Sieversma Photography: Scenic, Wildlife, Art

February Frost

2012-02-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

Winter has been pretty mild (understatement of the year). So, there haven't actually been that many opportunities to photograph frost. Then when we do have a gorgeous morning, I can't stop because I'm late to work or a doctor appointment.

There was a morning this week where I could take a little time and photograph the thick like cake icing frost.

Sometimes I notice little items that I eventually want to photograph. I drive by a milkweed plant every day. I've always that it would be really pretty when caked with frost. Nobody drove by to ponder why I was photographing a milkweed.

Then I stopped to photograph the Vermillion River.

I wish that I could have continued the photo adventure. By this point, I really did need to get in to work. It shouldn't be long until the eagles arrive. I looke forward to their arrival each year. Eagles +frost would be truly brilliant.

Jowling for a bag!

2011-09-25T07:08:00.000-07:00

SLR Lounge on Facebook posted a contest to win a Kelley Moore camera bag.

Google search 'jowling'. The trend has its own page. Essentially you try to keep your cheeks loose. Then you shake your head back and forth and have someone snap the camera in a rapid fire fashion. The goal is to capture your face at its peak of the path when you look the most deformed.

Here is the before photo.

I used four different cats. If you look at the orange one, it kind of hissed at me in one image, but my face was not desireable.

So what's the loot at the end? I'm hoping to win this bag
.

It is displayed on the site containing camera gear and baby stuff. I'm sold. My camera will be going everywhere the kid is. :D

So, if you wouldn't mind voting for my entry, please follow the link.

CAST YOUR VOTE HERE!!

You can vote once per day until October 30.

Thank you so much!! If all goes well, I hope to be debating which color to pick! I really appreciate your support!!

I love where we live.

2011-09-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are fortunate to live in a special area. We live on the migration path of so many animals.

In the spring its so noisey outside due to the birds quacking as they pass overhead.

Then they come back through the following fall as they abandon us for warmer regions.

I never mind that too much because that means that it is only a few months until the eagles come back in late February. I spend much of the weeks into March going over to scout the birds each morning before work and again at sunset.

Winter, spring and most of summer came and went.

Yesterday I noticed an insect on its migration journey. There were several Monarch butterflies flitting around the yard. Then, I looked out the bathroom window and spotted a tree branch filled with them. I counted around 60 and discovered other trees loaded with the winged creatures throughout the yard. I imagine that they moved down the road this morning.

There are more camping out yet tonight!

I really do love taking in the wildlife and scenery around me. Whether I have the opportunity to photograph a majestic bald eagle on its way to spring fishing grounds, or a monarch passing through... I feel blessed to just take it all in. And I am lucky to be able to share these things with others.

119 Days to 2012

2011-09-04T16:17:00.000-07:00

Time has certainly flown by this year... like years before. I have been taking a photo every day, though admittedly some are snapped with a cell phone or my ipod in the interest of just getting one done. That isn't what I intended to do with this project, but that is what happens occasionally.

I think that's okay. I think that it's been fun to document some aspect of my life each day, no matter how mundane.

For instance, I find interesting things on my walks from my car to work, or when I go for a stroll around campus.

We managed to get some tomatoes canned this year. While we wish that we would have more, we are pleased to have at least this batch.

We have kittens on our farm, so of course many images have been dedicated to them. How can I not photograph them? They have been so fun to watch while they figure out their world and how to move about it.

The animals on our farm are great subjects. You'll see chickens, our cows and our dog appear throughout my album. We also have the benefit of seeing wildlife moving through the area during the change of season. Today I noticed a tree filling with Monarch butterflies. It truly was awe inspiring to stand on a step stool for a half hour watching them.

I've always loved photography. However, it has truly had a special place in my life over the last three years. My husband and I have been trying to start a family. It's been a challenging journey with so many variables out of our hands. We've sought out assistance from specialists, had so many tests and diagnostic procedures it nearly makes my head spin. We've been through two miscarriages and at times its been too much to wrap our minds around.

Photography has been something that I could turn to and consume my attention in a creative way.

I started the 365 project in 2012 for inspiration and for motivation to tackle new ideas more frequently. I enjoy creating portraits and documenting weddings. This project documents my faves from those sessions, serves as a testing ground for ideas that I'm developing for clients, and serves as a visual journal.

In July, though, we got some very happy news. I had something else to document in this project, though I had to set the photos as private for awhile.

Who knows what the next 119 days will bring. We are very happy to be anticipating the arrival of a baby in roughly 204 days. We've seen the heartbeat three times and are feeling confident that I will likely begin round two of the 365 project in 2012.

In the meantime, I've begun taking photos for a stop motion animation of my pregnancy. I look forward to seeing how that turns out and sharing it with all of you.

So much joy comes from having a bun in the oven.

Happy 246 Days of 2011!!

Good Things Before 7a.m.

2011-08-12T05:54:00.000-07:00

I was going to sleep in until at least 7:00a.m. The dog had other plans, she wanted to come up and say hi. While laying in bed we got to see a few streaks of lightning cross the sky outside our window and the sun was starting to come up. The combination of the rainstorm and sunrise made the light take on redish hue.

Of course I had to jump up, slip on shoes, grab camera and go outside at 6:30.

I walked across the yard trying to figure out what would be best to photograph in the light. The bean field next door is usually a good bet, but I noticed a rainbow arching over our sweet corn!!

