Journal

Mark’s journal of photographic projects, thoughts, and commentary.

Atomic Tree – Cones Marsh Iowa

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This image reminds me of a couple of things.  First, at times it’s hard to beat the Iowa sunsets.  This late-day shot was taken after a day of rain and thunderstorms.  This however was not the photograph I had expected to get.

To the north of this location, lies a shallow marsh and pond, that at the time, was loaded with blooming lilies.  The storm clouds over this pool looked very nice and my intention was to go to the marsh and shoot that if it looked good…and it did.  

While I shot away though, I did actually look around a bit, and behind me I saw the golden orange clouds and light taking shape, so I thought it might be worth it to run down a tree line to an open area and see what developed.  And this image is what came from all that. 

It’s just a good reminder to always keep an eye on the scene behind you.  I can get so locked in to just working with what’s in front of me, that I forget everything else.  How much might we miss by doing that?

Bald Eagle – The Grand Wingover

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As you watch Bald Eagles go through their daily routines, habits, and flight patterns, you’re left with moments of extremes.  Winter eagles can do a lot of sitting around.  But it’s not out of laziness.  It’s to conserve vital energy that will only be sustained by ample food.  

This isn’t to say you’ll never see eagles fly around…some fly a lot more than others, but I think the wise old ones are judicious about it.  They sit and rest a lot, and then go to town when they need to find something to eat.  

So this leads us to the other extreme of eagle behaviors.  In flight they can be powerful, agile, wickedly fast for a large bird, and when hunting, they will twist and dive, getting the perfect angle on a fish below…they make a final run in, feet hanging down, wings buffeting the winds and controlling every angle of descent, until they pluck the fish from the water in one, quick strike.

Many people love to get the birds, pulling fish from the water…it’s the ultimate shot in this action sequence.  I feel the same way of course but I also like to catch them at the very beginning of their hunting run…and that often includes a dramatic wingover like this one.  It’s a way to curb speed and direct their forward flight, downward, and ultimately in any fine-tuned direction they need to go.  I think I have come to enjoy the wingovers more than any other move they make these days…I loo for them all the time and am happy when I catch one that looks this good.

Balanced Rock Sunset – Arches National Park

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The first time through Arches National Park near Moab Utah can be a little overwhelming.  There is a lot to see…many formations and arches, and each one uniquely different from the others.    

This was a very fast and brief stopover, but it gave us time to look around a little bit and get to know the place better.  One of the iconic spots that is very accessible is Balanced Rock.  I dare to think how many photos have been taken of this formation but it’s probably 10’s of thousands by now.  

The park was first established as a national monument back in 1929, and designated as a national park in 1971.  For many years it had a few seasonal visitors but with increasing exposure, much of it coming from Edward Abbey’s excellent book Dessert Solitaire, awareness of the wonders here grew quite quickly.  Abbey was a park ranger here for a time and came to know the area well.  

The image above was taken pointing west as the sun set.  It was the last, and probably best image I got the entire day.

Badlands Morning Hike

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I have made 3 or 4 trips now to Badlands National Park in South Dakota and while there’s no question, you can see some amazing things from driving through there, the truth is the real beauty lies in getting out of the car and walking, exploring, and discovering formations that you could never see well from the road.

I have shot most of the iconic spots, Ancient Hunter’s Overlook, Panorama Point, or Cedar Pass…and have enjoyed them all, and will likely stop at all of them again down the road, but the greatest appeal for me now is to simply see what else is out there.  

This image was a result of walking a bit.  Not terribly far, but as you traverse the ridges and mounds, you come to find views like this.  It shows the beautiful etched lines in the mud where water has cut into it…and the striations of color in the land is something to behold…they get particularly colorful when the ground is wet from rains…although I’d suggest not going out too far following rain or snow melt…you’ll bring a lot of the land back with you in the form of mud caked to your shoes.

River Wood Duck

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Wood Ducks, in my humble opinion, are the prettiest of the waterfowl that grace our skies and waters around Iowa.  And really that’s saying quite a lot when you consider the variety of ducks we have nest here and pass through during the fall and spring migrations.  It’s not a slight to any of the other one’s to say that woodies are my favorite.

Over the years I’ve had a few chances to photograph them, but I’ll admit, it was more of an opportunistic thing, rather than by any grand design or effort.  Do really photograph them right it’s probably best to set up a blind somewhere and apply a lot of patience.  

Still, if you come across an cooperative drake on the river, and he’s happy to get his picture taken, who am I to argue.  He enjoyed riding the waves and hanging with a mix of other ducks on a cold an wintry day.  I can’t blame him for looking for company.

Prairie Fire – Sunset At Discovery Park

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I have to admit, every time I’m blessed to see a dramatic sunset in Muscatine, I’m reminded of Mark Twain and his commentary, that after working here, early on in his journalistic career, he always remembered Muscatine for it’s sunsets.  If you have to be remembered for something, beautiful sunsets are not a bad way to go.

If I were to get more specific, for me, fall and some early winter sunsets seem to be more vibrant and captivating.  They are a final goodbye to fall and a last, color bursting tribute, before the dull  gray days of winter set in for awhile.  

Prairie Fire captured one of those lingering, magical sunsets, with some natural grasses providing an interesting foreground.  It makes me think at times of the westward seekers, the pioneers and settlers, looking for faith or fortune in the great plains and beyond.  I suspect they were captivated by the sunsets at times too.