Daniel Ruf

Expanding View

    "They are much to be pitied who have not been given a taste for nature early in life." Jane Austen

As many of you know I've been spending a lot of time recently searching among the new flowers for photographic opportunites as the spring flush of color is upon us in northwest Iowa.  A few days ago, however, I did come across a scene that had many of my favorite subjects all in one "basket".  A nice long fence line, a sky of broken cloud formations and a barn.  How much better can it get for a person with a camera that has spent a lifetime in the farming sector?

This scene was captured with my Nikon D300, process as an HDR in Photoshop CS6 and then tweaked in Topaz Clean plug-in.  I just recently upgraded to the new Adobe Photoshop CS6 and find myself learning a number of new tools and operations, which leads me to believe that learning will never end in the field of photography.  One of the biggest confrontations is the impulse to try anything and everything that comes on the market...each having a little different twist over a product that one has on hand.  I am continually reminding myself of the necessity to master the implements at hand...FIRST.  Yet, there always seems to be that "twinkle" on the horizon.

The tulips are up, the trees are leafing out and the air is ripe with the promise of life.  How much better can it get?  Let's all find time to take that walk, do a little flower exploration, a little bird watching, or even a little self contemplation.

Go Baylor...Sic 'Em Bears. 

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

Preparations

"Art is the signature of civilizations."  Beverly Sills

Somewhere I read that when flowers begin to finish their blooming it is a good time to bring out the camera, so the other day I had some purchased tulips that were beginning to fade and I grabbed my camera and headed to the basement for some practice.  I set up a few white pieces of foam core board and proceeded to do some hi-key work with one flash and a lot bouncing of light.  The blog image is the result of a couple hours of shooting.

As I looked through the viewfinder of my Nikon D300 I rotated the potted plant to find views that might have some merit.  In this case I thought it was interesting to see the inner parts of the flower (stamens) peeking through a "window" between two petals.

It's not the great outdoor, laying on the soft earth and peering into the lives of little things, but it keeps me out of trouble until we get the greening of the countryside.

Thank  you all for visiting.

Go Baylor...Sic 'Em Bears. 

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

 

 

A Little Twist

"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang the very best."  Henry Van Dyke

Back in August I was out shooting some lakeshore subjects in the early morning when a group of gulls were making their way through for some morning "fishing".  I took the opportunity to take some bird shots using my Nikon D300s with a 20 - 300 zoom lens attached.  It wasn't until I was doing some file cleanup and "treasure hunting" that I found this capture and decided to spend some time making some adjustments.  The thing that attracted me the most was the backlighting coming through the birds wings and along the top line. 

The first issue to handle was a very distracting background of beach front "clatter".  The bird was absolutely lost in the maze of color and shapes.  In Adobe Photoshop CS5 I selected the background and applied a vertical blur which simplified the background while not losing some of it's design features.  Since it was an early morning shot the color temperature was rather cool so I tweaked that to be a little warmer and then, with NIK Color Efex Pro 4 added a Glamor Glow adjustment.  Using the Brush tool that is part of many NIK products I painted the bird with a Soft Focus adjustment as well using a low opacity brush.

My final layer adjustment was with Alien Skin's Snap Art 3 with which I applied a oil painting adjustment at about a 50% opacity.

The more I view the "final" results the more I think the line of blurred objects at the bottom of the background add a little boyancy to the bird giving it a floating quality, which I think worked rather well in this situation.

Thanks to all of you that have followed my blog and continue to come for a visit.  Please feel free to comment on the work seen here and also click on the tabs in the right to visit other sites that I find to be very energizing.

Also, a big shout out to the Baylor Football team for their impressive win over UCLA at the Holiday Bowl.

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

Finishing Up

                     "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."  John Muir

It appears that I might be coming to the end of my editing of the Michigan work and I've been quite happy with the results.  The blog image is another taken on the Presque Isle River on a Fall afternoon with the reflection of color from the trees on the opposite bank.  I remember the color being so dazzling that I spent some time just sorting through the rivers surface to find the ripples, reflections and stones that seemed to work well for an image.  This is a 1 second exposure taken with a Nikon 300s and one of many of this subject.  I spent a lot of time experimenting with shutter speeds to acheive the water smoothness I was looking that didn't lose all detail, especially in the color "ribbon" area of upper right corner area.

Since I didn't process this for quite awhile after the trip it was a real surprise when I saw the RAW file downloaded in Photoshop.  No matter what photo trip I take there always seems to be an unexpected surprise during the editing process and many times they're the result of being so consumed by a subject or environment that the actual capture is less important than the moment or the "being there".  And, yes, gold water does exist to those who look for it and in the Fall it's an exciting hunt.

The editing process was pretty simple with some adjustments made in Nik Color Efex Pro 4, one of my favorite "go to" plug-in's.  The "Detail Extractor" tab helped define some of the subtle details in the water and rock, which really helped to add to the feeling of the subject and the contrast between the smoothness of the water and the cold hard rock surface.

