Daniel Ruf

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

This And That

 

 

"The art of photography is all about directing the attention of the viewer."   Steven Pinker

I just returned from a trip to Texas and realized that I  missed a blog post for the past weekend.  Not surprising as this trip was a whirlwind with family visits, chasing grand daughters and, last but not least, amusing myself while my wife shops.  Two of the blog posts are the results of walking around mall areas and all three are iPhone collections.

The shadows were done in a mall court yard with chilly winds blowing (what a time to leave Iowa's chilly weather, just to welcome a Texas "blue norther") and processed with JixiPix's. "Dramatic Black And White" and then in NIK Silver Efex Pro.  The portriat of my grand daughter was processed using "My Sketch" app, and the color shot was of a grouping of Manikin's in a department store (I'm sure that caused some odd looks) and then a blur effect was applied with the "Snapseed" app. 

While I'm still getting used to all the various approaches that smart phones provide with respect to photogrpahy I still really enjoy the freedom from lugging a camera bag and other accessories.

While running through various mall areas in Texas I did find one thing troubling that was surprising to me especially considering that Texas has been touted as an expanding economy.  In one large "up scale" mall I would estimate that half of the mall spaces were empty or had been evacuated.  In the window of one such store a sign was posted that stated new keys would not be given out until the renter had paid the rental that was in arrears.  I found this "emptiness" typical of several malls that we visited while in Texas.

What makes this even more troubling is that often, within a stone's through of an affected mall, new contruction was underway on another mall.  I'm still scratching my head over that, but it smells of the "housing bubble" that we are presently experiencing.

Thanks to all of you that venture to this blog site and I hope that winter is treating you well with many cozy fireside evenings and winter walks in the snow.  For those of you in the lakes area take the time to check out a showing of my work at the Pearson Lakes Art Center in Okoboji, Iowa.  It will be up until March 2.

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

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