Photography – Brilliant Words

October 10, 2014 Dan Traun 1 Comment

Photography is not about the camera. It’s not even about the beautiful images we create. It is about telling powerful stories. Photography is a tool for creating awareness and understanding across cultures, communities, and countries; a tool to make sense of our commonalities in the world we share.

I believe objectivity is an illusion but I also believe that there are a multitude of viewpoints and that no one “Truth” exists. I believe that unless we understand and give voice to these perspectives, reason remains veiled. Ignorance in each other’s stories leads us to assume we know them. It allows us to maintain perceptions of differences based on our own pre-conceived notions.

– Ami Vitale

2014 (365), Daily Shots, Photography

10.10.14 – Joe’s Hot Dogs

October 10, 2014 Dan Traun

Joe’s Hot Dogs.

Photography

Lunar Eclipse & The Blood Moon

October 9, 2014 Dan Traun 8 Comments

10/08/2014

As a photography you look forward to opportunities such as a lunar eclipse and the Blood Moon. These events do not always happen at an agreeable hour. That is usually fine given the level of sacrifice (sleep) that is necessary to photography something truly beautiful. Regular followers know that I am typically up at 4 a.m. and out the door by 5 a.m. to arrive at work in St. Paul by 6 a.m. I was extremely pleases that the timing coincided with my commute into work.

I started out shooting just outside of New Trier, MN a little after 5 a.m. and caught the beginning of the lunar eclipse. It was a chilly early morn. I neglected to bring a jacket – that’s wasn’t too bright. As I stood there sipping coffee to offset the chill I reviewed the moon-set path on The Photographer’s Ephemeris. As I suspected the moon set was going to line up perfectly over the St. Paul skyline. I snapped a few more frames and then headed for the overlook off of Mounds Blvd. I wasn’t shocked to find the parking lot full. There were plenty of photographers and look-e-loos taking in the sight. I didn’t have any trouble finding a spot to setup. Out of coffee, I walked back and forth from my car to my tripod to fire off a few frames periodically. Here are a few shots from the early morning eclipse.

Photography

An Anniversary

October 9, 2014 Dan Traun 10 Comments

Tic-Toc. Time has run away with itself again. 5 years have passed. Poof.

It all started with my Outdoor Guy Photography blog. It looks like my 2010 and most of my 2011 posts & photos have gone by the wayside due to blog size restriction from dropping my premium subscription – for that very reason – storage. I decided to host my own blog, this blog, with bluehost.com (a WP partner). Easy-peasy; it’s a breeze.

I’ve read a few posts today from different photo bloggers stating that they intend to cease posting. I’ve read other posts in past weeks stating some are scaling back their blogging or stopping altogether. I get it…blogging takes time. I think there is also a natural ebb and flow of desire directly related to your level of excitement and inspiration with want you are doing.

I have really enjoyed the sharing aspect and have learned a lot from following many different individuals, viewing their work and reading about their journey regarding a limited variety of topics (mostly photography-related). Interacting with other photographers and photography enthusiasts has been great. The feedback that fellow bloggers provide is also wonderful.

I am finishing out 2014’s photo a day project. We’ll see what the next year in photography/blogging brings. It may be time to switch things up a bit. In closing I would like to thank those that follow and comment often; it has been a wonderful experience.

2014 (365), Daily Shots, Photography

10.09.14 – Eclectic Urban Style no. 2

October 9, 2014 Dan Traun 4 Comments

Eclectic Urban Style no. 2.

2014 (365), Daily Shots, Photography

10.08.14 – Swings

October 8, 2014 Dan Traun 2 Comments

Swings.

2014 (365), Daily Shots, Photography

10.07.14 – King’s

October 7, 2014 Dan Traun 4 Comments

King’s. Great burgers.

2014 (365), Daily Shots

10.06.14 – First Color, Sumac

October 6, 2014 Dan Traun 5 Comments

First Color, Sumac.

Destination, Photography

Mouth of the Bois Brule

October 5, 2014 Dan Traun 4 Comments

Back in late August of this year (2014), my wife and I were in the Duluth area to shoot a wedding. We stayed in Brule, WI at Brule River Classics the evening before. We had a little time to explore before sundown. County Road H north of Brule parallels the Brule River almost all the way to Lake Superior; Hwy 13 will take you the rest of the distance. To get to the rivers end, Brule River Road is a short jaunt just off of Hwy 13. We anticipate coming back this way. This area was quite nice with plenty of opportunities to explore – including kayaking.

The reddish water was a bit of a surprise. I had originally thought it was a muddy Brule flowing into the blue Superior, but that wasn’t the case. The shoreline on the big lake must have consisted of this red clay; steady waves on the clay produces the color. A beautiful location to take in a sunset.