RS Productions

Frozen

2012-01-16T18:31:00.003-06:00

Frozen, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

I forgot I had today off, but once the realization happened, I made the most of it. This was
taken at Wyalusing State Park just outside of Prairie Du Chien WI.

Farm at Dusk

2012-01-15T12:34:00.004-06:00

Farm at Dusk, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

Driving home from an afternoon at Governor Dodge State Park, I saw this view out of the
rider side window of the car. It was so beautiful, I had to pull over and take a few shots.

Natchez Trace Bridge

2012-01-07T18:12:00.003-06:00

Natchez Trace Bridge III, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

It is so amazing to drive up on ths bridge. The scale and lines are just breathtaking.

Wisconsin River

2011-10-22T08:58:00.003-05:00

Wisconsin River, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

Taken from Wyalusing State Park.

We had another angency "team building" day. People spent time hiking, swining and generally
enjoying each other''s company on this gorgeous late fall day. We could not have asked for a
better day.

Autumn View

2011-10-08T23:14:00.002-05:00

Autumn View, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

Devil's Lake State Park

I found out what kind of shape I was in today climbing this "hill." It is very rocky and steep.
I was joking with some of the other hikers that it is 4 miles up and only 1.1 miles down!!
There really are some great views though and it was well worth the effort.

Illumination

2011-10-02T19:40:00.002-05:00

Illumination, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

Setting sun illuminating fall colors. Taken at Mirror Lake State Park from the kayak.

Sunset at Trempealeau Mountain

2011-09-10T10:26:00.002-05:00

Sunset at Trempealeau Mountain, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

The first night at Perrot State Park the moon came out to play as I was shooting the sunset. It was so wonderful to see it appear suddenly as the sky darkened.

Trempealeau Mountain

2011-09-09T21:29:00.003-05:00

Trempealeau Mountain, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

A view from my campsite at Perrot State Park over a long holdiay weekend. Trempealeau Mountain is on the right side of the image. The image is a long exposure taken with the Tiffen .6 graduated ND filter and by accident or forgetfulness with a 4X ND filter at night. I was surprised the images I took did not come out way too dark. As it turned out, I only needed to lighten them a small amount.

Clouds Rising

2011-08-14T20:35:00.001-05:00

Clouds Rising, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

Stormy Sky

2011-08-13T23:24:00.005-05:00

Stormy Sky, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

I wound my way on country roads to Governor Dodge State Pak this afternoon with the intention of taking some long exposures of the waterfall there. I reminded myself before I left that I would stop if I
saw something to photograph along the way. Well, I stopped a number of times and by the time I
got to Governor Dodge State Park, the clouds I'd seen and photographed all the way there had finally turned into a storm with heavy rain. I had to sit in my car a while until the storm passed and as it did I could see steam and cloud formations rising up from the ground but I was not at a high enough location to photograph what was happening. I had to drive some distance in the park until I reached this location. The sky was so fascinating today, I never did get to the waterfall.

Please excuse the funky spots . . . seems my camera has a gremlin again.

This Union

2011-08-08T22:06:00.005-05:00

This Union, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

This
Union you want
With the earth and sky,
This union we all need with love,
A golden wiing from God's heart just
Touched the ground,
Now
Step upon it
With your brave sun-vows
And help our eyes
To
Dance!

By HAFIZ
The Great Sufi Master
Translation by Daniel Ladinsky

Ol' Man River

2011-08-08T19:32:00.002-05:00

Ol' Man River, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

Dere's an ol' man called de Mississippi
Dat's de ol' man dat I'd like to be!
What does he care if de world's got troubles?
What does he care if de land ain't free?

O' man river,
Dat ol' man river,
He mus'know sumpin'
But don't say nuthin'
He jes' keeps rollin'
He keeps on rollin' along.

A view of the mighty Mississippi from Wyalusing State Park.

The peace and beauty of the setting sun was a welcome reprieve from a weekend with a migraine headache. I was so grateful to be released from its grip and have a few hours in the healing presence of the great mother. As the sky darkened in the distance, I heard what the mind said was a coyote but in fact sounded much more like a wolf’s howl across on the bluffs of Iowa.

Evening Sky

2011-07-31T18:57:00.003-05:00

Evening Sky, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

This was the same night I went out with my brother and his family for a sunset ride on their
boat. They fished while I snapped some images. My poor brother cast out one time, his line
got tangled and he spent the rest of the time before the mosquitoes hit trying to untangle his
line. In this shot, I continued to us the Tiffen .6 graduated ND filter. As the light faded it
created some very interesting affects.

Solitude

2011-07-27T13:06:00.003-05:00

Solitude, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

I went to the dock below our chalet one evening and a young lady was sitting on the dock enjoying
some peace and solitude. She was unaware at first that I was there as she was listening to music
with ear buds. When she realized I was there taking photos, she was concerned that she was
spoiling the image. I assured her she was in fact adding to the image and showed her what I
was shooting. She gave her consent to continue shooting and actually hit a few fun poses
for me.

