Jake Peterson’s Blog

Boy i couldn’t wait for my Thanksgiving break. I don’t know about the rest of you but i was ready for it. I was very fortunate this year to be able to go down to Florida and meet up with my parents and some family friends and have a nice relaxing time. Despite the shortness of the break a lot got done. Dad and I were both getting tired of doing landscapes, so playing with the shorebirds at Ft. Myers was just what we needed. A rather large group of American Oystercatchers and Laughing Gulls caught our attention first. Neither were species i had in my files prior which goes the same for many of the species photographed at the beach. The Oystercatchers were funny in my opinion, they would hop forward and backward when a wave would come up. It reminded me of a flamingo race. Still can’t get over that orange in the bill.

This guy just showed exactly how i was feeling, tired and asleep. Early morning departures on vaca are just hard. Now i haven’t photographed shorebirds in some time with the exception of the Glacous Gulls up in Alaska and the California Gulls at Mono Lake, so getting back in the swing of things was a little challenging. Getting into position, not moving too much, watchin the subject all things i was sorry to say rusty on. Hey it happens, without regular practice and landscapes don’t require such skills. Thanksfully they birds were patient with us as you will see later on.

Images captured with D3, 600f4, TC-14e, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

I know i haven’t posted anything from Nevada City for a while so i thought i would bring it up again. The great thing about that ghost town are the signs that mark the windows and doorways of some of the buildings. I have always liked this giant star hanging above one of the doors.

The simple frost in the window got my attention here. It had just snowed the day before and this was the result. Made me think of the movie A Christmas Story and the infamous tripple dog dare to stick the tongue to the flag pole, poor Flick. Ah yes good times, goooood times. If only i could get someone here to do that.

Images captured with D2Hs, 70-180macro, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

It’s finally cold enough and white enough to consider it winter time. With the nice storm we got a little while ago and the dump 2 nights ago, the town and the hills are covered. The roads are slick unfortunately making for more accidents. It also means that the usual places for critters are shifting yet again. I had no luck this past weekend and thus was forced to do more of favorites, landscapes.

At least the snow brings in another dimension with the landscapes. Makes black and whites a bit more interesting too.

Images captured with D2HS, 70-300AF-S vr, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

Well this last post about the junkyard contains more of my favorite junkyard objects, the headlights and taillights. These two metal devices make awesome elements. The great thing is every car there has a different style to them so there are lots to choose from. For me it’s choosing the ones that have the something interesting about them. Like the top one has pieces of metal covering the light that the others don’t.

This one is way cool because it still looks like it is producing light on the fender beneath it. Plus the reflection in the metal ring cover is just great.

Lastly, another Ford truck. This one spoke out to me due its simple repetition of shapes. One light in front of another light surrounded by squares and straight lines. Linear mixed with curvature. It is these simple yet important elements that make a good photograph. Everytime i go to that side of the road, big junkyard, i find more of these elements speaking out to me and I encourage all of you reading to do the same. Simple places for big improvements overall keeping our minds sharp.

Images captured with D3, 70-300AF-Svr, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

Black and whites aren’t the only images found at the junkyard. The grills of classic cars can tell such a story. Like this one above. The character of the fender being completely rusted away but the light is still hanging in there is just way cool. The age of the truck is shown but life still exists.

In this one life isn’t just hanging on but is still kicking. To me it seems like the car is being hidden behind the snow waiting for a chance to emerge. It has not even had a chance yet to become a classic.

Finally the cool one. This one screams something from the 70′s. The colors, o the colors! Sorry it’s just the first thing that came to mind when i saw this yellow and green truck. The great thing about these old vehicles isn’t just the way they look, but the options avaible when finishing them. There are endless possiblities, but since i learned to keep things simple from, well you can probably guess who, i merely used Nx to drop a couple of points and done. More fun for later.

Images captured with D3, 70-300AF-Svr, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

Last week we had a lovely snow storm come through and a dump almost 2 feet of snow on the ground. Apparently it wasn’t enough to get the mountain ski runs opens but was close. It was good wet powder that made for excellent snow balls and igloos. Yea some of the other enthusiasts decided to make an igloo here on campus, it was later taken over by some of the resident smokers. The new snow cover made some new opportunities to come up in the form of photographs. I have yet to find a good way to photograph the trees here in campus. Amazingly enough the orange light coming from the lamp posts onto the snow covered trees is kinda cool, but unobtainable so far in a shot. To plan B I went!

What better plan B then the junkyard. This has become a haunt for me, i always seem to go to this same junkyard in search of new images. The snow cover adds elements to the cars that aren’t there beforehand. For instance on this Chevy pickup, the snow breaks up the lines of the grill and the faded paint by this Chevy emblem. It creates more opportunities. I like the snow and junkyard so much that i was even here last year. It’s a simple nearby place that i can go back to over and over and will always produce something new. Except for the cars which are in fact old. It can be hard to find these places but the adventure is worth it. Stay tuned as i continue with this rusty acre.

Images captured with D3, 70-300 AF-S vr, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

As i have done with past posts, i show some of the images i took at one location in the opposite approach of color and go with black and whites. I’m still looking for those elements that make a good black and white not entirely sure if i recognize them yet.

The road was a challenge mostly because i wanted to incorporate it and couldn’t as much because of the landscape. Only one shot i have that i actually like with the road in it, this one is alright but still not right. I guess I’ll have to keep putzing with it.

Images captured with D3, 17-55, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

As i said in my last post the sky was the only thing that was cooperating that evening. Which to be hoenst isn’t a bad thing cuz i don’t have any images of the north entrance from a scenic stand point, until now. The windy road and river cut through the canyon creating a wonderful foreground. I always fix on the critters in that section, which is probably why i hadn’t taken advantage of the scenery before. That i can’t remember a better light show before that evening. Maybe this weekend will be better for critters.

Images captured with D3, 17-55, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

Well i’m back down in a familiar place. Saturday, my usual day for exploring, i was in Yellowstone. I haven’t spent nearly the same amount of time there this year compared to last fall which is partly why i went. The habits of the critters in the north entrance interest me. With the Blacktail Plataeu Wolf pack and #6 elk dying last year, everything now has changed. Montana being Montana the weather isn’t helping either. It is not cold enough to force the sheep down for very long, so good timing is essential. Mine is still off. The elk are very quite, not nearly as many or as active. They almost seem lethargic. The last real odity i noticed was the large herd of Pronghorn inside the arches. Of course all these species and none cooperating, so i turned to the one element that has been cooperative lately; the sky.

Image captured with D3, 17-55, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

When i haven’t photographed wildlife in a good period of time, i tend to think about some of things i have photographed. I was yet again combing through my files and remembered i had shoot the Bob White’s when i was down in Texas this past summer. It had occurred to me that with all the ground birds here in Montana, and all the lovely stories i hear from the people next to me about hunting ground birds and “blowing their little feathers off;” i really don’t have any images worth while of any species of ground bird from this state. Not sure how that helps with blogging or shooting habits considering that most of those birds are going to be harder to find now that it’s the end of fall but random nonetheless.

Image captured with D3, 600f4, TC-14e, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film