Daniel Ruf

Low Life

"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential."

Winston Churchill

Sometimes the best point of view is from the level of the earth and that's exactly what this image of a White Lady's Slipper demanded, plus a few tricks with reflectors and diffusers.  This was captured with a Canon 5d II and a 70 - 200mm lens with an extension tube attached.  By the time this flower session was over I think I had most of my equipment laying on the ground around me as I used any tool possible to get an image that was most attractive for the subject. 

While it will be another year before I get an opportunity to repeat this visit I was grateful to have found this surprise not far from my home in an unexpected location.  As these plants are only a few inches above the ground it's amazing that I didn't walk past them hidden in the tall grasses.

While our March winds are making flower photography difficult there are still a few opportunities to find a few hidden protected places out of the main wind.

Thank you for taking the time to visit and I hope you are all enjoying the trailing edge of Spring.

Sic 'em Bears!

My book "Places I've Been, Things I've Seen" and new book "Take What's Given" can be purchased online at-  http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1868649

For more views of my work visit;

"A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa  http://www.apieceofworkinc.com

Lanesboro Art Center, Lanesboro, Minnesota   www.lanesboroarts.org

BetterPhoto.com   http://www.betterphoto.com/Premium/Default.aspx?id=251674&mp=V

http://500px.com/pigs4u

Past To Present

"A Picture is the expression of an impression.  If the beautiful were not in us, how would we ever recognize it?"  Ernst Haas

My college art professor, James Green, was also my employer, as I was his weekend yard keeper and all around handy man.  One of the vivid memories about his yard is that his cottage was surrounded by fragrant Lily Of The Valley, and since then I have been rather fond of them.

In the past few years one of my early Spring rituals has been to find a suitable cluster of these flowers to photograph, but I've come up empty handed until this past week.  Quite by accident I was walking through a wooded area trying to energize my creative spirit when I came upon a few lily plants along the trail side. 

While the lighting was, I thought, very contrasty mid day lighting, as I laid down on the small path my viewpoint improved dramatically.  As I've always told class participants, a change in elevation can make a dramatic change in photographic options, I was quite pleased with the new viewpoint.  Specular high lights developed in the background as well as a better point of view for the flowers.  The camera; my Nikon D300s with a 28-300mm Nikkor lens and a lens extender, which turned the lens combination into a macro lens.  WIth this came a softening of the background as well as the highlights causing the flowers to be "front and center" in the composition.

Later, in the editing process I decided to do a digital watercolor of this image with the help of the Alien Skin Snap Art software and my own use of Photoshop CS5's digital brushes.  While this is one of my first attempts at using the digital watercolor palette I'm pleased with the outcome.

While shooting this scene my mind fluttered back to the afternoons that I spent digging, weeding and tending to Mr. Green's gardens.  It also reminded me of the hours of patient tutelage that I gained while attending his class or tending his yard.

"Mentorship" is so important in a persons everyday life, whether it be a second grade teacher, a workshop instructor, or trusted friend.  It accelerates and empowers growth in all of us to propel us ahead on life's journey.

Thank you all for joining me at this blog site and I hope that Spring has been as enjoyable for you as it has for me...a time of growth and expression.

Sic 'em Bears!  Headed toward the Big 12 baseball championship!

My book "Places I've Been, Things I've Seen" and new book "Take What's Given" can be purchased online at-  http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1868649

For more views of my work visit;

"A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa  http://www.apieceofworkinc.com

Lanesboro Art Center, Lanesboro, Minnesota   www.lanesboroarts.org

BetterPhoto.com   http://www.betterphoto.com/Premium/Default.aspx?id=251674&mp=V

http://500px.com/pigs4u

Candy

"Excellence is not a skill.  It's an attitude."

                                    Ralph Marston

To me doing close up photography is like eating candy...I just can't stop.  The image in last weeks post was taken after I had been frustrated with the days of Iowa winds and lack of tulip "portraits" from my garden.  I know, I could/should have figured away to work with the elements at hand, but my mind was set to a different tune.  I clipped a tulip, brought it into the house to get to work.

That same tulip found it's way to our kitchen counter, and fortunate for me, under a ceiling light by sheer fortune.  During the evening the light was on and there was a beautiful glow caused in the bottom of the tulip.  My attention was peaked and play began.  This story is so simple I've since shared it with my photo class participants and it goes like this. 

