-25 Fahrenheit
Back in early December 2010 there was a blog entry that discussed the love-hate-love relationship with the Minnesota Winter (The paradox of the Minnesota winter...).
This morning the temperature dipped to -25 degrees Fahrenheit. That falls squarely in the "hate" category, although it does have a certain scientific curiosity.
Weather this cold has some very unique properties. You can take a cup of coffee and launch the coffee in the air and it will freeze before it hits the ground. Also, because the air is so dense, all kinds of ground effects occur with exhausts fumes. Animals continue about their business and almost seem unaware of how cold it is. However, the dog didn't care for it. It was impossible to keep the car warm.
This photo was taken at 6:30 in the morning. It was the only bank that had a working clock/thermometer, as the cold weather made the other electronic signs fail.
But outside of the science, weather this cold kind of sucks.
The paradox of the Minnesota winter
The Love-Hate Relationship with Minnesota Winters
Winter in Minnesota is an emotional roller coaster of love-hate-love.
It begins beautifully, with the whitest, lightest, and gentlest snow transforming the landscape into a fresh and different world. This is the first "love."
This initial love affair with winter typically lasts through December—or until the first day the high temperature doesn't climb above zero, or the first time you have to jump-start your car or change a flat tire.
Enter the first "hate."
For the next six to eight weeks, you need to endure this because there's no escaping it. You can try heading south for a couple of weeks, but you're only running away from reality. And reality will be waiting when you return.
And return you will.
Then, quite suddenly, things begin to feel positive again. Usually, it's a bright sunny day in March or the first time you hear a robin sing—enough to give you a burst of positive momentum. This is the second "love."
Minnesota winters have a sinusoidal rhythm, and there's a certain comfort in that regularity.
Panorama-rama
The Beauty of Panorama Photography
This time of year creates beautiful opportunities for panorama photography. The light is becoming longer, and the trees are just beginning to turn color. The Mississippi River, in particular, is a good panorama subject in this area because there are plenty of river bluffs to capture the wide expanse of the river.
The photo above was captured at Buena Vista Park above Alma, Wisconsin. It is a spectacular overlook. The weather was borderline inclement, which creates wonderful atmospheres for the camera lens.
This is a 4:1 print. Large format printing is ideal for a very narrow print like this. To really appreciate a print like this, it requires some height to the image, which means it will grow very wide, very fast. A 12" high print becomes a 48" wide print. Add some mat (typically 3" all around) and some moulding, and the overall image is nearly 5 feet wide. This is a 'high drama' image that demands attention as soon as you walk into the room.
Who photographs the photographer?
A Paradox
In a village, there is a very special barber. He has a sign in his window that says, “I cut the hair of everyone in the village who does not cut his own hair.” The question becomes: who cuts the barber's hair?
For the past several mornings, I have been getting up at 5 am to try and take a specific photo at sunrise, which is around 5:45 am (are you impressed yet?). This time of year, the sun rises directly to the east of The Eisenhower Bridge over the Mississippi River. At sunrise, the barge traffic begins moving for the day, heading northbound for the Twin Cities.
For those keeping score, The Eisenhower Bridge was dedicated in 1960 and is 1,631 feet long (1/3 mile). It is 35 feet wide (two lanes) and is 65 feet over the river.
The shot I wanted didn't happen today because of low clouds on the horizon. The early barge traffic was already on the move when the sun started to peek out, so things did not coordinate this time.
The shot above is the only shot of merit that I took. Pretty, but not what I needed or wanted.
I went home and then got to work the same morning when my friend Tim emailed me the following photos and asked me if I knew who was on the bridge (look closely). The first photo was taken within a minute after mine, judging by how his sun seems ever so slightly higher (factoring in the difference in height) and the wake from the fishing boat. The second photo was a minute later (I keep a corner of my eye on those oncoming tractor-trailer mirrors).
Above two photos courtesy of Tim Alms,
Back to the barber; we don't know who cuts his hair. It is a self-contradiction.
Does the barber cut his own hair? No, because the barber cuts only the hair of those who don't cut their own hair.
Does the barber not cut his own hair? No, because then the barber would have to cut his own hair, as he cuts the hair of those who don't cut their own hair.
Using an even more complex explanation, the barber is trying to be a part of his own set, those who do not cut their own hair. But the set cannot include the barber because he is the set. This is the contradiction.
Red Wing from Barn Bluff
Barn Bluff: A Sentinel Over Downtown Red Wing
Barn Bluff vigilantly watches over Downtown Red Wing from the east, casting its shadow every morning and bidding farewell to the sun every evening. The bluff is a long and narrow rock formation, stretching east to west for about a mile. It's an easy hike along the south side to the lookout over Downtown Red Wing. The top of the bluff rises about 400 feet above the Mississippi River, which lies immediately to the right in the photo.
An unusual thaw this February provided the opportunity to capture this photo. Once the tree buds start popping out, many details become hidden. If you look closely, our shop is the small triangle of lights in the upper left corner.
As with most mid-winter thaws, it toyed with our emotions, giving us a taste of nicer weather only to follow up with a cold front and a fresh dump of snow.
Back to mukluks and stocking caps.
Full moon over Barn Bluff
The Largest and Brightest Full Moon of 2009: The Wolf Moon
Last night (Saturday, January 10, 2009), we witnessed the largest and brightest full moon of the year. This month's full moon is known as the Wolf Moon in Native American folklore. January's full moon is also called the Old Moon and the Snow Moon.
A full moon rises right around sunset, no matter where you are. This occurs because the moon and the sun are on opposite sides of the Earth during a full moon, allowing sunlight to hit the full face of the moon and reflect back to our eyes.
At moonrise, the moon appears even larger than it does later in the night when it's higher in the sky. Scientists can't fully explain this illusion, but some believe it has to do with our perception of things on the horizon versus overhead.
This photo was taken at 5:06 pm with the following settings: f/3.2, 1/320 sec, ISO 1250, -1.67 EV, 70 mm focal length, handheld. I used levels to bring some details back into the image without destroying the polarized sky and applied a very modest amount of unsharp mask.
The vernal equinox (+1 month)
Chasing Light: Capturing the Essence of the Vernal Equinox
This is my favorite time of year. The vernal equinox season (+/- 1 month) provides some of the most exciting light for a photographer. The early evenings, the long light, and the brilliant colors are amazing. The challenge for a photographer is to capture this essence, and almost all efforts fall flat. There is no substitute for the real deal.
The photos above were taken from the 'baldy' of Maiden Rock. This is the exposed rock at the bluff top that is very obvious when looking up from the ground. The leaf colors were at full peak, and my intention was to collect some seasonal stock photos. I went just before sunset (6:24pm on 10-16-2008) and started shooting. I wasn't really capturing anything inspired (above left) and soon lost all my light (note to self: bring a flashlight next time).
Then it dawned on me to try some long-exposure shots. The shot on the right was taken at 6:54pm, and in about 5 minutes it was too dark to focus. It took about 20 shots before I captured the effect I wanted. This shot was captured at 100 ISO, a 30-second exposure at f/7.1, and a -1 EV exposure. The light blur in the lake is The Port of Lake City paddlewheel boat on its way home.
I think I actually missed one of the best photo opportunities. As soon as I completely lost my light, I headed back to my truck about 1.5 miles away. It was pitch black, and I was using the silhouette of a tree as a homing beacon. When I finally got back to my truck, I noticed a full moon had risen, presenting an entirely different light, mood, and shadow. I didn't feel like falling off a cliff, so I summed it up to a learned lesson.