Daniel Ruf

People, Too?

"There are many teachers that could ruin you.  Before you know it you could be a pale copy of this teacher or that teacher.  You have to evolve on your own."

Berenice Abbott

Yes, I too can photograph human beings,  but I try to capture a special moment and I usually am more comfortable around family.  In the case of the first blog image the family was in San Antonio to atttend the Valero Alamo Bowl and we happen to be walking along the beautiful River Walk.  My daughter and granddaughter were on the other side feeding the pigeons, a task that my granddaughter loved to do, and, with the backdrop of the various store fronts, the right pose presented itself.

My daughter has a surprisingly deep affection for our two granddaughters, which I find incredible considering the trend of a lot of today's young adults.  Yes, she is absorbed with her Ipod, her job and friends, but when it comes to her niece's she is a first class auntie and I'm so proud of the affection she gives towards the girls.

The capture is from a Canon 50D, processed in Photoshop CS5 and then worked in the Topaz B&W Effects plug-in.  I used a transparency filter to bring a little faded color back into the image and then added a slight blur to the entire scene.  With a layer mask I then brought some of the original color back into the primary subjects and the pigeons.

In this second scene at a court yard inside the Alamo area I was hoping to get a capture of the beautiful lighting in this fountain area, but finally went with the smallest amount of "human intervention" that would work.  This was processed in Photoshop CS5 with Nik HDR Efex and then converted to a black and white using Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 which emphasized the lighting as well as the textural qualities of the scene.  Again, using a layer mask, I brought back a hint of flesh tones in the young girl.  I'm really glad that I didn't walk away from this scene and decided to wait for an opening when the crowd melted away.

I often surprise myself when I do these types of portrait situations since I spend a large part of my time searching for grand landscapes, clear waters or summer skies that are void of appearances by people.  I guess, when one really thinks about it, people probably have more of an influence on our lives compared to our surroundings which can define the person that one becomes.

Thank you for joining me today 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

Stop The Noise

 

"Cultivate solitude and quiet and a few sincere friends, rather than mob merriment, noise and thousands of nodding acquaintances."
William Powell

A persons daily life is much like a piece of art that is made up of many parts in its composition.  Visual, audio and textural entities are some of the most obvious parts and they may act as a "frame" for a moment or as the background staging equipment for an event.  If one lives in a city environment the staging area is not so different from the staging area of someone that lives in a more rural setting, just the volume of the parts of the scene.

It has become evident to me that in today's world the volume of the parts of our world are becoming deafening and rude.  Whether blasting from a t.v. radio or the human scene it would appear that the loudest noise is what gets noticed.  Voices are now blended over one another, pushing and shoving their way to be noticed, making a normal scene a chaotic audio event.  The news is loud, the weather report is loud and even art, in some cases, has become a screaming of "look at me" color, line and texture with little thought of quiet, sustainable composition.  Much of today's more "edgy" photography wears my patience as I try to understand the reason for wasting such a good medium on work that is sometimes quite repulsive.

It is no secret to me that I'm in my own little world out here in Northwest Iowa and that part of the attraction of areas like this, or the canyons, mountains, forests and meadows of any other place in the world, is the peace that one can find in these remote corners.  To some, the lack of NOISE can be thunderous, while to those of us that seek these areas and their quiet moments they become the background staging area for the visual composition.

Recently, while watching a movie, I became increasingly aware that the the score of music was in such competition for attention that the words being spoken by the actor were almost inaudible.  Such a lack of regulating volume was a shame considering that both the music and the spoken words were eloquent.

Regulating levels of composition in my life is no simple matter, especially considering my Italian/German/Irish ancestry.  Be that as it may, I am still in control of the color, levels and intensity of my personal compositions.  Those special times when I'm out in nature are more special to me because there is no need for words as the sound of peace is the musical background of what lays before me.

The blog image is a capture from the Texas hills that has been processed via Photoshop CS5 and treated with Nik Color Efex and Viveza filters.

Thanks for visiting my blog site.

    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

 

"Gray Skies Are Gonna Clear Up......"