Just before going back to the house I happened to look toward the northwest. No way, a full rainbow! Those are sort of uncommon. While I did have a 18-50mm lens, but it wasn't quite wide enough. I couldn't back up any farther, trees became an issue blocking a portion of the rainbow.

I wished for a wider angle lens or a fisheye or something.

No luck.

I did my best to register the same bit of land in each of my photos as I rotated myself holding the camera to get the rainbow in its entirety. That worked out fairly well. Here is the result stitched together before I edited it further.

I did do some photoshop work to even out the exposure, cover the seams and extend the missing bits of ground. You can see a spot along the rainbow where the fit wasn't perfect, but I think it worked out pretty well.

I also had my ipod in my pocket. I do have a pano app on it, though it will scold you if you don't have the unit directly vertical. I had to tilt the ipod to try and get the appropriate ration of rainbow and land in the frame, about a 15 degree tilt away from 90. So, the app didn't work. For that the DerManDar app loses points. I will search out a better pano option.

We are heading to the Iowa State Fair today. I'm sure that I will have the opportunity to take lots of photos. We will see if I find any images that top the full rainbow this morning.

Prints Available for Purchase

2011-07-28T04:59:00.000-07:00

If you've seen me feature a scenic or creative print that you would like to have for your home, it is likely available for purchase.

I have my images in a gallery at Zenfolio.com, you may browse it by following this link.

More images are added periodically. Please visit often!

Thanks,
Melissa

July 17

2011-07-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

Clara Reitsma is my grandfather's sister and the last surviving member of her siblings. She was born in 1911 in Holland and travelled to America when she was 8.

I haven't had the opportunity to get to know Clara extremely well, but always enjoyed visiting with her at family reunions.

Clara is doing well after having experienced 100 years, she's incredible. She does live in a nursing home now, but is able to walk a bit when she chooses. I guess she still reads. Her family says that she received phone calls on her birthday from friends/distant relatives from Holland. She switched from English to Dutch in an instant and carried on her conversation.

When I greeted Clara, it took awhile for her to recognize me. She said that the last time she saw me I was a young/small gal. She was one of 12 children. That would take some effort to keep track of not only their children, but grandchildren as well. I said that it had been a few years, but I had seen her recently at the Tulip Festival in Orange City.

Not too long later, Clara scooted up to me and grabbed my hand. She said, "I remember at the family reunion you said that you were having trouble finding the right fish in the sea. Well, you must've caught a good one." She points to my husband. The summer before I met him I had been at the reunion with a different gentleman. That didn't work out and ended very quickly. I think perhaps though Nick and I were dating the next year, he may not have attended. There was discussion of possible wedding bells. I do remember that conversation, I remember saying that the guy from the previous year wasn't the right one, and that I thought that Nick probably was. :D I was right!!

I'm amazed that Clara remembered that after at least five years, even if neither of us can remember exactly how it went.

It was fun to catch up with distant family that I rarely see. I also got to visit with a few other relatives that I've met with and visited even less frequently. Still, it is amazing the characteristics that many along the Hamersma family line share. I looked at the photos on display and saw a photo of Clara that looked a lot like my aunt, her niece. If you visit with a Hamersma, you are likely to find yourself looking into a pair of baby blue eyes. My grandfather and his sister had the same eyes. So does my uncle, my dad, my brother and myself... plus many distant cousins.

Happy Birthday Clara, may you have many more joyful celebrations.

If you would like to read the article that her local paper wrote for the occasion, you can find it here.

365 Project Half Complete!

2011-07-04T05:40:00.000-07:00

Well, July 3 marked 183 days into the 365 Project. I'm halfway through. Seriously, I think that it is making the day go faster.

We had an explosive gathering as a lead up to the 4th. The exploded obect drifted nearly out of the frame, which is too bad. Buddies of my hubby were recording the explosion on their cell phones.

Everyone still has limbs and fingers attached.

I'm quite pleased with most of my photos. I still suffer from procrastination some days. It isn't even that I plan to procrastinate, I just have big expectations for photos later in the day. Then they don't happen and I have to use a cell phone photo from earlier in the day.

Ruby had gone rolling in some mud to cool off.

OR, I go out and document the progress of the plants in our garden or flowers in the yard.

But, that's okay. I wanted to encourage myself to try some new ideas more frequently, but also keep a visual diary of sorts.

We are on the backside of 2011, that's kind of frightening. Have a Happy July 4th and may the rest of your year be a prosperous one!

Missouri River Flooding 2011: Pierre

2011-06-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

In the spring of 2003, I went with the producer of South Dakota Focus (Stephanie Rissler) to Pierre. We got on a plane with the secretary of GF&P (Game, Fish & Parks) to get video of the Missouri River during a time of severe drought. The water was YARDS from boat ramps and docks. Intakes for community water systems were at dangerous levels. Nobody knew how long it would be before the river and lakes could return to a useable level.

Fortunately, it's been a couple years since we've been considered in a drought.

Now, the pendulum has swung the opposite direction. Boat docks have been removed and ramps will not be accessible due to too much water. Activity on the Missouri River, recreational or otherwise has been severely limited.

Montana had an epic rainfall, water down the Missouri River is already at substantial levels. Reservoirs are full, room needs to be made for the melting snow pack. Portions of South Dakota and regions downstream will flood. Pierre/Ft. Pierre, Yankton and the Dakota Dunes will be substantially most affected.

Tuesday SDPB had a staff meeting to discuss our coverage of this historical conflict. That night I and a co-worker were asked to head to Pierre the next morning to get video of preparations.

