Columbine and Lily of the Valley in Dixon County, Nebraska, May 10, 2007

 

Wild columbine in Dixon County, Nebraska, May 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Lily of the valley in Dixon County, Nebraska, May 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Lily of the valley in Dixon County, Nebraska, May 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Evening with the Missouri River Monster, May 8, 2007

 

Varying degrees of foliage in Ponca State Park, May 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sandbar on the Missouri River seen from Ponca State Park, May 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

A cryptid rises from the Missouri River, viewed from Ponca State Park, May 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Evening sun backlights a tree in Ponca State Park, May 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Toadstool Geological Park, April 28, 2007

 

Hillside hoodoo at Toadstool Geological Park, April 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Hillside details at Toadstool Geological Park, April 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sandstone hill at Toadstool Geological Park, April 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Hoodoos at Toadstool Geological Park, April 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Hoodoo at Toadstool Geological Park, April 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sandstone rocks on a sandstone hill at Toadstool Geological Park, April 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Water channel detail at Toadstool Geological Park, April 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Hillside grass at Toadstool Geological Park, April 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Toadstool Park, March 17, 2007

 

Fallen spire at Toadstool Geologic Park, March 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Caricature hoodoo at Toadstool Geologic Park, March 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Train rolling past Sugarloaf Butte and Toadstool Geologic Park, March 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Streambed at Toadstool Geologic Park, March 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Ridges at Toadstool Geologic Park, March 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Outcroppings at Toadstool Geologic Park, March 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Fallen Spire at Toadstool Park, March 17, 2007

Fallen spire at Toadstool Geologic Park, March 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

In 2005 I photographed this same spire while it was standing. Erosive forces, and hopefully not pranksters, toppled this formation that happened to look like a fertility symbol. I keep returning to photograph this and see how the remains continue to erode.

Ice on Briggs Pond, March 4, 2007

 

Cattails at Briggs Pond in Chadron, Nebraska, March 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sapling at Briggs Pond in Chadron, Nebraska, March 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Fence at Briggs Pond in Chadron, Nebraska, March 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Fence closeup at Briggs Pond in Chadron, Nebraska, March 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Ice on Briggs Pond in Chadron, Nebraska, March 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Grass and ice at Briggs Pond in Chadron, Nebraska, March 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Leaf closeup at Briggs Pond in Chadron, Nebraska, March 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Birds in the Snow, February 24, 2007

Birds gather around a snow-covered bath near Ponca, Nebraska, February 2007. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

This is all about the gesture of the birds. A slow enough shutter speed to slightly blur their movement, but not lose their shapes. I like the downward angle of the top bird as it chases the next, and the static form of the bird on the ground to anchor the composition. I go back and forth on the long piece of grass between the two at the top. I really should remove it and see if it makes the arrangement stronger, but I like it as is all the same. After some quick editing, I have some good results.

 With all of the grass removed, the composition is even more stark than it was originally.

Here I've removed part of the grass that was between the two birds. I like the punctuation these strands provide, though the completely clean version is compelling as well. At the moment, my preference is for this last version.