Daniel Ruf

AHHHGGGGGGGGGGG!

"Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, allowing us to do things more quickly and efficiently. But too often it seems to make things harder, leaving us with fifty-button remote controls, digital cameras with hundreds of mysterious features and book-length manuals, and cars with dashboard systems worthy of the space shuttle."  James Surowieki

This past week I had a Dell laptop computer that is approximately 13 years old that I use for running my Epson printers. A few years ago I had to add an external drive as storage for thousands of photos in order for the computer to pick up speed and allow me to spend less time waiting for things to process. Recently the Dell people warned me that the battery in my computer was toast, but I could still use my computer as a plug-in device. Some weeks later I got another reminder that Dell would no longer support my laptop. After all of this drama the Dell finally showed signs that it was coming to crash time, meaning the purchase of a new laptop was near.

I own a MAC monster which I do much of my photo editing. When the MAC arrived several years ago I spent the first 2 weeks threatening to throw the thing out on the street and then driving over it.  The set up and learning process was mind numbing for my 69 year old brain and Apple doesn't make learning simple, IMO. During it's aging I've had my computer person beaf up all the the internal devices in the MAC and I have also added 3 external drives over time to keep the MAC at a steady pace during my use. 

My choice for a laptop was an Apple MacBookPro as I wanted to keep things simple. In the following week I spent more time with my computer person than I care to admit, but the beginning was my contact with the Apple service people and trying to follow their instructions over the phone...an Apple product as well.  They were very patient and kind and I was somewhat pleased with their efforts, but still was going through brain trauma. 

Following my phone experience with Apple along come the questionnaire from Apple about my satisfaction with the tech connection. I was fair and balanced in my report, but did suggest that Apple should have a book of instruction that came with the computer. I'm sure they have their reasons, but even the auto setup provided on the computer was flawed. Heck, my wife just got a RugDoctor vacuum and it came with a book and all my Canon cameras have come with "health" sized books that have been very helpful.

I'm sure you're board by now as I'm tired of writing, but lets just say that the digital age "ain't" what they promised and it's cold hearted in it development and processes.

Pray for me.

Thanks for joining me

Places to see more of Daniel's work:

Pearson Lakes Art Center - lakesart.org 

Arts On Grand - artsongrand.org

 

Looking for Spring

The "The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it!" Ansel Adams

It's tiring to slosh my way through deep winter, then winter warmup, then almost out of winter, then hello winter, then almost spring, then WHERE IS SPRING! And that's exactly where we are right now in NW Iowa, knowing full well that we could see another freeze......or maybe even the flakes.

So, I'm looking for reminders of Spring or something close as I'm bored to death with pale grass, snow piles holding on and winds from hell. 

My files and files of images are always and uplift for downer times. Looking at them I can remember where I was and how it was. The image above brings back a foggy morning as I let my Boston Whaler float closer and closer to the subject as I point my 70 - 200mm canon lens toward the sunrise while steering with the other eye. Timing and place can make all the difference. If I were on dry land with my camera the scene maybe totally different and not as thrilling. We saw morning here in the lakes area when there was heavy fog around one lake and little around another. Treacherous driving and guessing became the "compass" of the morning.

 

The edges of the lakes are just starting to open along with the hope of Spring. Hunting for Pasque Flowers at a local preserve is the beginning of opening the mind to Spring. Missing this by just a few days can mean the difference from a clear sharp looking flower to dull limp petals.

Enjoy the coming Spring and thanks for following my blog site.

Places to see more of Daniel's work:

Pearson Lakes Art Center - lakesart.org 

Arts On Grand - artsongrand.org

 

Missing And Finding

 

"If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of better stuff." Jim Richardson

If there is one thing that has been the result of the virus is that we all have missed something, whether it be time, place or friends each of us have made sacrifices that we'll never get back. My "something" was making the regular trip to Arizona in the winter and also a planned trip to Italy, land of my ancestors even though my DNA says my genes are more comfortable with British and French connections. IT HAS TO BE WRONG! 

The blog post above is from Sabino Canyon, a place I've spoken about more than once on this blog site. Not only do I get to photograph some incredible light in the canyon I also get to take walks with my daughter and her crazy dog Murphy. It's a time to switch gears from the lakes region of Iowa to the comfortable landscapes of Arizona.

That being said...the time of lock downs and masks has also resulted in other photographic adventures and opportunities.