Residents of Pierre and Fort Pierre had been hard at work building levees and sandbag barriers around their homes and businesses.

Friday morning the US Army corps of Engineers began to open the gates to increase flow. Big Bend Dam at Fort Thompson typically only opens its gates for maintainance and checks. This is the first time that they've ever opened to release flood waters in its fifty year history.

Watch video that I recorded of the release for SDPB here.

I also visited with the operations manager, Keith Fink. Listen to a portion of his interview and see more Big Bend video here.

Oahe already was a spectacular sight, but continues to increase its power. Outflow will peak at 150,000 cubic feet per second on June 7.

People in Pierre are frustrated, but have gathered together wonderfully. They are hopeful that the levees will be sufficient, but have worked to prepare the worst. Everyone seems to have followed recommendations to evacuate to higher ground. Despite the grim nature of this situation, people maintain some humor.

Many houses have signs, "For Sale, Pool Included..." One home had boat oars outside with a sign, "Have oars, need boat."

Still, its hard to maintain enthusiasm when your house is surrounded by water. By Friday night and into Saturday morning, homes between Oahe and Fort Pierre were already inaccessible. That neighborhood had been without electricity for about a week. They were running generators and now were having trouble getting gasoline to their power units. When I stopped by at 9a.m., people had begun to use canoes, kayaks and amphibious vehicles. Plus, carp had already moved onto the block. Fish were flopping in the water while I was recording video.

Click here to view comments from a resident of the Frontier Road development.

For updates and coverage of the Missouri River flooding, follow SDPB online: www.sdpb.org/flood

Governor Dennis Daugaard

Thankfully, no lives have been lost. Officials say there have been a couple small injuries. Even if property is damaged, hopefully everyone can come out on the other side whole. Despite the hardship and frustration, Governor Daugaard and everyone that I visited with maintain a fighter's spirit. I hope that this sense of community endures after the river returns to its banks.

365 Project Update

2011-05-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

I truly believe that the 365 project makes the year go by more quickly. I know that my day goes by faster. I still have days where I have to scramble to try to create a meaningful photo of some sort.

Today I documented the first asparagus spear:

Last weekend I was very proud to watch my only cousin on my dad's side of the family graduate from college.

And I'm still having fun using some of my created tools. This is a photograph that I made with the disposable camera lens housed in an altoid tin. Visit that project in the previous blog post or two.

Please browse through my Flickr stream. I reached photo number 132 today.

Homemade Lens

2011-03-20T18:19:00.000-07:00

I read www.diyphotography.net fairly regularly. It contains all things homemade or hacked for your camera, including lenses. I've ripped the lens off of a toy camera and attached it to my Canon 40D with some success. Many other photographers modify their camera similarily.

I stumbled across someone who had used the lens from a disposable camera. Many people have done this, here is one example.

So this was my project for the day. I used one canon body cap, one altoid tin for fun and one lens from a kodak disposable camera.

The intial version today had the lens extended about an inch away from the tin bottom. I could focus the image if I moved the 'lens' about three finger widths away from the subject.

So, I decided to put it back as you see it above. That extends the distance to about four finger widths.

I tweaked the color and lighting a little bit on the above eye photo. I didn't sharpen it any further.

I'm pretty pleased with my homemade lens effort with built in lens cap. I had to reglue everything because intially the altoid tin was crooked to the camera, that bugged me. Also, the tin opened up if it was on right side up. I found that it worked better if the lens opened down. It wouldn't keep shutting on itself as I tried to make a photo. Though the other down side to this set up, you have to be so close to the subject that it is difficult to use a flash. If you keep the altoid tin right side up, the lid can be used to bounce the light.

It's your call!

All of this and I only shocked myself once when I picked up the ripped apart camera - battery still connected. If you use a flash camera, please disconnect the battery immediately when you rip into yours.

Checking in on 365

2011-03-01T18:18:00.000-08:00

Today begins month three, so far so good!! My difficulty with this project is that I place big expectations on myself. In my mind, I should post stellar work everyday. Really my primary goal has been to try to get as many photos 'right' in the camera and do as little post processing as possible. So far I've done alright with that. I try to make a point to mention if I've done any editing on an image. I still forget occasionally.

I used this opportunity to try to work through skill sets, like lighting portraits on location.

I've enjoyed working on light stencils and light painting ideas.

And I've posted some scenic images that I'm fond of.

But other days I end up taking a photo of the food that I'm heating in the microwave for the day. I'm not going to post that pic here, but you can find it my flickr photo stream. Click on one of the posted pics and explore!

I am doing better at thinking ahead to possible photo options as the week goes on. I try to stage some of my more creative attempts for days that are lackluster. Photos that use light stencils take some time to prepare, so I try to pile up ideas with those.

A person wouldn't think that it's difficult to take a photograph every day. But, it kind of is tricky to try and find something compelling to take a picture of. Even if it is just different colors of dish soap on the shelf in a grocery store. Chilling out and not making the project a burden takes some practice. If you try this activity some day, don't be too hard on yourself, that's no fun.

For me, photography has been very therapeutic. My husband and I have been trying to start a family for two and a half years. We started 2010 recovering from a miscarriage. We ended 2010 healing as well, from a second miscarriage in August/September and preparing for a diagnostic surgery.

It has been a blessing to have photography to distract me and keep me occupied. Even if the project drives me crazy on occasion.