The skies have been gray for about two weeks and we've been pelted with snow off and on for most of that time, so, having all the gray images I need, I've been watching a lot of tutorials, including how to navigate Photoshop, when I came upon this picture that I had forgotten about from Van Alstyne, Texas.  I was reminded at different times that this picture was in my file, but one thing led to another and by the time I'd get back to the computer from some other "engagement" the thick haze of forgetfulness would have set in and.......nothing. 

The town of Van Alstyne is an interesting little town where some of my family lives and is very reminiscent of a town of the 30's or 40's if you could blank out the cars and trucks from the 21st century.  Old town buildings, the court house and a railroad track running through a side street were enough to get me excited and go hunting for a picture or two.  Along this side street was a wall with a tattered American flag painting and dabblings of graffiti in various places.  While I was walking down the street toward this canvas of color a cowboy (or just an old guy with a Stetson) happen to cross the street and I couldn't believe such an opportunity for a western type image could be taking shape.  He stopped, looked intently at the wall and I just started capturing images.  Of course I was mumbling to myself, "turn more to the left" or "step more to the right", but before I knew it his interest in the wall vanished and he moved on down the street.

As it is, I'm glad he didn't turn toward me and his stance is a non-verbal gesture of indignation at the closeness of the graffiti to a cherished symbol, the grand old flag.  I don't know what he was thinking, yet I could almost here his words "why do kids do this" or something to that effect, or maybe I was just being reminded of what my father or mother would have said in the same situation.

I did a little post process work on this in the digital darkroom and gave it a touch with a Topaz plug in filter to enhance the texture and that was about it.  The more I look at it the more excited I get about making a full print of the image and I get a real hankerin' for some good Texas barbecue at the same time.

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

She Was Just Waiting For Me

This edition of my ramblings is a continuation of my last entry and also of the Lake Waco shoot at the "bone yard".  While I was getting the black and white shot composed and in the camera I noticed this snag out of the corner of  my eye, but it was still in the shadows hiding from the early sunrise.  Being pretty involved with the previous image, changing location, moving forward, cropping and the like I really didn't have a lot of time to think about the little showcase that was taking place to my right, but I could still see it in my peripheral vision.  It was still looking a little dull, lacking the suns spotlight, yet I hoped that the fog would hold and that the warm morning light would really bring the scene to life.

As I finished the  "bone yard" scene the sun did its thing and also added a bit of background color which really wasn't visible before.  The clatter of changing lenses, moving tripod and other equipment finally got me to the spot where I needed to be and I didn't even fall down once!  It wasn't long before I realized that I was standing before a natural sculpture of a ballerina and of course, you guessed it, the name "ballerina" stuck and became the title.  I was so pleased to have been witness to the subtle changes of the landscape at the lake, all because of the movement of that day star in the morning sky.  As always happens, in a short time the fog lifted, the sunlight flooded the background and the "ballerina" became almost indistinguishable from the looming forest behind.

There were no filters used on this shot and very little work needing to be done in my editing software.  It's times like this when I'm really glad for my film background because, with film, it was necessary to get it right in the camera so that the darkroom work was less fretful.  In those years, when you walked away from a scene like this you weren't aware of what was on the film, unlike today when I can press a button and see what has been captured and if changes needed to be made.  It makes a great difference and my fingers don't get nearly so tired anymore from being crossed for good luck.  There were many times when I went through the motions in the darkroom only to find that what I had after the the wet process was completed wasn't what I thought I had when I was standing in front of the subject. 

Our area has been blanketed by about 9 inches of snow after an early blizzard and things are really looking like winter.  The geese are crowding in the last remaining holes of open water on the lakes and on really cold mornings the fog is rising above these "temperate" zone in the ice.  I'm beginning to doubt the El Nino predictions of moderate temps and dry winter as of this writing, but this can change in a matter of a couple of weeks.  There are still some crops in the fields which will even be harder to get at due to snow depth, but this morning I passed a large colony of happy pheasants that were working their way through standing corn stalks where they could reach the ears.

Have a great week and support your local businesses and artists during this gift giving season, because they are the people that support our towns and cities.