Our town has an amusement park that decided to light it up through the night as a big thank you to the nurses and first responders that have given so much of themselves to keep us safe and healthy.  On this particular morning I found splashes of color that I didn't know existed as the park is usually dark through the deep of night. I can remember scrambling up and down the docks looking for different angle options. Social distancing wasn't a problem here...just me and the lights.

Even during the day I was occupied with other options of social distancing by sitting in my truck and waiting for the possible.  Being retired makes this a normal day, but I made a bigger effort to find warm blooded options for my camera and in many of the situations I wasn't looking at their butt as they scampered away into the dense forest.

It's impossible to "candy coat" this event that we are all facing on our planet. The solutions involve staying safe, wearing a mask (that might be the reason for the perky ears), and finding something to thrill your heart and soul.

Thanks for stopping by

Places to see more of Daniel's work:

Pearson Lakes Art Center - lakesart.org 

Arts On Grand - artsongrand.org

 

No Snow?

"It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam.  This crisp winter air is full of it."

John Burroughs

It's been a dry winter so far with up and down temps. Last week it hit 50 degrees on one day and it's 25 degrees today. No beautiful snow blanket covering what's left over from autumn. In our part of the world weather life we're having is an ominous sign that a climate surprise is around the corner.

The blog image is the results of a very thick fog we had last week combined with very cold morning temps.  As the morning wore on the tree branches started to gather in the frost particles which made a nice garment covering the trees.

It was a nice change from the humdrum clear skies we were having that was punctuated by high winds. I think I'm already tired of this drab looking winter, yet asking for snow is almost a crime!

We still get our colorful moments which makes up for lack of snow. This tree caught my attention as it seemed to be waiting for me. My actual destination was behind me, but I thought this scene was worth my attention.

By the way if you search YouTube for Judy Hancock you should find an amazing video of here discussion of Minimalist Photography along with a selection of her beautiful work. 

Thanks for visiting this site and feel free to comment while you're here. 

Wishing all of you a very merry Christmas and fabulous New Year. It has to get better, right?  Hold good thoughts, be safe, enjoy your family and extend a loving hand to all

Places to see more of Daniel's work:

Pearson Lakes Art Center - lakesart.org 

Arts On Grand - artsongrand.org

 

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

 

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

  

 

 

Crisp Mornings

It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fires  of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it."

John Burroughs

Days of foggy mornings gave way to colder mornings with crisp chilly winds, which gave way to sub zero temps and frosty coverings on stiff creaking trees. It was such a morning when I made my way to Gull Point State Park with hopes of ice, strong shadows and frosty trees.  I got all that plus fog blowing in from open areas of water across West Lake.

The trees were glittered like crystal and the sun rays broke through a fork in the nearby tree making for strong shadows acting as definite leading line into the scene. The view was more than I could have hoped for especially since the lake near our home had no indications of fog, but West Lake is a deep lake and holds on to its deep warm water for as long as possible.

Standing here, putting tripod together and setting up my Canon camera, the feeling of winter surrounded me. The patches of autumns earth were gone, the shards of ice hid the lake edges and the sky had the deep blue color of a winter day. The beauty of winter was finally here.

Thank you for visiting my blog site and I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a bountiful new year.  Be safe and enjoy the season of winter

 

Places to see more of Daniel's work:

Pearson Lakes Art Center - lakesart.org 

Arts On Grand - artsongrand.org

 

Learning

"ISOLATE AND SIMPLIFY."  Tony Sweet

Currently I am getting some instruction during an individual critique session given by Tony Sweet ( www.tonysweet.com ).  This is my second set of sessions in the last three years and his experience in the field and behind the computer makes for a lot of help in learning and improving, which is really what I'm after.  If I hadn't been so impressed with his first set of sessions I would have never done another and the usefulness of his instruction has been extremely helpful.  He digs into the nitty gritty of composition, editing and finalizing an image for printing.  Many would criticize that he is too "picky", but picky is what any artist needs when it comes to avoiding pitfalls and bad habits.

The most recent sessions have caught some bad habits that have crept into some of my compositions.  The main one is defined by the above quote in that I have been making the image canvas bigger than it needs to be with extraneous information that is empty and detracts from the essence and strength of the subject.  When he points these regresses out while he's working on my image it becomes so clear that most often my inner voice is saying, "what was I thinking?"

As with his location workshops, which I've taken and thoroughly enjoyed, he makes this stuff fun and always, always finds the positives.  A long ago art professor taught me that lesson during a watercolor critique on one of my pieces.  It involved a location painting which had a white picket fence and after he got done pointing out some of the pitfalls in different areas, he focused on the picket fence and told both me and the class that it was the most beautiful picket fence he'd seen.  As I've grown older and I realize that he'd seen a lot better picket fences in his life, but he knew what "drove my motor".

