I found these rusty relics resting beneath a tree west of Mandan this weekend. As are many of the subjects of my photos, it was mere happenstance that I saw them out of the corner of my eye, as they’re quite a long ways from the road. Thankfully I just got added a couple of toys to the kit:

First off is a replacement for my previous telephoto lens, a new version with a lot more clarity, faster autofocus, and improved image stabilization. When I first tried this version out at Bob’s Photo, I could shoot the back wall from the pickup counter (handheld, no tripod) at 1/15th of a second and read the tags on the backpacks in the far corner. I’m pumped!

The shorter one is a perfect fit for much of my “work.” It’s a 10-22mm super wide angle lens, which will be great for landscapes, panoramas, and skyscapes. I really look forward to sunsrises, sunsets, and most of all… Northern Lights photography with this lens!

I had a little bit of money saved for a lens last year and decided to invest it in the bankrupt Delta Airlines. Playing around with stock in bankrupt companies is risky, but I managed to play my money up quite a bit as rumors of Delta’s merging with USAir circulated. I managed to sell right before the stock took a nosedive (no pun intended) and turned my money into two really fantastic lenses!

I’ve been really busy being a husband, dad, homeowner, landlord, and video monkey lately, but hopefully soon I will be able to find more killer sights around Bismarck and Mandan to share with y’all.