Landscapes
Timeworn Topography
A rugged Badlands landscape features a prominent rock formation layered with sedimentary rock. I took this shot while driving through the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. (My wife was actually doing the driving.)
When processing this image, I spent a good deal of time experimenting with replacing the sky. The sky you see is the sky that was present at the time of this photo. I think it looks pretty lackluster and wondered if I could get a more dramatic look. Everything I tried just didn’t seem to fit so I left it au natural.
You can view a larger, more detailed version of this image by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Misty River Reflection
A calming sun rises over a bend in the Kewaunee River in northeast Wisconsin. warm light pierces the morning mist hugging the banks of the river. The calm water reflects the trees and sky, creating a symmetrical balance between nature’s elements.
This spot was a half mile down the road from our rural Kewaunee home. Most times, in search for a sunrise, I would pass by this spot on my way to the Lake Michigan shore to catch the sunrise along side the lighthouse. I believe the morning mist on the water caught my eye and garnered my attention.
You can view a larger, more detailed view of this scene by clicking on the photo. When you do, the image will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Prepare for Flames
A serene sunrise casts a warm glow over Lake Michigan, highlighting the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse in the distance. On the sandy beach, two pyramids of firewood are prepared to provide warmth on shore.
This is an HDR image that was taken in May of 2020. As I was processing this, I was tempted to swap out the sky because the original looked like it didn’t belong. (But, of course, it does belong.)
You can view a larger version of this image by clicking on it. When you do, it will open in a new browser window.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Where Dreams Flow Freely
A serene waterfall cascades gently down the rocks, surrounded by lush greenery and the moss-covered trees of Silver Falls State Park near Portland, Oregon. I like the moss on the trees and the way the sunlight highlights a hint of mist in the air.
It took four images stitched together to create this full view. This is a vertical panorama. I wish I could remember which of the many waterfalls from this park is pictured here. This is an image I had on the hard drive that I’d just not gotten around to – and there’s more from this trip and location. This was captured in early October of 2022.
You can get a larger, more detailed view of this image by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Treetop Convergence
Looking upwards from an Oregon forest floor, the perspective gives this photo a kaleidoscopic feel. The converging lines of the tree trunks create a dramatic vanishing point at the center of the blue sky. This image was captured along the Eagle Creek Trail in the Portland area.
Many of the trees in this area were ravaged by fire a few years before I was there. Many of the tree trunks in this image still bear the blackened scars. I was in the Portland area for a conference in October of 2022.
I took this photo with a fisheye lens and had to take several shots at different exposure levels so I could combine them for an HDR image. Otherwise, the sky would be too bright and the tree trunks would be too dark. I may have over done the HDR since it has a surreal feel.
This is one of those images that really is better viewed larger. You can see for yourself by clicking on the image.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Lake Awakening
A serene sunrise casts a warm glow over the water, with the sun hovering slightly above the horizon. The Kewaunee, WI lighthouse is silhouetted against the bright sky at the end of the long pier.
This is an image I resurrected from my archives. This scene was captured June 6, 2015. It’s the sky that makes this an appealing image for me. This was taken from the beach.
You can view a larger version of this image by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Ending On a Calm Note
This is a panoramic view of an impressive, January sunset in rural Kewaunee County, Wisconsin home. This photo was taken at the end of January in 2013.
This photo is much larger and wider than you see here. I’ve had to crop it to make it fit the format of this web page. However, if you click on the photo, you will get a view of the full image – at least as much as your screen can handle.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Hiking Cathedral Spires Trail
On our recent trip to Custer State Park, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, we did a lot of hiking. This was one of the trails we enjoyed – Cathedral Spires Trail. The “needles” rock formations were fun to explore.
The Cathedral Spires Trail is located inside an area of Custer State Park known as the Needles. As you might expect, it can be found on Needles Highway. The trail is approximately 1.5 miles one way.
This photo was taken with my fisheye lens. It provides a very wide view but also gives it that curving inward look. My hiking partner and beautiful wife is pictured on the trail ahead of me.
You can get a larger more detailed version of this image by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
A Herd Mentality
Note: Don’t try to comprehend this photo by the view on this page. Click the photo and see it span your entire screen.
The original image is a very large, panoramic photo (more than 18,000 pixels wide). I features the Bison herd at Custer State Park in the Black Hills area of South Dakota. There hundreds of American Buffalo in this image – on the plain and on the hills in the background.
If you could really zoom in, you would also see about eight prairie dogs and four magpies in the photo, as well. But they are really small and you have to zoom in a lot. (I’m not sure you can really see them on this compressed version of the original.)
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
A Beautiful Capture
This is a panoramic view of Lakota Lake. This is a small lake in Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
We stumbled upon this calm, out-of-the-way lake while driving though the park. This was one of my wife’s favorite spots at Custer State Park. She is the one on the shore taking photos of the beauty that she sent to her parents. This is a very wide image – a compilation of five individual photos taken.
According to the US Forest Service, “Lakota Lake is located southeast of Keystone, SD, on US Highway 16A (Iron Mountain Road), within the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve. It is a small, non-motorized lake and a popular destination for fishing and kayaking. A hitchrail is provided for horses, along with access to Iron Creek Trail #15. Several picnic tables offer a scenic view of the lake. Lakota Lake Road was upgraded in fall 2021.”
You can get a little better, larger view by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.