Fishing Pier at Lake Quanah Parker

|Sony A700 | CZ 16-80 | 16mm | f8 | 1/320 sec | ISO 640 | 3 images tonemapped|

The winter sun rises south of due east creating low angles of light and many opportunities for dramatic lighting.  I was hoping for such an opportunity when I headed out to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge this morning.  I had a strong hunch that the sun rise at ESE 118.1°, would create interesting shadows and texture on the fishing pier at Lake Quanah Parker.  However, I have to admit my surprise at finding so much beach exposed, considering the rains we have had in December.  At normal lake height, there is very little, if any, beach.  As much as I was surprised, I was also excited because of the additional opportunities 20 yards, or so, of beach would present.  I parked just outside the entrance to the Quanah Parker Conservation Center and hiked to the pier.  I arrived well ahead of the sunrise and was able to get set up in plenty of time so I could just wait for the light and the fun to begin.

Everything has a season.

Post Oak Creek

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

[Sony A700 w/Minolta 50mm 1.7 | 50mm | f/3.2 | 1/80s | ISO 400 | pop-up flash -0.7 EV]

This day, I was hiking with one lens, a Minolta 50mm 1.7, prime.  For many years it was the only lens I owned and therefore the only lens I used; it enjoyed a long season.  As I accumulated more lenses, its use became less frequent.  It had been a while since its last use and I chose it this day because it is light, fast, pretty sharp, renders great color, and has a very nice bokeh.  Its only drawback is my legs are its only “zoom”.

When I made this image, I was on the return leg of a hike from the Treasure Lake parking lot to the base of Elk Mountain, just below the Apple and Pear.  I was following Post Oak Creek and had just passed Little Post Oak Falls.  The canyon carved by the creek is very narrow with vertical walls of solid granite on both sides.  It was late in the afternoon and the canyon was in total shade.  For whatever reason, the above seen caught my eye.  Without light the rich colors of the granite were very muted but I liked the composition.  The only light source I had was the pop-up flash on my camera.  I don’t care much for flash but it can produce very pleasing results if it’s controlled.  I dialed it down to what I thought might produce the desired result.  I think it turned out okay.

What struck me about this scene is the contrast between the grasses of summer, lasting only a few short months and the seemingly eternal granite wall.  However, the idea of granite being eternal is betrayed by the granite gravel that lines the creek bank.  Eventually, it will decompose into even smaller particles, becoming the grains of  sand washed farther down the stream.  This picture speaks of the irony of the short season that accompanies shallow roots sank in sand vs. granite, the rock of ages.  Yes, everything has its season; but some are shorter than others.

]]> http://www.okiedokiephotos.com/everything-has-a-season//feed 3 http://www.okiedokiephotos.com/coming-to-his-garden/ http://www.okiedokiephotos.com/coming-to-his-garden/#comments Wed, 08 Dec 2010 05:24:26 +0000 Herbie http://www.okiedokiephotos.com/?p=519

I'm Never Alone!

My loneliest moments have not been when I’m alone; I’ve been very lonely in crowds.  I’ve had some wonderful times with friends and family; times I’ll always cherish.  But my absolute best times are when I meet HIM in HIS garden.  It’s not that he’s not with me at other times; HE’s always with me.  I take that for granted and that’s the difference.

Sunday afternoon, we walked in HIS garden, I felt HIS breeze on my face, HIS rocks under my feet, heard HIS birds sing, and the warmth of HIS glow in my soul.  I stood in awe of HIS artistry as HE painted the canvas of granite walls with HIS ever changing Light.  If he can paint hardened granite with HIS Light and create beauty, surely he can paint the hardest of hearts, too; maybe even mine.

Tomorrow, at 7:30 AM, I go for my third attempt to complete an MRI.  My lifelong battle with claustrophobia has beaten me twice.  How stupid is that?  Tomorrow morning I’ll remember our Sunday afternoon walk, think of the picture above and know HE’s in the tube with me; I’ll know no fear.

Elk Mountain Aglow During The Golden Hour

Sunday afternoon marked the return to my beloved Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge following surgery to replace my right knee.  I’d driven to the Refuge a few times since the surgery but never wandered farther than 50 yards from my truck.  Sunday afternoon was different.  I went through preparations for a hike into the very special Charons Garden Wilderness.  I admit I was packing light but at least I was packing.  It had been perhaps two years since the last time.  I was really homesick for the familiar trails.  Not knowing how my body would respond or how much stamina I possessed my expectations were minimal.  I was packing only the “be prepared” essentials I’d learned as a Boy Scout far too many years ago and never went to the wilderness without ever since.  And, of course I was taking a camera, but leaving extra lenses, filters, cards, and of course my tripod behind.  This was  a “just to see if I could” trip.I had reached the parking lot at Treasure Lake by 2:15 PM.  No other cars were there.  The slight breeze coming out of the north chilled the 47° air under a clear blue sky.  I pulled off my sweatshirt leaving only a long sleeve t-shirt.  Experience had taught me I would be plenty warm with my jacket on once I started hiking over the rugged terrain.  With backpack on, camera slung over my right shoulder, fingerless gloves, and my hiking staff I paused at the trailhead took a deep breath then stepped out onto the trail to an adventure that had been waiting too long.

