Silhouettes in the Rain, April 18, 2009

Branch silhouettes through a rain-streaked window, Dawes County, April 2009. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Every so often, the photo you take through your car window works. Usually it doesn't. This is a simple arrangement, water on the glass in the foreground, tree shapes in the background. I like the texture of the water, and having focus on that plane seems to be effective. Focus on the background would likely reveal more detail than is needed, and create an overall softening effect from the rainy window. The roughly triangular arrangement of the branches, plus some elements at the bottom, provides flow for the eye to explore.

Fall Colors in Chadron, Nebraska, September 30, 2006

Leaves, Chadron, Nebraska, September 2006. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

In late September, 2006, the fall colors around Chadron were plentiful. I was drawn to these red leaves while hiking in one of the city parks with a friend. This is a pretty straightforward composition, letting the subject stay centered. There are some counterbalancing elements, both in the curves of the leaves, and the out of focus diagonal branches behind. Add the yellow-green background contrasting the intense red foreground and you've got some visual interest to keep your eyes entertained. The more I look at it, the more I want to do some retouching trickery and remove the thin, out of focus leaf at the bottom center.