Daniel Ruf

Revisit

"Every human is an artist. The dream of your life is to make beautiful art." Don Miguel Ruiz

There is a state park near my home which I continually return to looking for subjects to photography. When my time is up I go home vowing never to come back as it seems like such a boring effort with little to no results.

This past week I returned...against my weak vow and after hiking through the area finally sat on a culvert that has a stream running through. As continual thoughts like "why am I wasting time here" flow through my tiny brain, I was entertained by a muskrat, the cicadas and some flowers bloom from arrow plants. With all that going on the reasoning for my attendance was not resolved.

I was gathering up my camera and tripod when I happened to bend over and look to the left and found this amazing "light show" that was going on beyond my sight when I was sitting down on hard concrete. I couldn't believe the glow that was caused by a small shaft of light from the sun...a shaft of light that was slipping through an opening in a tree behind me.

The darkness around it emphasized the light as well as providing the reminder that in darkness there will be light. Very fitting considering todays nonstop news of violence, harshness and unconscionable activities. I needed this moment and the reminder, once again, to always return to sites of success and failure, a lesson I learned long ago from photographer artist, Tony Sweet (tonysweet.com).

Thanks for joining me here at my blog and enjoy the waining summer

Places to see more of Daniel's work:

Pearson Lakes Art Center - lakesart.org 

Arts On Grand - artsongrand.org

 

Morning Lights

    

"Photography is about putting the pieces together." Daniel Ruf

This morning was all about patience and putting the pieces together. I changed positions several times, yet as I walked away to my truck to leave for home I turned and found this setup.  My last position was about 10 feet to the left. We can have the best lenses and camera money can buy, but if you don't move your feet you might miss the best shot of the day.

This blog image was taken with my handheld iPhone and its wide angle lens. The clouds and rocks demanded the wide angle approach and both subjects compliment each other. 

While I was driving in search of the right spot for the sunrise at 4:30 a.m. and using "The Photographer's Ephemeris" app I came to this lakeshore spot and realized that the sunrise was less important than the nice cloud formation that was taking place. 

The black and white version.

 

It's continues to be a learning journey no matter how old you might be.

Thanks for visiting

Thank you for dropping by...go plant another tree

Places to see more of Daniel's work:

Pearson Lakes Art Center - lakesart.org 

Arts On Grand - artsongrand.org

 

Passing Time

"The eye should learn to listen before it looks." Robert Frank

I was a beautiful morning when I captured the blog image and I did more drifting in the boat than using the motor. It was calm and there was a light fog on the water surface which really became alive once the sun peaked over the horizon. It just seemed like the morning light drifted from one spot to the next depending on the rising sun.

The biggest annoyance at the time was my brain suggesting and later telling me that I should go to another spot around the point to my left. It teased, yelled and gently spoke, but for some reason I mentally said "back off"!  I stayed here and continued to drift until the above scene came to fruition. 

Waiting and hoping is almost better than having the best camera in the world. You will always get the moment if your inner self say wait

Places to see more of Daniel's work:

Pearson Lakes Art Center - lakesart.org 

Arts On Grand - artsongrand.org

 

Getting Out

        

"Whatever happens in front of the lens stays. What's captured during the encounter is all that exists."   Gregory Heisler

Last week I was on my way to a friends house when I came upon this rural scene that I couldn't resist pulling off the road and grabbing a few shots. As I was getting things together and set up I was reminded of my many years of farming and how that experience has made me more sensitive to this type of scene.

Ansel Adams, Tony Sweet, Phillip Hyde, and others have taught me and influenced my work in so many ways, but especially the special qualities of light and how if can effect a scene. Add to that my love of the influence of my art background and my love of the Hudson River School, which was from the mid to late 1800's, because the artists of that period were so tuned in to natural light and it's effect on the landscape.

It seems that Summer is finally making a stand over the chill of Spring and things are beginning to warm up. Enjoy and thanks for stopping by

Places to see more of Daniel's work:

Pearson Lakes Art Center - lakesart.org 

Arts On Grand - artsongrand.org

 

Crop, Crop, Crop!

"There is a vast difference between taking a picture and making a photograph." Robert Heinecken

The last time I had a critique session with Tony Sweet (tonysweet.com) was several years ago and the thing he pounded into my head was cropping images down to their heart and soul. I wasn't an avid cropper prior to that lesson as my framing and matting of images is usually always to an 18"x24" frame with mat. My image is usually an 12"x18" size. Since I have a regimen of reusing both frame and mat to save both myself and my customers some cash, I've learned to make my crop within the camera or in the editing process. I still have an argument with myself, but that's the hard headedness coming out.