As the year goes on, I'm sure my stream may reflect a few ups and downs. I try to find positive things to photograph. I want my stream to show the things that make my life meaningful too. I expect a lot of photos of my cats and dog. And maybe a few with my husband. We have a lot of fun together and he's nice enough to go along with my photo ideas.

What a blessing to be able to document life through a lens. I feel that I look at things differently already and am more creative for more of my photos. Hopefully I can keep that attitude for the next ten months!

If you have ideas regarding themes, or techniques that I should consider for future photos, please comment below!! I've gone to www.m-w.com a few times to see if the word of the day inspires me. It has been the theme of a couple photos. I look forward to reading your suggestions!

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T22:17:00.000-08:00

As far as photography goes, I've been pretty happy with my work in 2010. I've been doing some portrait work, but I've also been diligent about tackling some creative work too. My hope is that I will put out some truly unique portraits in the process. I believe that I'm improving, its a never ending journey.

I've posted some light painting efforts in the past. Tonight it's also the subject of the last images that I made in 2010. Worked on an idea for a photograph in the dining room, plus a smooch with the husband at midnight. :D

I've tried this previously, but I wasn't working at a dark enough hour. This is also particularly tricky to work at such a small scale. I keep bumping the doll, so this image isn't particularly sharp. I fitted a light brite peg to a small LED flashlight for my light source. It's helpful for working like this, but still not very precise.

The photo that I made just after midnight is my favorite.

Both photos only received minor digital tweaks.

I wish that I could say that this was my own brain child.

Awhile ago I ran across the work of Atton Conrad when I was browsing on another photo website.

I'd would like to try it with a person sometime. The subject could wear black shorts and a tank top. I may work on using some stencils and other tools to bend the light in a more desirable fashion.

There are so many things to try.

Really, it is a good thing that we're starting a whole new year.

On a related note: I'm going to try the 365 project. We'll see how that goes. Watch for more posts regarding that. If you're curious to see some of the photos that other people have done, just google search "365 Photo Project". Or, wander over to Flickr to see images that thousands of other people have made.

I think that I've wound down enough to turn in for the night myself. I hope that you all have many moments of inspiration in 2011!!

Election Night 2010

2010-11-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

It's true, the election was nearly a week ago. Finally I've been able to get a few photos from the South Dakota Republican party site posted. I was assigned to that location to help SDPB radio cover the election. When I was waiting for an individual to become available for an interview, I made a few photographs.

Congrats to all participants in the 2010 elections, win or lose. Thank you to those of you who threw your hat into the ring and good luck to those who gained their respective office.

Fall

2010-10-11T13:38:00.000-07:00

I don't remember getting much opportunity to truly photograph the fall season last year. I was chatting about this with a lady while waiting for my take out lunch. She agreed. Last October was chilly and the trees just dropped their leaves before autumn really occured.

This year has been wonderful!! Native Amercian Day weekend, or Columbus Day if you live anywhere but South Dakota, has been full of gorgeous weather. My husband farms, so I helped him move some equipment between fields. When we were done with that I stopped to create some photographs. I also headed over to a local state park for my own photo hike yesterday.

My husband is still harvesting, I think that some evening photo sessions may be in order if he's working late tonight. The temperature is so mild, even when the sun drops. How could a person resist?

Please enjoy a few of my photographs!

Pinhole Photography

2010-06-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

I read a blog entry about making a pinhole lens for a SLR body. I had tried something like this with my DSLR, that didn't work so well. I later read that the small sensor in a DSLR interferes with the sharpness that one may hope to achieve. Others have had better luck with full frame DSLR cameras or film cameras. So, I got my Canon Elan 7E body back out, picked up a Willy Wonka candy tin and made a pinhole lens.

I will post a pic of that contraption later.

I didn't have very good luck with acquiring sharp images of any sort. It seemed to work best if I were close to the subject, like flowers. Though in other images with similar distance, it didn't work at all. Landscape images didn't work so well, but I think that I like them anyway. I don't know if I'm trying to justify a poor image, or if it is actually 'artsy'.

They remind me of impressionistic images, but some with even less detail.

Here are a few of the images in a slideshow:

Dandelions

2010-05-19T06:51:00.000-07:00

I don't remember how this idea got in my head. Seeded out dandelions are such a nuisance, but visually they're interesting.

I thought that it would be cool to try to use them in a photo illustration. A tiny figure came to mind. I think that I was imagining illustrations that I've seen regarding Le Petite Prince (vaguely). Follow this link to learn more about the story.. Sidenote: We read bits of it in French 101. I have a copy in french, but am unable to read it without having a dictionary by myside. I would like to acquire an english copy sometime so that I may read the whole story myself.

Anyway, I imagined a small person on something like a dandelion head. It is a subject that seems other worldly. I also wanted to use my self constructed holga lens - it distorts an image and creates a soft photo.

I used to have two holga 120 cameras. I kept one whole. I ripped the lens off another after seeing that someone else did it on another website/blog.

I already had a body cap that I had used to attempt pinhole DSLR photography. That didn't work, so I hot glued the lens to the cap.

The camera has to be about 10 ft away from the subject for it to sort of be in focus.

Photo taken at approximately 7:30 p.m. I imagine that the lens is set to be about f8. That's what the diameter looks to be anyway. Since it is a toy lens, I can't change the aperture. This causes a bit of a problem. I would like to have included some light from the setting sun, but it was too much light and I couldn't work fast enough to not contribute ghosting in the image.

