Daniel Binkard

01 August 2014

Sunlit Discs, August 1, 2014

Sunlight reflected off compact discs, August 2014. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

I noticed sunlight reflecting off some discs onto a blank section of wall. The prismatic effect and amorphous shapes are intriguing, and I like them surrounded by the unlit section of wall, which frames the scene.

22 June 2014

Bridge Supports, Cherry County, June 22, 2014

Multiple exposure of bridge supports at the Niobrara River in Cherry County, Nebraska, June 2014. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

This rail bridge over the Niobrara River has been converted to a long walking trail and has many fun views, whether toward the water, the vegetation, the occasional wildlife, and the bridge structure itself. This composite is made of three handheld frames, each focused at a different point. I wanted to maintain deeper focus without resorting to a tiny diaphragm opening (which might not have covered things anyway). In stacking the frames, I decided not to crop the result and keep the ragged edges. Then I turned up the contrast.

04 May 2014

Rock Formations at Toadstool Park, May 4, 2014

Rock formations at Toadstool Geologic Park, May 2014. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Toadstool Park is a great place to study near-far relationships. There are plenty of high and low areas, so it's easier to get the camera close to the ground without crawling on your belly like a snake and possibly catching a snake doing the same thing. The foreground element is a set of small layers, providing a bit of a mirror to the overall layered scene. The middle element is a great wrinkly buttocks, pointing toward the hills in the background.

Rocky Scenes at Toadstool Geological Park, May 4, 2014

Hoodoos at Toadstool Geologic Park, May 2014. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Cactus at Toadstool Geologic Park, May 2014. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sandstone layers at Toadstool Geological Park and Sugarloaf Butte, May 2014. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Cliffside at Toadstool Geologic Park, May 2014. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Rock formations at Toadstool Geologic Park, May 2014. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Horseshoe bend on the Big Cottonwood Creek at Toadstool Geologic Park, May 2014. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

27 April 2014

Rain Lines in Chadron, Nebraska, April 27, 2014

An early spring rainstorm turns to sleet in Chadron, Nebraska, April 2014. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Sleet lit by a streetlight and turned to lines with a long exposure. Without the tree in the corner, the composition becomes truly minimal. With the tree, we gain an organic counterpoint to the straight lines and man-made fixture. There is a bit of lens flare from the light in the tree branches. I should fix that.

05 April 2014

Clouds Over Chadron, April 5, 2014

Clouds over a hillside in Chadron, Nebraska, April 2014. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Spring clouds can be strong and plentiful over the western Nebraska landscape as it slowly greens up. I am keeping a hint of the hillside visible so the tree has something to stand on. Otherwise, it's about what's floating over the tree, and the tree provides some intricate contrast against the poofy shapes.