Category Archives: Railroad

PHOTO DROP-OFF ROAD TRIP II

Today is Suzie’s birthday. So I need to wish her a happy birthday!


Day 128 - May 8, 2021
Happy birthday Suzie!

Suzie is the short one in the picture, in case you didn’t know! I hope you have an amazing birthday!

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Time to share more pictures from the road trip I took with Nader after I dropped off my pictures for the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. This collection starts where the first collection ended, hanging out with Albert the Bull in Audubon.


Audubon, Iowa

Audubon, Iowa

Audubon, Iowa

Audubon, Iowa

Audubon, Iowa

Audubon, Iowa

Audubon, Iowa

Audubon, Iowa

Audubon, Iowa

Audubon, Iowa

Audubon, Iowa

Audubon, Iowa

Audubon, Iowa

Audubon, Iowa

Gray, Iowa
Gray

Gray, Iowa

Gray, Iowa

Gray, Iowa

Gray, Iowa

Gray, Iowa

Gray, Iowa

Gray, Iowa

Gray, Iowa

Gray, Iowa

Manning, Iowa
Manning

Manning, Iowa

Manning, Iowa

Manning, Iowa

Still one more collection of images to share from this road trip.

But Don’t Tell Me You’re Sorry, Boy

Today is Veterans Day. A day that celebrates all those who served in the U.S. Military.


Buchanan County

Happy Veterans Day to all the veterans I know! And to the ones I don’t know too.

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Time to hit up the backlog again. These pictures are from March and they just didn’t fit into any previous post. Some are sunset pictures. Some are from Gretchen’s birthday party. Some are pictures of gas stations.

Have a look:


But Don't Tell Me You're Sorry, Boy

But Don't Tell Me You're Sorry, Boy

But Don't Tell Me You're Sorry, Boy

But Don't Tell Me You're Sorry, Boy

But Don't Tell Me You're Sorry, Boy

But Don't Tell Me You're Sorry, Boy

Gretchen's 2023 Birthday Party

Gretchen's 2023 Birthday Party

Gretchen's 2023 Birthday Party

Gretchen's 2023 Birthday Party

Gretchen's 2023 Birthday Party

Gretchen's 2023 Birthday Party

Gretchen's 2023 Birthday Party

Gretchen's 2023 Birthday Party

Gretchen's 2023 Birthday Party

Gretchen's 2023 Birthday Party

Gretchen's 2023 Birthday Party

Gretchen's 2023 Birthday Party

Gretchen's 2023 Birthday Party

Gretchen's 2023 Birthday Party

Gretchen's 2023 Birthday Party

Gretchen's 2023 Birthday Party

Unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures of Gretchen or Maven. I kinda suck.

There are still plenty more images in the March backlog to share.

Rodan139: Fraser

A couple of weeks ago I took Rodan139 out for a flight around the Des Moines River valley near Fraser. My intent/hope was to maybe get some pictures of the Boone Scenic Valley steam engine back in action, but it turns out it doesn’t go as far into Fraser as it used to. But I still got some pictures of leaves turn and only had a mildly disconcerting run-in with an area pit bull.


Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

Rodan139: Fraser

The next collection of drone photos will also be of the Des Moines River valley.

150-600

Today is the birthday of the Miller Triplets. So I must wish them happy birthday!


Baby Tri-Force 1st Birthday Party
Happy birthday Doris, Jimmy, and Billy!

This picture was taken at their 1st birthday party in 2019 so that makes them… 5! They are 5 years old?!? How did this happen!

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Back in February I purchased a new lens. It was a Sigma 150-600mm DG DN OS Sports Lens. At one point, I was going to write a long post on it with a collection of the first images I took with it. But here it is. Halfway through October and the lens is old news now, so real need to go into too much details about the specifications of the lens. But I still want to share some of the first images I took with it. I went down to the Kate Shelley High Bridge and went to Lake LaVerne and took a few pictures of Logan.

Here are those pictures:


150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

150-600

On the day I went to Lake LaVerne I also hit up the Ames Library. I took pictures there for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme BOOKS. I didn’t use any of those images. Here is a collection of those:


Ames Public Library

Ames Public Library

Ames Public Library

Ames Public Library

Ames Public Library

Ames Public Library

Ames Public Library

I do love that lens. It is kind of a limited purpose lens, but I should find more of those limited purpose opportunities.

Don’t You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Today is Sarah’s birthday so I need to say Happy birthday Sarah!!


Solar Eclipse - 2017
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Weird thing is that the picture above was taken during the great solar eclipse debacle of 2017 and today there is a solar eclipse that you can see in a few parts of these United States. Iowa wasn’t one of them, but I won’t hold a grudge against the sun and moon.

Anyways, I hope Sarah’s birthday is as amazing as she can handle. Filled with good music and without her plans getting rained on!

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Time once again for another whack at the January backlog. This time, the rest of the backlog has been whacked and thrown into the fires of… finished. I don’t know, I’m still workshopping a better name for that.

These pictures never really fit into a previous blog. Some of them are alternates for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.


Naima in the Snow

Naima in the Snow

Naima in the Snow

Naima in the Snow

Naima in the Snow

Naima in the Snow

Naima in the Snow

Naima in the Snow

Naima in the Snow

Naima in the Snow

Naima in the Snow

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Don't You Think I Loved You Too Much to be Used and Discarded?

Now it is time to start working on the February backlog!

About Someone Who Loved You More

This collection of alternate images for last week’s theme for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE will include pictures I took on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. Most of them I took on my lunch break from the computer mine on Wednesday. I went to downtown Ames to talk to Derrick about the upcoming football game on Saturday, but he was actually at the bank. So I did wander around a little bit and do some street photography.