The blog image above provided the perfect example of the value of cropping. The funny thing is that had my Photoshop screen not been set up for a crop in a previous edit, I would have never seen the value of cropping the image above.

As you can see, I hope, the effort of cropping has gotten rid of the distractions in the upper right side and put the focus on the subject. It was hard to admit it and I don't really like square crops, but it definitely proves the point.

The image was taken several years ago at a preserve in Minnesota. I felt fortunate that I got the capture and the lighting at the same moment.

Thanks for taking the time to join me here. Take care and have a good weekend. Oh, and one more note...I'm back on Facebook.

Places to see more of Daniel's work:

Pearson Lakes Art Center - lakesart.org 

Arts On Grand - artsongrand.org

 

Entering From Stage Right!

"Great Photography is about depth of feeling not depth of field." Peter Adams

I've spent a lot of mornings waiting for a sunrises, not knowing for sure what the outcome will be, but always with hope for a surprise. There have been a few occasions when Mother Nature adds a significant tune that I wasn't expecting, such as the duck showing up with perfect timing. I'll take these circumstances any way I can get them.

Just when I posted the above blog image I noticed a distraction that I missed in the processing of this image. That distraction would be that buoy left of center. Rather than replace or correct the infraction I thought I'd use it as a lesson.

The change is subtle, but the duck is now the center attraction as opposed to the confusion of the buoy near the horizon. It may be a little thing to many, but removal of distractions either by changing the camera position or software editing is essential to make the story clear and without distractions. It's always a good idea to check the edges of an image for little distractions as well. I use Photoshop CC in most of my work and a Canon 5D Mark IV, which I still love. Lightroom is the first order of editing and Photoshop does the rest, including clean up. I used Topaz AI Denoise to rid the picture of the noise as I had to use a high ISO to achieve the shutter speed to stop the ducks movement. With that being said it's necessary to realize that using multiple editing processes takes a certain bit of balance in the handling. No matter the choice of editing processes used they all seem to leave "artifacts" if not used with a light hand. It's taken me a long time to learn this and, at times, it seems I'm still learning.

Thanks for visiting and enjoy the beautiful Spring weather

Places to see more of Daniel's work:

Pearson Lakes Art Center - lakesart.org 

Arts On Grand - artsongrand.org

 

Winters Last Breath ?

"To photograph is to hold one's breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It's at that precise moment that mastering an image

becomes a great physical and intellectual job."  Henri Cartier-Bresson

Almost a week ago we had one of the most vicious blizzards I've ever experienced followed by several days of below freezing temperatures overnight. It became another several days of covering and uncovering the the tulip beds with plastic. From here on out it looks like things are going to switch gears to Spring.

Yesterday morning was my first outdoor adventure in many days. At 5:30 in the morning "social separation" is not difficult especially in a state park that is still covered in snow. The blog image was about the only interesting item to photograph, but at least I had a number of selection options when it came to ice formations sculptured by the lake water during the aforementioned storm.

The blog image was taken with my trusty Canon 5D Mark IV. I was looking for a simple composition with morning color and reflection on the water. I got most of that plus the reflection of the sunrise color in the icy fingers. The image was first processed in Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, then finishing touches in Adobe Photoshop CC, with some final touches in NIK Viveza.

Because of the quarantine I've been spending a lot of time watching photography videos on my computer. All decked out in my earbuds I enjoyed seeing different ideas, results, processes, and links to other treasures.

I happend to find a photographer, Nigel Danson, through some online search. He's a photographer of the United Kingdom and found his video tutorials quite helpful and informative. They're short, mostly 18 minutes or so, and full on info and options and includes a lot of images of England rural ares, which made it all the more fascinating, since I have a real interest in the countryside of England Mr. Danson's photography is softer in results as is English landscape. I would recommend his videos as a great way to learn simple facts and processes as well as waking up one's brain and slipping away from "cabin fever".

As the U.S. slowly starts back to the norm that we have all have been separated from over the past month, I hope to be able to get reacquainted with my camera on a more regular basis.

Thanks for stopping by and remember to stay safe, enjoy the leisure and wash your hands often.

