Category Archives: Sunset

Sunset, sorta

Posted on by
Reply

sunset_26734-6_hdr

Well, I’ve been wanting to take a sunset photo for MONTHS, it seems.  Either something has come up, there have been no clouds in the sky to make the sunset special, or I’ve simply opted to stay home with my wife and kids.  Tonight was different, as I was on a way to a friend’s house to do some tech support.  Looking south, I could see the light of the impending sunset already affecting a tall cloud formation to the south.  I also liked the convergence of the rolling green hills in the foreground and the darker tree-lined hills in the background, so I stopped to nab a couple of quick shots.  It wasn’t a sunset directly, but it was a fantastic effect and will hold me over until I can get out and capture a picturesque sunset head-on.

Keeping my word

Posted on by
Reply

While we had a busy weekend planned, I had mentioned a couple of times to my youngest little guy that I’d like to take him to Fort Lincoln. He had asked a few days ago when it wasn’t feasible, so I really wanted to make it happen.

I don’t make promises; I prefer to mean what I say. That doesn’t mean that I’m 100% dependable, but I do my best. In this case, I had an object lesson for my boys. I said that I wanted to take ’em to Fort Lincoln, and I was set on doing just that. Events Sunday evening pushed the envelope, but we loaded up their little bikes and took off anyway. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. The Bible says, “let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay” – in other words, say what you mean, mean what you say, and you don’t have to promise or swear to anything. I told them how important it was for me to keep my word to them.

Thankfully, we arrived with a good 20 minutes or so to explore and even had the blockhouses to ourselves. We got in some riding, the weather was nice, there were no mosquitoes, and we actually loaded up just a couple of minutes before the rangers headed up to close the site for the night. Awesome!

My little guys, like any little boy, love their bikes. They especially love riding them with Daddy at sunset in very scenic places. Sometimes they even weasel one of Daddy’s “black cameras” for a few shots of their own. It’s precious time, and we haven’t had a lot of it lately. I’m really hoping that this weekend is the beginning of turning things around and getting them back into the proper balance.

Gotta love those pink sunsets

Posted on by
Reply

The past few gloomy days and some time spent working in soggy conditions took the wind out of my sails, so I came home from work early to sleep off a headache and head off a cold before it could get the better of me. When I woke up my little boys were excited to show me that the skies were looking bright red and pink on the western horizon!

I was in no position to get the shot, but it gave me the idea of going back into the archives to grab one of my favorite pink sunsets along Highway 25. Much like the fallen farms which only exist for a while, this tree has been whittled down a lot since I took this series of photos. Most of the branches are gone, making this a photo I can never really duplicate.

One of the greatest appeals of photography to me is that it’s about capturing a specific fleeting moment in time, one that may never come around again. The merging of proper technique and simply being in the right place at the right time is thrilling and addicting, just like nailing a corner just right while leaning over on my knee at triple-digit speed. The nice thing about the photo is that it lasts longer!

Tuesday night rays

Posted on by
Reply

I took my little fellas out for a short trip tonight, and the last thing we did before bolting home for a late dinner was to catch some rays. Thankfully we had some clouds to oblige. As the sun found a couple of windows in the advancing clouds, I was there for the few fleeting seconds to catch the rays traversing the sky.

The rays came and went quickly, and so did we. In fact, if we had stayed another couple of minutes I could add some red and purple sunset photos to this batch. Satisfied with the rays, however, and ready to make my two famished boys’ respective favorites for dinner and story time, I bolted home for some special time as Daddy.

Oh yes…today’s Sunset Song of the Day is “The Reflection of You” by Bear in Heaven (iTunes link).

These are now a precious commodity

Posted on by
Reply

One thing a cold snap will do: instantly remind me that it wasn’t too long ago when I was taking golden summer/autumn sunset photos! This one is actually quite recent. Weather changes quickly in North Dakota this time of year, and it can be quite shocking not only due to temperatures but also as a reminder that the photographic game has just changed for another season.

