Grabel Pond, Fort Robinson State Park, September 29, 2017

Foliage at Grabel Pond in Fort Robinson State Park, September 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Skeletal fractal foliage on a dreary day. I remember heading out to Fort Robinson for some fresh air, and the flat lighting didn't quite hold the promise of exciting landscape photography. The compensation was a tasty ice cream treat at the shop in Crawford, which can brighten any day. I was drawn to the clean lines of this bush, species unknown to me, whose multi-stemmed ends glittered prettily. This is an example of embracing the chaos, simplifying to some extent with a black and white, high contrast treatment, but otherwise letting the complexity fill the frame. There's plenty of detail to explore in scenes like this.

Mist on Black Elk Peak, September 17, 2017

Fog over the lookout tower on Black Elk Peak, September 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

My second hike up Black Elk Peak since 2004. I missed the mist at the top, but saw a bit of it partway up. There's a fair amount of post-processing to make the tones in this scene work. It starts off fairly low contrast, and there are any number of tonal adjustments possible. This may be a bit overcooked, but I'm going with it for now. I like the veiled appearance of the tower, even with all of this extra contrast.

Looking Down Black Elk Peak, September 17, 2017

View from the lookout tower on Black Elk Peak, September 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

A woman looks over a cliff edge on Black Elk Peak. My first hike to the top was in early 2004, when the mountain was called Harney Peak. I was looking forward to another hike up 13 short years later. At the top, I was naturally drawn to the mountain shapes going into the distance, but there were also interesting sights closer to where I stood.
This is a long-lens version of the useful near-middle-far composition arrangement. The woman provides a human element in the foreground, and a bit of dramatic tension as she leans forward to peer over the edge. The prayer flags in the middle provide a bit of color, and the mountains in the background provide a sense of depth.

Bighorn Mountains in the Mists of the Distance, September 2, 2017

Mountains seen from Hospital Hill in Bighorn National Forest, September 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

There is a scenic pullout at Hospital Hill on the east edge of the Bighorns near Buffalo, Wyoming. From here you can see the wonderful stacked shapes of the mountains in the distance. A fine place to stop before entering the mountains proper, and the views are especially good at sunset. I like the little details of each layer, with the glaciers on the farthest peaks providing punctuation. I used a small aperture to keep the foreground grasses sharp along with the mountains. This allows that foreground element to anchor the scene.