Daniel Ruf

Waving Goodbye

"The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it>"  Richard Bach

Life in the lakes area of northwest Iowa is slowing down as the leaves continue to fall and all of us are preparing for winter.  I'm in the process of making a few last minute photo shoots before the white stuff changes my approach and layers of clothing, but I thought I'd post this image from a few months ago when the lakes were teaming with life and activity and the geese were still growing.

This place, as are many of my posts, is a "return to" place whenever I'm in Arnolds Park.  I'm shooting off of a bridge and while I was fussing about with equipment watching the fog and sunrise, a group (gaggle) of geese came from under the bridge heading north.  Being unprepared for the immediate shot I was praying for no fishing boats or any distraction that might cause them to fly off.  As you can see, all went well and I almost think that their position is better than up close, but I'll not know this year.

People often ask what my favorite image is and I often dodge the question as it's kind of like answering the question, which is your favorite child.  Instead I usually just tell them that it's the next one, because in actuality it really is the truth.  I'm always waiting and hoping for what's around the corner, in the next cornfield, or on the next kayak trip.

In the case of this image....I really have a soft spot in my heart for this one.  I think it's largely because it was another reminder to me that although (IMHO) this is a very nice shot, those geese made it all the better.  Had I gotten here a little later or they spooked when seeing me looking down on them, the result would have been a little different and not as exciting.

Thank you all for continuing your visual attention to this site and please tell others.  Have a great weekend.

Sic 'em Bears".  Baylor Football at home vs. Kansas State - TONIGHT!

For more views of my work visit;

http://500px.com

Arts On Grand, Spencer, Iowa http://www.artsongrand.org/

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

Summer Wind Gallery, Arnolds Park, Iowa

New Places

"The opportunity is often lost by deliberating."  Publilius Syrus

The one thing I like the most about traveling to different geographical areas is not only the opportunity to see different scenes, but the adjustments I have to make in my approach and thoughts about the differing unfamiliar scenes.  

On a recent trip to Houston a friend of my wife took me around to several different places on the coast near across from Galveston, Tx.  In these sort of situations with someone else at the "helm" I'm less inclined to spend a lot of time in the process of shooting so as not to keep others waiting, but I still hate to pass up "no brainers" as far as photo ops.

The blog scene is one of several around this wharf/dock area, but one of my favorites.  It was an HDR five shot episode with my Nikon D300, handheld.  I was lucky that there were some beautiful cloud structures to break up the sky, which gave the composition some added strengths.  The captures were processed in Photomatix with more editing in NIK programs.  Finally I used Snap Art for adding the oil painting effect...in fact I used several painting options to get the effect I was looking for.

Even though we've never lived on or near salt water areas I've seen enough travel advertising and art work from those areas to know that I really would like to spend time around these areas.  This would include very early morning or late afternoon shooting in all sorts of weather as well as a lot of searching.

I wish you all a good week to come and thank you for continuing to support this space with your attention.

Sic 'em Bears".  The 2015 Baylor football season starts its conference run next weekend.

For more views of my work visit;

http://500px.com

Arts On Grand, Spencer, Iowa http://www.artsongrand.org/

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

Summer Wind Gallery, Arnolds Park, Iowa

Around Town

"Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving.  What you have caught on film is captured forever...it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.  Aaron Siskind

Not very long ago most of my photography was comprised of my ramblings through forests, along creek beds or deep in the grasses of the prairies.  A couple of years ago, at the urging of my observant wife, I began to do more images of the Iowa lakes area, which included scenes like the above of the Arnolds Park amusement park.  At some point I realized that this could compliment my other work and also be a little more relevant to the local population.

The major hurdle?  Translating the local "vocabulary" of lakes, boats, docks and the like through my creative "vision"....meaning, quality light, early mornings, evening skies, moody clouds, etc.  Once I figured this out ( I AM a slow learner) I began to enjoy working among the "visual commotion" that is the lakes area.  Since my usual translation of natural areas into photography is done while I'm alone, I still do have a leaning toward avoiding "eyes" while I work, but am dealing with that.

As this new experience has developed I have come to realize that it's actually blended quite well with "the other side" of my photography as a teaching moment.  Working in an urban setting has required more diligent searching, mental cropping and interpretation of subjects that I come across as well as searching out various point of views of the same subject.  This deeper involvement or previsualization, if you will, has helped to increase my efforts in the "natural" world.  All too often I've been guilty of "first shot-itis" as I've arrived on a beautiful scene, rather than taking the time to walk the area looking for points of view that might offer a better look or composition of that the subject. 

