Heartland Frost

May 23, 2012

Here is an image that now returns from the missing. I shot this last winter and finally worked with it this summer. I found it hiding in my incoming images pile. Who knows what lies in this digital dumping ground. Someday, I promise myself, I will build a file management system that works for me. Until then, do not be surprised if it seems as it the Heartland has been hit with a summer snow storm.

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Heartland Spring

May 22, 2012

The longer I work i this medium, the more surprised I am at what one can do with the right tools and a desire to keep on trying just one more thing. This image, for example, is one that really surprised me. I spent the past couple of days working on this one. Although the first day went well, the second seemed like I was bound to fail. No matter what I did, it just felt that this was not going to work. I was literally down to my last edit before tossing in the towel. Yet much to my surprise, when I made my last move on this image, it literally popped into view. From beast to beauty in less than a few seconds. It was amazing at how quickly this worked out. Needless to say, my take-away lesson for today is to never say never. When in doubt and out of inspiration, give it just one more tweak. Hopefully your effort will end on a happy note as did mine.

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Close To Home

May 18, 2012

There is a classic photo assignment that I often mention to my students when they say that they cannot think of anything to photograph. All you have to do, I tell them, is go no further than 10 yards from your front door in your search for an interesting image. For example,  I shot this right outside of my front door, on a rainy, dreary day. Travel time, less than ten minutes. Image processing time, never ends. So goes the joys of searching for another interesting image.

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It’s Flat!

May 17, 2012

After spending some quality time with my new software packages (Lightroom 4.0 and Photoshop CS6), I was in desperate need of a good laugh. So, what better place to find a yuk than in world of Corner Gas. After watching this very first scene of this fabulous comedy, I reworked this image that I made last summer less than a mile from the Corner Gas station. It took a while, but it was worth it. I love it when it is flat!

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The Stoop

May 06, 2012

Years ago, I heard someone say that including a word or more in an image is a sure-fire way to improve the way the image speaks to the viewer. I really think that this tip is wonderful. I am always looking for ways to include words in my images. Take this one for example. If you take the time to look very closely, you might find some fascinating commentary. For those that know, this building played a key role in the Canadian comedy series, Corner Gas. As you may have read in my earlier posts, I am a big fan of this fabulous series. This building, which I understand is now up for sale, is known as The Stoop. For Dog River fans such as myself, this structure is also known as the home of the Dog River police department. Here’s hoping you can find a word or more in this image that might give you some insight into life in Dog River.

 

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Green River Part Deux

April 22, 2012

Just when I thought it was safe to take a break, I stumbled once again into my archives for “just one more” image. Here it is, one of my all time favorite images from a few years back. This one, as well as the original, were captured in my hometown, Mason City Iowa. The view is looking west on a cloudy day in East Park. I really wish you could see the actual print. It is amazing what one can do with just a bit of effort and a handful of software. Here’s hoping this vastly reduced for the web sized image will somehow find favor with you. As always, many thanks for your support!

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Corner Gas One More Time

April 21, 2012

I could not resist offering one more image of my favorite show, Corner Gas. And if you are interested, here is a link to the very first scene of this wonderful Canadian Comedy. Enjoy.

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Corner Gas

April 20, 2012

If you ever find yourself in need of a good laugh, you can find an unending supply of yuks in a Canadian TV comedy called Corner Gas. If you are interested, here is a link to the very first scene shot for this show. I am a big fan of this show, so much so that we made the journey to southern Canada just to visit the small town that Corner Gas fans know as Dog River. This journey was one of my all-time favorite vacations. It was a special trip that I will remember for many years to come.

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Heartland Winds

April 15, 2012

We had some serious weather in our area last night. The usual power losses were enhanced with some really strong winds and dramatic skies. This image is one that I captured right after one wave of storms moved through southwest Iowa. Hopefully we will not soon see a repeat of last night’s encounter with our heartland winds.

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Coming Home Again

April 12, 2012

This is an image that has challenged me  for a long time. Hopefully, this will be the finest version of this image. I spent a lot of time on this, working with some wonderful Photoshop plug-ins. As always, I enjoyed every minute that I spent on this image.

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