After the recognition of possiblity I looked for a background...it was a blue trash can, which I placed a couple of feet behind the flower in the kitchen sink.  (you got to use the props available!)  Being satisfied with the blog image at right I then started bringing out some of my wife's clothes...colored shirts, scarves, etc. to supplement as back drops.  It's a habit that my that my wife doesn't even question anymore. 

 
It doesn't have to be difficult...just fun!

Check out my friend Mike Houge's site, www.mikehouge.typepad.com to see the beautiful flower/close up work he's been up to.

Thanks for showing up at my site and take your family out to enjoy the Spring sites.

Sic 'em Bears!

My book "Places I've Been, Things I've Seen" and new book "Take What's Given" can be purchased online at-  http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1868649

For more views of my work visit;

"A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa  http://www.apieceofworkinc.com

Lanesboro Art Center, Lanesboro, Minnesota   www.lanesboroarts.org

BetterPhoto.com   http://www.betterphoto.com/Premium/Default.aspx?id=251674&mp=V

http://500px.com/pigs4u

Small Worlds

"The artist is the confidant of nature, flowers carry on dialogues with him through the graceful bending of their stems and harmoniously tinted nuances of their blossoms.  Every flower has a cordial word which nature directs towards him."  Auguste Rodin

Springtime offers a number of opportunities for me to photograph wildflowers which I take every chance I get.  Recently I noticed that the daisy's at Ft. Defiance were beginning to bloom affording an excuse to gather the gear for a little exercise in man's first style of transportation...crawling.  Anyone only interested in a snapshot can easily stand to get "snap...shots", but the curious enthusiast of light will eagerly bend low to the ground for the richest lighting to be found. 

While ground level is not new to me I am continually surprised at how the mere change of a viewing angle of an inch or two will be a whole new presentation of the subject at hand.  In the case of the blog image of a daisy unfurling I was able to find a colorful backdrop with a shaft of lighting trickling through the growth. 

When I began editing this image it occurred to me that my quest for ballerina-like poses in trees doesn't really have to be limited to trees at all.  It just may be that ballerina's can be found throughout all of nature.

Enjoy each flower in your garden of life!

My new book "Places I've Been, Things I've Seen" can be purchased online at-

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1868649

For more views of my work visit;

"A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa  http://www.apieceofworkinc.com

Lanesboro Art Center, Lanesboro, Minnesota   www.lanesboroarts.org

BetterPhoto.com   http://www.betterphoto.com/Premium/Default.aspx?id=251674&mp=V1

Dalliance

 

"My first thought is always of light."  Galen Rowell

One definition in Webster's Dictionary of the word "Dalliance" is "an action that is not serious".  If this is true, then much of my work could be considered a dalliance, a sniff of a wildflower, laying among wildflowers or gazing at light on wildflowers.  It takes a lot of dalliance to reduce my normal human ego down to a distance of about 6 inches, which is where many wildflowers exist.  It takes a lot of dalliance to appreciate the fragrance of a woodland meadow since it's not usually available to the casual observer.  And, it takes a lot of dalliance to appreciate the last rays of warm sunlight that showers fine edges with lights crystals.

Deciding on camera gear, setting up tripods, looking for position are all dalliance's...or the moments when the surroundings begin to infuse our psyche.  The longer the search the more our physical systems hone in on the peripherals of our camera and lens.  If at this point one is still just setting up a camera and lens, then it's time to sit down, adjust our attention to the reason of residing at this location, and breath.  The object of our consideration will not move and our capture will not be moving unless we absorb the ecosystem of the fascination.  You know, the birds, the sound of the waves brushing the shore, the wind.  It's all simple, but our species has progressed (?) so far so that our eyes and ears are only attentive to the most obvious of human clutter....NOISE...both visual and audio.  Hence, our personal space has been reduced to office cubical and home with few of us dallying among the sounds and visuals of Peace.

The blog image, a simple onlooker of my dalliance, was made all the more precious by the dance of light.  What in broad daylight is a ball of fire, flattening colors and tones throughout, becomes stardust during the fragile hours of dawn and dusk.  The sun is much like us...it has it's moments...two each day to be exact!  Add a little fog or haze and its dazzling rays offer us a longer time to dally. 

