, and the background reflections connect front to back, giving an eyeline through the scene. I get a calm feeling from the blues and soft shapes of the water, but at the same time a sense of foreboding from the dark tones.

Perspectives at Arcadia Beach and Haystack Rock, Oregon, May 20, 2015

Barnacles at Arcadia Beach State Recreation Site in May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Mussels and anemones in a tidepool at Arcadia Beach State Recreation Site in May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Foggy morning at Arcadia Beach State Recreation Site in May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Birds fly over Haystack Rock Marine Garden, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

A crab at Haystack Rock Marine Garden, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Multitemporal view of waves crashing at Haystack Rock Marine Garden, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

The Needles at Haystack Rock Marine Garden, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

19 May 2015

Sandy Hills at Cape Kiwanda, May 19, 2015

Beachgoers on the shoreline at Bob Straub State Park, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Hikers on the sandy hill at Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Trees and foliage on the sandy hill at Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

View from the sandy hilltop at Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

18 May 2015

Eagles Playing with their Food at Devils Punch Bowl, May 18, 2015

Two eagles and a kill at Devils Punch Bowl State Park, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Three eagles and a kill at Devils Punch Bowl State Park, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

An eagle flies over the water with a kill at Devils Punch Bowl State Park, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Two eagles fly over the water at Devils Punch Bowl State Park, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

An eagle flies over Devils Punch Bowl State Park, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Surfers at Devils Punch Bowl, May 18, 2015

Surfers walk toward the water near Devils Punch Bowl State Natural Area, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

From the cliff overlooking Devils Punch Bowl and the accompanying shoreline, you can see patterns in the sand and water from a distance, along with beach goers. This minimalist composition explores negative space—but is the negative space the incoming water, or the water farther up the shore? I like the near surfer crossing the line from one space to the next, while the farther surfer creates his own line in the water. Timing is key for people on the move: The position of their legs should imply their forward motion, and I was able to catch strong V-shapes in both surfers to suggest that movement.

17 May 2015

Sunset at Nye Beach, May 17, 2015

Sunset over Nye Beach at Newport, Oregon, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

The sunset was full of gentle shapes and colors reflecting on the water over Newport, Oregon. This is a straightforward composition, dominated by the rippling shapes of the clouds and counterpointed by tiny human elements. And a bird element. While this would have been all right with just the far hillside and lighthouse in the distance, it would have been flat and not really worth showing. But the beachgoer and gull in the foreground create a fun punctuation for the scene. Looking at the scaled-down version of the photo, I thought the bird was a dog, until I zoomed in. Either way, it's fun.