Category Archives: Photos

Flowers, Photos, Troy's Blog

Beginning to Grow

Walking through a store recently I couldn’t resist all of the seed packets on display so I had to pick a few out. Its been years since I started seeds indoors and I really do love watching them as they grow. They’re amazing in how they can be so hard like a rock and a few days later soften and produce a strong root and little leaves to begin life. Cold, snow, and ice are starting to get dreary so adding some life is much desired as March begins. These are annual Centaurea otherwise known as Bachelor Button. For some reason this is a flower I really enjoy and tends to do well in the cooler spring temperatures. All of these roots quickly growing out of a seed to provide the plant with water and nutrients just amazes me.

In the image below I found this little seedling with the seed covering still attached very interesting. There are so many textures in that seed shell which have expanded with all of the moisture in the soil. It’s a little on the purple side because of the LED lights they are grown under. I start them under a fluorescent lights usually but this time I added a few LED lights as well to see what difference they may make. These are all on a timer giving the a set amount of light each day. I believe they stay on for 10 hours a day which seems to be a good pace of growth without taking an exorbitant amount of electricity. In a few short weeks they will be put outside as temperatures allow. I will begin acclimating them to the higher light intensity of the sun once nighttime temperatures stay at freezing or above as these can tolerate the cooler nights.

Beginning to emerge

Ice and Snow, Photos, Troy's Blog

Snowflakes Are Amazing

As the snow really started to pile up in February there were several opportunities to examine these little ice crystals and become mesmerized by their unique shapes and patterns. Often times I would be concentrating on things I needed to get done, one of which was shoveling all of this fresh snow, and if I took just a moment to look at a few snowflakes I was distracted for hours. I would drag out the camera and shoot away trying to capture each little detail of each flake among the never ending supply falling from the sky. Eventually the cold and the clock would end my session forcing me to wait until the next snowfall.

Snowflake edged in white frost

Once getting them on a computer I could examine each one even closer and study how they formed. What conditions were needed to create these? Were the conditions changing while a snowflake was being made? When multiple snowflakes landed together were they connected or just collided in the sky before settling down on my surface? I was constantly amazed at how different snowflakes look depending on what the temperature was outside.

Snowflake with many arms

Even within the same snowfall the snowflakes would change in appearance multiple times. Sometimes they would be large, branched crystals with ice drops frozen on the edges while other times they would be clear with amazing patterns and at different times they would be fairly non descript pieces of ice. In most forms they are fascinating to look at up close and very challenging to photograph because of their typically small size. Trying to get the entire snowflake in focus is often extremely difficult, if not impossible, unless the snowflake and camera are completely parallel to one another. Still, most of the time, they can be looked at in fine detail and their patterns can be interpreted.

Skinny snowflake

One of the challenges with snowflakes is trying to figure out if there is just one or if there are multiple snowflakes stacked on each other. Which layer is currently in focus? A slight adjustment in focus can be the difference in seeing the snowflakes detail or having it be slightly blurry. Once everything appears sharp than keeping the camera and snowflake perfectly still is required. Hopefully the wind does not blow while taking the picture. All of this needs to be done outside in order to keep the ice from melting and losing any of its detail. While snowflakes are a challenging subject, the results are often worth the effort for each one. Usually over the course of an hour I can photograph four different snowflakes so it is not a quick process.

Clear snowflake

Ice and Snow, Photos, Troy's Blog

Carvings Made of Snow

After seeing a beautiful sunrise shining some rare sunshine through ice sculptures, I headed to another location to see the creativity brought out using huge blocks of snow. They were not disappointing! The talent possessed by people willing and able to create amazing works of art from snow is so impressive. The amount of time and energy spent during the coldest time of year, and this year provided some brutal cold weather during the carving days, to show off designs was well appreciated by many during a brief warm up. On this particular Saturday afternoon the temperature soared above freezing for a few glorious hours allowing for a comfortable time outdoors.

In the tub

Near the entrance to the sculpture park there was a large Tyrannosaurus Rex guarding a maze created entirely of white snow while welcoming visitors to the creative expressions on display for only a few weeks. In front of the T-Rex was the St Paul Winter Carnival emblem, also carved of snow, declaring this area property of the winter carnival. Such amazing detail to be viewed for only a short period of time. It’s almost disappointing for these artists to put so much time into their creations and have them disappear a short time later. Continuing on around the area I came upon a sculpture of a cabin with someone lost in the comfort of a tub full of water snoozing the day away. The ability of the people carving to show such a 3-D depiction covering both sides of this wall separating outside from inside is so impressive right down to the scrub brush sitting in the window.