After twenty two photos I got one that I really liked. It was tricky to get the stencils placed just right. I would prefer that the sky wasn't so blank. I may try the photo with a different lens. Then I can frame it differently and have the ability to add more elements to the image. Having the option to change the f-stop would be very helpful too.

Still, I do like the blurriness of the image due to the lens in this particular case. The only tweaks that I made in Photoshop were to boost the levels so that the grass would be a little more visible.

Thanks for looking.

Spirit Mound

2010-04-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

I've been planning for YEARS to do a star trail image at night of Spirit Mound. I have tried once or twice previously with my film camera. Those results weren't quite what I'd hoped for. Still, season after season goes by and I didn't get out there. In the summer when it's warmer the sun may set at 9:30, but the stars won't come out well enough until 11. Plus, the mosquitos are miserable out there. In the winter it gets dark early, but it's also really really cold. AND, it's kinda spooky out there at night by oneself. So, a person can see how it's easy to put off a project, no matter how appealing it may be.

I've been more resolved to do projects like these this year. It helps that I participate in the Vermillion Camera Club and I want to have images worthy of showing to the group.

Yesterday we were treated to gorgeous weather. Instead of going for a walk in town, I headed for home via Hwy 19 and stopped off to hike up Spirit Mound.

Clear skies were forecasted for the evening, so I wanted to try my idea again. Fortunately my husband was able to finish up with the work that he really needed to accomplish and could join me. Our dog also decided that she would 'tolerate' the car ride so that she could go on the adventure too. I wish that I had a decent picture of her from last night.

It takes so long for the stars to rise in the northern sky. So, I tried a couple photographs with some still standing stalks from the previous year's vegetation.

Finally we could see stars right above Spirit Mound. I wish that we could see them a little lower in the sky. The area is quite rural and the stars are bright, but we still have problems with light pollution. I did two exposures. Here's the first one that I did, I prefer the amount of lighting in this one. The image was made in the camera. I tweaked it abit to adjust the color balance and a little bit of the brightness/contrast.

You may visit my Scenic Photo Album, there is a link in the column on the right.

Lunch Hour Photo Outing

2010-03-05T16:58:00.000-08:00

One of my friends who shares an enthusiasm for photography (and cycling) got a new lens and tripod this week. Of course whenever a person acquires a new gadget/toy/tool, it is necessary to try it out immediately, if not sooner. She suggested meeting at the Shrine to Music Museum across campus to see what captures our imaginations.

While it wasn't a highly social outing, we did regroup to compare notes and see what the other was doing. I haven't visited the museum often, but it was a nice break from the day to explore a place in our backyard. If you enjoy music at all, I would suggest stopping by. I've done the audio tour before and would give it a thumbs up as well.

I haven't seen Cathy's photos yet, I'm looking forward to them! She was working with the harps and a couple of the pianos. I'd like to go to the museum again, an hour just isn't enough time.

This one's my fave from the outing:

Fun with Holga

2010-02-23T11:06:00.000-08:00

I had come across photographs used with a Holga camera a few years ago. I purchased two from Bhphoto.com. I thought I could keep one as is and eventually make modifications to the second. I have yet to take photographs with the cameras themselves. I have been using a holga lens on my DSLR camera.

Others have hacked a holga to create a lens for their DSLR cameras. Here's a tutorial. Here's the approach that I took when I made my lens.

I've been experimenting a bit. The point isn't to create a perfect image - that isn't really possible. You can't adjust focus and you can't adjust the aperture. Just mounting it to my DSLR gives me two controls that I wouldn't have otherwise: shutter speed and an adjustable ISO setting. I haven't figured out the sweet spot for focal distance. I'm sure that there's a mathematical formula that I could use. But, I actually prefer to guess.

It doesn't really work to take photos of things far away. For instance, geese flying away from you aren't ideal subjects, though they are fun.

I'll keep working with this for awhile, I think. It's something different. Sometimes the image seems 'artsy' sometimes it just looks like a poor photo. I don't have one that I want to enlarge yet.

Pinhole Photography

2010-02-13T14:45:00.000-08:00

Photographers in Vermillion have recently begun a camera club. I'm excited about this. I tried to belong to the Sioux City Camera Club, but I always had to work the nights that they met. We'll see what my track record is with this group. I've been able to attend one of two or three meetings, but was able to participate in the activity for the month.

USD's photography instructor, John Banasiack, hosted the activity and discussed a very important tool in the development of the art form. Pin Hole cameras have been used for hundreds of years. It's such a basic device, but I've never had the opportunity to try one myself.

John demonstrated using a wood box camera that he'd constructed. Oatmeal containers, candy tins and a variety of other containers were also available. It is tricky to pick which you'd like to use though. A shallow container creates a wide angle image, a deep container is more like a telephoto lens.

I used a chocolate tin. I picked it because it seemed the most novel. My container was shallow, so I got a wide view. However, the back surface of the container is quite small, so it wasn't large enough to reveal the circular field of view. This is like your 35mm cameras, or even your digital camera. If your lens was allowed to project onto a surface large enough, you'd get a round image. But, these cameras are built so that they crop a rectangular image out of the center of the circle. At least that's all to the best of my understanding.

First we cut a piece of film to fit our container. The pinhole is covered by tape so that we don't leak light too early. It's also a good idea to tape around the hatch to reduce the chance of any other unwanted light.

I took my camera out to a bike rack. It's tricky to aim the camera, there isn't a viewer. Exposures are long enough where you can't hand hold the box, so it needs to be set on the ground. I was going to place mine on the garbage can, but I didn't like the location.