Places to see more of Daniel's work:

Pearson Lakes Art Center - lakesart.org 

Arts On Grand - artsongrand.org

  

 

 

Waiting

   

"Patience is the art of concealing your impatience."  Guy Kawasaki

Several years ago my wife and managed to make our way to the Joshua Tree National Park on our way to the West Coast. Neither of us had been there before and were excited to see in person what we had seen in pictures. We were disappointed that our timing wasn't right for seeing the Joshua trees, but it turned out that as evening approached it was a good time for some landscape photography. The above scene of layers of landscape defined by fog is something I have always enjoyed working with. It is a panorama of approximately 8 exposures.

It was enjoyable for me to stand and wait with some measure of hope that other scenes would follow as the sun got closer to setting on the Western horizon. My wife has always been good at striking up a conversation with people and before I knew it we were talking to a family from Sweden. We did a lot of laughing, talked a little photography and time passed quickly.

Little did I know that the upper blog scene would develop into the above dynamic of light, form, and color. We waited until the last drop of light was beginning to fade and then started the walk on the trail back to the car. I remember distinctly that my mind was full of wishes and hope that once back home I would be rewarded for the patient efforts and chance.

Thanks for visiting....keep safe....wash hands often.....Love one another.....Normalcy will return.

Places to see more of Daniel's work:

Pearson Lakes Art Center - lakesart.org 

Arts On Grand - artsongrand.org

 

Color Addiction

"Lost-yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes.

No reward is offered, for they are gone forever.   Horace Mann

When the sky is right in Arizona the colors are blazing finishes on a day of hiking and photography. On this particular trip clouds were at a minimum, which means that the options for color in the morning and evening were few and far between. But this infrequency of dazzling color is also typical in Iowa. Not every day can be a rose, but one can only hope for a bouquet once in awhile.

But the eloquence of light is not limited to morning and evening. It can surprise a person throughout the day if conditions are right or the geology plays a part to cause the bending of light beams.

Just turning around and looking into the blinding light make the difference. And, as tourist and hikers pass questions are asked about what one is doing, seeing, or what? But I see a portrait....one tree, glistening light, and a tapestry background. It's a gift! They are all GIFTS! One just has to be prepared to open ones arms and embrace i

Thanks for visiting and Spring is getting even closer. Make sure your lenses are clean!

Places to see more of Daniel's work:

Pearson Lakes Art Center - lakesart.org 

Arts On Grand - artsongrand.org

 

Trips And Stuff

"There's a quality of life in Maine which is this singular and unique. I think. It's absolutely a world onto itself."   Jamie Wyeth

This past autumn my wife and I decided to finally check off a item on our bucket list by traveling to the state of Maine....as well as New Hampshire and Vermont.  The biggest item was to hit the Fall color right on target. Having had the experience myself of trying to target the Fall color in Minnesota as well as Wisconsin, I new we would have our hands full.  As it turned out we didn't do so badly.  I'm a believer that all Fall color has to have a little green to make the seasonal color more intense.

Our main point of interest was the Arcadia National Park since we were new to the area and had a limited amount of time due to travel issues. The above shot was taken in the town of Mechanic Falls, Maine. At the time the falls part, behind me, was being blasted by the morning sun. This side had some cloud formation and a moderate bit of sunlit back lighting taking place. Plus the added attraction of traffic zooming past my backside. I don't care if it is going at 35 mph, it's still dangerous.....but worth the chance.

I was using my Canon 5D Mark 4, which I still love after about 3 years of the engagement, and a  24-105 zoom lens.I also had a split neutral density filter latched on to muffle the skies brightness. Of course, in my world, I was praying for a nice shiny train to go rolling past on the bridge, but that didn't happen. I just had to be satisfied with the splashes of color.

Since the weather here in NW Iowa has been gloomy for awhile I thought I'd throw in a second shot from a morning along the Sunday River, near Bethel, Maine. I'm standing on a covered bridge, which was another bucket list item (the more covered bridges, the better). The morning was cold, but foggy....another wish come true.  Another treat was our short stay at the Holidae House Bed & Breakfast in Bethel. The house was a beautiful place with plenty of restaurants nearby as well as some of the nicest owners one could ever hope to meet. We only spent one night there, but wished we had spent more time afterwards, but the road beckoned and moved on.

Thanks for visiting and Spring is getting closer

Places to see more of Daniel's work:

Pearson Lakes Art Center - lakesart.org 

Arts On Grand - artsongrand.org