Class is always in session and it's my hope that I'm paying attention.

Thank you all for visiting and please feel free to comment.

 

Go Baylor...SIC 'EM BEARS

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

Details, Details, Details

                                 "The principle of art is to pause, not bypass."   Jerzy Kosinski

Ft. Wilkins is located near Copper Harbor on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and is a well preserved fortified structure of the 1800's.  As many of you regular viewers know I'm a fan of still life work and take any opportunity to photograph still life's when they arrive.  Such is the case in this room of Ft. Wilkins when I was there a few weeks ago.  The outside lighting was overcast so the interior of this particular room was much softer, the colors richer and the contrast levels much lower.  All critical elements in photography, but especially most still life work.

I was using my Nikon D300s and I still captured this scene as a 5 shot HDR with processing done in Nik HDR Efex Pro 2, which is a much improved edition from their first intro HDR software.  Later I did some minor adjustments in Nik Color Efex Color Efex Pro with special use of the U-point technology to pin point adaptive changes.  As a final touch I added a texture layer from my Totally Rad texture software which served to brighten certain areas and also add a light texture quality to the image.

While this particular day was quite gloomy it was a prime opportinity to fulfill my hunger for still life work and to brush up on the local history of the area.

Thank you for stopping by and feel free to make a note in the comment section of this blog space and also to visit the blog spots listed on the right side of this commentary.

Go Baylor...SIC 'EM BEARS

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camera Shake

"And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything."  William Shakespeare

The blog image is not exactly a result of camera shake, but rather a culmination of a number of slight movements done during a multiple exposure with my Nikon D300s.  It's one of the reasons I hunted around for a good, used Nikon that was capable of not only processing multiple exposures in camera, but also image overlays as well.  While these same creative tasks can be accomplished via computer software I find it more appropriate to be able to get a final result while on site, since much of the time these sorts of creative "roads" take a number of attempts to get the desired results.

I love working in birch groves as there is a certain peaceful voice that exists there.  Unlike standing in a forest of whispering pines, a birch grove has a voice of crispness which is so synonymous with Fall along with the golden radient color of the seasons final warmth before winter slips in.  The distinct white peeling bark welcomes a gentle touch of the velvet smoothness that surrounds the tall limber trunks that gently sway in the strongest breezes.

Find your birch grove laced with deer trails and scattered golden leaves and listen to the passing Fall.

Go Baylor...SIC 'EM BEARS

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

Weather Or Not

"In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous."   Aristotle

We've been fortunate to have had a shift in the weather pattern here in the area with a cool front coming through with the promise of rain.  While there hasn't been any significant rainfall the cloud patterns have been marvelous and cause for some change in landscape perspectives.  I think I enjoy photography the most when clouds are a part of the view...the more massive and diverse the better.

The blog image is a five shot HDR processed in Photomatix software with minor touches of work in Nik Color Efex 4 software.  I used my Nikon D300s for the capture and have enjoyed the addtion of this camera to my array of equipment.  Unlike my Canon 5D II the Nikon has the ability to fire off up to 10 differing exposures at a speed of 6 frames per second.  The speed of capture goes a long way to reducing the "stutter step" of cloud movement that can destroy a cloudscape shot.

I'm presently preparing for three small exhibition during the next couple of months; one at the Pearson Lakes Art Center that is a salon style showing of several artists, another at the Dickinson County Nature Center with my good friend Mike Houge (who is off fooling around in Northern Minnesota without me) and finally an exhibit at the Buena Vista Regional Medical Facility in Storm Lake, Iowa.  While keeping the logistics straight in my head is confusing at times I am glad to have the opportunity to display my work to others.

Fall is approaching so take your loved ones for that last summer dip or stroll in a park.

Sic 'em Bears!  The 2012 football season is fast approaching!

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

They're Back!

"I paint objects as I imagine them, not as I see them."  Pablo Picasso

The "summer people" are back...those people that come from near and far to recreate in and around the lake area of our town.  Many see this added population as an inconvenience, but it's wise to remember the influx of dollars that come with them.  The life and welfare of all is benefited by their presence no matter how long the lines at the stores are.

It hasn't always been easy for me to accept this, especially since I've spent much of my adult life living in a rural area, but this year I have made it a purpose to try to make more images of life in our "summer" town...including its "ornaments".  Funny thing is that I'm having some fun in the process.

The blog image, taken with a Nikon 300s, is of one of the iconic places of our area, the walking bridge between East and West Lake, also know as the Spine Trail Bridge.  The hour was late and the sun was fading, but the two people on the bridge seemed fascinated with the view.  I wanted a capture that would reveal the pleasantness of the two individuals along with the chaos of a fleet of boats going under the span.

The image was processed in Photoshop CS5 with further work being done in Topaz software.  Finally, I used an oil painting effect found in Alien Skin Snap Art, but adjusted the opacity to allow a bit of the original image to come through.

It's summer at the Iowa Lakes!

Thank you all for visiting and please feel free to comment.

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