I exposed my image for about 15 seconds, then returned to process the film. If I chose to make an image inside, the exposure would've been closer to 30 minutes. This film responds better to ultraviolet light.

Here's a group processing their film:

My negative:

Photos are printed by placing the negative in direct contact with paper. We brushed a chemical solution onto paper. Again, this surface responds better to ultraviolet light rather than artificial light. After preparing the paper and assembling the contact print holder, I returned outside to wait for 20 minutes while the image revealed itself.

Then it was back to a water and developer bath to adhere the image to the paper and stop the process from advancing further.

Getting detail in both the dark and the light regions simultaneously is difficult. If I could do it again, I'd move closer to the bikes. I did want to show that they were snowed in, but it's hard to see that in the resulting image.

The target image taken with my digital camera.

I haven't had the opportunity to process paper in a darkroom in YEARS. I graduated 9 years ago. I maybe worked in the darkroom a couple times in the first year out of college. While we didn't use an enlarger to print photos onto paper, this was still really cool.

I need to clean out my basement and set up an area for a darkroom. I've acquired an enlarger and most of the items that I need. I just haven't gotten around to doing it. It's something that I wondered if I ever would get around to. Digital photography is an incredible development, I do enjoy the instant gratification of seeing the image that I JUST made. But, there is something magical about going through the process of making an image appear on film and then on paper.

During our session we got a refresher course on the history of photography. The craft has been around for a long time. We discussed that images can be made without electricity and that with the process that we did during the day, we could in fact document the apocalypse.

I've debated taking photography courses at USD. I have a minor in the discipline, why relearn what I've already gone through? Access to resources, direction and facilities would be huge. John mentioned that the primitive photographic methods are areas that his students delve into. I wouldn't trade the photography professor that I did have, but it would've been a great experience to make a pinhole camera, or experiment with albumen plates (egg white is the medium that adheres the light sensitive silver particles to a glass plate). There are so many other printing methods to learn too.

If it works into my schedule next year, perhaps I'll enroll. Really, I think that anyone interested in photography should take an introductory class. At a university. There are lots of methods to learn composition and how to "take" a photo, but in this digital age people have limited access to film and how photos used to be made.

Film vs. Digital, I won't deny that film seems to be withdrawing into history. I don't have to like it though. On one hand digital is maybe more environmentally sound in that you can toss all of the experimental exposures that you made on the way to the final image and film involves chemicals and the use of special paper and the production of roll upon roll of negatives. On the other hand, digital photographers are never happy. In this age of computers and processors, there's always a bigger and faster camera to upgrade to or computers to replace and software to purchase. It really is maddening. Computers are so much a part of every day life now, I guess that it doesn't make a huge difference.

I will, however, continue to hold on to my Canon Elan 7e and my rustic Pentax K1000. I can't bear to let them go and they wouldn't bring much on ebay right now anyway. :D

This weekend I've also been trying to make my digital camera into a pinhole camera. I haven't had much luck. We drilled a one inch hole into the body cap of my camera. Then I taped a piece of black paper over it and made a pin hole in the center. Even shooting a wide scene, there doesn't seem to be any point that's in focus. Generally the smaller the opening, the sharper the scene when you deal with the aperture on a lens. Our pin hole cameras yesterday weren't tack sharp, but there were some areas with a bit of focus.

Here's an image from my effort:

I will experiment. If anyone has any suggestions or insight, I'm open to them!

Butterfly House

2010-01-23T12:46:00.000-08:00

Sioux Falls has an escape from the cold temperatures, The Butterfly House at Sertoma Park. If you haven't been, you really should check it out. I recently went with two other friends who share an interest in photography. We were able to soak up a bit of warmth and enjoy these colorful creatures (not to be cliche).

You have to be mindful of where you step or sit. The butterflies like to perch anywhere. Also, they hitch a ride on visitors occasionally. There are air traps for exits so that you can check for tag alongs before you leave.

Arrival

2010-01-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

We have a bunch of chickens on our acreage, so we gathered a few eggs and tried to hatch them. One Saturday morning we were able to drink coffee and watch this chick emerge.

Photos at LAF

2009-11-17T18:37:00.000-08:00

Young children and adults gather at the United Church of Christ on Wednesday evenings for their LAF program. LAF is an acronym for 'Loaves and Fishes' and is in place of Sunday school each weekend.

I haven't been involved with the program much, I don't yet have children. Though it would be a wonderful volunteer opportunity. One Sunday I noticed an announcement in the church bulletin looking for individuals who would loan their digital camera to they children to use. The posting also asked if anyone would like to accompany their camera and help the kids.

Anyone who knows me understands two things: I don't like cameras nor do I like children. Wait a minute, scratch that - I AM a big kid who is cool working with children and I do enjoy photography. So, of course it seemed like something to do.

These children (that I helped with) are preschool age. I wondered how one would present photography to children. Hinduism is the religion that all children at LAF have been learning about for the last couple of weeks. Photography would be used to demonstrate how to see God in everything.

In this photo Pastor Steve is teaching the children to greet each other by using the phrase "Namaste". If I recall his explanation he said that it's a good way to say, "The God in me recognizes the God in you." I hope that I paraphrased that correctly.

Jason Askew, a local photographer and memeber of the UCC, brought his computer to the group to show images that he thought were beautiful. He does a lot of work with HDR (High Dynamic Range) images. You can check out his website here.

