Tag Archives: niobrara valley preserve

Photo of the Week – July 3, 2014

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I was back up at the Niobrara Valley Preserve last weekend.  The weather was beautiful, and so were the sandhills.  A few of us went exploring in the late evening, but the sun was hiding behind clouds, so photography wasn’t much of an option.  However, after we got back to headquarters, I glanced up and noticed the entire sky had turned almost blood red!  I grabbed my camera and the closest vehicle and raced up to my favorite vantage point.

The color was already starting fade a little by the time I arrived, so I quickly popped my wide angle lens on and looked around for some foreground to put in front of that sky.  I found a spot, set up the tripod and  ….the camera wouldn’t work.  Ack!!  It took me a few frantic moments to figure out that the lens hadn’t mounted correctly, and a few more to get it off and back on the right way.  By that time, much of the color had left the sky, but there was still enough to squeeze off about three photographs before it disappeared completely.

Here’s one of those three photographs…

Sunset over the Niobrara River. The Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve.

Fading sunset over the Niobrara River. The Nature Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley Preserve.

Have a great Fourth of July!

Photo of the Week – June 6, 2014

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I got up early last Saturday morning, hoping to capture some photographs of the Niobrara Valley Preserve in the light of the sunrise.  Unfortunately, the skies were cloudy, and the sun stayed stubbornly behind them as it rose above the distant hills.  The light reflecting from the prairie and adjacent woodlands was dull and muted – not good conditions for photographs.

The only contrast to be found was the reflection of the relatively bright sky off the river as I looked in the direction of the (supposed) sunrise.  I put on a long lens and aimed it toward the river, hoping to find a way to frame it.  As I played with compositions, a couple clouds brightened as the sun hit them obliquely.  The river glowed as it reflected that new light…

The Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve, Nebraska.

The Nature Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley Preserve, Nebraska.