Photo of the Day......Wind Blown Cottonwood Tree in Southwest Kansas

I must apologize for the bird identification error in the 10 Sept. 2011 posting.  The bird is a Western Meadowlark and not a Northern Flicker.  I'll check some bird resources next time.  

With that said, I am posting a photo of a wind blown Cottonwood tree in South Western Kansas on 1 July 2011.  Like so many trees on the prairie it seems you can set your direction by which way the tree branches are blown.  If the tree is leaning to your left you must be facing south.  If it leans to the right your looking north.  If the tree is leaning towards you your facing west.  If it leans away from you your looking east.  

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Photo of the Day......Northern Flicker on a fence post

Northern Flicker photo taken on the western approaches to the Bad Lands of South Dakota 

 

Photo of the Day......VFR to Clinton, AR

This is a snap shot I took back on September 11, 2009 of the sectional chart in my lap while taking "Old Blue Belly" to her new home in Clinton, AR [KCCA]  It was a day of low and slow, flying.  

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Photo of the Day......Cattle seek shelter from the blistering hea and dryness

It has been 80 years since the Great Plains drought of 1931 to 38 that resulted in the great migration.  Today this same land is experiencing a drought of equal severity. However there is no Farmstead Act and the Prairies never recovered from the the Dust Bowl SO there are far fewer people living here today.  


Cattle take shelter from the overwhelming heat and dryness under a tree stand on a long abandoned farm house near Guymon, Oklahoma.  This appears to have been the home of a very successful farmer at one time.

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Rollo's Photo World: Photo of the day......Beautiful Golden Girl

Rollo's Photo World: Photo of the day......Beautiful Golden Girl: While roaming along Lynn Creek in North Vancouver British Columbia with my grand daughter there were a group of people letting their dogs pl...

Photo of the day......Beautiful Golden Girl

While roaming along Lynn Creek in North Vancouver British Columbia with my grand daughter there were a group of people letting their dogs play in the water.  This exceptional beautiful Golden Retriever caught my eye.  

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Photo of the Day......Abandoned Farm

An abandoned farm in Baca County Colorado.

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Photo of the Day......Oklahoma Prairie Sunrise

I took this photo on the morning of July 2nd 2011 at 5:43 AM CDT.  The location is just northeast of Guymon, Oklahoma,

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Photo of the Day......Abandoned Watering Hole

Thank you to everyone who are still following this blog.  I have been away on an extended trip covering many states and Canadian Provinces.  As you can guess I have lots of photos.  Too many photos, I think, now that I am beginning to process them.  

Initially I stayed four days at the Robert's Ranch just north of Kenton Oklahoma.  This photo is an abandoned windmill powered water well located east of Boise City in the western panhandle of Oklahoma, USA.  The Cimarron Strip.  No Man's Land.  The Dust Bowl.  It has been 80 years since the great drought of 1931 to 36 that resulted in the great migration.  Today this same land is experiencing a drought of equal severity.  If you are interested in a quick summation of the situation please check out this video.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCu2j-yXY0U

I have attempted to approach photographing this land in the spirit of Dorothea Lang so many photos will be black and white in recollection the the Dust Bowl days.  

 

Dear followers

A wish to apologize for a complete
Lack of posts the past six weeks. Initially I
was finishing An assignment and since July First I've
Been traveling with a comitose laptop, and
Posting via iPhone is impossible. It will be a couple more weeks

Photo of the Day..........Ozarkers, Can you tell me the name of this plant

I spotted these plants growing on the east side of the general assembly building and I have no idea what they are.  They have soft fuzzy leaves and bright yellow flowers on the top stalk.  These plants stand between four to six feet tall.  Any locals know what they are called?  They look semi-arid in origin to me.

Bonus Photo of the Day....Edit Blunder Turns Interesting

While editing a photo I messed up the healing brush settings and got an interesting result so tried some healing brush "painting" and got this.  

Photo of the Day...... I'm a little Thunderstorm Short and Stout

4:30PM at the intersection of USH-65 and Evans Road.  It's a perfectly clear cloudless day except for this one little thunderstorm to the southeast.  Trying to become mean and nasty on some town somewhere.  My guess West Plains?

Bonus Photo of the Day........I'm sure there is a reason??

I am sure there was a reason to put tiny clown car wheels on great big railroad freight cars but I can't think of one.

