Soft Skies and Trees, March 14, 2011

Soft clouds and trees near Dead Horse Road in Dawes County, Nebraska, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

I like distant scenes brought close with a telephoto lens. This is a stark landscape made special by the wonderful soft cloud above the trees. I'd like to get the hillside behind the trees to go a bit lower and showcase the tree forms even more. Aside from that, I like the simplicity and softness of this scene. But you need the contrast from the bare branches. It just might be too soft with leaves and greenery.

Hillside Variety at Fort Robinson State Park, March 12, 2011

 

Horses on a hillside at Fort Robinson State Park, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Horses on a hillside at Fort Robinson State Park, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Horses at sunset in Fort Robinson State Park, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Yucca and rocks on a hillside in Fort Robinson State Park, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Hillside tree root in Fort Robinson State Park, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sunset over Smiley Canyon in Fort Robinson State Park, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Tree at sunset in Fort Robinson State Park, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Horses at Fort Robinson, March 12, 2011

Horses on a hillside at Fort Robinson State Park, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Up a hillside near Saddle Rock at Fort Robinson State Park, I found these horses. I think they were relaxing after work. The afternoon light created subtle outlines on the horses and hillside, and I worked on it later with extra contrast. I like the arrangement of the horses on the varying angles, though I wish the one on the left had turned to say hello. The one in the middle has a nice leg arrangement, and I like the turned heads on the second and fourth horses. A study in silhouettes with some variety in the forms.

Grass in the Snow in Rapid City, March 5, 2011

S. faberi in the snow at Dinosaur Hill in Rapid City, South Dakota, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Every so often I see an arrangement of grass in the snow, or in some ice, and I think I'd better photograph it. Usually it doesn't quite work, but I like this simple set of lines and poofs. The texture of the snow adds plenty of detail in addition to the stronger lines of the grass.

Frost on Dinosaur Hill, March 5, 2011

 

Frost outlines a tree overlooking Rapid City, South Dakota, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

S. faberi in the snow at Dinosaur Hill in Rapid City, South Dakota, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Frost covers the side of a pine tree in Rapid City, South Dakota, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Frosty trees in Rapid City, South Dakota, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Frosty trees on Dinosaur Hill in Rapid City, South Dakota, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Overlooking Rapid City, South Dakota, March 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Blue Shadows and Purple Clouds, February 28, 2011

 

Crow Butte at sunset, February 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Saddle Rock at sunset, February 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Geese at Hastings, Nebraska, February 27, 2011

Canada geese at Lake Hastings in Hastings, Nebraska, February 2011. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

In late February, the geese were present in droves around Lake Hastings, and all I had to do was shoot from my car window as I drove around the lake. The difficulty is in finding order amid the chaos. I was drawn here to the strong shapes created by the geese’s necks. The shapes in the background are a few hundred more birds on the ice. I softened the photo in post, which further separates the sharp foreground geese from the background.