Waterfowl have been migrating through the Siouxland region for a few weeks now, somewhat slowly. In recent days however the pace seems to have picked up. And depending on the weather the various types of waterfowl and others have stayed put or moved on. Recently I spotted American robins close to home which is always a good sign that while not Constant Spring temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s, maybe those will be showing up as well. Recent temps have generally started out in the teens and 20’s with highs maybe hitting the 40’s, sometimes 50’s, but then snow showers or a cold north wind returns and the temps plummet once more.
Recently I made a couple of trips to the a local park, refuge area for waterfowl, Snyder’s Bend Park. The one day I arrived and stepped out of the vehicle thousands of Canada geese lifted off the water (before I had a camera ready) and it looked like starling murmurations as they swarmed about the sky before taking off. And of course, these and other geese didn’t give me the courtesy of repeating that act.
I also saw some American bald eagles about and sadly, the remnants of what looked like a snow goose laying on the ice and apparently someone’s meal.
The one day I was trying to photograph the large gathering of Canada geese and other waterfowl I overlooked an eagle enjoying a meal just behind them as they played about the water, coming and going and not paying any mind to this particular predator. I didn’t notice the eagle myself until reviewing images later.
And after spending some time just watching and photographing, I was leaving and happened upon a group of geese at the basketball court near in-season camping sites at the park. And it struck me that maybe this group was going to shoot some hoops or do a little three on three, until I saw no one brought a ball to play with.
Recently I attended the final awards ceremony for a Siouxland film festival, the Prairie Grass Film Challenge. A 48-hour turn around production of “content worth consuming” hosted at Dordt University located in Sioux Center. Currently a people’s choice is going on for the one video that folk deem the most liked, by those voting. Entrance films ran the gamut from high school students to those beyond college. And having done some judging of the films over the last few years there was a lot of excellent work being done by a number of individuals and teams.
The films ranged from comedy, drama, musical, mockumentary to sci-fi and mystery. Each team had to include a line of dialogue and a character and prop. Many were quite creative in how these required items were displayed in the film, while others simply included them, I assume as necessary evils possibly not in keeping with whatever creative visions folk had in mind. But in the real (reel) world where others are paying the freight, sometimes there are requirements and the challenge is including them without compromising the final product/storyline.
The awards ceremony has its Oscar moments with some reveals and red carpet opportunities for those attending. A chance to see if they had won their respective category and to see others films as well. The digital media department for Dordt works to help students find their footing and hone skills that will allow them to tell stories effectively after they graduate. A Christian-based liberal arts school, those involved genuinely want to make the world a better place. But that all comes down to point of view and what stories are being told. But as with any job or career path, sometimes the storytelling takes a turn as one matures and sees life up close and personal as opposed to hearing about it through parents and teachers and whatever other filters a young person might have. Experience is its own teacher, right or wrong, and the experience the folk participating the film challenge allows them to try various ideas, compete in a team-work environment and make a positive statement through their participating.
In today’s world, there is a proliferation of media. Video and stills. Everywhere. As a photographer, I somewhat thrive on seeing images and for the most part enjoy them. People’s tastes runs the gamut. Depending on one’s point of view there is “good” and “bad” art, video and photography. Individuals pursue what interests them and where their tastes lie.
Every year in Siouxland at Dordt Universtiy there has been a 48-hour film challenge, the Prairie Grass Film Challenge. Individuals and teams come up with and create a film within the specified time period and then compete at this private Christian college in northwest Iowa. The films need to be family friendly but do push the boundary as each, as people are, have an individual opinion of what is friendly. And winners for this year’s competition just recently were announced.
The films are produced by high school, college and post college individuals. All maybe reflecting a generational outlook through their individual films, and most certainly have a point of view and moral component to the pieces. Attending the awards ceremony (which is also live streamed to competing teams from around the country) held at the small university one can feel the excitement for these folk as much as directors, producers and actors attending the Oscars and receiving awards and recognition for their work.
Twenty-five teams made the final cut of the competition that were judged and then four films were selected for best of in three categories with a fourth winner judged best of show. It’s fun to watch these folk enthusiasm and see their creativity put to the test, or not. Prior to the awards ceremony the film are screened in rooms around campus for people to view a few of them before finding out the winner. It’s a fun night, except for the cold weather and sometimes snowy conditions, and a chance for people to begin an adventure in film that may continue or compete in a venue their find worthy of their own involvement with similar values. As with everything, you get out of the experience what you put into it.
Ft. Atkinson State Historical Park near Ft. Calhoun, NE is a look at western frontier fort life as settlers and others were moving westward looking for a new or better life and the men who worked to safeguard that passage west. The fort, while not home to women in particular, was supported by women married to some of the soldiers or nearby settlers that acquired land to work and helped build communities. The park’s welcome center contains information that helps explain the times and the fort’s purpose.
“Conquering” the western frontier wasn’t only a job done by men, even though most of history would have people believe that. Men could not have accomplished as much as they claim had in fact that women were not involved. The simple fact, without women, there would be no men.
So it was fascinating and interesting to talk with women re-enactors at the Living History festivities at Ft. Atkinson State Historical Park near Ft. Calhoun, Ne. Women in those days played the supporting role for men going West. They maintained the families and home fronts and saw to it that many basic needs were met. And in doing that also found ways that enriched their lives in small ways as well.
Women also provided a different skill set for practical means such as quilting, mending, weaving that applied to day to day life. They helped the new frontier much like the old frontier thrive. And made a rough existence a bit more palatable to men living there and raising their families. While women were not permitted on the fort grounds, they helped out in many ways that sustained fort life.