There should never be a feeling of reaching some sort of pinnacle with any endeavor in life and that includes photography.  Learning and improvement will continue to put a smile on my face as does the anticipation of the next shot.

Thank you all for visiting and enjoy the fading summer.

Sic 'em Bears".  The Baylor football season is just around the corner!

For more views of my work visit;

http://500px.com/pigs4u

Arts On Grand, Spencer, Iowa http://www.artsongrand.org/

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

Summer Wind Gallery, Arnolds Park, Iowa

Expanding

"Light makes photography.  Embrace it.  Admire it.  Love it.  But above all know light!  Know if for all it's worth, and you will know the key to photography."   George Eastman

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to give a gallery talk for an exhibit that I have hanging in the Dickinson County Nature Center in Spirit Lake, Iowa.  I'm not fond of public speaking as I'm not comfortable speaking in front of people.  I can still remember those awful book reports that we were required to do in high school to summarize our reading from some assigned book.  Painful.

While dwelling on the task at hand I did come across the above quote which I thought stated the importance of light in photography...or rather the use of light.  It's simple to understand that light comes into the camera and "dances" on the sensor for the creation of an image.  It's another thing to understand the true meaning of the quote as it pertains to the quality of light that dances on said sensor.  This quote turned out to be the substance of my talk as I don't believe the average art patron understands that light quality is the foundation of many, many pieces of art.

In speaking of my work, and photography in general, it gave me great comfort to speak about this subject as it relates to the "trigger" to an image.  Whether it's the early or late hour that I stand watching the dance of light or the way clouds can reflect, bend or diffuse light, or the way light can cause glowing reflections on water, few people are aware of the importance of light in a final piece of work.  In my case photography became a little easier once I understood the value of light in all its forms and intensities.

The above image was taken with my iPhone with a Slow Shutter app and then developed in several painting apps in the post processing efforts.  Subdued early morning light with the first rays touching the clouds above the marina.  What a great morning.

One small note...Side Street Gallery has now changed hands and the new owner, Roberta Williams, an incredible artist as well, will be opening the Summer Wind Gallery some time soon.  I'm so happy that I will be a part of this gallery as well as many other extraordinary artists. I will keep you posted.

Sic 'em Bears". 

For more views of my work visit;

http://500px.com/pigs4u

Arts On Grand, Spencer, Iowa http://www.artsongrand.org/

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

Summer Wind Gallery, Arnolds Park, Iowa

 

Another Turn

We had an incredible fog event going on this morning as I'm sure the lake surface was cooler than the air above, but the really nice thing was that it was a lingering fog.  By lingering I mean I had time to run to a number of different places to accept the challenge.  The funny thing was that the last place was a place that I've never shot from before....Imagine that! It was very close to a number of my favorite places, but I think my usual assessment was too many obstacles.  WRONG ASSESSMENT!

This shot was taken with my iPhone 5s using the "AutoStitch" app and then edited in Google "Snapseed".  I did a little further editing in Photoshop CS6 to diminish artifacts and to increase the size.

The bird...well, that's just plain dumb luck.  I made two pano efforts while I was there and this was the second.  If I would have taken just one, my little friend would have missed its opportunity.  Of course I could have shot pano's until I was blue in the face and never seen a bird (gull) at all.  That's why I say, "pure dumb luck".

I have several other shots waiting to be edited and, yes, I did pull out the "big boy" camera and, yes, I do have a pano done with my 5D as well.  I don't like to tempt the photo gods.

One sidelight....the experience of watching the fog lift and blow around really was worth being out early.  Fog is a unpredictable event as it can vanish a few minutes after sunrise, or it can hang around, or it can be so thick that not much light comes through.  It is, however, always worth the trip.

Thank you all for continuing to follow this site and I hope you all have a great weekend.

"Sic 'em Bears". 

For more views of my work visit;

http://500px.com/pigs4u

Arts On Grand, Spencer, Iowa http://www.artsongrand.org/

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

Side Street Gallery, Arnolds Park, Iowa  www.okobojiimages.com

Rainy Days

"My hand is an extension of the thinking process-the creative process."  Tadao Ando

it was a rainy dreary day when I decided to get out for some "wet" work...puddles and such, all while visiting some regular stops along the way.  In the process, as is usually the case, I was fortunate to find a couple of surprises one of which is the subject of today's blog post.