I got stuck working late yet again on Wednesday night, so I didn’t take many pictures in the evening.

Here is the collection of images from Wednesday:


About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

Radiation of Happiness - 2023

On Thursday I woke up to a foggy morning. I had to work at the Computer Mine worldwide headquarters. So I snapped some pictures on the way there. Then I snapped a few pictures at work and then did some shopping after work. Then took a few more when I got home.

Here are the Thursday pictures:


Girl in the Blue Skirt - 2023

Garden of Love - 2022

Garden of Love - 2022

Garden of Love - 2022

Garden of Love - 2022

Garden of Love - 2022

Painted without Instruction -2023

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

About Someone Who Loved You More

A lot of examples in this collection for why I love black & white photography so much. Or one of the reasons. There is just so much play in the exposure control that you get with black & white that you don’t get with color photography. Which isn’t to say that it is less demanding, because if anything, it can be more demanding. However, there is so much latitude in exposure and some of the things that can destroy a color photo like grain (or digital noise) can actually enhance a black & white image.

4 days down, but believe you me… we are just starting to get warmed up.

But God, You Couldn’t Have Cared Less

I told you that BLACK & WHITE was my favorite theme and I wasn’t joking. I took a ton of BLACK & WHITE pictures for last week’s theme and every day (well almost every day) this week I’m going to share another collection of alternates. This first collection consists of the pictures that I took on Monday and Tuesday.

There is a rule in digital photography that you should never take pictures in black & white. You should take them in color and convert the images to black & white with editing software. The reason for this is because you can always take color away from a digital image, but you can’t add color back to it, if it was never there. (I mean, that is close enough to the truth. If you really wanted to you could make an attempt to add color to a black & white image, but it would probably come out looking like an outtake from THE INFENRAL CAULDRON.

Any Georges Méliès fans in the house? No? I’ll move on.

But I decided to ignore the rules and took all my pictures in “High Contrast Monochrome”. Cause you know how I feel about rules.

Rules are for fools.
Rules are for tools.
Rules are for ghouls.
Rules are for pools.

But rules for photography? Well, mostly they are guidelines that can and should be broken. From time to time.

I had big plans to get out there everyday and take plenty of beautiful, dare I say, tasty High Contrast Monochrome images. But right out of the bat, my Monday went south on me. There was a virtual mine collapse at the Computer Mine and I ended up working from 7 AM to nearly 11 PM. I only got a few pictures taken here and there while I was able to take a few breaks.

So most of the Monday images are just testing camera settings, playing with my old friend the fisheye and testing a point and shoot that I would need to use later in the week.

Here are the Monday images:


But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less
I swear that when I saw this image on the small screen I thought there was a reflection of Naima staring back at me from the lid of my grill. I mean it is an uncanny likeness.

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less
This is actually “Rich Monochrome”. Basically a HDR black & white image. A setting, that has its uses, but I don’t love it.

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less
My desk. Been thinking about building my own desk lately.

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less
Test shot with the point & shoot

Tuesday I also wasn’t as active as I originally thought I might be. I actually got out of work on time, but I think Monday sucked my will to live out of me. I had a pretty lazy Tuesday. But I did get out of the house for a little bit to take Naima on a car ride and to take my neighbor’s cans to the can redemption center. I took a bit of street photography while I was out and about.

Here are Tuesday’s images:


But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

But God, You Couldn't Have Cared Less

Still so very, very, very, many black & white pictures to share with you guys!

As the Girls You Had Before

Time to start firing away on the 2023 backlog. This is a collection of pictures I took in January that really didn’t fit into any other posts. Some were pictures of my beard before I shaved. Some are from Madrid. Some are of elk in Jester Park. Some might be disturbing. Some might not be disturbing enough.

I hope you enjoy this collection:


Beardo Endeth

Beardo Endeth
Logan took these first 2 pictures.

Beardo Endeth

Beardo Endeth

Beardo Endeth

Beardo Endeth

Beardo Endeth

Beardo Endeth

Naima's Paw

Railroad East of Boone

Hight Trestle Trail

Hight Trestle Trail

Hight Trestle Trail

Hight Trestle Trail

Hight Trestle Trail

Hight Trestle Trail

Hight Trestle Trail

Hight Trestle Trail

Hight Trestle Trail

Hight Trestle Trail

Hight Trestle Trail

Jester Park Elk

Jester Park Elk

Jester Park Elk

Jester Park Elk

It always feels good to clear up some of the backlog. There is still more backlog from January left to share.

Scott County Aux. – Vol. 1

Time to start sharing the auxiliary images from my trip to Scott County to harvest their town signs. Scott County was the second to last county I went to for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT. It was a county I knew would be challenging cause of the Quad Cities, but it didn’t turn out to be so rough.

Here is the first collection, the first few pictures were taken on the way to Scott County:


Cedar County - Tipton
Tipton

Cedar County - Tipton

Cedar County - Tipton

Cedar County - Tipton

Cedar County - Tipton

Cedar County - Tipton

Scott County - New Liberty
New Liberty

Scott County - New Liberty

Scott County - Dixon
Dixon

Scott County - Dixon

Scott County - Donahue
Donahue

Scott County - Donahue

Scott County - Donahue

Scott County - Donahue

Scott County - Donahue

Scott County

Scott County

Scott County

Scott County

Scott County

Scott County

Scott County

Scott County

Scott County - Princeton
Princeton

Scott County - Princeton

Scott County - Princeton

Scott County - Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead
Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead

Scott County - Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead

Scott County - Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead

Scott County - Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead

Still so many picture left to share from this trip!