There are various gardens in and around Siouxland that are fun to visit and explore. The indoor garden at Lauritzen Garden in Omaha, NE adds a bit of an educational aspect by listing the name of the plant so one can become better informed at what they are seeing. The same is true for the plants one comes across outside while traversing the garden’s grounds during the various season.
The indoor garden allows visitors a chance to shake off the cold winter months by enjoying these plants in their enclosed habitat and still enjoy wonderful plants. And the colors of some of these are simply amazing.
Sometimes when photographing, the flowers are wonderful subjects, but it is the color they produce and show the viewer that then becomes the subject, aided when the window rooftop allows in strong sunlight, somewhat filtered by the glass or whatever light passthrough material is used for the indoor habitat. On a cold winter’s day, or cold spring day, the color is fun, something to remind a person that yes, better, more seasonal weather is approaching, and a chance to just enjoy nature.
Only after photographing animals outdoors in nature do I sometimes realize symmetry of some of the photographs. In some cases nature happens in twos. I am assuming the pairing of birds is one or the other mate staying nearby while they are out feeding either looking for something or at a backyard feeder.
Currently reading a book titled “Slow Birding”, one of the book’s chapters deals with House Wrens and whether or not mates are faithful and how this affects reproduction and the gene pool of the species. And it is amazing to see at what length researchers go to achieve a result without a pre-determined outcome on their part.
And it makes sense that humans reflect nature and visa versa from some sort of instinctive intuition for self-preservation, although I often have my doubts about humans because of the terrible things some individuals do to others. But that is a choice, a poor choice by most standards, but a choice nonetheless.
So time spent observing and appreciating nature is more enjoyable that reading about the cruelty the human race just can’t seem to get beyond.
Somedays the work isn’t done in Siouxland until it’s done. When I previously worked for various publications I never worked a constant or particular shift, but worked when it was needed. The hours might change week to week or month to month. That kind of change never bothered me as different types of photography assignments would happen during different times of the day or month or year. So it kept life interesting and one learned to just get the work done. I never had any regrets for the photography work I did for the publications as it was an opportunity to see life that some folk never saw up close and personal. It was not always glamorous and sometimes down right ugly depending on what one might be photographing. But it was never mundane.
Recently while driving about Siouxland and heading to destinations in hopes of finding more eagles, I realize that not all of the images, if most of any of them, are really exciting. Mostly just a documentary exercise of photographing them in a place. It seems most of winter has been quite grey and overcast, along with extremely cold. And only every now and again does the sun seem to make an appearance.
But it is still nice to get out into nature, albeit, a cold nature this winter to look for the birds. Some days out have been balmy in the teens and low 20’s temperature wise. And even though I am a bit of an early rise these days, I don’t always like venturing out in the wee hours of the morning as “black ice” still exists in areas when traveling around Siouxland. But if you go with a couple friends at least one is not singularly disappointed. And on a cold day, there is always lunch to look forward too.
Somedays while out photographing in the Siouxland region I am not really inspired by what I see. However I do enjoy witnessing and seeing the various lighting conditions that might occur when out. Whether it’s sunshine or heavily overcast, the lighting is the one thing that creates the image one will take. The conditions may not be ideal, but still, I used to tell photo students that I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a day that out photographing.
When I first began photography the film used was Kodak’s Tri-X, 400 ASA black and white film. A versatile choice as one could utilize it in so many ways. Underexposing and pulling processing to flatten it out for better tonality and resolution or pushing it by one, two and sometimes three stops or more to work in low light situations. Then selecting a paper to help complete the “visual” process.
Now while out shooting I consciously shoot either color or black and white, tweaking settings in camera for one or the other. With some added tweaks in post processing. I am not a “raw” shooter. Jpegs only. It makes me think of shooting slide film where one had to be spot on in exposure. Unlike shooting negative film (think color negative) where one sometimes had latitude to do some tweaks while printing. At least one has choices, then as now. And it’s better to pursue what is comfortable to a person in pursuing their endeavors than to listen to the “maddening crowd” and follow. One might never see the cliff for all the bodies in the foreground, metaphorically speaking.
