Siam

Siam.

During our stay at the Lazy L&B Ranch, a frequent visitor was a Donkey and Siam. Siam had really great patterns on his side and was really cool for a mule. When it was going to rain Siam and Donkey would stand under these cottonwood trees facing the same direction, and sure enough it would rain within about 10 minutes. I thought Siam was very interesting and asked someone to tell me “the story of Siam”. They said years ago, one of the mares on the ranch was pregnant and there was lots of excitement when she was going to give birth. When the time came, the owner of the ranch waited and when the foal appeared, the owner thinking he was going to have a pretty new horse looked in amazement at the foal, realizing the father was none other than the donkey, he declared “shit, its a mule”, thus the name S.I.A.M. 🙂

Tamron SP 70-200mm f2.8 Di VC USD G2 lens on a Nikon D-500, Manual Exposure mode, f8, ISO 5600, shutter speed 1/250th of a second, Sirui N3204X tripod and PH20 Gimbal head, MindShift Gear FirstLight 30L backpack, processed in Lightroom CC. #WithMyTamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #SiruiUSA, #SiruiProfessional, #MindShiftGear, #LazyLBRanch

Bird Feeding Bonus!

Bird Feeding Bonus!

 

I have my bird feeders over an area we use as a vegetable garden and this year Evelyn decided it would be a sunflower garden. All the seeds that fell to the ground sprouted and have grown, some are now beginning to bloom! It is going to make a great background as well as an area to attract more birds. This morning as I took mealworms out to the feeders several warblers flew from the middle of the sunflower patch. In the image I wanted to have some of the flower in focus while keeping the background “suggestive” and lacking sharp detail. To do this I chose f5.6 and focus on the tip of the flower pedal.

 

Tamron SP 90mm f2.8 Di VC USD 1:1 Macro lens on a Canon 5Diii, Aperture Priority mode, f5.6, ISO 100, +.7 stops of exposure compensation, shutter speed of 1/30th of a second, Sirui W2204X tripod and K20X ballhead, MindShift Gear TrailScape 18L backpack, processed in Lightroom CC. #WithMyTamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #SiruiUSA, #SiruiProfessional, #MindShiftGear

Coneflowers

Coneflowers.

 

When we returned from Wyoming, I was amazed at how many flowers had opened up in the gardens. It seems the number of flowers have more than tripled since last year. I am thinking our bees have something to do with a greater number as well as the rain we have had this year. We have 3 hives this year and all the wildflowers and sourwood trees blooming should fill the hives with honey. I love doing shallow depth of field images of a coneflower in the foreground with others in the background. I think I will have lots and lots of opportunities this summer!

 

Tamron SP 90mm f2.8 Di VC USD 1:1 Macro lens on a Canon 5Diii, Aperture Priority mode, f2.8, ISO 100, +1 stop of exposure compensation, shutter speed of 1/800th of a second, Sirui W2204X tripod and K20X ballhead, MindShift Gear TrailScape 18L backpack, processed in Lightroom CC. #WithMyTamron, #TamronImageMaster, #TamronUSA, #SiruiUSA, #SiruiProfessional, #MindShiftGear

Dude Needs a Hat too!

Dude Needs a Hat Too!

 

Another image from my time in the Tack Room at the Lazy L and B Ranch in Dubois, WY. I love shooting Tack Rooms and the character of the tack inside. The wear and tear of leather and straw has great texture and color. Perfect for photography. Folks find it odd that I probably enjoy shooting things at a Ranch vs. actually riding, but it is to me capturing a part of our history. I could spend hours in these rooms exploring and shooting.

 

Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VC USD lens on a Nikon D-500, Manual Exposure mode, f2.8, ISO 1250, shutter speed of 1/30th of a second, handheld utilizing the Vibration Compensation feature of the lens due to tight space in the room, MindShift Gear FirstLight 30L backpack, processed in Lightroom CC. #WithMyTamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #SiruiProfessional, #MindShiftGear

Need Boots Dude?

Need Boots Dude?

 

If you show up at the Lazy L and B Ranch and you forgot your boots, they have about 40 pairs for the Dudes to choose from during your stay. I always enjoy visiting the Tack Rooms at Ranches to see the saddles, reins, boots, hats and everything else they have inside. There are so many stories sitting on those selves just waiting to be told, waiting to be recorded, wanting to be shared. For me, its not always about the horses, but the stories around the folks that ride them as well.

 

Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VC USD lens on a Nikon D-500, Manual Exposure mode, f2.8, ISO 450, shutter speed of 1/30th of a second, handheld utilizing the Vibration Compensation feature of the lens due to space limitations, MindShift Gear FirstLight 30L, processed in Lightroom CC. #WithMyTamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #SiruiProfessional, #MindShiftGear

“Knock, Knock”

“Knock, Knock”

 

Every time I see a Pronghorn Antelope I think of this joke…sorry. “Knock, knock. Who’s there? Cantelope. Cantelope who? Cantelope tonight, Dad’s got the car.”

 

As I drove across the valley floor up to the Shonshone National Forest, I would see the occasional Pronghorn, this one stood close to the road and actually allowed me to get out and set up the gear! He trotted off as I got back in the car as it knew the shoot was over.

 

Tamron SP 150-600mm Di VC USD G2 lens on a Nikon D-500, Manual Exposure mode, f8, ISO 250, shutter speed of 1/250th of a second, Sirui N3204X tripod and K30X ballhead, MindShift Gear FirstLight 30L backpack, processed in Lightroom CC. #WithMyTamron, #TamronUSA, #TamronImageMaster, #SiruiUSA, #SiruiProfessional, #MindShiftGear

Happy Father’s Day

Happy Father’s Day.

 

Evelyn and I made it back to our beloved Bear Woods about 2 a.m. this morning. We left behind Wyoming, a state we feel is our second home at times. I look back on the trip and didn’t really get to shoot many images, or nearly the number of images I would normally have made, but I walk away with many memories of my first trip there with my Dad in 1976. I remember on that trip seeing a landscape for the first time. On this trip I spent time discovering, for me, the Shoshone National Forest and the Apsaroka Mountains. It was so quiet and untouched that it made me feel like that 15 year old wandering in the woods. A Dad can guide you and help to form the man you will become. My Dad guided me to love photography, and to love the land among many other things. All of my trips out there make me thing some 41 years back, but this one was special in my memories. Thank you Gunny for all of my life’s lessons and for introducing me to Wyoming.

 

Tamron SP 10-24mm Di-II VC HLD lens on a Nikon D-500, Manual Exposure mode, f16, ISO 100, shutter speed of 4 seconds, Sirui N3204X tripod and K30X tripod, Sirui 3 stop Graduated Neutral Density filter and holder, MindShift Gear FirstLight 30L backpack, processed in Lightroom CC. #WithMyTamron, #TamronImageMaster, #TamronUSA, #SiruiUSA, #SiruiProfessional, #MIndShiftGear