Daniel Binkard

14 May 2017

Flower Closeup, Nebraska National Forest, May 14, 2017

Flowers in the Nebraska National Forest, May 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

A straightforward flower photo with the classic 105mm f/4 Micro-Nikkor from the early ’70s. The sun was low enough to give the details some shadowy distinction. There is an important balance between contrasty light that is too harsh versus diffused light that is too flat. Each subject will demand its own kind of light. I shot this wide open, so the focus quickly goes pleasantly soft from the sharp foreground details.

Wildflowers in the Nebraska National Forest, May 14, 2017

Apologies to the floral experts if I have misidentified any of these…

False dandelion in the Nebraska National Forest, May 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Western wallflower in the Nebraska National Forest, May 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Narrowleaf beardtongue in the Nebraska National Forest, May 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Death camass in the Nebraska National Forest, May 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

01 April 2017

Foliage Closeup in Chadron, Nebraska, April 1, 2017

Foliage closeup in Chadron, Nebraska, April 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

When it comes to playing with blurred backgrounds, foliage can drive you crazy. How much of that weed is parallel to the sensor plane? When will the wind die down? Is anything truly in focus? But this backlighting was too fun to pass up, and I even got something halfway interesting. Often when I'm working with closeups, I want to get closer, and closer, and then crop in. But that's not always the best way to go. How can you arrange your out-of-focus elements in the background to support the in-focus foreground? This isn't quite there, but it's an idea.

Evening Scenes in the Chadron Hills, April 1, 2017

Yucca and fence in Chadron, Nebraska, April 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Tumbleweed on a fence in Chadron, Nebraska, April 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Moon and tree in Chadron, Nebraska, April 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Foliage closeup in Chadron, Nebraska, April 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Evening yucca in Chadron, Nebraska, April 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

18 March 2017

Hiking the Black Hills Overlook Trail, March 18, 2017

Tree and butte double exposure on the Black Hills Overlook Trail, March 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Crow Butte viewed from the Black Hills Overlook Trail, March 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Trees and ridges on the Black Hills Overlook Trail, March 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Trees and buttes on the Black Hills Overlook Trail, March 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Tree and butte on the Black Hills Overlook Trail, March 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

14 March 2017

Multi-Exposure Photography Presentation at Chadron State College

This Graves Lecture Series presentation covered multi-exposure photography and how it is used to create high-dynamic range photos, stitched panoramas, and focus-stacks. The presentation included a longer term show of work created with these techniques. I was also interviewed for the Graves Lecture Series to talk about my work and influences.