Ah Spring, where are Thou in Siouxland, Bacon Creek Park, Sioux CIty

Trees are still looking barren around a walking path at Bacon Creek Park in Sioux City, Iowa Monday, April 1, 2019. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

The current season looks much like the past season in Siouxland, winter, not spring. The same brown color, and bare trees reinforce that perception, except the temperature is warm enough to take a walk through Bacon Creek Park and enjoy some of the outdoors until Spring comes into full bloom.

Trees are still barren along a walking path around the path at Bacon Creek park in Sioux City, Iowa Monday, April 1, 2019. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

In sparse patches some green is emerging which is a welcoming sign. If one like to get out and photograph, finding elements to show spring is here is challenging for a photographer. It’s not there staying back waiting for someone to snap a photo.

Some green lichen appears near the water Bacon Creek Park in Sioux City, Iowa Monday, April 1, 2019. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

But there are some in the park that are still enjoying themselves, winter or spring, rain or shine, oblivious to Mother Nature’s actions, just enjoying those moments they can.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

A duck sits and tries to enjoy a little peace by itself near a walking path at Bacon Creek Park in Sioux City, Iowa Monday, April 1, 2019. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

 

Two ducks, or maybe geese, find a little solitude in some water across from Bacon Creek in the park of the same name in Sioux City, Iowa Monday, April 1, 2019. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Siouxland’s Tonality of Summer, Le Mars Bike Trail

Some days you feel like a nut, some days you don’t, to borrow a jingle from a candy bar commercial. Walking the Le Mars Bike Trail is always pleasant. More pleasant when the weather is cooler, but I like the route and depending on whether one is a nut one day or not, a person can see something numerous times and yet see it differently.

Light and shadow involving a highway bridge and supports along the Le Mars bike path in Le Mars, Iowa July 20, 2018. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

I have traversed this route numerous times. And I always try to see it differently. This time I looked at it through tones, as in black and white tones. My first few photographic jobs as a newspaper photographer involved shooting B&W for these various publications. And it is through the tonal variety within an image as well as the subject matter that creates the photograph which people may remember. Color does not help here. And if one looks at color when shooting B&W it may even skew results because those bright reds will be surprisingly dark shades of grey. And to differentiate a person in similar color that seems apparent in the “real” world we live in, is not in B&W. One must be a little more deliberate in the execution of creating a photograph.

Light and shade along the Le Mars bike path in Le Mars, Iowa July 20, 2018. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

You want highlights to draw a viewer’s attention and lead them merrily through your photograph to a destination that can be mysterious or in plain sight. But in black and white it still must deliver a final effort or effect which is what hopes all photographs will do.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

Light and shade along the Le Mars bike path in Le Mars, Iowa July 20, 2018. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Taking a look in Siouxland, Sioux Falls, SD

Some days I can drive about in Siouxland and enjoy the drive and enjoy the scenery, but nothing moves me enough to take a photo. And that’s okay, but I sometimes feel I need to do it. A recent trip again to Sioux Falls and another trip to Falls Park was a pleasant day. A chance to eat a picnic lunch at the park and then a few photos, this time enjoying the ducks that were enjoying the water. Some did a good job treading and one got so caught up in looking for food that it didn’t notice at first that it was headed toward the small falls there. Some days one should just enjoy what’s there, and if you get lucky and capture a nice photo, all the better.

 

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

Ducks cruise around in the water staying cool at Falls Park in Sioux Falls, SD, Monday, August 29, 2016. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

People also sun themselves on a rock at Falls Park in Sioux Falls, SD, Monday, August 29, 2016. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Ducks sun themselves on a stone shelf at Falls Park in Sioux Falls, SD, Monday, August 29, 2016. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Siouxland weather again, is Spring here yet? Sioux City

Recently the Siouxland area got a nice snowfall, 10 inches. And while to some that is 10 inches too much, for others, it was a pleasant diversion to an almost snowless winter. I personally like to snow shoe, and this past snowfall was light, powdery and excellent snow to venture out into. And I did that over the weekend at Stone State Park. I was hoping for more snowfall this week, but it looks like this coming snow storm that is hitting the Plains states, will miss us here in Northwest Iowa, while giving Des Moines and points south a little more snow. And while the weather this winter doesn’t seem a bit off anyway, this past weekend it was also very foggy. The nice temps gives one an early taste of Spring Fever, and that is welcomed too. I just hope it brings a few showers for those later flowers and not leave the area high and dry.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

The winter weather is still a little wacky as a fresh round of snow is dumped along with warmer temps and fog.