We really only got about ten minutes with the kids to go and look for things that they find interesting in the church. I was paired with Liam and his mom. Here are a couple of photos that he took:

You may or may not be able to see that the children in the above photo are learning how to do yoga. They were children aged 5 and above. We went downstairs, I thought to take some photos of them.

This young man thought that he might like to try to do yoga and that it might be more fun than taking pictures. So, he handed the camera to his mom and joined the kids on the floor.

Really, who can blame him? I enjoy yoga when I get around to doing it. And really the goal is just to create a positive experience in church.

Click on the "People That You Meet" photo along the right to view the photographs that I snapped at LAF.

Photo Safari in Yankton and Clay Counties

2009-11-15T17:40:00.000-08:00

In general I have many hobbies, though I'm mainly pre-occupied with two: cycling and photography. Cycling hasn't been happening so much lately, but a few of my bicycling friends are also into photography.

We've decided to form a small photography club and have been giving ourselves weekly assignments. A few weeks ago three of us got together to search out photographic subjects in Yankton, Utica and rural Wakonda.

First, we stopped by the Sacred Heart Convent Cemetery.

We visited a couple spots along the river before heading to Utica. Admittedly this isn't the best photo ever, but I liked the blue truck in front of a yellow house.

There was also a stone structure across the street. I didn't take a photo of it, but I thought that it was an interesting frame for Cathy. She was photographing the old fire station in Utica.

You may view additional photos from our outing as well as other scenic images here.

2009-10-11T11:18:00.001-07:00

Photographer's Assistant

2009-10-09T17:52:00.000-07:00

Today I was on the ground making this photograph:

Then, I got a visitor. I felt a fuzzy monkey hop onto my back. This little guy thought that he'd supervise.

Playing with Flashlights

2009-09-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

Here is the result from my work on this weeks self imposed photography assignment as part of the Camera Clickin' Cyclist group on Facebook. Our task: Home. No other parameters. I thought that I'd like to try actually drawing in a photograph instead of just writing. I thought that it might be an alright way to put a spin on the 'American Gothic' idea.

This morning I got up and had a bit of time before it became light out, so I made a few attempts at an image.

Well, I wanted to try the same image - but at night. I got a spotlight and I wanted to try to illuminate the house myself. So, I used the same timing from the morning for the interior lights, turned them off after the appropriate amount of time. I did the drawing and then I went around the house to light the structure and the visible trees.

This photo is what was taken inside of the camera. In the interest of full disclosure, I did tweak what's supposed to be a heart. I copied a portion of the photograph before this one to make the segment look more heart like.

The heart is still a bit wonky, but it'll do. I was working with a freaking laser pointer. :D Laser beams are fine to attach to the heads of killer sharks so that ... Read Moreevery creature can have a hot meal (says Dr. Evil), but they're not super useful drawing tools.

I'm pleased. Is that okay to admit? I hope so.

Macro Photography

2009-09-10T06:25:00.000-07:00

A few of my cycling friends are photo enthusiasts as well. We all have other interests too, but cycling and photography are definately common bonds. We can relate as we each dive further and further into these potentially spendy hobbies.
:-)

The nice thing about both is that they each allow room for personal growth. Cycling improves one's health and both contribute to one's mental health and well being.

Since this is a photography blog, I'll focus on that. There are so many things to learn and relearn with photography. My friends have recently (in the last couple of years) acquired DSLR cameras. I studied photography in college and have had a film SLR camera. I purchased a DSLR model this summer. We all want to get more familiar with our cameras.

I think that my friends and I benefit from structured learning, in a way. We wanted to give ourselves assignments to practice things that we've learned in classes past and present, or have read about online.

We'll have weekly tasks to practice and then report back to a Facebook group (Camera Clicking Cyclists) with the results. I think that we'll be able to see some improvement as we work along.

This week was macro photography.

Here's a slide show that includes photos that I created for the task, plus a couple that just add to the series.

I have a Canon 40D and a Canon 430 Flash which I used on camera, set to 0 or -1 for most of these images. I also had a bounce card reflecter attached to the flash. The subjects were so close that the flash would bypass them, I needed the card to reflect the light down for a bit of front light. I also have a small Promaster flash that I have hooked to an optical slave. I handheld that and pointed it toward the background so that the light would bounce and backlight the fruit. Exposure was typically 1/200 (maybe a little slower on an image or two) and the fstop was typically between 16 and 22.

MS 150 Weekend

2009-08-02T16:25:00.000-07:00

Hmmm... Do I put this entry on my cycling blog or on my photo blog?

Photo blog it is!!

I did my best to announce the riders as they crossed the line. I had hoped to be able to have my camera on a tripod so that I could snap a photo as riders came in. Even with a shutter release cable, it just didn't work. The camera didn't focus on the riders on its own and I couldn't flip the switch and hold the rider list with numbers AND the microphone AND try to identify anyone at the same time. Sorry.

I did have company later in the afternoon.

This little girl came over and asked me if she may take my picture. She was a cutie. She photographed me, I took a picture of her, she took a picture of me looking at her stuffed doggie. I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. She said a picture taker. I said, "Oh, you want to be a photographer, that's great!" She asked, "What's a toe-phog-rapher?" I said a picture taker. :D She soon ran out of film on her disposable camera, so she helped me check for numbers on the riders. Her daddy was a rider this weekend. Gotta love kids. They're a lot of fun.