Life must have been difficult for both sexes during those frontier days, much like it is today, although for different reasons reflecting the time period. Yet one makes do and tries to find some joy in life even in the little things. Making the best of what must have been impossible situations now and again, but still finding some joy in it all.
This summer I spent part of a day reliving history at a Nebraska Historical Park in Siouxland, Ft. Atkinson, which according to one living history participant and re-enactor, was the largest fort in the U.S. during its days of use on what was then the frontier.
I find attending such places and events informative and fun. As well as fascinating because of the people who help make history come alive for us regular folk who get the chance to understand a bit more about those folk who came before us. While those volunteering their time to portray actors can’t provide all the answers, they can help people appreciate what history says about a place and possibly give us direction where to find more information about a place’s history.
And sometimes the people who portray historical characters are themselves rascals who give a nice dimensional look to an era we can only read about now.
Within a seven day span there is a lot of music happening at the National Old Time Music Festival in Siouxland in Le Mars and which this and other posts can barely do justice. But it’s a nice event, geared for families and people who want to relax and hear some old timey music in an outdoor setting, weather permitting.
A number of performing coming from around the U.S. and other countries as well, to share their talent and play with others as each does his or her job in keeping alive music of another generation and era.
And with the talent that attends the festival the music has a good chance of remaining important and relevant in many people’s lives for years to come.
On a recent visit to the National Music Museum at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, SD I and others enjoyed a Javenese music presentation by a local gamelan ensemble that performed in the small space at the museum. I enjoy a variety of music in general although I lean more toward jazz, classical and some world music. So it was a delight to hear this local group perform and share their passion and delight.
During the fall season in Siouxland I always look for different places to visit to keep interest in my Fall Photo Safari and to challenge those students attending. I also return to previous places because the light, season, and temperature is never the same. I have to thank students Elizabeth and Carey for being good sports and allowing me to test a newly acquired camera for its video capabilities, especially using a variable ND filter so I can control the amount of light while shooting outdoors with a 1/30 shutter speed and an f/4 aperture at 320 ISO. I didn’t have a tripod so I knew my technique was going to be off, but it gave me a chance to test out what I thought would work and be prepared to use it in a couple weeks when I attend some local Christmas functions.
During the fall I also schedule one class toward dusk and evening. This challenges some students because it screws with their knowledge of using higher ISO’s, white balance and most times a slower variable zoom kit lens. The lenses are fine, but one does need to learn to work around them.
The city recently began changing out the lighting from mercury vapor and other warm lamps to daylight LED’s.
We walk about the downtown area of Sioux City and as dusk falls into night, they have to think about these changes which can seem daunting. But I tell them to have fun and be creative. One way is working with the camera’s preset white balance. This scene was shot both using the tungsten setting for night and also using the Florescent 3 setting I have on my Fuji camera. I am not a fan of LED’s for night usage that are not warm because it plays with one’s sense of night and day. And we humans are geared for warm settings come evening. But using the Florescent setting helped me give my image a warm feel.
in downtown Sioux City, Iowa Saturday Nov. 4, 2017. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga)
in downtown Sioux City, Iowa Saturday Nov. 4, 2017. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga)
The next scene I believe I was shooting daylight as there was still a little sunlight left in the sky and then switched to tungsten.
in downtown Sioux City, Iowa Saturday Nov. 4, 2017. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga)
in downtown Sioux City, Iowa Saturday Nov. 4, 2017. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga)
And as I try to explain to students, because of a “slower” kit lens sometimes one can use that to an advantage since the shutter speed is slowed down to accommodate a f/3.5 or f/4 lens. And then creatively one enters controlled motion into the image.
in downtown Sioux City, Iowa Saturday Nov. 4, 2017. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga)
And with a little practice and experimentation these tweaks become more tools in the “toolbox” as one looks at familiar images and giving them a bit of a different twist.
A number of communities in the Siouxland area are celebrating the Christmas season and Le Mars, Iowa is again hosting a Lighted Parade as well as a Christmas Village where parade attendees and others can go for hot drinks and cookie treats, listen to live music, ride in light decorated wagons and spend a nice evening.
This year’s celebration was warmer than other years but it was also drizzling a bit which put some chill in the air. But people turned out for the parade downtown and the wet pavement made for some nice photos and added to ambiance. When shooting various events at night, I am all for whatever ambient light is available and the wet pavement was an added bonus, even if the air temp was colder.
I attended a noon time holiday concert recently at the National Music Museum at the University of South Dakota, in Vermillion, South Dakota. Before the “main event” took place, another group performed. The Queen’s Pleasure is a Renaissance performance group that enjoys playing recorder instruments and early music, which came into its own as early as the 13th century.
The five members of the ensemble or collegium are all capable of playing four different instruments and bring about thoughts of Shakespeare and a setting with courtly manners and refined graces. It is a quiet music, not the blaring sounds of brass or loud instrumentation of strings, but more contemplative. One really needs to listen to hear the soft sounds. The National Music Museum is a wonderful place to enjoy this and other music, with houses a large collection of instruments on display dating back to the 1500’s, and worth a visit.
I live in the Siouxland area that encompasses a wide swatch of land in northwest Iowa, northeastern Nebraska and southeastern South Dakota. The people that inhabit this area are generous folk and your basic honest, Midwestern people you like to have as neighbors. I explore the area and share observations, mostly photographic, sometimes through video, and and short text. All images and video are copyrighted material of the author.
Jerry Mennenga, Sioux City, Iowa
jerrylmennenga@yahoo.com
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