Be Present in the Moment

I appreciate people who have the patience and drive to hunt wildlife and gather food. I haven't done it. I like to think that photography is similar in nature, minus the harvesting of game. Photographing lightening is sort of like fishing. There may be strikes happening all around you... But you have to pick a spot, aim your camera and cast your line.



I have the problem of wanting to rush around to a different spot... only to see strikes happening where I was just set up.

Other similarities include these tips: 1. You have to know your target/subject. 2. Be prepared. 3. Be patient. 4. Enjoy the moment even if you don't bag a trophy.

For more than ten years, I've been trying to photograph bald eagles. I haven't travelled to Yankton to see them along the river because I'm not familiar with their pattern there. I may have to try it this year. I know that near where I grew up in Union County, South Dakota, bald eagles typically visit toward the end of February and into March. Whenever the snow thaw begins, geese come into the area and eagles are right behind. That's where and when I tend to photograph them, in cottonwoods over the fields and local creeks.

When they are in the area, I try to drive over in the morning on my way to work and just before sunset after work. Last year was the first year that I noticed them in the Vermillion River valley. This was way more convienent for me, I could look for them as my son and I commuted to town. The problem was that I would only ever see them when I was not equipped with a DSLR camera and long lens. This setting was the most picturesque that I'd experinced. I'd see one perched above the water as I drove by. Sometimes I'd stop and turn the car around to watch for a bit.

Even though the eagles flew off months ago, I still scan the river as we drive by. It's been really pretty lately as the trees have been turning.

Am I right?



Except that something caught my eye:



Do you see it?



Patches of white tend to readily catch my eye, even if they are small... The thing is, I've never seen bald eagles in the area at this time of year. I will admit that I am not an expert.

I am glad that I was able to take a snapshot to share my sighting with you today, but I was really sad that I didn't have my big camera and an appropriate lens. I was not prepared.

But, it is another lesson for me. I need to be more patient and try my best to be more prepared. Most importantly, I need to enjoy the moment. This bird was in the prettiest setting that I could hope for, fall all around and I didn't have 'my camera'. I didn't bag a 'trophy shot'. But, the bird stayed still long enough to turn the car around, roll down the window and fire a shot just to prove that it was there. Then I was able to step out of my car and watch for a few moments. I maybe could have gotten my son out of the vehicle too. When he is older, I look forward to pointing things like this out to him too.

I don't know how long this bird will be around. It seems like where there is one, there is probably another one or two in the region. I hope to be better prepared next time.

In the mean time, I am thankful for the opportunity to experience a majestic scene. And I will try to live more in that moment.

"I'm Just a Country Cook"

I  have the privilege to work full time for South Dakota Public Broadcasting.  This career allows me the opportunity to meet a lot of really interesting people in this great state.  Yesterday we travelled to the northeast corner to visit a ranch woman who has lived her life in the Coteau Hills near Sisseton, Waubay and Ortley.

Verna Knapp still lives on the ranch that her husband's parents homesteaded.  She's been working here since 1945, when she married her husband.  Verna doesn't call herself a chef...  she says she's just a country cook.  Still, she's been gathering recipes for several decades and likely has advice that cooks and pastry chefs alike would salivate over.

 



Verna's sunken garden is located in the foundation of the homestead's claim shanty.  Flowers are shared with local senior centers and nursing homes.  Once a month Verna takes extra produce to a local farmer's market.

Several of the ranch's buildings are on the historic registry.  For now, the Knapp family is working to preserve this piece of history.  The barn in the background will be a century old in the coming year.  This building isn't open to public visitation now, will be around for future generations to enjoy.  Verna says that much of the work that she continues to do is for the benefit of the future.  Knapp enjoys planting a variety of trees to improve the habitat for wildlife.  She also points out that it's an activity less for the benefit of the gardner, but for those folks yet to come.

Verna came to our attention thanks to a cookbook that she published, My Recipe Roundup at the Knapp Ranch: A Collection.  She assembled the recipes that she had been collecting from her mother and a variety of other women that she'd known through her life.  Some of the recipes are county fair award winning treats.  Sprinkled throughout the pages of the cookbook are also stories inspired by local history, family anecdotes and tales shared among neighbors in Roberts County.

Cooking is a passion that Verna won't likely retire from.  She treated my coworker and I to venison sandwiches and potato salad.  Yum!!  I mean it!!  I don't often have the opportunity to eat venison.  My experience with it is that it has a gamey flavor.  This sandwich didn't have that flavor that I expected.  I went on the shoot expecting to purchase a cookbook.  That sandwich confirmed my desire to have game recipes on hand in case my husband did bring home a deer in the future. :-)

Verna emphasizes the importance of being able to cook with what you have on hand.  The venison was from a deer that her granddaughter harvested from her first hunting trip.  Verna expressed her appreciation of that lovely gift.

Pies are a favorite for a similar reason.  A home cook can produce a pie from any number of items that one may find in their pantry.  On this visit, canned gooseberries were available.  Verna demonstrated for some friends her pie making technique.

I had never sampled gooseberries before.  They are sour and sweet thanks to the sugar in the pie.  I enjoyed the tart aftertaste that I was left with. 

Cooking has sustained Verna and her family, both due to it's nutritional value and the commaradarie that comes with sharing a meal together at home.  This was a pleasant interview to organize and I'm happy that Verna shared a bit of her life with us on camera.  I don't know when this segment is scheduled to air.  Watch for it on Dakota Life on SDPB. www.sdpb.org/dakotalife

Study of Office Supplies

This week I find myself with some spare time on my hands as I wait for things to happen. Some people read, others play Angry Birds and still others play Sudoku. I do all of these things too, but sometimes I work to create images. I recently acquired a Canon EOS M camera. There is extra motivation to play with it and figure out some of the things that it can do. With a flashlight, small gorilla pod and camera... I'm all set to sit and take photos. But, what should I photgraph? I rummage through our desk and grab a few paperclips, thumbtacks, post it notes and paper. I'm set to create a small studio and fiddle away a few moments. No harm, I'm still where I need to be for work when events get going. I can fidget away without notice from others. Here are a few images that I made. They're nothing too amazing, but I think that they're fun.

February Frost

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!

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.

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

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!!