Scanning the refrigerator

One of the most entertaining snow sculptures, for me, was this young person staring into an open refrigerator while scratching their head. I really enjoyed many of the details from this carving from the shelves on the refrigerator door to the cabinets on the wall right down to the brick on the wall behind those cabinets. It reminding me of the numerous times I’ve been searching for some edible treasure during a warm summer day as alluded to by the shorts and t-shirt worn by this person entranced by what was going on inside this appliance. Walking around to the other side of this snowy creation you begin to understand the quizzical stance of this young person. The contents of this mechanical ice box appear to have broken out and where having a friendly gathering on the other side of the wall. That would make any of us stand their in amazement to come across such an event.

Inside the Refrigerator

Ending my time in the snow sculpture park was Snoopy as the Flying Ace a top his dog house. Who doesn’t love this iconic scene from a number of Peanuts episodes? Standing back and just watching as others meandered around these amazing works of art seemed like a good memory to make the return trip to my car with. Seeing all ages examining each carving, pointing, commenting to whoever they arrived here with, and photographing each one seemed like justification enough for each artist to do what was required of them to show their beautiful pieces of work for such a short time. While an artist often sees their work as they envisioned it instead of how it actually is, focusing on each flaw and how it should have been better, the spectators see such impressive displays of creativity and dedication that allows us to view each piece through our own lens and imagination.

The Flying Ace - Snoopy

Ice and Snow, Photos, Troy's Blog

Ice Sculptures

Every year St Paul hosts a winter carnival which includes a number of outdoor winter events including parades, competitions, snow sculpting, and ice carvings. This winter many of these events took place under extremely cold conditions but the participants are determined and came out in below zero conditions with strong winter winds to make their beautiful creations. On the last weekend of the carnival things warmed up along with a clearing sky so I made the trek to the Minnesota capital city to see some of these icy art pieces just as the sun rose over the Mississippi River. It was absolutely spectacular – a peaceful start to a rare, warm early February day.

Sun peaking through the ice carved sun

Several other people had the same idea. All in an energetic mood on this beautiful morning exchanging brief conversation as we rotated between the ice sculptures photographing them in the morning light. I’m always amazed at the abilities some creative people possess. Able to envision these sculptures in their minds and transfer those visions to ice blocks in such detail. All of this done in dangerous temperatures where removing a glove can result in frostbite in mere minutes with little sleep while chipping away at these ice blocks for 48 hours. As the sun continued to move above the horizon it lit up this sun carved from the ice making a beautiful backdrop for the rest of this sculpture.

The past and the future

Out of all of the amazing pieces crafted from simple blocks of clear ice, I think this one is my favorite. The details in it are spectacular as with all of the carvings but what caught my attention was the theme. A caterpillar looking through the glass at a butterfly which is staring back. The meaning of it is what really speaks to me. One seeing the future while the other is looking back in history at what it once was. Something I believe we often have the opportunity to do if only we take the time to see it. It can be seen in the generations before us and after us, with our own family and friends and in our ownselvs. That’s what makes these creations so amazing is what each person sees in them that is unique.

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Moving down the line, this was another one of my favorite ice carvings. The details where incredible creating a beautiful ice statue but my interest in watching herons makes this one more personal to me. Seeing the warm morning sun diffracting through the bumps and ridges of theses sculptures is so interesting. Another carving was of a dinosaur. I think it’s a velociraptor but I’m not sure. The snow resting on some of the grooves while others remain clear brings some great depth to the whole piece. Did the carver intend for this and plan it before beginning?

Face of a dinosaur

The final ice statue is called Aquaman Riding a Seahorse. This one won first place and seemed really popular among the viewers while I was there. Only the seahorse is visible in this photo as that was the portion that retained my attention the most. The clarity of the ice and the details of the head were so intriguing with the teeth, eyes, and snout. There were several other ice carvings and all showed amazing artistic skills. A fun way to spend a morning in downtown St Paul.

Seahorse which is carrying Aquaman

Photos, Troy's Blog

A Knarly Sunset

Early during the winter I made a trip to photograph a beautiful sunset against some amazing natural artwork created by trees which have been blown over exposing their root system which has since been aged by the elements creating some really cool artwork. Earlier in the fall I was fortunate to have a friend and fellow photographer show me this area. Originally we were looking for wildlife to photograph but as a bonus feature of the area we took a few minutes to study these knarly roots and attempt to figure out an interesting way to photograph them. Unable to find an angle at the time we moved on in our quest to take pictures of wildlife (Sandhill Cranes which were posted about here…). During the next couple of weeks I continued to ponder ways of capturing these unique root structures just begging to be photographed. My first thought was to capture them against a star filled sky but this particular area closes at dark making that unable to happen.

