Ideas for places to visit in the Midwest
View from St, Charles County overlooking St. Louis County in Missouri. This is a HDR image that is commonly made by taking three photos of the same scene, each at different shutter speeds. The result is a bright, medium, and dark photo, based on the amount of light that got through the lens. A software process then combines all the photos to bring details to the shadows and highlights both. See my HDR Tutorial to see how this process works.
Peacocks at a farm in St. Charles County. Peacocks are not native to the United States but can live well in the area. While they do not make good pets, keeping them on a farm or large estate works well.
At air shows, use at least a 300mm lens and a high shutter speed to capture the action. If you have a good location near the runway, you may not 300mm and a zoom lens will help keep the aircraft in the viewfinder.
This is the B-25J Mitchell “Show Me.” Show Me is part of the Commemorative Air Force Wing stationed in St. Charles Missouri. The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces in every theater of WWII, and remained in service for years after the war concluded.
This photo was captured during St. Charles Airport’s Pumpkin Drop event. On a Saturday just before Halloween, pilots signup to drop pumpkins from their planes. The plane with the closest hit wins.
This is a very informal event with an abundance of opportunity to photograph planes in the air and on the ground.
Side entry to the Roofless Church in New Harmony, IN, an architectural monument designed by renowned architect Philip Johnson. The non-denominational church is open to the public and operated under the auspices of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis.
New Harmony is an interesting place to visit. They have a great restaurant, antique shops and interesting structures like this.
A fall morning on Lake Michigan. This is an area near Cave Point County Park in Door County. The changing weather in the fall can make for dramatic photos. This photo was processed by Aurora HDR which allows for the various tones and colors to come through.
The Thirsty Whale is a lakeside bar & grill on Lake Minocqua in Wisconsin. Arrive by boat, car or on foot for a good burger and beer. This is an old commercial boathouse on the lake and is an interesting place to visit. I remember it from 50’s and 60’s as an old boat livery where boats are repaired and docked. This is a very scenic area be sure to stop by.
The Atheneum was designed by world-renowned architect Richard Meier and serves as the visitor center for New Harmony, Indiana and the surrounding region. Named for Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and the arts, the Atheneum features an orientation film, communal history exhibits and an observation deck. Tours of historic New Harmony are available from the Atheneum daily from March 15 through December 30.
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An architectural monument designed by renowned architect Philip Johnson. The non-denominational church is open to the public and operated under the auspices of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis. It was commissioned by the late Jane Blaffer Owen, founder of the Robert Lee Blaffer Foundation and a New Harmony resident passionate about preserving nature. Johnson and Owen envisioned a church where the only roof large enough to encompass a world of worshippers was the sky. The church was dedicated in 1960. Today, in addition to being a tourist attraction, the Roofless Church is a popular site for weddings and other sacred ceremonies.
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Doc is a B-29 Superfortress and one of 1,644 manufactured in Wichita during World War II. Since 1987 when Tony Mazzolini found Doc on sitting and rotting away in the Mojave Desert, plans have been in the works to restore the historic warbird to flying status to serve as a flying museum.
Over the past 15+ years, hundreds of volunteers have worked on Doc and the restoration project. Skilled workers and retirees from Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, veterans, active duty military and others wanting to honor those who served, have spent tens of thousands of hours on Doc’s restoration. Countless individuals and organizations also made financial and in-kind contributions to keep the project going.
After Doc was put through her paces for the air show audience, she was taken to a spot in the middle of the crowd for a close-up and personal look. Be sure to visit air shows for for opportunities to see these types of planes.
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