Week 2 of 52 – Theme: “Black and White” Frozen in Time

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#LPTG13WK2.Black and White, Bird in Flight, Cottonwood, County, D7000, D7000 Blog, D7000 HDR, Digital Camera, Digital Photography, Duck, Farm, farm equipment, fence, HDR, HDR Handheld, monochrome, Nature HDR, New D7000 user, new DSLR, Nikon, Nikon Blog, Nikon D7000, Nikon D7000 Controls, Nikon D7000 From Snapshots to great shots, Nikon HDR, Old, Path, Photography, Photomatix, Photoshop, Photowalking, Rusty, Salt Lake City, SLC, Snow, Snow covered, snow covered Bench, Snow covered Fence, Still Life, Sun Set, Sunset, sunset through trees, tractor, Using a Nikon D7000, Utah, utah HDR, Valley, Wagon, Wheel, Wheeler Farm, Winter

Winter in Utah can look really magical especially after a large snow storm, and this year we’ve had a good amount of snow, so I was determined to use it in this weeks shot. I set out with my wife on a beautiful and very chilly Sunday afternoon to head up to the mouth of Little Cottonwood canyon to a trail head that promised some spectacular views of snow covered trees, a river with snow frosted banks and rocks with granite cliffs in the background. Can you imagine what that would look like? Me too, unfortunately the trail was gated and locked for the season (I have no idea why.) So onto the back up plan a park on the east bench, but that didn’t pan out as well (to much deep snow hiking for our time limit – the sun was setting fast)

So we headed to the back up to the back up (you’ll see next week that this is going to be a trend this year) Good ‘ol Wheeler Farm is almost always open and what’s more fun than trudging through shin high snow in 10 degree weather and losing all feeling in your extremities? Well it’s worth it at least…

Frozen in Time! 3 shot HDR Handheld

3 shot HDR Handheld

3 shot HDR Handheld

3 shot HDR Handheld

After one lap around we were well and truly frozen so we headed home, not exactly the shots I had envisioned for this weeks theme, although I was happy with what I was able to shoot.

Thanks for taking the time to look, I hope you’ll come back for more!

Happy Shooting!

Howard

 

 

 

Week 42 of 52 Theme: “Antique” Deere Dash

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Antique, Belt, Black and White, camera, camera controls, Camera Mode, chain, D7000, D7000 Blog, D7000 HDR, dashboard, Digital Camera, Digital Photography, DSLR Modes, Farm, farm equipment, Farm tractor, focusing, gauge, green, Handheld HDR, Hay Baler, HDR, John Deere, Learning D7000 controls.Camera Controls, LensProToGo.com 52 week challenge, LPTG52, Macro, New D7000 user, new DSLR, Nikon, Nikon Blog, Nikon D7000, Nikon D7000 Controls, Nikon D7000 From Snapshots to great shots, Nikon HDR, parts, Photography, Photomatix, Photoshop, Photowalking, Plough, Plow, rust, Salt Lake City, Shooting Mode, Spoke, springs, Still Life, Theme: Antique, tractor, urbex HDR, Using a Nikon D7000, Utah, utah HDR, Week 42 of 52, Wheeler Farm

Week 42′s theme was “Antique” and I found the perfect subjects at Wheeler Farm as I was scouting possible shooting locations for an upcoming maternity shoot. (I ended up shooting them at a local park instead) However all the old farm equipment gave me plenty to play around with as I walked around with my daughter and her friend who were still out of school on their fall recess. As they looked at the animals I chased down some rust…

Synonymous with American Farming this Old John Deere tractor has definitely seen its share of days on the farm. 3 shot HDR Handheld

I love this tractor and so did the girls, they played on it for a good 15 minutes while I shot all around them including the image above (my daughters knee is just out of frame right) I’m not sure what model this is but after checking the John Deere wikipedia page and comparing it to my photos I would guestimate it’s from the 30′s or 40′s.

Right next to the tractor is a huge rusted out Hay Baler, I still haven’t found an angle I like to capture the entire machine, but I loved the gears of this closer view. 3 shot HDR Handheld

A more straight on view. 3 shot HDR Handheld

 

Worn to the rim!

An old field plough rusts into the soil it once split open. 3 shot HDR handheld

I loved the texture of these old lifters.

Big No. 4! The wheel of a single blade pull along plough. 3 shot HDR Handheld

Looks like it’s missing its cookie! 3 shot HDR Handheld

3 shot HDR Handheld

Such wonderful textures, colors, and shapes to play with on our short walk around.

Thanks as always for stopping by, I hope you have a great week.

Happy Shooting!

Howard

Week 19 of 52 – Theme: “Shoes” Shoes of a different breed

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Benro, Benro A298M8 Tripod, camera, Camera Mode, City farming, D7000, D7000 Blog, D7000 HDR, Digital Camera, Digital Photography, DSLR Modes, Duck, Family Party, focusing, geese, Handheld HDR, HDR, Horse, Horses, Horseshoe, LensProToGo.com 52 week challenge, Lucky Horseshoe, Macro, Mothers Day, Nature HDR, New D7000 user, new DSLR, Nikon, Nikon Blog, Nikon D7000, Nikon D7000 Benro Tripod, Nikon D7000 Controls, Nikon D7000 From Snapshots to great shots, Nikon HDR, Photography, Photomatix, Photoshop, Photowalking, Rural HDR, Salt Lake City, Still Life, urbex HDR, Using a Nikon D7000, Utah, utah HDR, Wheeler Farm, Wheeler Farm animals, Wheeler Farm Utah

