Sand Details at Newport, Oregon, May 17, 2015

 

Sand detail at Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sand detail at Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sand detail at Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sand detail at Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sand detail at Nye Beach, Newport, Oregon, May 2015. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sand Scenes in Sioux City, November 21, 2012

A stretch of sand in Larsen Park deposited during the 2011 Missouri River flood near Veterans Memorial Bridge, Sioux City, Iowa, November 2012. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sand blows across a small dune near the Missouri River at Larsen Park in Sioux City, Iowa, November 2012. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sand detail at Larsen Park in Sioux City, Iowa, November 2012. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

A varied selection today, all from Larsen Park on the Sioux City shore of the Missouri River. The sand levels were high on the shore shortly after the record high-water levels in the area. This selection shows a progression from far to near and some of the variety to be found in this small park. The first photo finds a bit of inspiration from "Lawrence of Arabia," with the bridge floating on a sea of sand, and me happily breaking the rule of thirds. You may have heard me say that the idea should be called the guideline of thirds to keep people from mindlessly sticking to it. It's all about balance. The other two photos are studies in counterbalancing elements. Light and dark, shadow and light, solid blocks and skeletal detail. And finally, a monumental set of two-inch forms (inspired in this case by Andreas Feininger's close up work).

Metal Shaving, Chadron, Nebraska, January 27, 2011

Metal shaving, Chadron, Nebraska, January 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

This is a metal shaving from a drill press. I was drawn to the fine lines and sinuous curves of the shaving, and brought a few of the tiny things back to photograph. Although the spiral has a roughly standard curve from top to bottom, there is plenty of variation within each curve, providing plenty of detail. Even the two sides of the shaving have different characters.

Blurred Trees in Chadron, November 2, 2010

Motion-blurred leaves in Chadron, Nebraska, November 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

I like playing with motion blur, whether it's caused by the subject or the camera. Vivid fall colors make a good subject for the technique. This scene had plenty of contrast from the tree branches, which create a jagged set of lines to break up the curves. I also like the overall shift in brightness from dark at the bottom to light at the top, thanks to the bits of sky poking through the leaves. I don't usually include camera settings, but a few notes may be useful here. 200mm and 1/15 second, with my camera movement describing a “C” shape.

Pilings on Flathead Lake, Somers, Montana, July 30, 2010

Birds and boats on Flathead Lake in Somers, Montana, July 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

It was a rainy morning on the shore of Flathead Lake in Somers. I was pleased to find this scene with old pilings, birds, boats, and mountains in the distance. The scene was monochromatic, and I pushed that further with a blue-tone treatment.

Cowboy Trail Bridge, March 1, 2008

Bridge along the Cowboy Trail in Cherry County, Nebraska, March 2008. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

This bridge spans a short gap between two hills along the Cowboy Trail. It's fun to poke around under the bridge, but this time I was drawn to the linear possibilities on top. With a wide lens and some helpful shadows, I showcase arrows toward infinity. All it needs is a moon composited at the end.

That's better. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sunset Bleachers, Chadron, Nebraska, July 10, 2006

Evening light on bleachers in Chadron, Nebraska, July 2006. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Evening light goes through the slats in the bleachers, creating strong diagonals upon more diagonals. The patina on the metal shows up too, illuminated by the ambient light. The leaves on the ground create a counterpoint of texture to go with the metal.

Pipeline Anchor at Ponca State Park, January 6, 2003

A long-gone relic at Ponca State Park, January 2003. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

A long-gone relic from the quarter-mile circle at Ponca State Park. The pipeline crossed the river into South Dakota, with an A anchor on the Nebraska hill, and an inverted Y anchor on the lower South Dakota shore. This particular composition was only possible without a tall support for a short time. When I tried to recreate it even a few years later, the cliffside had eroded too much to get the same vantage point. This is a study in linear counterpoints. My original treatment was in color, showcasing the strong orange-on-white colors of the A. I later decided to reduce it to black and white. This helps draw the eye to the textures in the fence post. This photo was also the basis for a stained glass piece, which was a fun project in reducing what is already a simple geometric arrangement even further.

View from the Skywalk, October 20, 2002

Corner of Douglas and 5th Streets, the First National Bank columns, toward the main branch of the Sioux City Public Library in Sioux City, Iowa, October 2002. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

It was a cool October morning when we journeyed across the state line in search of adventure. I always liked visiting the Sioux City library, with its airy rotunda with hanging kinetic sculpture. The library and the buildings around it seemed a lot more massive when I was six, and this slice of Sioux City shows the true scale of the block. As is normal for most of my October photos, there is some fall color. I like how it's small scale fall color, just like the surrounding small urban skyline.