Down the Road

my random photo stream

Sponge

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The sensor on my DSLR is like one giant sponge, and I am constantly amazed at how much light it can soak up whenever the shutter is opened at night. Often the camera captures light and colors that my own vision is unable to detect. This photo was taken with a 30 second exposure at f/6.3, and an ISO of 100.

Des Moines International Airport

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Sunday evenings are usually quiet at the Des Moines International Airport, and tonight was no exception. I enjoyed the sunset from the top floor of the airport's parking ramp. I took several photographs as the sun danced along the horizon, but my favorite photograph (shown here) was taken almost 30 minutes after the official sunset. This photo was taken with a small aperture of f/18 to create the starburst effect around the lights. I wanted a shutter speed of one second, so I dialed in the ISO at 400 to get the desired exposure. As a side note, the last couple of photo outings have been a little rough on me. I still have numerous visible insect bites from last week's photo adventure. In hindsight, I made the mistake of sitting in tall grass while I waiting for the kittens to emerge from the abandoned building. Tonight, I practically melted while waiting for the sunset. The heat index was still above 100 degrees when I packed up my gear. Oh well, I survived.

The gem cannot be polished without friction nor man without trials.

-- Confucius

Have a great week!

 

Peek-a-Boo

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While I was enjoying the evening and exploring an area near Adel, Iowa, I came across three stray kittens hanging out at an old abandoned building. I figured I would take a few photos of them, but I had one problem. The kittens didn't want me to take their photograph, and they ran into a hole in the wall when I approached the building. It was time for a new plan. I staked out a strategic location around the corner from the hole, and I waited for the kittens to appear. After I had waited for an insufferable period of time, there was still no sign of the kittens. Just as I was beginning to lose confidence in my fiendishly clever plan, one brave kitten peeked around the corner. This photo was taken with a shutter speed of 1/400 of a second at f/6.3, ISO 400. I also used a remote flash.

Independence Day

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And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

-- Excerpt from the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776)

Over the last couple of years I started a new tradition on the 4th of July. I read the Declaration of Independence again. What an amazing document, written at an amazing time in our Country's history. The citizens of those thirteen Colonies risked everything in order to fight for what they believed was right and honorable. As I type this post on my computer, I can see the red glare of fireworks bursting on the horizon. God Bless America!

There was still daylight when I took this photo earlier this evening. To darken the background, I used a small aperture of f/11, with a fast shutter speed of 1/500 at ISO 100. I placed my flash behind the decoration, and I used a remote flash trigger (PocketWizard) to set off the flash at the exact time the photo was taken.

Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad

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Yesterday, we traveled on the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad in Iowa between Boone and the old mining town of Fraser.  The route travels through the beautiful Des Moines River Valley, and includes the crossing of an all-steel bridge that is 156 feet high and 800 feet long.  The current heritage railroad was started in 1983 by a group of volunteers to preserve a section of the former Fort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern Railroad.  At the beginning of the last century, Iowa had an important coal producing region near Fort Dodge.  This coal provided the incentive to build electric interurban railroad lines.  With nearly 147 miles of track, including the 85-mile long mainline from Des Moines to Fort Dodge, the Fort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern Railroad was the longest interurban railroad in Iowa.  

This photo was taken in one of their 1920’s era coach cars, as the Conductor was making his rounds and punching tickets.  A wide-angle lens (16mm) was used, with a relatively slow shutter speed of 1/10th of a second.  The aperture was 5.6, with an ISO of 100.  

Beauty

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Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.  -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I was recently reminded that you don't need to travel very far to see something beautiful in this world. While visiting my family this weekend, I noticed this indoor flower that was beautifully backlit by sunlight coming through the window. This flower wasn't a new addition to their house, but I had never really noticed it before yesterday. Beauty is all around us. We must see that beauty with our heart and soul, or we will never find it. This photo was taken with a shutter speed of 1/60 second at f/4, and an ISO of 1250.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day!

 

Thunderstorms

I love watching storms develop and move across open fields. Here in the Midwest, we often have strong and severe storms throughout the month of May. Tonight was no exception, and I took these photographs of an approaching storm near Truro, Iowa. I decided against using a tripod, and I handheld the camera for both photos. That was the right decision, as there was a lot of lightning in the area and the storm was closing in on me fast. The shutter speed for the first photo was 1/25, with an aperture of 2.8, ISO 200. The shutter speed for the second photo was 1/15, with an aperture of 2.8, ISO 200.

Adapt and Overcome

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When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome.

-- Wilma Rudolph

Tonight, I wanted to take a sequence of photos that I could use to create a time lapse video clip. I found a good location, I set up my camera, and I was ready to capture the sun's final descent. Clouds quickly moved into the area, however, and my time lapse project was a complete bust. I thought about packing up my camera and heading for home, but I was hopeful that I could salvage at least one photo out of the situation. Just before sunset, the sun peaked out from a tiny opening in the cloud cover. I quickly captured this image before the sun disappeared again behind the clouds.