10/30 – Stay Tuned.




10/29 – The Wind Whispers …

[NOTE: This entry was written on 10/26 but due to technical difficulties could not be posted until 10/29]

For nearly a week I’ve heard it each time I’ve been out photographing. The sound was like words whispered in the wind, that were repeated again and again. They were impossible to understand at first. Then, once or twice I could make out a word or two in the whisper. Finally, two days ago, I heard it clearly and immediately felt myself grow smaller and a sadness swell in my heart. The words whispered in the wind had said “It’s time for you to leave.”

     It was a surprise, really, and for that I’m deeply grateful. Of course, even before I began this residency I’d scheduled my departure date and return flight home. But once I arrived in the park, I lost all awareness of the date or even the day of the week. The truth is, it didn’t matter. I lived each day by an internal clock that woke me at 2 or 3 AM to complete a blog entry or work on a photograph. And, that same clock closed my eyes at 8 or 9 PM when my body was too weary to do more. And, with no TV, radio or newspaper to reveal the date or day, I discovered a great freedom in the immense joy of ‘being present” to each moment.

     The park also seems to have heard the whisper too and is doing what it can to make my departure easier. Shaina, Ellen, Paul and Rick, the seasonal park rangers whom I’ve spent much time with have now left for home. The weather is doing its part too. Predictions are for the season’s first serious snow storm to arrive the day after I depart. And somehow, the animals know too. For the past few days the coyote and hawk that would meet me each morning, and the jackrabbit that visited each night have suddenly gone into hiding. Even the horses I’ve visited each evening who’d always gallop to me as I approached and rub their heads against my face or chest asking for some attention or conversation now (see photos below from last night) either keep their distance or walk with their heads lowered as past me.

     I’m deeply grateful for not having had an awareness of my leaving until just a few days ago. And most importantly, in not having let the emotions of it (sadness, suffering, etc.) close my eyes to seeing and photographing the beauty that was as present here today as it’s been each day of my stay. Whether it’s moving from a home, leaving a job, or dealing with the impending death of a friend or loved one, we’ve all had experience of feeling sadness, loss or suffering long before the actual event occurred. And, when that happens, our awareness of the world becomes small and our attention laser-focused on the event and feelings. My wish for everyone is that we can each find ways to remain more open, aware, and spacious in times like this.




10/29 – A Non-Traditional Look at the Badlands

“There are moments in our lives, there are moments in a day, when we seem to see beyond the usual. Such are the moments of our greatest happiness. Such are the moments of our greatest wisdom. If one could but recall that vision by some sort of sign. It was in this hope that the arts were invented.” — Robert Henri (1865-1929)

There are many forms of photography such as traditional, contemporary, abstract, stylized and historic. Similarly, photos can be produced with different recording medium such as digital or film, and with various methods such as color or black and white. When it comes to photography, most people have a certain preference for one, or more, of these approaches. And with certain subjects, one technique or approach can be more effective or appropriate for an image than another.

     Since my work is to visually convey a sense of place (a sense of the park), and knowing that people have different photographic preferences, I’ve captured images using many of the techniques mentioned above. While most of the photographs shown earlier in this website were done using a traditional style of landscape and nature photography, dozens more were captured using non-traditional techniques. I’ve prepared an interactive slideshow containing 15 of those images. Once you begin the show you can either click on a specific photo to view it in a larger size, or easily navigate from one photo to the next. When you finish viewing the show return here to learn more about how the photos were created.

Click the Image to Start the Slideshow.

The images in the slideshow above were created using various photo accessories or cameras. These are described below.


Antique and Holga Cameras
The five photos on the bottom row were made using non-traditional cameras. The first three were made using a Holga camera. The Holga (click here for an example) is a modern, inexpensive medium (square) format camera which uses film (color or black and white). Although it’s considered by many to be a toy camera, it’s also used by artists because of the unique characteristics it adds to images. These include vignetting (dark edges), bluring, and other types of distortions. The last two images in the bottom row were created using an medium format camera produced in 1930–a camera made roughly the same time as the Badlands was proclaimed a National Monument. Antique medium format cameras like the Hassleblad, Rollfix, Rolleiflex can be found in many antique shops, certain on-line camera retailers and on ebay.


The Lensbaby
The top two rows of images in the slideshow were made using a Lensbaby–a special camera lens and fitting that’s mounted inside a flexible housing and can be used with most Canon or Nikon cameras. Because of its design (a single element lens) images tend to look softer and more dream-like, overall. Also because you can twist or bend the housing which contains the lens you can position the focus on just one area and distort the rest, or add a gentle distortion to the entire image.

     When I want to add a special effect or create an image which conveys a concept or mood instead of the subject itself, I use the Lensbaby system. I find the entire system easy to work with, fun to use, and its design lets me add special effects and personal expression to an image. The Lensbaby is bulit around a flexible housing called the Composer (see image at right). Into this housing you can insert a variety of optic lenses or accessories. The double glass optic lens, for example, offers razor sharp focus in one area of the image, and gentle distortion elsewhere, while the plastic optic lens gives a more dreamlike effect to the entire image. You can also purchase wide angle, super wide angle, and close-up (macro) lenses for additional effects. Click here to visit the Lensbaby website and read more.




10/27 – Photo Tools

[NOTE: Because this blog is read by many photographers, both pro's and novices alike, I've just added a new page to the website titled "Photo Gear." To view it click on Photo Gear in the menu above or simply click here. On that page I discuss some of the new photo accessories I've used here during the past five weeks that have proven extremely useful. Even if you only use a point-and-shoot camera, might find some of this information helpful. New photos and blog entries from the Badlands National Park will return starting Wednesday, Oct. 29th.]

10/26 – Panoramas by the Students of Interior Elementary

Last week I had the great pleasure of speaking to the 6th, 7th and 8th grades at Interior Elementary school about photography, my work at the park, and about panoramas. Then, I presented a short lesson on operating the GigaPan, setting up and using a digital camera, and on planning and creating an interactive panorama.

The class then divided into two teams, and given the assignment to create two different panoramas of Interior, South Dakota each of which would include their school. On their own, each team selected the location, determined the GPS coordinates, setup and leveled the tripod and camera, programmed the GigaPan, and took the photographs used to create their panoramas. These students included Dusty, Sierra, Frances, Sky, Marcus, Waniyetu and Nathan, all are from Ms. Arlene Hicks class. Both teams did a great job and I am extremely pleased to have this honor of presenting to you now, their two interactive panoramas which are shown below.

Click the Image Below for the
Panorama by Team Number 1

Click the Image Below for the
Panorama by Team Number 2