Daniel Ruf

Peace

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

It seems that our area of Iowa has caught it's 5 months of winter all in one month, but the good thing is that it might be coming to an end with last yesterdays 8 inches of snowfall and blizzard like conditions.  The good thing is that winter scene opportunities were extended for this photographer as my 2012 winter portfolio is very thin.

The above image is a blur created through the use of Photoshop and camera movement.  I often forget about using this creative tool, but once I get the chance I'm glad I have that option.  While it might appear to be a black and white it does contain some color, but still remains a monochromatic image.

After all that's gone on this past week I could stand in the peace of the place above for a long time wishing to never return to society.  My thoughts and prayers (seems so feeble) go out to all those affected by not ony the Boston bombing, but the West, Texas explosion as well.  While it is much simpler to accept the reasons of an accident like happened in Texas, I will never be able to understand (nor should I) the acts of violence on mankind. We are being surrounded by visuals of violence not only caused by extreme individuals, but also coming from our televisions, computer games, websites and social media.  As if this were not enough it seems that each year the violence in the media gets "ramped up" to increase viewer ratings.

The kindness and graciousness in our societies is slipping away the same as those precious areas of natural beauty and there are few places to run for cover.  One can still find a coffee shop in rural America where the talk is more about the Friday night basketball game or crop prices and less about our crumbling of our values.  And there are still small spots like the image above where one can reside, sit, walk and ponder the "truth" of life or tomorrows joys.

This quagmire that we find ourselves in is not, in my opinion, God's doing, a corporations doing, or a countries doing...it's our doing...or lack of doing.  It has less to do with who has guns or a political philosophy and more to do with the slippage of American values and the lack of respect and comfort with one another.

I wish comfort to all those affected by the trauma of this week and if you weren't affected by any of it, then I suggest you check your pulse.  We all need places were our hearts and minds can heal.  For some it's our home and family and for others it might be a natural place or church, but where ever it might be our world is in great need of healing.  Healing starts with a lot of Love.

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

More From The U.P.

            "Imagination is everything.  It is the preview of life's coming attractions."   Albert Einstein

Traveling west from the small town of Ontonagon, Michigan one will arrive at the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, situated in the Porcupine Mountains, otherwise known as the "Porkies".   In that park is one of America's photographic icons, a mile long piece of the Presque Isle River including the Manabezho Falls.  I visited this area a number of times throughout my stay in the U.P. to experience the many changes caused by the movement of light across the scene.  The river bed is a cluster of pot holes, stone slabs and rapids and when the light is right colorful reflections enhance the water surfaces making photography a real thrill.

A nearby bridge supplies a nice overall view of this stretch of the river and nearly ever person carrying a camera will take the 15 second "quickee" and then move on to other photographic recording.  Those with a more serious photographic drive will find themselves not only shooting from the bridge, but losing hours weaving along the waterline below the bridge searching the curves and angles and lines found in the details of the waters course.

For me the pursuit of photography is no doubt a huge learning experience, both through books, workshops, or hands on trial and error.  It also contains two sensational "highs"...one being achieving the final image and the other...the search.  Each takes time,effort and curiosity which are all necessary in the final result.

A certain amount of passion doesn't hurt either!

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

Back From Michigan

                    "Artists are just children who refuse to put down their crayons."  Al Hirschfeld

I managed to slip away for some time in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan and just managed to catch the color before it blew way a couple of days ago.  The forecast of snow, sleet, rain and heavy wind, however, were my invitation to exit and head for home yesterday.  There were still other places I wanted to get to, but the thought of being battered about by the elements for the remainder of the trip seemed unwise.

While I haven't had much time to process the work from the area I did get to one image that was taken in the Porcupine Mountain Wilderness Area that feature a several water scenes that I wanted to visit.  The blog image is a simple scene that I found that was a closeup of both hard and soft features that are found around waterways in the area.

Thank you for visiting and make sure to take the time to enjoy the last vestiges of fall before they slip away.

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

Buried Treasures

Recently I was watching a television program concerning various fossil finds around the country and the thought came to me that the narration treated these bones of unfortunate animals as treasures, hidden in the earth, from a time long ago.  As I reflected on the rendered scenes of the environment of that time I couldn't help wondering what civilizations in the distant future might think of the remains our civilization leaves behind as our historic ledger.