Posted on by
Reply

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.

I started with the above shot. Stereotypical. Unremarkable. I really prefer the blockhouses with the railings on top. Okay…time to work the area a little bit…

The clouds were changing quickly and it looked like the horizon was about to be obscured, but I did have time to try something else. Taking a position far away from the blockhouses had proven uninspiring, so I decided to get close and still try to capture some of the wispy clouds while they remained overhead. I figured the blockhouses had little else to offer tonight given the sky conditions, so I did a 180.

Now that’s what I’m talking about. The full size version of this photo is much more pleasing due to its detail in the fall colors, but I don’t want to post a photo that big here. It was the shot I was looking for, however, in order to satisfy my criteria for a successful photo trip: come home with at least one photo I really like…even if it’s the only one from the trip that turned out well.

About that time I noticed the National Guard guys practicing autorotations with a Blackhawk over at the Mandan Airport, so I hung out to watch the frivolity and snap a couple more last minute blockhouse shots. The clouds had changed yet again and were providing a dash of color and light in the sky overhead, and I wanted to milk this trip for all it was worth. Success. Then it was time for home and little relaxation to go with my satisfaction.

Buildings amd mountains…well, okay…buildings

Posted on by
Reply

We had a pretty dramatic, golden-orange sunset several nights ago…and my boys and I were there to capture it. It’s always characteristic of others’ misfortune, when forest or grass fires plague areas north and/or west of us: the smoke makes for some amazing sunsets.

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.

Pilings-on and a double-barreled Sunset Song of the Day

Posted on by
Reply

After work today I took off with my camera to walk much of the Lewis & Clark trail along the Missouri River in Mandan, starting from the northwest trailhead. While I took a lot of photos of the changing leaves and meandering dirt path, some of which I may post later, I really had a goal of taking a photo of the old wooden pilings near the trailhead itself. Someone was about to begin a senior session down there, so I decided to walk a few miles first. I’m glad I did.

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.

Fort Lincoln frisbee frolicking

Posted on by
Reply

My little guys have really been looking forward to a trip to the blockhouses at Fort Lincoln lately, so last night I made that happen. One boy had his bike, one boy had his frisbees, and Daddy had his camera. The winds aloft were pushing all the nice clouds away to the southeast, but I was able to catch a few before they moved off. Then it was on to the fun.

I fancy myself quite the proficient frisbee thrower and catcher. I don’t do the frolf thing very often; my favorite frisbee pastime is to do lots of running, jumping, throwing, and catching on the capitol lawn. My latest favorite is throwing multiple frisbees simultaneously and seeing how many little guys can catch ’em! We took that show on the road last night as I threw frisbees up to the roof of the blockhouse and darted around as my fellas threw them back down. All the while trying not to spill camera gear.

The evening came and went quickly, as the fleeting sun darted over the horizon with September velocity. At that point it was time to grab a couple shots of clouds reflecting a pinkish hue and bolt back to the truck for the long ride home. Not a bad little adventure for a weeknight, and since that pesky sun sets so early this time of year I think we all made it to bed on schedule!

Benched at Fish Creek with Big Spider’s Back

Posted on by
Reply

My friend Jerry told me about this cool lookout point high above Fish Creek Dam, located about fifteen miles or so west of Mandan. I had a stressful day today so, after a quick power-nap, I bolted out to catch the sunset. I arrived just in time to hike up to the summit with my cameras. I found the one spot on the appropriately placed bench that wasn’t covered in bird poop and set about trying to catch the sunset in the few short minutes before it disappeared.

Here’s what I saw. It was a perfect evening with no wind, nice warm summer air, and of course the tranquility of the brilliant sunset. Here’s what I heard: the song “Secret Chiefs” by Big Spider’s Back (click to listen on iTunes.com), one of my favorite sunset tunes. It fit the mood perfectly tonight, which is why I have deemed it tonight’s Sunset Song of the Week™.