This scene is from this past week after a beautiful frost at sunrise.  It's a place that I go to often and even if I come away empty handed, which isn't likely, I get the view and the envelope of silence while looking out and wondering about the history of where I stand.  The Little Sioux River Valley lies below and just in front past the fence line is a preserved native prairie.  This scene has been seen by our ancestors and much different after the farm buildings, which are behind me, were built. A wild place with indian tribes, tall grass prairies for as far as the eyes could see and herds of buffalo that seemed never ending.

Thank you for joining me here and have a good weekend.

"Sic 'em Bears"   CONGRATS TO THE BAYLOR FOOTBALL TEAM FOR ITS INCREDIBLE WIN IN THE RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL......"SIC 'EM BEARS".

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

Thaw

         "Cherish your human connections: your relationships with friends and family." Joseph Brodsky

    Wishing all my followers a belated wonderful Christmas and prosperous new year.  Nothing is quite so fun as experiencing the joys of Christmas and then turning the leaf to a new year.  Where does the time fly?

    The blog image is from the north end of Spirit Lake, near Mini Wakan State Park in Iowa, and takes in the consequences of an unusual winter thaw...a little hiccup in the season that included these "blocks" of broken ice floating casually on the waters surface.  A little unusual for this early winter season, but not unwelcome when we know that there is still winter "seasoning" to come.

The sunrise, drifting cloud formations and reflections on the water and ice are a little much for me to pass up as I set up the tripod and my Canon 5D Mark II for this vertical shot.  It was a choice between a vertical format showing the many pieces of fractured ice or showing the expansive cloud formation and sunrise.  I chose the clouds as it would not have seemed right to cut off the the huge diagonal line of the cloud and blue sky, especially considering I could include the "repeating" diagonal with the ice in the lower right of the image.

The editing was done in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) as I'm finding it using this editing option doesn't seem to intensify the noise problems as so many other HDR editing programs tend to do.  I followed that with some work in NIK Color Efex Pro as I could paint in a little more detail in the textures of the foreground ice pads, without affecting the rest of the image softness.  This option along with the U-Point technology of the NIK products make it a go to plug in when working with a lot of my work.

                  

 

When I converted the color image into a black and white using the NIK Silver Efex Pro plug in I noticed a scene of more intensity and punch as well as the sun's rays along the horizon.  

Thank you all for joining me here and have a great Christmas season and 2016.

"Sic 'em Bears" Playing the University of North Carolina in the Russell Athletic Bowl, Dec. 29......"SIC 'EM BEARS".

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

Fog Feast

"Every moment of light and dark is a miracle."    Walt Whitman

We've had a number of foggy mornings during the past week which has made for some interesting location hunting to find situations that would not only reveal the beautiful nature of "wet air" but also the softness of the light.  Having worked in a number of differing atmospheric conditions I find that fog presents the most elusive as one never knows the duration or the locations that it might take place.  On this particular day it was extremely thick and found in every location I visited including this area near Gull Point State Park.  Yet, on some days one might find it only in areas of topological depressions such as valleys and sink holes while on other days it might just be in lake areas.

This particular location is one that I pass on any number of days as it is a typical slough area with calm water and the occasional visiting egret and other waterfowl.  On this day the fog gives a nice separation of the foreground tree from the background landscape as well as a quiet mood, which to me is inviting for restful thoughts and appreciation of the natural scene.

The editing work was accomplished in Adobe Photoshop CS6 while the digital painting option was worked through with the help of Alien Skin's "Snap Art" and Topaz "Simplify".  By using the digital painting method I felt that the details were more muted to simple surface areas of color as well as lights and darks.

When I have the opportunity to work in foggy conditions it's a joy to be surrounded by the richness of colors as well as the soft qualities of light.  The pace of the world seems to slow a bit while creative opportunities open one door at a time.

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my site and please come back and tell others as well.  Have a great weekend. You can enjoy looking at my work at A Piece Of Work in downtown Spirit Lake as well as the Side Street Gallery in Arnolds Park and Arts On Grand in Spencer...all in the great state of Iowa, or, if you're in Minnesota check out the Lanesboro Arts Center in Lanesboro, which is a beautiful town rich with activities.

Sic “Em Bears. Go Baylor!

For more views of my work visit;

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

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

http://500px.com/pigs4u

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