Oxbow Safari Photo Safari

Today, Mark P., Mark I. and I participated in a photo safari lead by Karen I. Davis. The event is coordinated by Rochester Community Education. We met at Oxbow Park in Byron, MN. This was a really fun way to make sure we got out and shot some pictures!

We started in the Learning Center. In there are some snakes and hands on things for kids to play with. I also discovered that my battery was low. Not a great way to start. Our mission is to learn how to take better photographs at a zoo.

I liked the texture of this snake. It spiralled together nicely.

We got to spend about 20-25 minutes talking about things and looking around. This gave me ample time to get the battery charged enough for the day.

I used the iPhone for a while to shoot in the building, but, for some reason, the pinhole camera on that one isn't nearly as satisfying as my 30D.

We moved outside. Most of the animals that were outside, were in cages. The badgers were in a tank, and we were moving to midday sun. I think I'll need to fix the white balance on this one, but it a fairly clear shot of her.

The turkeys were a different story. For some reason, their colors weren't very bright, but at least I could get a shot through their fence. I had a very difficult time shooting with the fences. Unfortunately, my 17-85 lens, just doesn't have the focul length necessary to blur out a fence

I don't know if Mark or Mark know this...but I NEED A LONGER LENS. There...I said it.
We got to another area of the park, where the big game were. I decided to take Karen's advice and try to "Frame" the picture.

I got down on my knees and snapped this one of a bison. It tells a much better story. Adding the fence and vegitation really made this a completely different picture.
I turned my attention to something I feel more comfortable with, abstract stuff. There are these old farming machines not far from the bison. They are definitely old and well weathered.

I think this one of the chain is probably my second favorite picture of the entire day. The lines, the textures really draw your eye to the image!
This is an example of something I learned at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography. Keep the lines of the picture moving in the picture. This one definitely does that. The circles are moving towards the center.
These next two pictures are of the same gear. When a bit farther away than the other. I like this first one, the growth on the metal adds some really neat colors.
This is my favorite picte from the whole day. The range of colors, the lines and the depth to me make this something I love to look at.
Right by the rusted machines, was an old farm house. This door was pointed out to me by Mark P. He was right when he said the different colors of the wook made for a great picture.

This shot was up close. The weathered wook of the outside was grey and worn, while the inside of the door still had the reds and browns of new wook..

The lines of the seams also makes this picture interesting to me. You get the square edges of the boards twisting with the grain.
Inside the barn, you could the methods used to seal up the house. A mortor was used between the logs to keep things out. The age of the house, also made it a bit unstable. There were steal trusses around to hold things together.

I will probably try and fix the color of this one, but again, the different textures and lines make this really interesting.
Outside of the house, I wanted to find new ways of capturing the lines and contrast of the windows to the siding.
This one used something I learned on the Digital Photography School website. I was trying to find a way to capture the contrast between the painted windows and the siding. It look really boring shot straight, turn the camera and wa la!

Not sure how I got the angle just right.
These next two pictures are courtesy of Mark P. He had the original idea. When we first started shooting, the sun was directly over head. I came back a few minutes later and the sun had moved. I think that really helped. The added shadows created an even more interesting picture.
This last shot is the same door. It is just framed differently and taken closer. I like it, but I'm not sure I like it better than the first one.

Any ideas?

As usual, your comments are always welcome! Next Friday night we will be doing another photo safari...downtown Rochester at night! I can't wait!