A pair of trees surrounded by ice as the sun sets

After volleying ideas back and forth with my friend we came up with an idea to capture these wooden structures against the setting sun. Now we just had to find a good day to do that where the sun and sky would cooperate. Also I wanted a way to get out to these root structures which are usually surrounded by water so waiting until enough ice formed was another requirement. Fortunately cold weather arrived earlier than usual freezing this water deep enough for us to walk around on it so now all we needed was a sunny afternoon with a few clouds to create a beautiful sunset. One such day finally appeared in the forecast after constant cloudy weather which also lined up on a Friday so no work the next day giving us the opportunity to be a little relaxed on time without needing to be home in time to get ready for an early day. Perfect!

The three trees watching another sunset

It was a great scene with a beautiful sky as the sun neared the horizon, an ice covered shallow lake with little snow allowing for the sunlight to reflect nicely, and interesting weathered trees now accessible on foot. There’s not much time to figure out the best composition as the sun races to the ground so we kept looking at different angles to try and snapping away. I don’t think there’s one fantastic photograph here but a few nice ones. I’m treating this outing as more of a scouting trip giving me ideas for another opportunity. It was still a fun evening with a beautiful sunset which always makes for a worthwhile expedition. Hopefully there’ll be some great pictures from this location in the future.

Another artistic knarled root sunset

Photos, Troy's Blog

Ice Art

Recent cold weather this fall has lead to some interesting ice formations. Walking along a small river in search of otters revealed stumps coated in ice and snow creating some abstract art. The Ice is attached to these stumps at different levels because as things began to freeze the water levels kept dropping allowing for these stair step ice formations. I found these to be quite interesting so snapped a few pictures along the way.

Ice Bubbles

At one location where there was a small damn several areas of the water had frozen with water flowing underneath again creating interesting ice shapes. I can’t help myself. I have to attempt to capture some fun pictures. Still some work to be done on that. The patterns created by nature can be so intriguing. Hopefully there will be more opportunities to capture more ice art.

Enterprise in Ice

Photos, Troy's Blog

Birds on the Move

During the fall while out enjoying some time as the leaves were turning I would watch the birds hopping and flying around noticing all the different types passing through as they made their way south for the winter. Many I recognized while some I didn’t but it was still interesting to see them. One I frequently came across was the yellow rumped warbler. At first I was a little uncertain as to what it was because the colors seemed quite faded from those I’d seen during the spring migration north. These seemed to spend several weeks in the area before finally departing for the winter. During one of the sessions out I saw a few birds jumping from lily pad to lily pad. Unsure of what it was I focused with the camera and in the bright sunlight I could make out the distinctive yellow patches in order to identify these birds. Surprisingly they turned out to be more yellow rumped warblers. It was fun to watch as they moved from jumped between lily pads in search of food.

Yellow rumped warbler

On another day at a different park I came across a yellow warbler. At least that’s what I believe it is. It was quickly moving between branches among some dense shrubs but did fly out and land briefly in a small tree for me to get a picture before this bird returned into the shrubs where I could not photograph it any more.

Yellow Warbler

A couple of weeks later I ventured into another park and came across these birds which I’m unable to figure out what they are. Most of the time they were hopping around on the ground occasionally venturing into nearby grasses. At first I thought they were fairly common sparrows but looking closer I noticed yellow patches just above some of the birds eyes which made me question which type of bird this actually is.

Possible Sparrow

During this same visit I noticed a small flock of birds fluttering in some tall evergreens moving from one tree to another working in all kinds of positions in search of food. There was definitely a bright stripe on the top of their head indicating they were kinglets but they didn’t look like the ruby crowned kinglets I’ve seen before. After looking at the pictures and researching a little I ID’d them as golden crowned kinglets. Fun to watch they aerobatics up and down trees.

Gold Crowned Kinglet

Earlier in the fall I came across these tiny birds flying in between shrubs stopping from time to time long enough to get a good look. At first I only saw females and only had their size and the patterns on their wings to try to identify them from but eventually came across males that displayed their ruby crowns giving me a positive ID. I was amazed how they can hide their bright red stripe on the top of their head and flash it at will again. Fun little birds to watch.

Ruby Crowned Kinglet

Photos, Troy's Blog

Eagle Watching

A cool, crisp late fall day under a bright mid-morning sun seemed like a perfect setting to get out on my bike and put in a few miles before completing some projects. Just a couple of miles in brought me by a large lake partially frozen over where on eagle sat watching over the water for a potential meal while a brave crow tried to scare it away. It would have been nice to have my camera with as this eagle was relatively close and didn’t seem to care I was there watching. Without anything more than my phone I snapped a few photos and continued on my way. Another couple of miles brought me to more open water with hundreds of ducks floating on it. I decided a quick look would be nice and that’s when I began to see a few more eagles flying overhead.