Bonus Photo of the Day....Lady in Black

Here is a B&W of the "Lady in Black" taken with window light only.  This room is bright and awash in sunlight.  To the right is a skylight that also evens out the room light.  It makes for a very good studio. 

 

Photo of the Day......Low Key Lighting

We learn by doing is the old expression.  I've been dipping my toe into  portraiture.  I have not invested in the studio lighting gear needed so these are crude attempts using only a couple floods and one spot, and natural window light.  I will be posting a few low-key, color and black and white "Noir" portraits over the next few days.  This photo was taken with one floodlight to photo right.  I mixed the lighting around to open and close the light in different areas with different set ups.  As I said.  We learn by doing.  


Finally, I will be revisiting this "Lady in Black" theme again come this fall when the sun is lower in the sky and streaming into the tall south facing windows.  

I have to also mention the real quality in any of these photos is due to the model.  She is awesome.  

 

Make up Photo of the Day..........Self Portrait

Yea.  That's me in the car.  Can't you see me?  It's me, really.  Me and my little Prius. 

Photo of the Day......I can't help it if I am CUTE!

I am Sir Rooster du Purrr.  My heart belongs to an Edinburgh Lass, but alas she is so far away.

Photo of the Day....Hot Ozarks Saturday Morning

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Photo of the Day......Ozarks Hillbilly Billboard Humor

Photo of the Day......Fishing with Gramps

This photo is for Richard James who's Tweet stirred up old memories of Fishing with Gramps Summer 1955.  I was six years old.  If I am in this photo I must be hiding. 

Photo of the Day......Ultimat Vodka

I decided the blog needed a face lift.  I will likely change the color schemes a few more times before I let it ride again.  I will very likely not stay with the introduction photo.  It was taken last year during an assignment for an aircraft sale. The misty trees seemed to be getting tired and depressing.  

Today is an early attempt at product photography.  My goodness but you do have to keep the product clean and dust free.  I wasn't too concerned since I was trying to see what I can do with the lighting first.  

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Photo of the Day......Last Storm Photo

While that beast of a storm moved away showing off it's brilliant rainbow it was not done displaying it's other deadly beauties.  As we gazed upon the rainbow to the east the south abounded with massive lightning flashes.  It seemed as though the storm was lashing out at us one last time.  Reaching back with it's electric fingers.  One last reminder that he was the king of the beasts and we were nothing in his presence. 

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Bonus Photo of the Day......Beauty within the Belly of the Beast

The storm that devastated Joplin, MO 80 miles to the west of us pasted just to the south of us and as the storm passed to the east an intense rainbow formed.  

As I stepped out of the house to enjoy some post storm fresh air my neighbor across the street shouted "Get you camera!  and pointed eastward and upward.  I turned to see an extremely intense rainbow.  In the time it took for me to find my camera low clouds began to obscure the upper part of the bow, and neary obscure the double bow.  Still the ends were extremely intense.   

I am one of thousands of Ozarkers  who took photos of this rainbow and almost all of them are better than this one.  My favorite being a portrait of two people with the rainbow end descending right behind them.  Nice work Kelsenator!  But, still it is worth sharing.  

This tornado storm may turn out to be the deadliest in Missouri history.  I believe it is the worse I've ever witnessed.  Nature is brutally beautiful and seemingly the more magnificently brutal the storm the more majestically beautiful is it.   

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Photo of the Day......Immature Turkey Vulture

Immature Turkey Vulture sitting atop an abandoned grain silo.  I did my homework on this one.  While I was confident this was a Turkey Vulture the lack of a red head made me check the Sibley's bird guide to be sure.  Turkey Vultures are very common around here.  Maybe they should be referred to as Ozarks Robins.

Speaking of being sure, the previous posting is NOT a Monarch Caterpillar but a Black Swallowtail Caterpillar.  Sometimes known as a "Parsley Caterpillar, so of course it does like Parsley.

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Photo of the Day......Yea, I like Parsley

It's been a sadly busy day here.  But, spotted a Monarch Caterpillar munching on Parsley while working in the garden Earlier today.  So I wanted to post it before I head for bed because it will be a busy day tomorrow.  

Prayers and thoughts for my fellow Ozarkers who suffered through what may turn out to be one, if the not the worse, tornado disasters we've seen and we've seen a lot of them.  Especially for those at St. John's Hospital in Joplin, MO which was extensively damaged by the storm.  Mother Nature can so beautiful and yet so destructive. 