Parallel Forest

I love the Parallel Forest; I especially love it when I’m by myself!  The equal spacing and parallel plantings present a picture of calm, silence, and peace.  Planted in the the spring of 1912, the cedars are nearing 100 years old.  They’ve stood witness to many things now history and long forgotten.  They’ve stood and flourished through years of plenty and have withstood times of hardship, too.  The ice storm of January 28, 2010, was one that hit hard and left its mark.  Living in Lawton and seeing the destruction left in the wake of that storm kept me away from the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge for months.  It was April before I made my first trip there since the storm and I was heartbroken by the scene.  However, even then I avoided going by the Parallel Forest for fear of what I might see there.  Even though I have made numerous trips back since then, it was only this past Thursday that I was able to pull off Hwy 115, and into the small black-topped parking lot belonging to this grove of native red cedar trees.  I think the reason that brought me here now, was the reality of an approaching surgery and the desire to experience the peace and calm I always found here.  I needed that and I needed to slow down, be still, and know GOD.  This is a good place for that.

It was hard seeing tree tops broken, downward pointing, still attached to their life source though dead themselves.  Others had broken free and littered the floor normally open and clear.  The sun was now rising and I was walking directly into the ever brightening light.  Between me and the sun, three elk were bugling from someplace unseen.  There was a rafter of turkeys about 40 yards away to my left.  They knew I was there, and though cautious, seemed willing to accept my presence as long as I seemed uninterested.  I could admire them but do little else with the only lens I had with me at the time lacking the reach needed.  But what I did notice was a much greater amount of grass growing beneath the cedar canopy above.  The broken tops and limbs were letting the life giving light reach the ground allowing green grasses and purple flowers to grow.  Though I had been here many times and walked these well worn trails it was different this time.  I don’t know if it’s better or worse, or just different, but I know I kept wanting to sit my tripod and walking stick down, sit upon the ground, lean against a cedar trunk, and listen to the quiet.  The air was still, the only sounds being an occasional bugle from an elk, a gobble from a turkey, a chirp from a cricket, and a song from an unknown bird.  This is a description of ultimate boredom for some, but it’s paradise for me; I talk to my LORD and it seems he talks back to me.  I ask HIM to let me see:  the light, the beauty, what HE wants me to see.

I’ve always enjoyed looking into the light.  Things seem to glow and colors are brighter when light shines through them rather than reflected upon them.  It’s a lot different than reflected light.  Almost everything reflects light, but not everything allows the light to pass through.  People are that way, too.  Some people reflect the LIGHT, some don’t, but a few glow as the LIGHT passes through; you can see it in their eyes; you can see it in their aura.  This morning I walked farther and farther into the light looking for a special glow.  I walked far enough I knew it was wrong to continue.  I turned and began my return trip.  Everything was reflected light, and seemed dull to me and disappointment was growing within.  After reaching the point of my beginning, I sat down on the ground, reluctant to leave.  As I sat there, looking back into the forest, the light rose higher in the sky ever changing the patterns of light that danced across the forest floor.  I began to see what I was supposed to see as the light began to crawl toward me.  Finally, I’m lying flat on my stomach stretched out upon the bare dirt, my tripod spread out before me.  I’m seeing familiar things with a new perspective.  I’m seeing old things in brand new ways while breathing the earthiness of the dirt underneath me.  I call the images I made this morning, “A Rabbit’s View”.  I hope you enjoy this one.

Sunrise Reflections

The Sun Rises Early!

I never know what I’m going to get with a sunrise.  I’ve enjoyed countless sunrises over the years:  the majority from getting up early, not coming in late, although there’s been a few of those, too.  For the past decade, or so, the sun risings I’ve witnessed follow on the heels of simple planning.  But in spite of the planning there’s no way I can know what scene will unfold in the eastern sky.  I’m always in the dark on that and leaving home at dark-thirty doesn’t help, either!  Sunsets are different and I can anticipate and see the event unfold;  I’m waiting on it to happen.  Sunrises are so different!

Best Made Plans?

It’s an easy matter to catch the nightly weather forecasts to get an idea of what the weather is predicted to be five to seven days in advance.  But gee whiz, I live in Southwest Oklahoma where moist warm air rising from the Gulf and dry arctic air sweeping down the Plains from Canada can ruin the best meteorologist’s forecast in a matter of hours.   Experience has taught me to check the forecast late the night before and then don’t bet any money on what it’s going to do.  It’s also easy to get the forecast for things like the times for Nautical Twilight, Civil Twilight, and actual time of sunrise, percent of cloud cover, probability of precipitation, direction and velocity of wind, and temperature at any given hour.  There are also plenty of simple software programs that will tell you the precise degree from North that the sun will actually rise on the horizon based on your geographical location.  I use a free one called “Ephemeris.  I plug in the angle of declination for Lawton, or any other location, and then every time I open it I have the time and angles for the rising and setting of the sun and moon on that particular day.  It’s very handy.  Now, with all that in hand a reasonable person would think it’s just a matter of getting out of bed.  “Not so Sherlock!”

