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.

Silhouette at Ponca State Park, October 16, 2010

A fisherman sits on the Missouri River shoreline at Ponca State Park on an October morning, 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

While I was out doing the usual thing at Ponca State Park in October (Colors. Colors.), I found a fisherman framed by some trees. This treatment is a bit more golden that you'd expect in reality, but I think it fits the morning light theme. I think I took a shot with the figure in focus, but the amount of detail in the branches is delightful, and the background bokeh makes a nice backdrop.

Red Hoodoo at Toadstool Park, August 6, 2010

Hoodoo at Toadstool Geological Park lit by red light, August 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Recreating a photo from four years earlier: red flash on a hoodoo! I like the clouds with a bit of motion blur behind the rock, and all of the texture on the ground that gets picked up by the raking angle of the light. There’s no Big Dipper behind the rock this time, but I’m happy with the arrangement of stars as it is.

Blurred Trees, Yellowstone National Park, July 31, 2010

Blurred trees near Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park, July 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

If I’m in the passenger seat, at some point I’ll shoot for motion blur. The contrast between the white tree trunks and darker grass and leaves makes an excellent palette for smearing detail. I like the small details in the bark and foliage that have frozen at the right moment and provide additional contrast against the blurred portions.

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.

Hidden Creek Aerial, Glacier National Park, July 29, 2010

Hidden Creek, Mount Cannon, Clements Mountain, Mount Siyeh, Bearhat Mountain in Glacier National Park, July 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

I was fortunate to schedule a helicopter tour in the morning, and saw some wonderful mountain scenes. This shows Hidden Creek with shafts of light and shadow. I like the shadows on the lines of the mountains and the greenery against the rock.

Evening Light, Glacier National Park, July 28, 2010

McPartland Mountain, Mount Cannon, Mount Vaught, and Stanton Mountain, viewed from Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, July 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

At every turn on Going-to-the-Sun Road, there are all sorts of interesting views. This one shows the rough looking tree-filled texture of the near mountain, along with a few more in shadow to complete the scene. I like the varying angles that go with the afternoon light.