Thanks to all that have taught me the art of dalliance.

Take time this Christmas season to........................................................dally!

For more views of my work visit;

"A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa  http://www.apieceofworkinc.com

"Art On 16th"  http://www.hankhallarton16th.com

Artisans Road Trip www.artisansroadtrip.com  

Lanesboro Art Center, Lanesboro, Minnesota  www.lanesboroarts.org

http://www.betterphoto.com/Premium/Default.aspx?id=251674&mp=V1

Subtle Artistry

"The battle for conservation will go on endlessly.  It is part of the universal warfare between right and wrong."

John Muir.

My good friend Mike Houge, www.mikehouge.typepad.com , has been keeping me informed of flower locations this spring and this past couple of weeks he and I both have been hunting for the first sightings of native Blue Flag's (Iris) in our wetlands.  As his luck would have it, he beat me to it and informed me of an area close to where I live and I finally broke away to take a look.  It was late afternoon so the slanted western sunlight was throwing a brilliant light on the area, but high winds were also in the mix.  After the capture of several images I hung around the area for a while to catch a sunset on the ponds of the Spring Run Wildlife Management Areas near Spirit Lake, Iowa.

When I got down to editing the work in Adobe Elements 8 I began to use my Nik software to deal with some separation and harsh lighting issues.  It was during this process that I was reminded that digital photography has brought a host of tools to our fingertips that we can use subtly or dramatically to create our artistry.  While I'm keenly aware that many viewers have become suspicious of the digital format and its subsequent ability to provide a palette of artistic tools for the photographer, I have learned to become somewhat "tone deaf" to these suggestions so that I can enjoy, as any other fine artists, the tools of our trade.

At any rate the above blog image is the original capture and through the use of Nik Color Efex and Viveza plug-ins I was able to, I believe, enhance the final image, and then complete the work with the use of Topaz Adjust 4 and and Alien Skin Bokeh.  

 As you can see the adjustments are subtle, but I believe I've achieved additional separation of the iris from background while "stimulating" the colors and softening the highlight areas.  Nik software, with it's U-point technology has made "nuance" a tool that allows the artist to click on an area in the image and enhance a small area easily and precisely.  In the case of this image I was able to decrease the highlight of petal areas without affecting other  areas and to enhance the saturation of the warm, golden areas of the petals, without affecting the other warm tones.

Digital photography, with all it's equipment and software tools, has opened the avenues of pre-visualization to photographers so that, while we're in the field at the tripod, we can access our mental file to decide our approach(s) at editing.  It can be both liberating and frustrating, but so is the use of the right brush at the right time.

Before I close I want to also draw your attention to a another artist that I follow during my educational journey in photography.  Anthony Vodraska is a new addition to our area of Northwest Iowa and his work and illuminating essays can be found at www. x-altartstudio.blogspot.com .  His works, and that of his wife, Anita Gilbert, are stunning, imaginative, thought provoking and varied.  Take the time for a visit.

For more views of my work visit;

"A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa  http://www.apieceofworkinc.com

"Art On 16th"  http://www.hankhallarton16th.com

Artisans Road Trip www.artisansroadtrip.com  

http://www.betterphoto.com/Premium/Default.aspx?id=251674&mp=V1

       

Early Riser

"There is only you and your camera.  The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are."    Ernst Haas

It took several trips to my favorite prairie, Freda Haffner Kettlehole Preserve, near Milford, Iowa, but finally I found the Pasque Flowers in early bloom.  One of my favorite Spring arrivals, small, short, and extremely fragile, but growing in some of the least desirable location of the prairie ecosystem.  On this day the wind was howling and it took a while to find a protected location where movement was reduced.  It was my intention to get some back lighting from the rising sun, but, as luck would have it, the clouds were moving in and the situation didn't look promising. 

My tripod was set with camera and 100 - 400 mm zoom with extender attached so that I could get up close and personal with the camera lens.  Now, it was waiting time.  While slits in the clouds passed within small distances of letting light from the fireball out, I had time to sit, think, observe the surrounding hillside and once again marvel at the opportunity to sit in the quietness of natures arms.  It's times like this that I am reminded that it's less about the shoot and more about the content of the shoot, which gets me out of bed at these hours.

