Daniel Ruf

Being Receptive

"Things do not change; we do."  Henry David Thoreau

This is kind of a tale of change of heart, change of mind, or just change of thinking all having to do with this image of a Bloodroot flower I shot a couple of days ago.  The first result was using a combination of textures to help darken the background as well as add a painterly quality to the background.  In the past I've avoided using textures as I never really felt the need, but recently, through a bit of trial and error and just plain inquisitiveness I've spent a little more time using various textures (that have, by the way, sat in my filters file for quite some time) and deciding on when their use is relavent to a specific image.

As is my usual custom, I let the image set for a while, on my computer and in my mind, but soon started to feel the need to re-develop a visual concept that was more ethereal or perhaps delicate in nature. After spending a good deal of time with layers, masks, blending modes, etc. I  came upon a result that I felt was more in line with my thinking of this particular grouping of flowers.

While I like both versions I feel that in the first the main flower shares it's space with the background and the other flowers are somewhat lost in the story.  In the second I feel that the background recedes and the other flowers become part of a relationship or supporting cast to the main subject.  I also like the luminence in the second which is more defining of the springs essence.

I don't know that I thought about any of this as I was involved with the mechanics of capture.  I also don't know if that's a good or bad thing, either.  I do know that in the early morning when light is rapidly changing a certain amount of quick decisions are paramount to getting a "successful" capture.  I also have learned over time that NO image is truly "finished", especially when it is a digital capture.  At the same time there is also various nuances to consider, some of which occur while the image is still fermenting in one's thoughts.

With all of the above in mind I would like to direct you to several photographers that are also dealing with the spring theme in their own ways, but marvelously so.   The blogs of Tony Sweet, http://tonysweet.com/blog/, John Barclay, http://johnbarclayphotography.com/blog/, and Cole Thompson,  http://www.photographyblackwhite.com/, specifically his "Preconceived Ideas" post, are excellent studies in nuance and thought processes.

Enjoy spring...it's finally found its way to our corner of northwest Iowa and thank you for being an important part of my efforts here. 

My alcove at A Piece Of Work in downtown Spirit Lake is up and running and tonight is this years first "First Friday" artwalk.  If  you're near...join us.

 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/

 

Crooked Road To Spring

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."   Michelangelo

A couple of days ago my wife and I were outside raking leaves in the yard with no coats on.  Yesterday, I was shoveling snow from the walkway and I thought that the road to spring is a very crooked one...at least this year.  Be that as it may, I took advantage of the new fallen snow and colder temperatures to once again walk down into Ft. Defiance State Park hoping to find thin ice and clean snow.

The blog image is from the Spring Creek area and I was fascinated by the "trench" that the water had cut into the upper layer of frozen ice and snow.  I would imagine that an early melt of water traveled the path of least resistance to gradually wear a "track" in the upper crust and finally reached the creek bed.

It was early morning, which necessitated making an HDR image from multiple exposures in order to bring the lights and darks into relevence in the final image.  I used NIK HDR Efex for the process and then worked in Photoshop CS6, NIK Viveza and NIK Silver Efex for the final black and white composition.

While I spend a good deal of time and energy walking up and down the trails in this park, I find that nothing ever stays the same.  Expecting the unexpected is what keeps me returning to this area that is a multiple of many small ecosystems offering mulitples of opportunities.  It won't be long before the wildflowers begin to bloom in many differing phases depending on the species.  Until then I will continue to enjoy the crisp cold mornings offering ice patterns and frosting of fall leaves.

I wish you all a bountiful spring full of nature's beautiful offerings.  Take the time to recover from winter's cold with a walk in the parks near you.

 

The “Tweener” Season

“The biggest challenge, I think for any new artist, is patience.”  Brett Eldredge

There’s one season of every year that drives me absolutely crazy and I like to call it the “tweener” season…that time between the end of winter and the beginning of spring.  The landscape seems, in my opinion, to be empty.  Deathly looking wasted browns topped in some places by dirty tired snow.  It’s a time when I often wonder if I’ll ever make another image as I hike from one place to another looking for a glint of  inspiration.

Such was the case a couple of days ago when I headed into one of my favorite state parks to shake out the mental cobwebs and get the motor running.  Since  the year has been lacking on moisture I wanted to check the creek areas in this park to see if water was once again flowing and I specifically wanted to look for some ice patterns that would serve as a subject.  Last fall I had made an extra effort to start looking down as I walk through forest areas for leaf patterns and such and was pleased with several results.  It only seemed appropriate to care that challenge forward to the “tweener” season.

The blog image is one of the results as it actually occurred near the creeks edge.  These thin formations of ice that are continually melting away during the day and then freezing again during the evening to form thin layers complete with natural design patterns.  The leaf just happened to be the “frosting on the cake”.

The capture was processed in Photoshop CS6 with various applications of NIK and Topaz software being applied to get to the end result.  It is a perfect snippet of a “tweener” day and what it has to offer if one looks hard enough and believes that beauty can be as close as ones feet.  It also was proof that spring is pushing its way in and winter is slinking out.

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/

Thank you for coming to this site and I hope you all are beginning to see the effort of spring returning.

Peaceful Workplace

"The world is but a canvas to our imagination."  Henry David Thoreau

One of the things I enjoy most about photography is that the pursuit of the next image puts me in such peaceful places.  Even if I'm along side a busy road my mind is involved with the process of creativity...the creation of parts into a whole.

Such was the case when I once again ventured into the woods of Ft. Defiance on a cold late winter afternoon.  The sun was setting and I was looking for a canvas of shadows and light when I came upon a line of ski tracks that soon proved to be a part of the final concept.

During this whole time of discovery, conceptual figuring and final approach I was deep in a quiet forest with glistening, crackling snow and soft whispers of wind.  It was nothing I hadn't experienced before, but it was a time of renewal, refreshment and joy.