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Photo of the Day......Noir portrait series location testing

A Location test photo for a planned "Film Noir" portrait series using Chiaroscuro low-key lighting.  using an old empty building with bare brick interior walls and large south facing window openings. This door would likely be best used with back lighted windows. 

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Bonus Photo of the Day......The road to Blue Eye

View of Hwy 13 leading into Blue Eye, or for you Daniel Woodrell fans, the road to Blue Knee. Read Daniel Woodrell's 'Tomato Red' published by Henry Holt 1998.  I highly recommend the book if you want insight into rural Ozarks culture.

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Photo of the Day......Will someone turn off the damn light?!

Photo of the Day......High Water on Table Rock

I have seen high water on the lake before but this is right up there.

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Photo of the Day....................Happy Mother's Day MOM

Photo of the Day......Galloway Creek

This is a quick work up of one of today's photos.  Galloway Creek.  

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Photo of the Day........Why do I love this photo so much?

I love this photo so much because it is PERFECT!  Orville Fox and Georgia O'Feeffe  at Canyon De Chelly in Arizona.  Photographed by Ansel Adams in 1937.   

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Photo of the Day......Yea I Like Fish

The Tern after diving into the water comes away with a nice yummy fish snack.  I was shooting manually and with the light changing my shutter speed dropped below 1/1000 sec. while adjusting exposure, which doesn't seem to freeze the wings.   If they are there again.  I will shoot shutter priority and let the stops float to get exposure.  Keeping the shutter above 1000 or more.  Again it capture the bird but no prize for this one.

Click on image to enlarge

 

 

Photo of the Day......Forster's Terns at Lake Springfield

A few days ago I spotted a couple migrating Forster's Terns fishing on the lake.  I didn't have the proper shooting tools with me so I watched them fly dart  veer and dive straight down into the water for fish.  The following day they were gone.

Today there were lots of them  but unfortunately they stayed mostly across the lake and only a few times came within range of my camera.  Right now for all birds in flight it seems 1/1000-sec is the slowest shutter speed you dare shoot at.  I had more range than that but didn't figure that out right away so I head back tomorrow and if they are there I will try some different settings.  

This is a true action shot but not as sharp and dramatic as is could be.  Hopefully, if they are back tomorrow,  I'll find a spot closer to the action.

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Photo of the Day........Colors of Spring

This is an attempt to show the variety of colors of spring.  Along with the domination of greens there are blues and reds and orange to spice the eye.

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Photo of the Day......Caged Chevy

I took this photo back on August 24, 2010 while driving along Walnut Street.  I have been playing with the image some so you might see a few more versions of this.  

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Photo of the Day......Ring around the Sun

This is a photo I've been meaning to post for some time now.  It was taken the late afternoon of April 17th.  My lens would not encompass the entire ring.  Since I wanted to highlight the clouds and ring I used a 4X Neutral Density Filter to attempt to minimize the brightness of the sun.  High altitude ice crystals form these rings.  

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Photo of the Day(4)...........James River Flooding

This is the last photo of the day,  I was waterlogged.  My camera was getting waterlogged and the light was running out and it was still raining very hard.  I was amazed to find the park still open but not surprised to find the Boat House nearly surrounded in water.  The decorate stone wall around the building almost looking like sandbags.  I felt there was still a chance the water would be licking at the balcony by morning but knowing the park was actual close to closing due to darkness decided it was time to go home and warm up with a cup of tea.

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Photo of the day(3)...........James River Flooding

The most interesting aspect of this photo is it is one of 10 shots at a rate of 8 frames per second.  This was the last frame shot.  It is also when I noticed that the water line was now about four feet closer to me.  How would the math go?  8 frames per second.  10 frames shot.  So lets say 1.5 seconds of shooting and the water came four feet closer.  Rising towards me at a rate of, lets see. 2.7 feet per second.  Multiplied by 60 to get a rate of 162 feet per minute and then another 60 to get a rate of 9600 feet per hour.   Divide by 5280 feet per mile and you get 1.8 miles an hour.  Not a speed freak pace but also not a warm fuzzy considering the volume.