Finally it appeared that the sun had found an opening and for one brief 30 second period I had time to capture the above shot.  I was expecting more, but often we have to make due with what were given and just enjoy the process.  In this setting the thrill of the wait was present and my heart was touched by the fragility of the moment.  I'll be back next year.

Enjoy this remarkable season and for all the farmers out there, stay save during the hectic planting season.

For more views of my work visit:

"A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa  http://www.apieceofworkinc.com

"Art On 16th"  http://www.hankhallarton16th.com

Art Of The Vine Gallery http://www.artofthevinegallery.com

Artisans Road Trip www.artisansroadtrip.com  

http://www.betterphoto.com/Premium/Default.aspx?id=251674&mp=V1

Words Or Art?

"Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's Party!' "   Robin Williams

The week has flown by largely due to preparation work for a photography workshop that I and three other photographers, Stan Buman, Bruce Morrison and Don Poggensee, are giving at Iowa Lakes Community College in Emmetsburg, Iowa this Saturday.  My preparation went well until I realized that it would be a good idea to give a power point program, since the equipment was going to be available for such a presentation.  There was only one problem...I have never done a power point!  Yes, I've fallen asleep during many power point presentations, but never have had the need to expound on anything that required such preparation.  Pigs, my former workmates, rarely had need of this sort of educational approach since they usually can find the feed trough and the water source and their innate curiosity usually takes care of the rest of the day.  Needless to say, I did enjoy the opportunity to explore another method/medium and I think it will come in handy down the road...you know, power points on how men load a washing machine, or power points on how men shop in a more logical manner than women...that sort of thing.  I'm sure the rest of the world that follows YouTube would  find it utterly fascinating.

During the week I was notified by my good friend Robbie at the Lanesboro Art Center that I needed to fill  out some forms for a future spotlight show and prepare and artist statement.  I had no trouble with the form, but I just can't understand the need for artist statements.  In my small way of thinking I figure if I hang a few prints that are photographic in medium and nature in theme everyone should be able to figure out that I might be a nature photographer, right?  Furthermore, if I have a few black and white's sprinkled among the color work, they could also make a pretty close assumption that I might be, just possibly, multi-talented within the art of photography.  So what's all this fuss about having to throw some words on paper explaining a persons artistic journey and inspirational output?

Being pretty much stymied by this assignment, and really not wanting to do it (like when I didn't do most of my French assignments in college), I thought I could get some direction and maybe even some inspiration at looking at a few tutorials on the mechanics and some examples in the art world.  After spending a few minutes bouncing through the web I came to a couple of clear opinions.  There are a lot of artists that think pretty highly of themselves and/or their work and for every paragraph spent on blubbering about ones own artistic prowess or explaining the intuitive adventure of paintbrush patterns, the quality of their artwork seems to diminish equally.   For some reason, and I know that I'm a little slow in the area of artistic expertise, I'm of the old fashioned notion that a piece of art should really speak for itself.  If it doesn't the artist hasn't done a very good job of perfecting his or her expression of the craft. 

With a great deal of prompting by my wife I was finally able to grind out a couple of lines about what I do and why I do it, but I still think that the simple phrase "I make photographs" should be sufficient.  If not, then I haven't done a very good job of stating my case with my art and all the framing and matting in China wouldn't make the work any more defining.

For more views of my work visit:

 "A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa www.apieceofworkinc.com

Art Of The Vine Gallery http://www.artofthevinegallery.com

Artisans Road Trip www.artisansroadtrip.com  

http://www.betterphoto.com/Premium/Default.aspx?id=251674&mp=V1

Cabin Coma

"I propose that if your objective in making artwork is to avoid conflict, or if your fear in making artwork is that people won't like it or it will be controversial or it will put you into a position of conflict, the only practical outcome of that avoidance of conflict is the procrastination to do work."

                                        Brooks Jenson - "Single Exposures"

It seems my cabin fever from last week has slipped into the comatose region on the heart monitor, so while spending time preparing notes and examples for my last workshop tomorrow I got involved doing some "abstract extractions" while sitting in front of the computer looking out at a dismal gray sky this past week.  The above is a triptych from an image I posted last week on the blog which I think turned out quite interesting.  While it's evidence that old dogs can be taught new tricks the exercise also reminded me that plunking around on the computer can be a way to freshen up dusty brain cells.