The long beams of sunlight playing through the trees and lacing lights and darks across the trail of someone past.  Little did the visitor know that what was left behind would become part of a creative session of mind, camera, vision and a certain amount of rejoicing.

Peace seeking is a selfish enterprise that I feel gives meaning to my photographic work and the creative process for me.  It is my intention, through art, to give others that moment that was in front of me and the camera.  The satisfaction is not of successful accomplishment, but the sharing of peaceful moments.  In a world of clanking and clattering there is a great need for the healing of silence...of peace.

Thank you all for coming to my blog site and I wish you a great and happy 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

Patiently Waiting

“”And finally Winter, with its bitin’ whinin’ wind, and all the land will be mantled with snow.”  Roy Bean

I don’t ask for much…not blizzards of white stuff, just a nice fresh covering of white to make winter seem more like winter so that I can make fresh tracks in the landscape again.  The saying, “be careful what you wish for” is not foreign to me and that’s why when I wish I usually have a list of qualifications that go with it.  It’s really no different than my wife insisting on a real Christmas tree to make Christmas seem more like Christmas, that I need snow to make Winter seem more like Winter.   It’s really quite simple.

There is a certain freshness that snow brings with  the landscape just as spring flowers bring a certain “newness” to the earth.  Spring would be a sad affair if Snow Trilliium’s didn’t dot the forest landscape and tulips weren’t pushing upwards in gardens around towns.  Summer would fail, in my humble opinion, if the skies weren’t dressed in puffy marshmallow clouds, which are usually brought on by hot humid days and a certain stillness in the air.

Fall suppresses our angst of winter by playing a sort of “shell game” with our minds and providing such a painted landscape of gold’s and red’s that we forget what’s coming in the days ahead.  Even knowing that we would never wish to miss a golden day of Fall.

So, I’ve said it…maybe not eloquently, but those of us that live in the land of four seasons are hardy of heart and spirit because we pull on our boots, grab our shovels and clear a path so that friends can join us by the fire and the postman/woman can bring us Christmas cheer from far away friends and family. 

Winter is God’s way of providing and end…and a beginning.  It’s a Divine gift of water frozen into beautiful crystals that provides sledding for the young and beauty for the rest of us.  Rain is rain, but snow is special.

Thank you all for enduring this flight of fancy. My wife understands your frustration!

Go Baylor...Sic 'Em Bears!  FINISH STRONG!

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

 

 

Blooming Crazy

Once the Spring season begins it's "pedal to the metal" in order to capture all the natural surprises and we haven't even gotten into the tulip bloom and I've got about 80 new plantings that are just now peaking toward the sky.  It seems like everytime I take the walk down into one of our state parks something new has revealed itself.

The blog image is of a Trout Lily, which are just now showing up in the low lying areas in local forests.  They're only about 3 -4 inches in height and it takes some real shrinking to get a birds eye view of this delicate flower.  As I've told many, as they spy me proned on the ground, the view is better from down here!

As added amusement I've just recieved a notice from a local magazine that submissions are being taking for their Fall print.  Imagine that...we've just shaken off the snow (sorry, shouldn't have said that) and it's time to search the 2012 files for fall color.  I'm still waiting for the greening of the trees!

Thanks for visiting the site and I hope you all take time to smell the roses...or tulips.  Just get out in the Spring air.

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

 

Up Close

    "We all start in this medium because of the magic and the challenge is to keep it going."  John Sexton

I spent a few days this past week in Ft. Defiance State Park as the Snow Trillium's were beginning to bloom and having the time of my life.  I also spent most of that time laying on the ground for a more "up close and personal" view as I encourage many to do when working with floral subjects.  The view is better from the soils surface as well as the aroma of Mother Nature.  The blog image was also capture with the help of a Lensbaby lense attachment to my Canon 5D Mark II giving the soft dream like look.

The Snow Trillium is one of the first forest botanicals to break the surface of the ground and manages to compete it's two to three inch growth spurt in a couple of days with weathers cooperation.  The simple blossom is an indication that winters grip has been broken, even if only for a few days, as was the case this year.  A day later and another round of snow fell, but has quickly disappeared.

I've included a new link on the right side to a custom printing lab that I've just started working with.  My own Epson printer is limited to a 13 inch width so any image of larger size requires an outside printing source.  Gale Johnson of CDI has been a remarkable find and offers a personal service that is both reasonable in cost and exceptional in quality.  Check out his link and give his service some thought.

Thank you all for your continued support and enjoy those treasures that are pushing up through the earth...and those that surround us called friends.

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

Winter Fluff

"No matter how many goals you have achieved, you must set yourself on a higher one."  Jessica Savitch

While we haven't gotten as much snow as those areas of Iowa that surround us, last week we did get a nice 6 inches of fluffy white stuff that made for some nice opportunities.  This particular blog image is from the lakes edge at Mini-Wakan State Park that is on the north edge of Spirit Lake.

I had been waiting for an opportunity to photograph the interesting colors of the ice slabes that develop with the expanding and pushing of the ice that covers this great lake.  As this particular tree has been one of my favorite subjects I decided to head here first to see if there would be snow covered rocks to go along with my hope to work the ice into the composition.

The ambient light was bright enough to give help with detail and form and yet soft enough that harsh contrast wasn't a problem and I think the color of the ice was much more stiking.  This was shot with my Canon 5D II and then processed through Photoshop CS5 followed by some work in NIK Viveza software.

For those of you that are avid photographers it's always good to remember to revisit your photographic haunts on a regular basis.  Lighting, seasons and weather can always give one new opportunities for success.

Thanks for visiting and feel free to make a comment or tell a friend.

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