I've noticed a lot of discussion lately about the environmental movement as it relates to endangered species and become really disappointed by those that would take issue with the preservation of some near extinct species which they feel is insignificant, especially when the plant or animal is standing in the way of some huge construction project of human design.  Advocates from both sides of the debate hurl platitudes back and forth in an effort to sell their position to a public that, in most cases, is ill equipped to even render a fair opinion on the subject or even cares about BOTH sides of the argument.

The question that I have for those that see no real reason to yield to an endangered species is when is the time right to grant consideration to the last of a species.  Would it be when just one elephant is left standing?  Or perhaps it would be when clean water is no longer available and lines have begun to form in the streets behind some tanker truck that shows up on the odd dates of the month.  I know to many this might sound like a huge stretch, but I'm not sure it's as far off as people believe.  In fact, I'm not sure many people, other than environmentalists, give a moments thought about any of this as long as such things as lumber and eggs are still readily available at any price.

As a retired farmer I've been involved in many discussions, around a table in the local grain elevator, concerning commodity prices, falling markets, cost of production, etc.  One flag that is always raised in these discussions is that the American public will never understand the value of food and it's production until the shelves at the local super market are bare, such as we saw years ago in film clips from Russia.  Just as today's public is more removed from the farm sector than it was 50 years ago, so are those same individuals more distant from the wilderness experiences of families of the past.

Ansel Adams once discussed the value of the American wilderness as a re-creation experience over recreational experience and I think that's a pretty profound statement for our time.  Until we see the value of the environment as a place to recharge, reflect and contemplate many of us will fail to see or value the wildness that still exists on this planet.  More importantly, until we see the value of open space over office space, many will never stand on the side of endangered ecosystems.

Nature Photographers Unite!

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

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Artisans Road Trip

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

Tomorrow, October 1, will be full of preparations for Northwest Iowa's Artisans Road Trip (ART) with the kick off opening for me and others beginning at 4 p.m.  At A Piece Of Work, Inc. in downtown Spirit Lake, Iowa four artist will be participating in this three day event.  They are Anita Plucker, watercolorist extrodinaire, Avis Davis, also an outstanding watercolorist, Mike Houge, gifted photographer and all around good egg, and myself, Daniel Ruf.  Mike and I will be putting the finishing touches on our alcoves so that all is ready for opening night, which goes until 8 p.m.  During the 4 hours A Piece Of Work, Inc. will be having a reception for Ms. Plucker in the special exhibition alcove with gallery talk to follow. 

Thirty five artist in Northwest Iowa will be spending the three day event showing their wares and some will even be demonstrating their artistic skills in their workshops.  Mediums include everything from pottery and sculpture to painting and photography and all points in between and it is a real opportunity for travelers to make the stops, indicated on a provided map (www.artisansroadtrip.com), visit with artisans and purchase outstanding local art of the area while enjoying the fall scenes on the way.

The hours on Saturday and Sunday will be 9am - 5pm which allows travelers ample time during the three day festival to be a part of the sights and sounds of our artistic area.  In past years there have been visitors from as far away as Vermont to the east and California to the west, all taking part in the annual road show.

The above blog image was taken during my recent trip to Banning State Park and is NOT an HDR!  It was captured with a Canon 50D, 17 - 40mm L lens with a Singh-Ray Vari-Neutral Density Filter attached. Some simple work in Adobe Elements 8 ( I hear Element 9 is out) and then some concentrated work in Nik Viveza 2.  I'm headed back to Banning in two weeks or so with the  hopes of catching the tail end of the color show and visiting Jay Cooke State Park during this tour.

Thanks for stopping by and if you're in the area join us for the road trip...otherwise don't you dare miss the opportunity to enjoy the fall color where you are!

 

 

Learning Can Be Fun

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength..."  John Muir

This past week found me at South Dakota's Badlands at a five day photography workshop given by Tony Sweet and his partner, Susan Milestone, and what a week it was.  Both of these master photographers were excellent in knowing where to be and when and I can still hear Tony calling to all of us "here comes the light" while many of us were facing the opposite direction waiting for the sunrise glow to paint the eastern facing escarpments of the Badlands area.