Teaching these workshops has been very exciting and, while the participants are both young and mature in age as well as ability, I found out that the differences blended together well and class members were eager with questions.  As with most adventures I'm involved with I do think I gain as much, if not more, from the experience of having conversations which engage ones mental apparatus. I know that the class preparation, notes and research have helped revitalize concepts and applications that I have let fade into the background.  From going through endless files of images looking for samples for discussions I found that I really, really do need to make more vertical images.  It is quite clear that I've been thinking too much along the lines of an upright hominid and not using all the formats provided within the rectangle viewfinder.

Just when I've pinched myself from falling asleep in one area, my eagerness to challenge some abstract compositions kick in and I start searching to re-energize some other area of my past photographic efforts.  Before long the clock on the wall says 11:00pm and I'm wondering where the night went, yet realize that the time spent was fulfilling and challenging.  As I begin to think about

 

putting the "sandbox" away I see another temptress that begs for a visit to the abstract and, not wanting to stop, I continue my experimentation for awhile longer.

Our vision of the world is exactly what we want it to be and I believe the same is true about our artistic vision.  We can be satisfied with our conventional view of what the camera (or the world) gives us, or we can challenge and activate our concepts and artistry.  Rain or shine, today a photographer is not chained to a camera and tripod as may have been the case during the film era.  I've spent hours in the darkroom and can say with enthusiasm, this digital thing is pretty cool!

 "A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa www.apieceofworkinc.com

Art Of The Vine Gallery http://www.artofthevinegallery.com

Artisans Road Trip www.artisansroadtrip.com  

http://www.betterphoto.com/Premium/Default.aspx?id=251674&mp=V1

The Cornucopia Art Center, Lanesboro, Minnesota  www.lanesboroarts.org

Camera vs. Cabin Fever

 "I want to grow, create and produce...this is possible only if I'm willing to change."  Clement Stone

The last couple of weeks have been a blur and dedicated to non-camera photography.  A few weeks ago the climate here in Spirit Lake was balmy, foggy and gray for an entire week.  There were several days when the fog lasted from morning until night with few occasions when the sun actually was brave enough to peek out for several minutes.  Along with that I've been feverishly composing notes, lists and slide presentations for a workshop lasting four Saturday's at A Piece Of Work www.apieceofworkinc.com . During these few weeks I've passed my camera gear with reluctance, knowing that time away is time lost.

Today, after finishing some word publishing for the class lectures I decided to sit down with my latest Tony Sweet DVD, "Visual Artistry", in the effort to blow some cobwebs out and some fresh air into my creative brain.  As I was watching the program I kept glancing at a couple of Poinsettia plants sitting on the fireplace and, after my head was spinning from twitching from t.v. to plants, I jumped up, grabbed the camera bag and worked with the Poinsettia's on the kitchen table that gets a healthy blast of sun during the afternoon.  After about an hour of work (play) I downloaded the effort into the computer and was pleasantly pleased with the outcome, one of which is the blog picture.

While I enjoyed the session of playing with light, form and color I was more excited with immersing myself in the creative process again.  The time spent focusing, setting f/stops, repositioning both camera and plant and viewing the results in the LCD reminded me of how important camera time is over all else.  While I realize that computer time is necessary to gain the final result, or that a letter to a magazine publisher is a key to gain space in a publication,  I am a believer that camera time IS productive time.  All the software and plugin's in the world will not cover up for fuzzy concepts or lagging creative approaches which grow from lack of creative exercise.  When shooting some natural scenes or wildlife speed of conviction spells the difference between almost or perfect timing and in a lot of cases a re-shoot may not be an option.

So, tomorrow, when I begin class instruction, guess what will be first on the agenda?  Grab your camera and let's get busy!

A special thank you to all of you that have voted in The Nature Conservancy 2009 photography contest.  Your kindness and time is greatly appreciated.  Now, just cross your fingers!

For more views of my work visit:

 "A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa www.apieceofworkinc.com

Art Of The Vine Gallery http://www.artofthevinegallery.com

Artisans Road Trip www.artisansroadtrip.com  

http://www.betterphoto.com/Premium/Default.aspx?id=251674&mp=V1

The Cornucopia Art Center, Lanesboro, Minnesota  www.lanesboroarts.org