Week 19 ‘s theme of “Shoes” finds me back at Wheeler Farm where I shot last weeks theme “Shadows”  I promise that I’m not planning on becoming a farmer anytime soon it’s just that this week we had our monthly family get together to celebrate Mothers Day and all the family birthdays for the month of May (Lucky me I get May all to myself) It was a beautiful spring day and getting out of the house seemed a fitting way to celebrate, plus kids love farms and farm animals. After all the party type activities were finished we took a stroll around the farm. I was on a quest to find some horse shoes for the challenge as I felt it would be a fun spin on the theme, surprisingly it was harder than I had expected to find horse shoes, even the horses were shoeless.. Go figure.

Eventually we ran across this old weathered outlying cabin/shed and its door was decorated with a number of horseshoes. I set about trying to capture it differently than flat on.

“Shoes of a different breed” These were so old and battered I can’t imagine them ever having been on a horse. – 3exp HDR with the 10-20mm.

“Infinite Luck” 3 exp HDR (sometimes straight on works)

My more conventional take on the theme:

The “safe” shot.

“Shoeless!” – My not so safe shot. 3 exp HDR – handheld

Now a collection of random images I made as we wandered around the Farm:

“Piggy back ride” Is there a more fitting place for one of these?

Of course they are…

We weren’t the only ones having a family get together.

I counted at least 12 “pro” photography sessions going on while we were there. (PS: She probably shouldn’t be wearing white…)

3 exp HDR – Handheld

This one’s for Toad of Toad Hollow Photography who has the greatest knack for photographing old rusty farm/industrial equipment! 3 exp HDR

The horseshoes were on the door of the cabin to the right. 3 exp HDR Handheld

This poor guy was shedding so badly he was begging for anything to scratch him, even silly guys with cameras. 3 exp HDR Handheld

The original farmhouse of Wheeler Farm, I would love to shoot the interior of this someday. 3 exp HDR handheld

The front yard, where the Duck and Geese roam… 3 exp HDR Handheld

One of many irrigation ditches that run around the entire farm. 3 exp HDR Handheld

A photography magnet! I can’t imagine how many portraits have been made here. 3 exp HDR handhled

This old timer was mumbling in his sleep. 3 exp HDR Handheld

Awake! For an old timer he’s still got perky ears… 3 exp HDR Handheld (isn’t golden hour backlighting just gorgeous?!)

Well that’s it for this weeks adventure. Thanks for taking yet another spin around Wheeler Farm with me. I have plenty more to explore there some other day (so much rusty goodness to really dive into when I have more time to do so) I’m sure I’ll share more pictures from the farm someday, but for now I’m planning on the next theme “Jump” and a partial solar eclipse.

Happy Shooting!

Howard

Week 18 of 52 – Theme: “Shadows”

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camera, cow in pasture, cows, D7000, D7000 Blog, D7000 HDR, Digital Camera, Digital Photography, Equine, farming, focusing, geese, Handheld HDR, HDR, Horses, lambs, LensProToGo.com 52 week challenge, Nature HDR, New D7000 user, new DSLR, Nikon, Nikon Blog, Nikon D7000, Nikon D7000 Controls, Nikon D7000 From Snapshots to great shots, Nikon HDR, pasture, Photography, Photomatix, Photoshop, rustic, Salt Lake City, Shadow, Shadows, sheep, sign, sign shadow, signs, Still Life, urbex HDR, Using a Nikon D7000, Utah, utah HDR, Wheeler Farm

“Light illuminates, Shadows define” renowned photographer Rick Sammon often uses this quote when talking about photography and I definitely agree. So when this weeks theme of “Shadows” came up I was really excited especially as the Photowalking Utah group was having a photowalk in the newly opened mega shopping complex in downtown Salt Lake City the City Creek Center. The walk would start at 7am giving us great opportunities for some dramatic sunrise light and of course lots of shadows!

Didn’t happen.. it was a conspiracy I tell you… OK, it was really my son and his friends needing a ride to the late (11pm) showing of Avengers and that meant staying up late, so waking up early was a no go. Enter Plan B, only I didn’t have a Plan B, but we did need to scout out a place for the family party we were hosting next week and that meant a trip to Wheeler Farm and lots of shadows (I hoped!)

My wife and daughter came along and here’s a bit of what we saw.

This sign on the side of a barn caught my eye immediately! – 3 exp HDR handheld
“Light illuminates, Shadows define” -Rick Sammon

My daughter on her tippy toes to see some horses, when I looked behind me after taking this shot I saw the sign on the side of the barn, so here’s a free photo tip – “look behind you” It’s an oldie but a goodie!

One of the many pastures around Wheeler Farm. – 3 exp HDR Handheld

Wheeler Farm’s most abundant wildlife… 3 exp HDR handheld

She loves horses! 3 exp HDR handheld

“Can I please have a horse?”

Every year I go to the farm we see the lambs crawling in the trough to the complete and utter annoyance of the adults trying to eat. 3 exp HDR handheld

I guess we can be annoying as well…

Watching the cows.

Thanks for taking this shadow scouting mission with us, we’ll be headed back to Wheeler Farm for week 19′s theme: “Shoes.”

Think I can find a few of those on a farm?

Happy Shooting!

Howard