Serendipity Happens!

What I’ve come to realize is the only thing I have control of in this situation is the time I get out of bed and the time I leave the house! I’m amazed how far weather predictions made only a few hours ago can miss the mark.  I’m probably expecting too much, but when I’m planning on taking macros of wild flowers and the forecast calls for winds to be 1-2 mph at 7:00 AM, and in reality it’s 5-6 mph, that’s a big deal!   Or I’m trying to catch reflections off lakes and the slight breeze is causing too many ripples.  Sometimes, the 10% cloud cover happens to be on the horizon and totally blocks my sight of the rising sun.   Or, I’m hoping for the predicted cloud cover to create one of those absolutely incredibly beautiful scenes that color the entire eastern sky in hues of pink and blue and it winds up being cloudless, small, orange orb.  What I’ve come to realize is that I’m in the dark in more ways than one when it comes to making photographs in the early morning light of a  sunrise.  I’m surprised every time, without fail.  Only GOD knows how He wants to begin a new day and I’m quickly reminded how little control I have over the situation; a NEW DAY is dawning and I am only a witness.

However, having learned this, over time, doesn’t mean I’ve thrown my planning and preparation out the window.  Oh no, in fact it means I’m must be prepared for something better.  When my intentionally planned goal falls short and the image I’ve created in my mind never materializes, I don’t leave the field and head for the house full of disappointment.  Oh no, no, no!  I say a quick little prayer, “Thank you LORD, now show me what YOU want me to see.  What’s here that I’m missing?  Please, help me to see it!”  An eagerness replaces any disappointment and my eyes are open to all possibilities.  Sometimes it isn’t where I’m at, and I have to leave that spot to search in another.  And there’s always an urgency because the early morning light doesn’t last long and this tends to heighten all my senses.  I’m looking for that next great opportunity!  Sometimes I need to turn around and look behind me.  I can’t tell you the number of times the best light and the best image was when I looked back!

The situation I’ve described happens to me more often, than not.  Because of this, I pack my backpack with every lens and accessory I think I can carry because I don’t know what I may need when I discover the image I’m supposed to capture.  The above image was made on a morning that began with another failed attempt to photograph a sunrise.  The sunrise just didn’t work; it wasn’t there.  The day began several miles from Jed Johnson Lake as I was waiting for an image to materialize that never did.  When my sunrise expectations flopped, I said my prayer, and the real fun began.  I reached Jed Johnson Lake almost 30 minutes after sunrise and the light was changing rapidly.  I quickly swung my backpack into place and secured the straps feeling the weight of the pack settle into place.  With tripod over my shoulder and walking staff in hand, I started down the trail from the parking lot.  This was not the first image I made.  In fact I made several others from different spots and different perspectives.  They were okay, but none seemed to satisfy.  I kept looking for the next best picture.  I knew I hadn’t found it yet.  Finally, I stepped out on this sand bar and knew this was the picture I was looking for this morning.  This was the reason I was there.  With tripod splayed almost flat on the ground, my 16-80 mm set at 20mm, f18, and ISO at 160, I took seven images 1 EV apart beginning in 1/40.  Later, at home, I combined six of the images into one for tonemapping, continued with some post processing to put some finishing touches and wound up with the above image.  I hope you enjoy!

On Solid Rock

It isn’t usual to have rain on the Fourth of July in Southwest Oklahoma but the past two have been soggy.  This year we received an abundance of rain as a result of hurricane Alex in the Gulf of Mexico.  Erin brought a friend, Christin, home with her over the Fourth.  Erin loves fireworks and hiking in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.  This time she wanted to trek to the “Forty Foot Hole” to see how much water was rushing through the area via West Cache Creek.  Normally, there would be very little rain, but since we’ve had so much in the past few days, we were all eager to visit the rapids.

I left before home before Sherry, Erin, and Christin this morning because I wanted to be prepared for taking pictures as they came down the trail.  It began raining heavily on the trip from Lawton to the Refuge and rained throughout my hike to the “Forty Foot Hole”.  I was dressed for it with my Redwing boots, Tilley hat, and poncho.  My camera gear was protected in a Lowepro 300 AW camera bag.  By the time I reached the area the rain had stopped so I unpacked my Sony A700 and 70-200 mm f/2.8, and waited for ladies to arrive.  I know the above picture is a little soft on the focus, but I wanted to use it anyway.  In order to get the rushing water to look this way, it was necessary to shoot at 1/4 sec., f22, and ISO 200.  I’m hand holding the camera and zoomed all the way to 200mm.  Taking this into consideration, I’m pretty satisfied with the result.  Being able to do this, at all, is a tribute to Sony’s anti-shake (image stabilization) being built into the body of their cameras.  It really makes hand holding workable in a pinch at some ridiculously slow shutter speeds.