This photo was created at the fishing boat launching parking lot just west of the US highway 65 overpass.  Its not in the frame of view but Farm Road 177 is just to the right of the end of the frame and it was flooding fast.  A few cars turned around but the tall four wheel drive pick ups kept barreling along through the rising water like kids playing in a puddle.  It seemed obvious that this section of Farm Road 177 would be closed very soon.

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Photo of the Day(2)......Tranquility above the turmoil

I climbed the hill back up to the road gaurd rail to get the expanse of flooding onto the sensor.  The fishing pier curves from where the walkway submerges to just past the third light post from the right.  Both of the Tranquil waters photos were created at the same time of the morning as the turbulent dam images.

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Photo of the Day......Tranquility above the turmoil

While trees were being tossed about like sticks below the dam above the dam showed no sign of the chaos below.  Smooth water belies the rush and volume of water moving past you at the very moment in time.

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Photo of the Day(3).....James River Flooding

Here is the zoom I promised.  Shooting under these conditions was a matter of serious compromising.  It was raining.  Humidity was over 90% and there was river water misting and it was very cloudy and morning light.  I decided to shot at slower speeds to capture detail and to blur the water movement to create more drama.  My intentions, when I decided to capture the dam overflow today,  was to share the sight, but I was also very interested in putting life into the images so I wanted emotion too.  

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Photo of the day(2)...........James River Flooding

This still was taken this morning at 8:55 at the same time I took the short video of the dam overflow and debris flowing with it.  Notice the extra large burbling water and splash to the far right.  I didn't see what just came over but from later shots it appears to have been a tree.  I am going to zoom into the large burble and splash in the next photo.

Click on image to enlarge

 

Photo of the day...........James River Flooding

View of the James River flooding from the bluff overlooking the Missouri Veteran's Cemetery.  It was raining very hard at the time and both me and the camera were getting pretty water logged.  It's amazing how well a garbage bag can protect a camera.  Put it in the bag.  Punch out a hole for the lens and shoot.  

Click on the image to enlarge

 

Video of the Day.......Hydraulic Jump and Debris

This is a short rough video taken below the Lake Springfield Dam about an hour ago.  Towards the end you can see the hydraulic jump line reaching from shore to shore parallel to the damn.  Watch the trees being tossed about in the turbulant water.  Water is powerful. 

Photo of the Day......Thunderstorm Outbreak of April 23, 2011

I realize that I should be talking about storm images from Saturday April 23rd even though the storms started Friday afternoon and are, more or less still going on two days later.  This second lightning photo was taken during the same storm passing to the north of my location.  This time I burrowed a bit deeper into the storm to capture this cloud to cloud  stroke.  This image was captured at 6:51:30 PM.

 Click on image to enlarge

 Camera: Canon 40D  Lens: Canon EF24-70 f/2.8 USM  Processor: Photoshop CS5

Photo of the Day......Thunderstorm Outbreak of April 22, 2011

At about 6:37 PM another storm slipped to the north of my location with a good amount of cloud to cloud lightning.  I was able to capture a few strokes.  During this storm passage there was light rain falling and a lot of humidity misting around so sharpness is lacking.  With the time being closer to sunset and the sun setting off to the left, in the photo, created some interesting colors and seemed to create a dilemma regarding brightness, contrast and photo detail integrity. 

Click image to enlarge

 Camera: Canon 40D  Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 USM   Processor: Adobe CS5

Photo of the Day......Thunderstorm Outbreak of April 22, 2011

Mammatus clouds over Springfield, MO at 5:15 PM.  These are the only Mammatus clouds I saw last night.  

Click on image to enlarge

 Camera: Canon 40D  Lens: Canon EF24-70 f/2,8 USM   Processor: Photoshop CS5

Photo of the Day......Thunderstorm Outbreak of April 22, 2011

I wasn't able to travel far from home base last night but I tried to capture some storm moments.  The main imaging issues were trees and humidity.  Being close to a storm at each imaging attempt there was high humidity which impacted the clarity of the images.  I will post the best I have over the next few days starting with a Cumulus buildup occurring to the east of my location in SE Springfield at 2:40 PM 

                                            Click image to enlarge

 Camera: Canon 40D   Lens: Canon EF24-70 f/2.8 USM  Processor: CS5

Photo of the Day......I think its been raining

Photo of Lake Springfield dam taken April 15, 2011 at 5:41 CDT. 

Camera: Canon D10   Process: Picassa