While I take every precaution to keep my equipment dry with several types of camera rain gear, I don't find many of them to be enjoyable to work with or around. It always seems that a flap is in the way or the material begins to "crawl" down in front of the lens no matter how many fasteners are available.  It was the main reason I was hesitant to just hop out amongst the raindrops, especially during downpours.  In this case I didn't melt nor did my camera, but a quick drying off session was necessary when I finished.

There were numerous intrusions in this scene including fenceposts, another dock, various items along the rock wall and background paraphenalia.  All required either good camera placement or editing during post processing.

The first attraction...the boat; the second...rock wall; the third...rain drops on the water, and finally the vertical reflections.  Because of the subdued lighting the colors were more saturated which really helped bring the grass area into play.

The scene was captured with Canon 5D Mrk II at an ISO of 1600 (rare for this ol' boy), but the noice was reduced in Topaz DeNoise with other editing done in NIK Color Efex and Viveza software.  I also applied a texture to enhance the color of the water as well as reflections and darken the outside edges.  I take care to use texture adjustments delicately...most of the time.

Scenes like this, even with the rain, are reflecting and comforting, in my opinion, and also act as a diversion from standard seasonal photography.  They rank right up there with chasing fog and snowflakes.

Thanks for joining me and feel free to comment.

Sic “Em Bears. Go Baylor!

For more views of my work visit;

Arts On Grand, Spencer, Iowa http://www.artsongrand.org/

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

http://500px.com/pigs4u

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19338959@N06/

Rumors Of Spring

“Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments.”  Rose Kennedy

The sounds of snow geese and newly arrived birds rings in the beginning of spring.  The days of dirty melting snow are here and while it will be a few weeks until the first flowers of the season, we are at least standing on the front steps.

I had the pleasure of attending the opening of the invitation exhibit, “Weather Permitting” at Arts On Grand ( www.artsongrand.org ) gallery in Spencer, Iowa last night and was pleased with the showing.  The show represented a range of media from pastels and photography to fabrics and watercolor.  The artist were invited to show their creative scenes of weather and all that has to offer and the past few months had a full range.  We are so thankful for the support of the sponsor, KICD radio station of Spencer.

Later my wife and I and friends Mike Houge (www.mikehouge.typepad.com) and his wife met for dinner at Gary’s, a recent addition to the town of Spencer and had a delicious experience.  We’re glad to see a place that has brisket and pulled pork on the menu, a rare sight for these northern climes.

The blog image is from Lake Superior’s north shore near Two Harbors, Minnesota, a place I  hope to get back to this year, if possible. A foggy and rainy day of incredible opportunities.

Thank you all for visiting my site and hope that you all have an outstanding weekend.

Sic “Em Bears.

For more views of my work visit;

Arts On Grand, Spencer, Iowa http://www.artsongrand.org/

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

http://500px.com/pigs4u

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19338959@N06/

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

Finding Your Thrill

"...you can't always get what you want, but if you try, sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need..."

Rolling Stones (Jaggar/Richards)

Recently I was checking out a favored blog site http://www.ianplant.com/blog/2011/12/21/photographic-quotations/ and came upon a favorite quote by the writer that simply defines the challenges of photography.  I wouldn't have guessed that the Rolling Stones would be the source, since their work is way out of my musical orbit, but then again, maybe the quote is also a reminder about being in such ruts!

The blog image is just one of those situations when the search wasn't yielding anything that was exciting to me until I found myself at a location near us that got my attention.  Yes, it's just a bunch of boats and, yes, it's not a landscape and, yes, there are no flowers, but sometimes one does have to "take the ride that is available or walk home empty handed".  In this case I liked the colors, the lines, the reflections and went with the opportunity.

The image was captured with my Canon 5DII using a neutral density filter on the lens so I could achieve a really long exposure to "smooth out" the ripples in the water and gain a stronger reflection.   It is an HDR capture that was processed with Nik's HDR Efex software in Photoshop CS5. 

If there is just one important lesson that I learn almost everytime the camera comes out is that flexibility is often the best tool that a person has in their arsonal of creative vocabulary.  It's also a pretty good tool for living life!

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a marvelous holiday season.

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