Sunday morning Nick and I got up, made coffee and went to watch the riders pass by. We live on the route, so figured we may as well cheer our friends on! I brought my camera to document the occasion since I wasn't riding it this year. I plan to send a disc to the chapter office in case they'd like any of the shots. So many people take pictures over the weekend. I'm sure that they have plenty documenting every angle of the ride.

There are more pictures of Sunday's ride here.

On our way home we watched two riders accompany each other into the ditch right by our driveway. We stopped. Everyone was fine. I still really hate watching people crash. The handle bars on one of the bikes got tweaked pretty well, so we gave her a ride to the next pit stop. She was from Madison, though I've forgotten her name. Donna, I think. She said that she felt bad that we had to drive so far (like 5 miles). I assured her that I've depended on the kindness of strangers before and it was no problem to help her out. Cyclists are so nice. Everyone is eager to help each other out. I think that'd be the same in any other sport/hobby though too.

Storms over Iowa

2009-07-15T08:04:00.001-07:00

The best lightening storm is one that's miles away. I should've moved around the yard a bit to snag a few more photos. But, the mosquitoes were feasting on my ankles. I love photography, but some nights I don't like it quite that much. :-)

July 4th, Beresford Fireworks

2009-07-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

Sioux City Fireworks

2009-07-04T05:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'll admit that I didn't double check my gear bag last night. While I don't want to admit some of the mistakes that I make in a public forum, I think that it's good to explore things that go wrong and how a person may try to make something else work. Because let's face it, if something can go wrong due to human or mechanical error - it will.

I brought my tripod with me to Sioux City in order to take some longer exposure fireworks shots. I walked with my husband to the 4th Street area, tripod in hand. However, when I went to set up the shot, no wedge plate to attach my camera to the tripod. Rats.

However, I thought that with the flash and with some luck, I may be able to freeze the people in the shot and still get some of the explosions in the background.

They may not be perfect, but I liked these two pictures the best.

Putting up Hay

2009-07-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

One night I delivered food to my husband as he was working late baling hay. I didn't want him to starve, it's nice to visit him out in the field AND I thought that there might be some opportunities for a photo or two.

Green Acres is the Place For Me

2009-07-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

There are many mornings that I wake up, look out the window, grab my camera, shoes and rush out the door. This was one of those mornings.

Our cows were out eating breakfast while the sun was rising behind them.

Kid Race at Bike-a-Palooza

2009-06-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

Kids of all ages gathered at Monk's House of Ale Repute in Sioux Falls for a biking charity event. Money generated from the event went toward the purchase of bicycles for kids who were in need of one. There was an excellent turnout, and I hope that it becomes an annual event. A few bands played and there were cycling events for children and adults.

I hung out to watch the kids run a race through a cone course. They pedaled to the end of the course and then had to weave through the cones in each direction and then race back to the finish line.

That's the event that I have photos for. To my fellow Lanehog bloggers: I tried to get pictures of everyone's kids, I'm sorry if I missed one. I think that I may have. I counted and didn't reach the total of junior bloggers that I was aware of.

Later in the day there were activities for adult enthusiasts. I left before they started, so hopefully I can take that in next year and wait for photos from others who were there. Events included a bicycle jousting competition, a clunker crit, a bicycle toss and more.

One person's trash is another's treasure.

2009-06-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

I accompanied my husband to a you pull it junk yard north of Sioux Falls. We were going to run some other errands, so of course I didn't mind tagging along. He thinks that I just did it to humor him and get a lunch out. Well, that may be part of it. It should be noted, however, that I am easily amused and do generally like to hang out with him, whatever the project. :-)

But I digress. I did have my camera along and a few more shots of film to burn on a roll. It was a damp day. Nick went to pull a fuel line. I went to look for an interesting shot or two.

Slide show here.

A Salute to my Grandfather

2009-06-17T08:06:00.001-07:00

In such a sad moment, there are beautiful images. These photos maybe aren't exactly perfect, but I like them.

Second image here.

Keiser Farm Auction

2009-06-12T19:47:00.001-07:00

I know some of the individuals in these photos. Hopefully the ones that I don't know won't mind that I'm sharing their image with you. I think that auctions in general are great people watching events. Buyers are out to find a deal and socialize with neighbors. They truly are things to experience.

Tulip Festival

2009-06-05T11:19:00.001-07:00

There are a couple more Tulip Festival 2009 photos in the people album. You can find a link to it along the right.

At the End of the Day

2009-06-05T11:17:00.001-07:00

Our Nation's Mascot

2009-05-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

I've been trying for several years to capture a stellar image of the bald eagle. Our area seems to be in their path for migration. Yesterday I snagged a few images that I like, though I'm far from throwing in the towel. Even if I don't have success every time I raise the camera to my eye, they are a lot of fun to watch.

I will create an album with animal shots in it here. You will also find additional eagle images in that location

Mader Family Christmas

2009-05-25T13:24:00.001-07:00

I didn't have as many images turn out as I'd hoped. I didn't want to use a flash, I hoped to not interrupt anyone. It was dark in the home, and this family moves FAST. Still, I was able to capture a few images that I like with existing light. There are more images in the people album of my photobucket. Click here.

A Few Images from our Capital

2009-05-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

Keiser Dairy Auction

2009-05-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

My husband's boss sold his dairy cows yesterday. I wanted to be on hand to experience the event. I brought along my camera because I also thought that there would be an opportunity to find unique images at this historic moment.

Here's a link to the slideshow of images.