Hello to all and welcome!
I can't really say what you should expect to see here as I've never before tried blogging or anything similar. It'll have to be a work in progress. I'll probably talk about photography in general (and mine in specific) as well as point out different things that are going on that I find interesting or worth commenting on. If anyone (assuming anyone actually ends up reading this) has questions or suggestions on topics, feel free to let me know.
I'm here you're with me, here at the beginning of all things.
Roger
p.s. Comments and feedback are very welcome.
Photo of the Day - 5/7/2014
I'm in the mood for sharing a landscape today.
Back in 2006 I took a photography class at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (this is one of the images I took then). It was my first time really shooting there and I came away with lots of images I still really like. There were also two interesting things that grew out of the class.
First, one of the benefits of taking the class was a class show and sale at the Arboretum, which had never been done before. This originally took place the weekend after Thanksgiving but has since moved to the first weekend in December (and is now open to anyone who has taken a class there).
Second, many of us in the class found that we liked having other people with whom to discuss all aspects of photography, from getting feedback on particular images to learning new techniques and skills. After many emails were exchanged, 4 or 5 of us started formally meeting once a month at a local library, calling ourselves the Arboretum Photographers Society. Gradually, other people who liked shooting at the Arboretum joined the club, bylaws were drawn up and a formal relationship with the Arboretum was created. I believe we now have over 50 active members and provide volunteer photography services to the Arboretum on request (including supplying most of the photos used in assorted advertising and their newsletter). For more information about what we do, check the website (www.arboretumphotographers.com).
Photo of the Day - 5/6/2014
I decided to walk around Lake Calhoun again yesterday to see if I could get more shots of assorted birds. Besides, it was absolutely gorgeous out. Anyway, there were still flocks of coots and lots of horned grebes there, but all away from shore. So, birdwise it was kind of a bust. However, I did see my first butterfly of the year; a white one of unknown type.
In honor of that, today's photo is an aged Mourning Cloak taken at Lake Harriet many years ago (if it was younger, the white outer edge would be bright yellow). This was probably my first good butterfly image, even if it is a bit centered.
Photography: A question of taste
I was chatting with my older brother last night about the relative merits of Roger Zelazny's Amber books. It turns out he is a much bigger fan of them than I am (or, as he put it, Roger = Heretic). I was thinking about this earlier and realized we have the same issue about other authors, such as Hemingway (who he also prefers). What links both authors together in my mind is the brisk, stripped down way they write...no flourish or excess of description. I find I prefer having more detail rather than less.
This ties very closely to questions of taste in photography. I've mentioned here previously that I am not a big fan of black and white photography since I see the world in color rather than shape or texture. The stripping away of color (for me) strips away some of the life inherent in the image.
The same difference in taste can apply to the amount of detail that makes upan image.
Or realism vs. abstraction
They're all images I like (and like to take). Whether someone else finds one preferable to another is, ultimately, a matter of taste.
Photography: A Spring Day at the Arboretum
There are two ways to know that it is "officially" spring at the Arboretum. The first is when the snowdrops start blooming.
I always love it when the snowdrops are out because it is a sure sign that it is spring. They are the first flowers that I know to look for. They can push their way up through snow or survive when snow has fallen after they've bloomed. In "Stardust" Neil Gaiman noted their magical property. I can't agree more.
The second sign of spring is the tapping of the sugar maple trees.
There's nothing quite like fresh maple syrup. The Arboretum's annual pancake breakfast (which I missed for the first time in the last 4 or 5 years) is a great opportunity to indulge. And, the ways the trees are tapped is quite interesting, from the networked lines that interconnect dozens of trees to the singly tapped ones with bags. The conditions for maple tree sap to flow are very specific and only happen in spring (here's an article about it http://blog.lib.umn.edu/efans/ygnews/2009/04/the_mystery_of_maple_sap_flow.html).
All of these images were made today. It is nice that spring has arrived. Of course, last year I could get similar images on March 12, not April 26.
Photography: Shooting in the Wilderness
My parents moved to Virginia around 6 years ago. I get to see them several times a year, but almost always as part of a family get-together. So I was quite happy that circumstances worked out so that I could visit with them solo a couple of weeks ago. As I've mentioned elsewhere on this site, my parents were the ones who first inspired and encouraged me to get into photography, so when they asked what I might like to do while visiting, my obvious answer was "go somewhere interesting to take photos." Some recent outings on their part plus a bit of research let us discover that fairly nearby was the site where the Battle of the Wilderness took place (May 5-7, 1864). So, camera gear in hand (and in vest and around neck), we set out.
The Saunder's Field site (the first of several that comprised the whole battlefield) is just that; a field on either side of the road with an information kiosk that details what went on where. There are two things that become quickly apparent: First, beside the cannon and an ammunition wagon (or what I'm assuming is one), the site is pretty much an empty field with little visible from the battle. Second, it is a LOT smaller than I would have ever guessed. It is really hard to imagine 50-100,000 or more fighting there. No wonder there was so much carnage.
So, first I played around with the cannon and wagon; solo and together, different angles. Since there was a road that ran through the battlefield that is the same as modern highway, there was no need to try and hide it in hopes of creating a more historic view (and I like the first image where you have a gunner's-eye view, ready to fire on the oncoming car).
I like to shoot signs, monuments and labels. They help remind you what you are seeing after the fact and also help put the images in context.
If you can't read this one, it reads "140th New York State Vols/First Brigade First Division Fifth Corps/Number Engaged 529/Casualties/23 Killed 118 Wounded/114 Missing/May 5 1864" As I said above, this becomes much easier to believe when you see the small size of the battlefield.
It was called "The Wilderness" because a lot of fighting took place in the surrounding woods. This shot was taken just into the woods (which are apparently very different than they were at the time). Signs say to keep off the remains of trenches in order to help preserve them, so they are much harder to get good shots of.
Across the highway is where the Confederate line was. Some of their trenches are still extant. This wide angle stitched panorama shows their view. Unfortunately, it also distorts the size field and the shape of the trench. The small copse in the center (just above the left sign) is the parking area and is at most a quarter mile from where I was standing.
Parting thoughts on the shoot/tips for those who may visit in the future:
First, if I have the chance I'd go back when the weather is much better (or at least warmer so I wouldn't feel like rushing as much). Closer to the start of May (when the battle occurred) would also add a more accurate feel (I suppose it would be ideal if there were people in period dress recreating the battle).
Second, I'd try to play around more with other lenses. When I was there I wanted shots that showed as much of the field at one time as possible. As i noted above, this distorts the size of the battlefield in a way that I would try to minimize.
Third, I'd take more time in the woods and really try to find a way to incorporate the trenches. This is probably the hardest thing to do since the woods themselves are not all that interesting (or at least, no different from any other woods) and are not the same composition as they were during the battle.