 For more views of my work visit:

 "A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa

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

"Art On 16th, Spirit Lake, Iowa

Artisans Road Trip www.artisansroadtrip.com

"CR Gallery", Milford, Iowa

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

The Cornucopia Art Center, Lanesboro, Minnesota

www.lanesboroarts.org 

Tis The Season

 

"Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion." Martha Graham

The Christmas Tree for 2010 is in the house and it is a beauty.  Probably the first year that my wife didn't spend two weeks wringing her hands about size, species and price of a tree and what we got is filling our living room from top to bottom.  The smell of the woods now permeates our house and by morning, when the limbs all relax back to their normal positions, I'm sure things will look even better.  Of course the entire floor from the kitchen to the living room is full of boxes containing the usual fixings for a tree...ornaments, lighting paraphernalia, etc. and navigation is somewhat tedious, especially for our dog, Bailey.

The first part of last week was spent recuperating from the long distance driving to and from Texas, and I think by about the middle of the week my body was back in Iowa.  It's amazing how staring at a road for 15 hours can really suck the life out of a person, especially since I can remember some pretty incredible long distance trips when I was younger, like driving non-stop from Washington state to Illinois in about 24 hours and about 60 Hostess Cupcakes later.  I can still remember, as I exited the old Chevy that I took cross country, my mom kissed me hello and then had me on a ladder washing windows.  Today, that same trip would be a three day trip and at least 10 rest stops to get the bones back into their proper positioning.

The one morning I did get out while in Texas the photo gods smiled on me and gave me fog and I hot footed it to the one place I thought was the best bet for getting something to come together.  I had passed this way on a previous trip and thought that this "bone yard" would probably offer a black and white that would prove worthy of breaking a few speed limits.  With some jockeying for positioning of the trees in vacant areas I was pretty satisfied with the results.  My only failing in this endeavor was that I was unsuccessful in getting a few ducks to work their way into the picture.  Instead they paddled on by on their way to more open water and didn't seem to concerned about my directional gestures.

Before Christmas gets here I'm headed for Northeastern Iowa for a few days of photography with my youngest son.  We've made plans to take in a trip to Redwing, Minnesota for a day as well and then take our chances in the Yellow RIver Forest, some creeks and a few farm scenes as well.  I was informed through an email that they have snow on the ground, which adds to my excitement.  Tomorrow, my friend Mike and me are headed up into Minnesota for a day shoot just to give our cameras a little workout as well as our creative side.

In a few weeks two of our kids will be home for the holidays, which will make Christmas really special, but we will miss not having our oldest and his family here for this special time.  We'll be of good cheer and enjoy the time we have with all of them.

A special wish for all of you that have taken the time during the year to visit this site.  May this holiday season be special and holy for all and my thoughts are with all those that are far from our country. 

 For more views of my work visit:

 "A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa

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

"Art On 16th, Spirit Lake, Iowa

Artisans Road Trip www.artisansroadtrip.com

"CR Gallery", Milford, Iowa

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

The Cornucopia Art Center, Lanesboro, Minnesota

www.lanesboroarts.org 
  

Space

My wife and I just returned from a holiday visit to our family extensions in Texas and thoroughly enjoyed our visit with everyone, the feasting included.  It seems like much of the time was spent behind the steering wheel, especially since we drove down and back, and it was good to spend today virtually quarantined from the interior of an automobile.

While the Texas drivers still remain crazy, being corralled by an increasing herd of "steel on wheels", the warm and friendly people are what we enjoy most about being back in the state that we left many years ago.  While leaving the new Dallas football stadium after a very exciting Baylor vs. Texas Tech game a female security person wished us a good night and hoped that we had enjoyed our experience at the stadium...this being said while over 71,000 fans were streaming out the entrance headed for home.  We weren't surprised by her kind words as this is one of the constants of the citizens of the great state of Texas. 

While driving to pick up our dog, Bailey, from the kennel on our return I was encouraged to be back in Iowa, and as I drove down one of the many two lane black top roads it was a relief to scan a landscape that was open, scattered with farmsteads dotted with trees and surrounded by a great deal of peace.  In an instant the speeding traffic, tall crowded buildings and crowded malls of Texas were flushed to the past as a golden Iowa landscape passed by.  It was a reminder of the peaceful areas that remain just beyond the jagged edges city boundaries and I'm not sure that I could ever enjoy life in a large metropolis again.  

