Daniel Binkard

14 September 2014

Trees along the trail, Nebraska National Forest, September 14, 2014

Burned trees along the Black Hills Overlook trail in the Nebraska National Forest, September 2014. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

The 2012 wildfire that swept through the region around Chadron State Park and the Nebraska National Forest continued to show its effects two years later. There are few trees left on the Black Hills Overlook ridge line, but a few stragglers remain standing, blackened and leafless. I included the trail to add to the sense of depth created by the trees leading into the distance.

Thistle, Nebraska National Forest, September 14, 2014

Thistle at the Black Hills Overlook in the Nebraska National Forest, September 2014. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

The road from Chadron State Park to the Black Hills Overlook in the Nebraska National Forest includes grass, sunflowers, pine trees, and some thornier plants. The harsh afternoon sunlight provided a strong outline for the thistle prickles. I used a long lens to keep a tight composition on the plant itself, and tried to find a good balance for the plane of focus. This is a fun composition to explore, and I like the delicate character of the soft background compared to the sharp foreground.

13 September 2014

Smiley Canyon, Fort Robinson, September 13, 2014

Sunset on a fallen tree at Smiley Canyon in Fort Robinson State Park, September 2014. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

There are a number of rocky outcroppings at the high end of Smiley Canyon in Fort Robinson State Park. With the variety of yucca, small flowers, grass, fallen trees, and live trees to work with against the rocks, I find plenty of opportunities to play with near-middle-far compositions.

On this September evening in 2014, I continued to see what I could do with the rough patterns of rock and weathered wood, plus the dots of color from the flowers. The sunset gave everything a warm glow to match the flowers, and I ended up with a top-down view of the tree with the flower next to it. There is a bit of depth at the top, showing the ground somewhere below the small cliff created by this particular outcropping. I pushed the saturation and contrast up to showcase the range of tones in the scene.

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.