Moon over Chadron, December 2, 2017

Moon over Chadron, Nebraska, December 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Whenever I see the full moon, or any moon really, with clouds partially obscuring the face, I get to thinking that I need to get some photos of it. Usually it's when I'm driving and don't have an opportunity to stop, and I probably don't have the long lens with me anyway. This time I set up the gear and went outside to grab a shot of the moon. This is the usual composite that's needed when photographing a bright moon with a dim sky.

Fort Robinson Scenes, October 29, 2017

Trees near the White River Trail in Fort Robinson State Park, October 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Old train tracks near the White River Trail in Fort Robinson State Park, October 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Trees near the White River Trail in Fort Robinson State Park, October 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Out for a photo shoot at Fort Robinson with a friend. I found myself drawn to receding lines, and some more not shown here, such as a bridge on the walking trail that runs back to Crawford. Something about the scenes made me quickly go for a black and white treatment, which feels like a good fit for the graphic shapes. This set is all from the remnants of the train tracks before the asphalt road turns to gravel on the way out to the ponds south of the fort proper.

Lurking Below the Surface, October 13, 2017

A fallen tree lurks below the surface of Cherry Creek Pond in Fort Robinson State Park, October 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

I felt like the fall colors of 2017 lasted a good long time. Maybe because I was trying to get out and take more photos than usual. On this particular day, I drove out to Fort Robinson twice, because I felt like there was plenty to see and shoot. With calm water on Cherry Creek Pond, and just the right angle of sun, I found an underwater and surface scene that I really liked. The reflection of the trees on the water adds a middle element to the underwater foreground and upright tree background.

Grabel Pond, Fort Robinson State Park, September 29, 2017

Foliage at Grabel Pond in Fort Robinson State Park, September 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

Skeletal fractal foliage on a dreary day. I remember heading out to Fort Robinson for some fresh air, and the flat lighting didn't quite hold the promise of exciting landscape photography. The compensation was a tasty ice cream treat at the shop in Crawford, which can brighten any day. I was drawn to the clean lines of this bush, species unknown to me, whose multi-stemmed ends glittered prettily. This is an example of embracing the chaos, simplifying to some extent with a black and white, high contrast treatment, but otherwise letting the complexity fill the frame. There's plenty of detail to explore in scenes like this.

Mist on Black Elk Peak, September 17, 2017

Fog over the lookout tower on Black Elk Peak, September 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

My second hike up Black Elk Peak since 2004. I missed the mist at the top, but saw a bit of it partway up. There's a fair amount of post-processing to make the tones in this scene work. It starts off fairly low contrast, and there are any number of tonal adjustments possible. This may be a bit overcooked, but I'm going with it for now. I like the veiled appearance of the tower, even with all of this extra contrast.

Looking Down Black Elk Peak, September 17, 2017

View from the lookout tower on Black Elk Peak, September 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

A woman looks over a cliff edge on Black Elk Peak. My first hike to the top was in early 2004, when the mountain was called Harney Peak. I was looking forward to another hike up 13 short years later. At the top, I was naturally drawn to the mountain shapes going into the distance, but there were also interesting sights closer to where I stood.
This is a long-lens version of the useful near-middle-far composition arrangement. The woman provides a human element in the foreground, and a bit of dramatic tension as she leans forward to peer over the edge. The prayer flags in the middle provide a bit of color, and the mountains in the background provide a sense of depth.

Bighorn Mountains in the Mists of the Distance, September 2, 2017

Mountains seen from Hospital Hill in Bighorn National Forest, September 2017. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)

There is a scenic pullout at Hospital Hill on the east edge of the Bighorns near Buffalo, Wyoming. From here you can see the wonderful stacked shapes of the mountains in the distance. A fine place to stop before entering the mountains proper, and the views are especially good at sunset. I like the little details of each layer, with the glaciers on the farthest peaks providing punctuation. I used a small aperture to keep the foreground grasses sharp along with the mountains. This allows that foreground element to anchor the scene.