My wife and I have lived in Dallas and Denver and have enjoyed the experiences and the opportunities that are afforded by such places, but that was 30 years ago when the pace was slower, the population was smaller and there were no cell phones or computers.  Just sitting here at my desk I can remember the sound of the IBM Selectric typewriters clacking away at the office where I used to work in Dallas.  Stacks of papers and files on desks and the rolling sound of file cabinet drawers have all been replaced by the whirring of computers and the dull rhythm of the plastic keyboards.  While the computer age has given us much, it also has taken much away with its arrival.

As I look back, moving to Iowa wasn't such a bad thing after all.

For more views of my work visit:

 "A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa

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

"Art On 16th, Spirit Lake, Iowa

Artisans Road Trip www.artisansroadtrip.com

"CR Gallery", Milford, Iowa

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

The Cornucopia Art Center, Lanesboro, Minnesota

www.lanesboroarts.org

 

Toning Ones Vision

I spent most of the past week up in the northwestern part of Wisconsin near Lake Superior on a photo excursion and am just now going through the digital darkroom processes of editing and finalizing the photographic results.  While digital images are the obvious results of such a trip, educational and emotional stimulation are probably the bigger consequences of such an excursion.  So, what have I learned from the trip???

1) Amnicon State Park is a real find (which is the location of the above image).
2) It takes me at least a day to settle in to a rhythm and become comfortable with the surroundings, which also includes scouting areas that are unfamiliar.
3) There seem to be certain subjects that I am much more comfortable with.  There's a big DUH!
4) Clarity of vision is still a big hurdle and is an ongoing educational process for me.
5) Being away from the comfortable surroundings of my home base is a great task master and mind expander.
6) Pre-trip planning is a real time saver.  Another big DUH!
7) I wouldn't want to work for me!

While the editing process is so important and one of the hardest concepts for many young photographers to deal with, even at my age and experience I still find myself looking at a digital capture and wondering "what the heck was I thinking when I took this shot?".  From my experience in talking with prominent instructors at workshops, I get the impression that this is a life long dragon that shows it's ugly head on many occasions, but as long as one realizes that it's part of the process of improving ones craft it need not keep a person awake at night...although "the ones that got away" usually will.

One of the most important things that I deal with is clarity of vision, or trying to convey a beautiful scene that is in front of me.  Some of this relates to the fact that the camera lens is a two dimensional "eye" while our eye sees in three dimensions, or at least that's what our brains tells us.  But it's more than just a physical, or ocular vision.  To me what makes a nature image really successful is the emotion of place that it conveys.  This is when school is really in session and those that learn to impart the "sense of place" in a photographic image begin to move from the ranks of amateurs with visual statements that we never tire of viewing.

As stated above, the first day, at least, was an exercise in getting my creative processes going, but what really seemed remarkable to me is that once I stepped on the forest floor at Amnicon State Park things began to fall into place.  The smells, sounds and geography combined to make it a place of real  peace and inspiration.  As it turned out I spent 2 mornings and 2 evenings shooting in this area and during each of these periods there was always something new to discover, largely because of changing light and better tuned vision.

Finally, after spending 5 days getting up and on the road by 4am and not getting back to my sleeping bag until 11pm, I found myself thinking "Good Lord, I wouldn't want to work for me!"  It's not that the points of interest  were so far away, but I wanted to be at these places at pre-dawn and also way past sunset so I could  enjoy the absolute prime light.  During two morning sessions I was gifted with some fog to really make life interesting.  During the harsh light of the afternoon I put miles on the pickup scoping out other locations and wildflower areas that I could add to the shooting schedule.

Through all of this wonderful photographic wandering I was blessed with several bear sightings, all of them lumbering across the hi-way, skittering foxes, a coyote, some Piliated Woodpeckers, and the best of best, the howling of a couple of wolves at wake-up early one morning.  While paper plates and canned beans were the cuisine of the day, the ambiance was exquisite.

Here's to the "School Of Hard Knocks"!

Other sites of my work:

A Piece Of Work Gallery, Spirit Lake, Iowa http://www.apieceofworkinc.com/alcove_3.php

Art On 16th, Spirit Lake, Iowa  712.330.6007

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

Artisans Road Trip http://www.artisansroadtrip.com/index.htm

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

CR Gallery, Milford, Iowa  712.338.4155