Ideas for places to visit in the Midwest
Early morning in Iowa. Point your camera just about anywhere in the Midwest and you will find an interesting composition. This was taken about ten minutes before sunrise and is a 3 shot HDR photo: 32mm, ISO 400, f6.3 with an average exposure of ¼ sec.
This is a photo mixed with other photos of texture. These are photos are of old walls and interesting basic colors merged together in Photoshop. In this photo, a darker more ominous sky is produced on an aged looking photo.
Here is a Leopard at the St. Louis zoo that is quite harmless. The Zoo has a wonderful carousel with creative wild animals.
A pair of flowering trees at the Missouri Botanical Garden. This is in the popular Japanese Garden area.
https://greatrivers.smugmug.com/Galleries/Missouri-Botanical-Garden/i-8DpxzTX/A
My wife and I took an Easter Weekend walk around the Missouri Botanical Garden. As usual the Japanese Garden was spectacular. Early blooming trees provided the color and in the next few weeks the Tulips and other ground cover be out.
https://greatrivers.smugmug.com/Galleries/Missouri-Botanical-Garden/i-wKGJpWB/A
Tripods improve your photos by providing sharper images, by allowing you to take longer exposures in low light situations and allowing you to take photos in harsh environments. Tripods come in many different price ranges ranging from $30 to $500 or more! This is an area where you should not scrimp. A good solid tripod will be more stable, last longer and be easier to use.
The photo to the right is the Me-Foto I use. Their Road Trip model only weights 3½ lbs. and reached to 61 inches high. These are moderately priced at $150+.
The photo below is a three shot HDR taken in 40mph winds. A light support would not have worked!
By: Ted Engler
Are you thinking about taking better photos? Perhaps you have been using an iPhone camera or other cellphone device and want to produce something more interesting. If you want outstanding photos, there are two things that you need to do: 1. Invest the money in equipment and software and 2. Invest the time needed take the photos and process them.
You will need higher end cameras and software. Using digital cameras eliminates the need for an investment in film. However, you will need to invest in software needed for processing the photos and spend time learning to use that software. Entry level Nikon cameras cost about $450 and go up to $750 for the higher end entry level camera (if you are wondering, the highest pro level DSLR is the Nikon D5 at $6,500. Other types of cameras go far above that). Here is a link for Nikon’s entry level cameras. I also suggest you look at Cannon, Pentax and Olympus.
In the Nikon category, I would suggest the D5500 at $750 ($1,050 with lens). This will give you some great options that the D3XXXs do not have.Continue reading “So, you want to buy a new camera….”
The Bearskin Trail crosses lakes and marshes providing a wonderful way to view scenic Oneida County in northern Wisconsin. This old railroad trestle serves as the starting point out of downtown Minocqua.
A break in the cold weather called to a trip to the country. This horse was interested in my camera and perhaps some sort of treat!
https://greatrivers.smugmug.com/Galleries/Portfolio/i-pSHVdsh/A
The old Boone Bridge that crossed the Missouri River has finally been replaced. For decades this narrow and dangerous bridge served as one of the few connections between St. Louis and St. Charles Counties. This series of photos was pulled from a video of the complete explosion of the bridge. The second photo shows the explosive charges going off but the first photo shows a mysterious fire microseconds before the detonation. This is possibly caused by the extreme concussion caused by coordinated firing of the explosives. The third photo is of the trusses falling into the water.
Great Rivers Imaging 