Missouri River Ice and Snow, March 3, 2008

Ice and snow on the Missouri River in Ponca State Park, March 2008. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Patterns in the frozen ice are overlaid with wisps of snow, creating a counterbalancing arrangement of lines. This scene should work as well in black and white, but I like the range of blues in the ice, especially the medium-dark areas, the transition from ice at the top to water at the bottom. The fine detail in the snow on top provides additional points of interest.

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)

Two Stops on Highway 20, March 1, 2008

 

Ice fishing at Cottonwood Lake, March 2008. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Swingset at Cottonwood Lake, March 2008. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Shoreline at Cottonwood Lake, March 2008. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

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

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

Birds on the Line, December 28, 2007

Birds gather on power lines near Ponca, Nebraska, December 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

This was a fun roadside scene. The power line made a good multi-level place for the birds to hang out. The lines aren't quite perfectly straight, but they remain strong geometric elements to contrast with the organic chaos of the birds. The ones sitting on the top lines form the bridge from order to chaos.

Farm in the Hills, Dixon County, June 29, 2007

Evening light outlines trees and silos at a farm near Ionia Cemetery in Dixon County, Nebraska, June 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

I like the perspective in this scene. The compressed perspective from the long lens makes the background hillside feel almost vertical against the flatter ground with the silos. The nearby fence anchors the scene, and leaves me wanting to see more of the hidden farm. I like the edge lighting on the trees and silos, which adds more depth.

Shadows at Ponca State Park, June 24, 2007

Dappled shadows across a road in Ponca State Park, June 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

A morning walk at Ponca State Park turned up some fun shadows. The pipeline road curves, rises, and falls, creating interesting shapes to show against the organic surroundings. I like the sense of depth here, with the line in the foreground pointing through to the background, leading the eye across shadows, texture, and backlit leaves. The scene works with the sun cropped out, but I liked the idea of including it as a strong bit of punctuation.

Minimum Maintenance Road, Dixon County, June 3, 2007

Rolling hills dominate a minimum maintenance road in Dixon County, Nebraska, June 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

The evening sun throws shadows across the fields and road, revealing parallel sets of lines. I am intrigued by the patterns in the road, random in their own way and bracketed by the regular lines of the corn. There’s a tiny punctuation at the far end, a tree that appears to be in the middle of the road. The rolling hills in this perspective become cliffs that might drop into unknown territory.