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Siouxland Summer brings Fresh Produce, Sioux City

4 Jun

Last year I was negligent in getting to any of the Farmers Market days in Sioux City. Various projects and it seems other needed agendas kept me away. This past week I visited the market. While technically still in the spring season, the offerings will begin to grow as summer gets even closer and vendors from throughout the Siouxland region bring their items to the market, here and other area towns. And delectable treats and organic food awaits for people to enjoy the fruits of others labor.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

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Finding a Photo in Siouxland, Sioux City

31 May

The last couple of days I have found myself doing yard work. Sometimes one just has to get some “chores” done as spring moves into summer. With warmer days ahead, now seemed a good time to do some sidewalk repair with a near perfect day with temps in the low 70’s and a breeze. When I finished I took a moment and laid back on the ground to view the sky above and wasn’t disappointed. And I didn’t have to go far in Siouxland to photograph the sky and clouds on a weather perfect day. I just needed to take the time to look up and then go get my camera.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

Blue sky and white clouds on a weather perfect day in Sioux City, Iowa Tuesday, May 30, 2017. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Blue sky and white clouds on a weather perfect day in Sioux City, Iowa Tuesday, May 30, 2017. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Blue sky and white clouds on a weather perfect day in Sioux City, Iowa Tuesday, May 30, 2017. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

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Spring in Siouxland brings new Arrivals, Bacon Creek Park

10 May

With the arrival of spring and the Siouxland landscape now becoming green and lush after this past winter’s brown tones, there are also other new arrivals. During a recent walk out at Bacon Creek Park I came across a number goose families lounging on the shore with their young brood of goslings. As I approached this gathering which was spread along the walking path, it struck me as reminiscent of a French painting by Georges-Pierre Seurat’s “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte”, only instead of people, geese.

As I slowly approached the grouping of geese slowly began to disperse, all being a little wary of the approaching person. Not wanting to disturb them more than I needed, I walked even slower, but one gallant young goose hissed very loudly and slowly began circling me as I tried to get around him and his family, not wanting to startle the little goslings, which I succeeded in not upsetting.

But it was a touching scene, more like a social event for these families of geese and nice encounter, without any biting on their part, as spring continues to unfold.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

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Checking out sights in Siouxland, Spirit Lake

8 May

With warmer weather and lengthening days of sunlight, it is a little easier to get out and check out sights in Siouxland. On a visit of to the Iowa Lakes Region I stopped into Spirit Lake. It has an older historic building, a former hotel built in the early 1900’s listed on the National Historic Registry. I also found it interesting that most settled communities have the typical county courthouses built in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s. But Spirit Lakes’s is rather modern looking and refreshing in that sense that it utilizes a lot of glass. I didn’t spend a lot of time driving about this community, but on the early April day I was there, I saw a lot of fishermen taking advantage of warmer weather and waiting for the fish to bite. Summer is on the way and those lazy, hazy days of summer are approaching.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

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Enjoying a Spring Day in Siouxland, Sioux Falls, SD

2 May

In early April I took a trip up to Sioux Falls, SD to enjoy lunch at a little eatery I found and to just enjoy a warm day in spring. Currently the weather is much cooler again with rain, and that is too be expected. But the nice day brought like-minded people out as they too came to Falls Park in Sioux Falls to enjoy sunshine, the water and just being in the moment.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

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Seeing what is there in Siouxland, Onawa

30 Apr

On a recent outing with a class to check out Onawa, Iowa, we visiting a museum, surrounding grounds and the downtown area including a Carnegie library now the public library. The purpose behind this class is to put students into various situations and places and then photograph what appeals to them. I answer some technical questions as well as point out some visual items to them to help them broaden their perspective when photographing. On this particular outing I was looking at a variety of subjects that attracted my attention which included color and light play. Then I tried to isolate those scenes or objects in a way to make my vision something any viewer later would also see while looking at my photos.

When shooting photographs, it’s the photographer’s viewpoint and impression they are or should be trying to convey to the viewer, whoever that might be. For the classes it is always a fun exercise and outings. The last class everyone shows their favorite photos from the previous outings. And so they can compare notes and see where they may have seen something similar or be amazed at what another person saw and they did not.

It was a nice way to spend part of a day.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

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Trying new Visual Undertakings in Siouxland, Vermillion, SD

28 Apr

One trip I took in early April to Vermillion, SD found me walking around the campus of the University of South Dakota on a grey, cool day. There really wasn’t much in the way of color appearing and lights and shadows were really nonexistent. Because I didn’t like what I saw in color I decided to photograph in B&W. The writing on a sundial was easier to read in B&W and I thought I would see if I could create a little story about a garden area on the campus by continuing to shoot in B&W. There is a little garden called Shakespeare Garden and dedicated I believe to the bard. A snippet I found online says the gardens contains flowers, shrubs and herbs mentioned in Shakespeare’s works.

Shooting in B&W helps me isolate items in a couple of the photos but overall are not stellar images. But without trying, and maybe failing, one never knows if an attempt succeeds or not. But for the gloomy kind of spring day it was, I had a nice cup of coffee and snack in a student center later that hit the spot. Sometimes trips are hard to capture via image through the camera, but can leave an indelible impression or image in one’s mind.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

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