Month: January 2017

A Winter Sunday Drive

Published on by tbeckerphotos2 Comments

A winter Sunday drive on a cold and windy day with the goal of watching bald eagles.  My husband and Madison were with me.  It was too cold and windy to stay and watch for the majestic bald eagles for any length of time.  On the way home I chose to take a more scenic route along the Great River Road between the towns of Keokuk and Montrose, Iowa. A narrow windy and hilly tree-lined road.  Even in winter it is a beautiful drive.

Not many vehicles were on the road and as I looked in my rearview mirror was an image I wanted to make.  The bare trees hovering over the road creating a natural tunnel and providing cover from the wind.  As I was processing this image, I first processed it as I saw it, then as a black and white image.  But neither showed how it felt.  It felt cold and quiet.  So I continued to process the image until it portrayed how felt, not what I saw.

montrose-great-river-road-tjb2748
Great River Road between Keokuk and Montrose, Iowa

And for the bald eagles, just one image from this winter Sunday drive.

Bald Eagle - Keokuk, Iowa
Bald Eagle – Keokuk, Iowa

Winter Blues and Grays

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Winter blues and grays were found at Geode State Park today.  A mild day for January 1st, high 30s’s maybe even 40.  Most of the lake was covered in a thin layer of ice.  The light danced across the lake as the sun tried to shine through the thick billowy clouds in shades of blues and grays.  Dozens of Canadian Geese made an almost deafening sound as they took flight a short distance away.  Then for a brief moment, pure silence and the air still.   That moment blissful, no noise, just a beautiful winter scene of blues and grays.

Winter blues and grays at Geode State Park
Winter blues and grays at Geode State Park

As I drove away from the park it was the golden hour and soon the first sunset of 2017.  Mother Nature was teasing me with clouds moving and the sun trying to peer through.  As I headed west it looked as if there would be a chance of a pink sky just after sunset. The clouds were moving and illuminated with just a hint of sunshine, my hope for a pink sky heightened.  I found a location that I was hopeful to see if the sky would indeed turn pink.  The clouds were low and seemed too thick, but I was patient and waited.  Then slowly, a portion of the sky turned from gray to pink.

First sunset 2017 in Southeast Iowa
First sunset 2017 in Southeast Iowa

I continued to wait hoping the entire sky would explode in pink.  Only a portion turned pink, but a stunning pink for the first sunset of 2017 and leaving the rest of the sky filled with winter blues and grays.

First sunset in Southeast Iowa 2017.
First sunset in Southeast Iowa 2017.