The blog image was taken during a 3 minute period of luxurious light at the Big Badlands overlook area.  Just below my feet is a large expanse of air which I was trying not to be blown into by the south westerly winds of the morning.  While we all stood in awe of the special lighting effects I somehow managed to get the camera reset, shutter speeds and f/stops dialed in to fire off this three image file for HDR processing later in my motel room.  While making such a capture is a real thrill, being in the very presence of this changing light in a vast open landscape such as the Badlands, is indescribable. 

Both instructors fulfill the word "work" in workshop with a fairly non stop schedule of activity.  By 4:30am most of the attendees were loading their vehicles for departure at 4:45am to parts unknown in the Badlands National Park near Wall, South Dakota, our home for the five day photographic event.  We usually were on site long before the actual rising of the famed fireball, our sun, but the dawn light can be some of the most delicate pastels that any artist can imagine, and this morning was no exception...except for the gala event shown above. 

After about a four to five hour shoot at various locations, we usually gather for our only feast together at a local restaurant and fill up on carbs.  After breakfast we had about 4 hours to ourselves to process our previous work (or nap...so they tell me) and then we would meet for a two hour critique/instructional session with Tony and Susan.  It was a growing experience for me that involved learning about how various color or design nuances can elevate an "o.k." picture to a full fledged image of quality.  After 5 days of this instruction we all were surprised that, while we were all in the same location for a shoot, there were no similar images shown at the meeting.  Could it be that 9 photographers of equal ability proved that vision IS in the eye of the beholder?

When the class was over, we grabbed a bite to eat and loaded our gear again at about 4:30pm for the evening shoot, which took us to new venues and scenic lands within the park.  Usually, and this applied to morning an evening shoots, if the skies were partly cloudy the shoot would last longer since that golden light would spend more time bouncing around the cloud banks making us scurry around for new locations for different lighting situations.  By and large our day would end at about 8pm and we would head back to our rooms to ready ourselves for the next day.

For those of you that are longing for a fulfilling workshop experience and are willing to invest yourself in your artistry, take the time to check out Tony Sweets website, http://tonysweet.com , and click on his workshop tab.  Also, take the time to check his blog and get to know this amazingly gifted artist.

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  

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Losing Silence

The idea of wilderness needs no defense, it only needs defenders.

Edward Abbey

While doing some reading on The WIlderness Society website I came across some data that was put together by the U.S. Forest Service.  It stated that the U.S. loses 6,000 acres of open area per day to such uses as industrial, residential and agriculture.  When I computed the figure over a years time I figured that in 369 days we destroy the equivalent of the entire acres in Yellowstone National Park.  I was wondering about these figures because I've begun to think about a natural resource that we are losing along with those acres...Silence.  The loss of trees, rivers and wildlife is huge in each of those 6,000 acre, but those acres, in many cases, are replaced by things that make noise or provide a platform for things that are noisy.

In a discussion today with my friend Mike we were relishing in the fact that one of the things that we liked most about the art of photography...or at least nature photography...is the connection that we have with the places that we photograph.  Unlike many artistic endeavors that are created in a man made studio, the outdoors is our studio and with that comes all the peace that comes with these location shoots.  And peace doesn't mean the absence of sound, for the very sound of the wind through the pines or waves sliding over a sandy beach give us a sense of peace.  As we stand behind our camera our view of the living image is enhanced by the sensations that surround our being, including the peace.

As luck would have it, Guy Tal, www.guytal.com , discusses these treasures that are a part of making an image on his blog today.  The hiking, the camping, the searching, the finding and all the other dots on the map of creativity in between, become part of the process of making an image.  The capture of the image becomes much more than pushing the shutter release, it becomes an internal record of a sense of place and peace.  Our hope is that our internal image becomes visual to the viewer.

I'm beginning to believe that the benefits of nature photography are as much psychological as they are artistic for I know that when I exit a forest I am better for the travel in this sanctum.  The question is...how long will it be before we no longer have these quiet places or no longer realize what we've lost?

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  

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