During the winter months in Siouxland I sometimes get a bit of cabin fever. When it is extremely cold out, I just hate leaving the house. Trying to photograph in extremely cold weather is just not fun. Period. But sometimes I brave the cold anyway and take a look around.
With recent weather patterns producing hoar frost and fog in the area I did venture out to take a look. I reasoned some of the county backroads I like to drive on would be frozen solid enough that driving on them would be possible. And I also reasoned that no one else would probably be out for a Sunday drive like me. Rather, staying home and watching a football game.
And while I didn’t exactly find any really, stellar scenes to photograph, it was interesting to see what the countryside looks like and makes me wistful to begin thinking about excursions out when the weather is a bit more accommodating and beginning to green up. It’s also good to have dreams of what might be. And then again, that patience issue comes up and one must take each day at a time and see what comes.
I am trying to anticipate a little bit what some of my favorite animal haunts might be like this coming spring and summer. With a severe drought in progress the last 2-3 years a lot of places have dried up. This winter has brought some relief with added moisture, but with frigid temperatures is that moisture soaking into the ground or just evaporating in the sunshine.
As a novice kind of birder, it is challenging to get close to these critters to be able to photograph them. Using a long telephoto lens helps, but still there is some distance between where they are and where I can stand or hide. Some of the nature preserves have blinds, others do not. Some days my patience does well, other days, I just keep walking.
As I began photographing more birds both near home and in parks around Siouxland I began to pay more attention to the perches these feathered folk use. Sometimes it is very sturdy and at others it seems to follow that phrase “any port in a storm” where they may situate themselves as they take stock of the surrounding area. Birds in some of the parks have sometimes more choice for perches, as often times these places also provide a kind of prairie habitat which is generally not available in neighborhoods within a community.
And photographing in these two different places create their own challenges. In a neighborhood one can sit a spell, especially near feeders and birds will come and go and possible give more opportunities to photograph them as they rest on a perch before heading to a feeder. Whereas in the park’s meadow area the birds can see you coming from some distance off and I have found one is only able to get so close necessitating the use of a long lens often times with a teleconverter to make an image of the bird “in the wild” so to speak. And of course as in so many things, timing is everything. Sometimes the act of bringing a camera to one’s eye will spook a bird so one needs to be aware and judge how close and how long one wants to hold a lens up into a position to get a photograph of a particular subject.
In the meadow areas using a tripod or monopod is just another piece of gear to carry for some distance, possibly a few miles while hiking, which is not always fun and tiring. So trade offs are made while one “enjoys” oneself out in nature with possibly the benefit of a photograph of some creature also enjoying the day.
When visiting the Grand Meadow Heritage Days earlier this fall in Siouxland there were a few artists and others set up to entertain visitors to the museum and enjoying a look back in time at the displays. The clown Special K was creating balloon hats for kids and releasing bubbles into the air. Lots and lots of bubbles. Even though she probably entertained those attending, it would have been nice had more people shown up. Rest assured she went home “squeaky clean”
Traveling a bit outside of Siouxland proper to other places like Omaha, NE and visiting various parks and preserves it has is kind of a plus as it’s not too terrible long a drive and while it takes some effort to get there, the rewards or hope for same can be a good motivator to get out the front door.
And while I can’t say I have the bird bug pushing me to photograph these “flighty” creatures I do enjoy the time spent watching them and hoping to make an unusual, or usual kind of exposure. I am always happy no matter what when photographing animals.
I enjoy the light play on the critters and their surroundings. And with less than ideal rain conditions this year as well as last year many places that were just water have begun to become more wetland, land, than water ponds. Another element that looks weird when photographing fowl. The mossy like substance is more of a green ooze. Cue the Halloween music.
Heron Haven is a delightful place to watch water fowl and from what I learned, the one resident heron. I saw a shadow pass over but didn’t actually see the bird. Too focused on stationary ducks and reflections. But it’s all good. Outdoors, nature, pleasant enough weather and then lunch after having done an early start to reach Omaha in the morning while there is still some nice light. I have previously spent worse days when working for a newspaper. But now I can look forward to those excursions that I want to make. And only have myself to disappoint if all does not go well.
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
lostinsiouxland 