Blue
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.
Directionally Challenged
This aerobatic pilot performed an amazing series of loops during one of the air shows at EAA’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Some images just make me smile. This is one. There is not much to it, but it conveys an interesting idea in a minimalist way.
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.
Chill In the Air
I recently upgraded my computer and while transferring files, I discovered a number of images worthy of revisiting. (Actually, there’s a lot I’ve just not gotten around to processing.)
My typical photo outing is to go take a number of photos, download them to the computer, find my favorite, process it and post it. That leaves a lot of photos taken on the same day untouched. Many of them are worthy of posting, but I rarely get to it. This is one of those images dating back to February 17, 2013. Back then I selected and posted “Frigid Sunrise Fog” as my favorite shot.
You can view a larger, more detailed version of this 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.
Sweet Memorable Bouquet
This sweet, petite bouquet of flowers were found blooming on the banks of Baird Creek in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The whole group is not much bigger than the end of my thumb. These are commonly known as Forget-Me-Nots.
I learned that these flowers had an ancient Greek name (μυοσωτίς) that translates as “mouse’s ear” It is the official flower of Alaska. They are some of my favorite wildflowers to find, even though they are difficult to photograph well because of their diminutive size. Of course, I also think they are pleasantly pretty.
If you’d like to see a larger, more detailed version of this image (I recommend it) just click 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.
Angel in the Works
Here’s a happy photography accident. To me, it looks like an angel in white showed up to take part in the festivities during the fireworks display above the harbor at Kewaunee, Wisconsin. This image was captured during their July 3rd celebration of Independence Day 2023.
This is not any kind of photo magic. This is the way the separate rocket bursts were recorded. Love the colors.
To get a better, larger, more detailed view, click 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.
The Grand Overview
I was able to capture this spectacular view by being in the right place at the right time. This a view of the Cascade mountain range as the sun was setting (out of view, to the right), looking south from the Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood in Oregon. The prominent peak in the middle is Mount Jefferson in Linn County. I was able to do a little hiking and sightseeing while in the Portland area for a conference in early October.
This is a massive file because it is about 9 individual photos all joined together to be able to capture the full panorama. It is hard to get the full benefit of this scene without viewing it on a large scale. You can see a full-screen version of this image (at least as large as your screen will allow) by clicking on the photo. When you do, a larger version 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.
Rock Dove on the Rocks
These common birds can have some uncommonly beautiful blends of blue, purple and gray hues. This is one of the residents we found at Fayette Historic State Park on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. There is a healthy colony of rock doves living among the old buildings of this once bustling iron smelting industrial community.
These birds are commonly referred to as Pigeons but their official name is Rock Doves; also known as Rock Pigeons. According to Wikipedia, “Wild rock doves are pale grey with two black bars on each wing, whereas domestic and feral pigeons vary in color and pattern. Few differences are seen between males and females. The species is generally monogamous, with two squabs (young) per brood. Both parents care for the young for a time.”
You get a better look at this dove, click on the image. When you do, a larger, more detailed version of this photo 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.
Deposit of Gold
I enjoy this calm, inviting view of a Lake Michigan sunrise from the shores of Kewaunee, Wisconsin. If you look closely you’ll see a long pier, extending from the left side, to a lighthouse on the horizon. Kewaunee is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
This image is a blending of three different photos, exposed at three different levels, to create an image with more dynamic range. There has yet to be a camera created that can capture all the light and contrast and color and detail as well as the human eye can capture it and the brain can process it. The HDR (high dynamic range) process is our effort to compensate for the camera’s shortcomings.
To see more of the detail, click on the photo to view a larger, full-screen version of this 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.
Two-Thirds Blue Hue
The sky was filled with clouds of blue for this Lake Michigan sunrise. You can see the Kewaunee, Wisconsin lighthouse and pier on the horizon.
This is a panoramic view – where I combined four separate images into one big (and in this case, long) image. I took this approach to gather in more of the sky, which I thought was the most interesting aspect of this moment.
If you look very closely, you can see a charter fishing boat heading out for the morning behind the pier, just to the left of the lighthouse. Click on the image to get a larger, better view.
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.
Great Awakening
The sky is beginning to wake up behind the Kewaunee lighthouse and pier. It was a calm morning on Lake Michigan.
This is a panoramic image – created by “stitching” together three separate shots. For the three shots combined here, I had my camera in portrait orientation. This method gives me a much wider view of the area I was photographing than a single image would capture.
One problem with this method, is it gives the waves an odd look because the water doesn’t pause its movement for the few seconds I takes to snap all three shots. So, if you look closely, you will notice the horizontal lines of the slight waves don’t line up well. The hope, of course, is that the beauty of the sky will capture your attention and you won’t pay a lot of attention to the water. (Unless you take the time to read my notes.)
You can view a much larger version of this image by clicking on the photo. When you do, a new, full-screen version 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 for digital purchase and licensing options.