 

A place to eat the catch of the day

Stopping to take in the scene and try to figure out what kind of ducks where swimming in the water I began to notice even more eagles perched in trees nearby. As I watched more I saw one eagle after another. Some flying while others remained perched in trees. Counting there were over two dozen eagles in this one little area. Must have been migrating south as the lakes and rivers began to freeze over further north. At this point I was really missing my camera as there were some amazing shots waiting to be taken here. After a little more time I decided it was time to head for home as there was much to do. As I was leaving the eagles let me ride right underneath the trees they were perched in. Amazing birds to view up close!

A juvenile eagle landing in a nearby tree

On the way back home I decided I had to grab the camera and try to get a few photos of all of these eagles in one area. Quickly returning I found all of the eagles had left. Now what? With so much I needed to get done back home I decided a better plan of action was to drive around the area and see if I could find these eagles. After checking out several different spots and a few hours I eventually came across several eagles and decided to spend the rest of the afternoon watching them as they were really too far away for good photos. That of course did not stop me from trying which resulted in the pictures for this post.

Watching as a flock of ducks flies by

Over the course of an hour I counted about twelve different eagles photographing most of them and watching them through my telephoto lens as they circled the little open water that remained, caught fish, and flew to perches to eat their catch. In between eagles, flock and flock of ducks would fly over either entering the open water or leaving for another spot. Most of these appeared to be common mergansers with some ring-neck ducks mixed in. I’ve never seen so many common mergansers before. Unfortunately none of these eagles gave me much opportunity for a great shot but I still had a fun afternoon observing and learning how they interact. It would have been nice to spend many more days following this one in search of more eagles, looking for a beautiful shot but other priorities took over. Hopefully there will be more opportunities in the future to try again.

A juvenile coming in to land next to an adult

Photos, Troy's Blog

Minneapolis Skyline

On a beautiful September evening I ventured out to find a beautiful spot to photograph the Minneapolis skyline while the sun faded behind the horizon. City lights began to illuminate the landscape as day turned to night bringing different moods during this interesting transition. This nighttime image is probably my favorite of the day as the city is surrounded by the blue, evening sky reflecting off of the river below both highlighting the lit up buildings while reflecting the last of the sunlight reflecting from the glass of the buildings.

Minneapolis at sunset

My images from the night are in reverse order in this situation going from night, to sunset, to daylight only because the top photo is the one I liked most and still wanted some chronological order in the post. This next picture is just after sunset showing the colorful clouds behind a city yet to begin lighting up for the night. All of these stages of a transforming city where taken so they could be used as panoramic shots to display the full skyline of Minneapolis. The sunset image above is one photo of a part of the full panoramic picture which can be combined with the rest of the photographs from that time of the night. They can be added together to create a scene such as in the image below.

Mpls Skyline during the day

Once the sun had set and lights brightened up the city against the night sky, a quick trip away from these city lights brought out a very different scene – a star filled sky. Seeing the Milkyway appear among the stars always amazes me and makes me pause from a days activities comtemplating the universe and my place in it. It seems to reduce the importance of whatever issues I may be experiencing which ends up having a calming effect on me. A nice way to end a beautiful summer night.

Summer Milky Way

Photos, Seasons, Troy's Blog

A Fall Frosty Morning

As light began to appear one morning I could see the leaves were white with frost. Immediately I decided to finish what I was doing, grab the camera and head to a nearby park to see if I could capture a piece of this beautiful, frosty morning. The temperature was barely below freezing and was rising fast as the sun rose above the horizon so there wasn’t a lot of time to photograph leaves adorned with some interesting ice crystals. Working somewhat quickly I decided on a few shots I wanted and prioritized those in case the frost disappeared before I got them all. Fortunately areas more shaded retained the frost crystals a little longer extending my time of picture taking with these cool subjects.

Milkweed seeds covered in frost

I started with an overall landscape picture but the light wasn’t quite right so moved on to fall colored leaves outlined in frost while staying somewhat close to the place I wanted to photograph the overall landscape from so I could quickly return once the sun was lighting up the areas I wanted to see it more. That resulted in the picture at the top of this post. Frost covered cattails with some colorful trees reflecting in the slightly foggy water below. There were a couple of ducks on the water but seem to be missing from the photo. They would have really made a great addition I think. Once I captured that scene I began to move on to smaller subjects such as the milkweed seeds covered with frost in the photo above.

Frost decorating a leaf

While the sun continued to rise shedding light on more of the landscape I grabbed a few pictures of leaves outlined in frost and showing some of the elongated ice crystals standing up from the leaves make them appear as though they had hair on them. A short time later I had to move on to shadier locations in order to continue capturing images of what remained from the earlier frost. That only lasted a short time later and it was time to move on to other subjects or head home and continue on the days projects. Heading home did not seem like a good decision since I was already at the park with camera in hand so I kept wandering to see what else was going on that may be photo worthy. There wasn’t much else that provided interest so I grabbed my bike out of the car and went riding to continue enjoying this sunny day.

Sun shining through a frosty leaf