Hay! (Oh, like you’ve never done that)
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Get ’em before they drop, and bring your polarizer
The above shot is an example of why you want to take a polarizer with on a sunny day of foliage photography. The shot on the left and the right are taken with identical settings mere seconds apart. The photo on the right, however, is with a circular polarizer. It’s obvious that, given the right angle, a photographer can really deepen the sky and make those fall colors pop! Once again, I advise doing so quickly. It won’t be long before the only place one can photograph those leaves will be on the ground.
The colloquialism in the title of this post is the racetrack equivalent of “Go to war with the army you’ve got.” I didn’t have a photographic equivalent, so I’ll have to write one someday and utilize the racing version for now. I had finished watching a niece’s volleyball game at Fort Lincoln Elementary and saw a nice sunset developing, so I did what I had to: bolt to the nearest known photo subject. In this case, and given the letter “E” adjacent to my truck’s gas gauge needle, Fort Abraham Lincoln was the most logical choice.
We’ve got another man down, Dude
Buildings amd mountains…well, okay…buildings
We haven’t had much for clouds lately, at least not at sunset, but this particular evening was pretty well adorned. I have a “secret spot” that’s the best place to take such sunset photos of the capitol, and permission to be there, so we bolted to catch the combination of color and clouds before going home for story time and bunk beds.
The Sunset Song of the Day for this photo is an old favorite of mine, “Buildings and Mountains,” by The Republic Tigers (iTunes link). It’s also a great song for a road trip through the wide open plains with those beautiful North Dakota skies overhead.
A light unto my path
One thing about fall in North Dakota is that it doesn’t last long – get out and enjoy those fall colors while they last! Before long they’ll be gone for the year.
Pilings-on and a double-barreled Sunset Song of the Day
I returned to the truck right around sunset, with only the last bits of pink and purple remaining in the western sky. I got into position and eyeballed the shot, unsure whether I’d actually get an angle I liked. I did, as you can see, but I hadn’t brought my camera down to the rocky shore with me in case I didn’t like what I saw. I dashed back up before the light went away from me, returned for a quick setup and series of shots trying different things with fill flash and long exposures, then it was time to come home for some homemade chili.
Due to the amount of time spent walking, I had plenty of opportunity to select two songs for tonight’s Sunset Song of the Day. The first one is “Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand” by the Primitive Radio Gods (iTunes link) and the second is “Black Chow” by Big Spider’s Back (iTunes link). Both have a good tempo suitable for walking back to your truck at the end of a nice, long hike. They also set the mood for a relaxing purple-and-blue end to the evening, down by the river as it laps against the rocks.
Obama the lame duck
My little guys and I attended with our cameras. They started out taking pictures of flags and the capitol but soon discovered a bug. No, not a glitch – an actual insect, and a large one at that. That pretty much captured the attention of both little boys until one stomped on him.
It was encouraging to see Governor Dalrymple in attendance, listening intently to the scheduled speakers and concerned citizens who participated in open mic sessions. I eyeballed the signs and banners displayed but knew instantly that this little girl’s was my favorite: the lame duck. It was my boys’ favorite too, I believe…after they got to pet the duck!
Sky as canvas
“…stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God…Dost thou know the balancing of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?” –Job 37:14,16
This year I’ve developed a new love for September. I love the days which are warm, but not too warm. I embrace the cool mornings and used yesterday evening to follow up the TEA Party rally and sunset with a roaring bonfire. The crisp, clear nights are perfect for stargazing and, as I’ve noticed over the past several days, the clouds are quite remarkable.
The past six weeks have been a blur due to a hectic work schedule, culminating in a frenetic Week Six that delivered some marathon days but satisfying progress. Now that the major rush has subsided for the time being, I’m grateful for the opportunity to, as Job was instructed, stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. Wondrous indeed.
Three dudes silhouette