Sunset White Sand Lake

2011-07-19T17:35:00.001-05:00

Sunset White Sand Lake, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

I spent a wonderful week with family on the White Sand Lake in northern Wisconsin. The weather cooperated with temperatures in the 60's at night and in the 70's during the day. Everywhere you look, nature abounds with beauty; Bald Eagles, sunrises, sunsets, waterscapes, landscapes and so many lovely natural details. This image was taken after an afternoon of water sports and an early evening boat ride. We docked the boat and were on our way back to our chalet when I could see these amazing blazing colors through the trees. I ran to my car, grabbed the tripod and joined a number of other lodgers taking pictures from the dock below our cabins. I stayed after everyone else left to capture some long exposures. This is one of my favorites.

Nature's Drama

2011-06-22T19:44:00.005-05:00

Nature's Drama, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

Yesterday, storm clouds threatened all day. As I was driving it was so fascinating to watch the clouds begin to gather into larger and larger masses. They never organized enough though to even rain. Wnen I got home, I watch this cell beginning to form outside my living room window. You could see the clouds rolling upward and there was even a slight clockwise rotation in the movement. Nature is so amazing!

"Team Building"

2011-06-17T22:53:00.003-05:00

"Team Building", a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

At Devil's Lake State Park.

I have to give a shout out to our agency's director and the board for coming up with a wonderful "team building" day at Devil's Lake State Park. Indeed, our two offices had an opportunity to bond and get to know each other better today and a good time was had by all. What a beautiful day! In this image some

colleagues are working together navigating a paddle boat.

Sunset on the Mississippi

2011-06-06T21:27:00.002-05:00

I spent the weekend in Trempealeau Wisconsin camping at Perrot State Park, paddling Trempealeau Long Lake and attending the Blues Bash at the Trepealeau Hotel. It was a wonderful and relaxing weekend. The setting sun created some beautiful light so I stepped away from the blues to capture
a few images. Captured here is the warm glow of the setting sun on the Mississippi River. Enjoy!

Phoenix Rising

2011-06-02T21:31:00.002-05:00

The evening sky changed by the minute revealing one stunning view after another.
This is another image from last night's paddle on the Lone Rock Wildlife Refuge.

Lone Rock Wildlife Refuge at Sunset

2011-06-01T22:38:00.003-05:00

Lone Rock Wildlife Refuge at Sunset, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

I hurried home after work today hoping to get a couple of hours of paddling in with my new kayak
before the sunset. What a beautiful evening it was for a paddle. It was 79 degrees with a slight
breeze at first but as it got closer to sunset the wind died down and the water became as smooth
as glass. This image was take from the kayak on the Lone Rock Wildlife Refuge using a Tiffen .6 graduated ND filter.

Lady Slipper -- Wild Orchid

2011-05-28T21:15:00.003-05:00

Wild Flower -- Lady Slipper -- Wild Orchid, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

Last weekend I splurged and got myself a kayak so I would be able to get out on the water
this summer. Today was my first day out. I took the boat out on Mirror Lake in Mirror Lake
State Park. It was overcast for most of the day, but still a nice day to paddle. I met a couple
of friendly paddlers and saw some amazing wildlife. One little gem a ran across was this lovely
little wild flower. I didn't know what it was, but thought it looked like an orchid. Sure enough, I
looked it up on the internet and found it is called a Lady Slipper and it is a wild orchid that
grows in Wisconsin. What a treat!

Severe Weather

2011-05-22T21:17:00.003-05:00

Severe Weather, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

We had a very fast moving storm blow through this afternoon. The power went out, there
were very high winds as well as hail. A hail stone that was about 1/2 inch larger than a
golf ball landed in the yard outside my window.

Indigo Bunting

2011-05-09T19:53:00.005-05:00

Indigo Buntings, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

I woke up this morning and opened the curtains in my living room. As I looked down at the birdfeeder and I saw three Indigo Buntings breakfasting. I pulled out the camera and started snapping. When I came home this evening from work, there they were again. So I started to take some more shots.
As I was photographing three Indigo Buntings on the birdfeeder, three more appeared for a total of
six Indigo Buntings. I really could not believe it!

Spring at Devil's Lake State Park

2011-05-01T21:46:00.004-05:00

Spring at Devil's Lake State Park, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

I purchased two graduated ND filters. One was a Tiffen .6 (the screw in kind) and the other is
a Cokin .9 S. I found with the .6 graduated filter the sky was still too light so I pulled out the
Cokin and put it front of the Tiffen. I may have gotten the sky a little dark but in this one at
least, I like the affect of the light being pushed to the center. I can tell I'm going to have a lot
more fun with these filters in my arsenal.

Blood Root

2011-04-25T20:04:00.005-05:00

Spring Flowers, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

It was a beautiful spring day. I was exhausted from working all weekend to get my computer back
up from a virus. The endeavor was successful but I didn't have anything left for work today. I called
to reschedule my appointments and took PLT for the day. It turned out to be one of the only sunny
days in a very long time and I enjoyed it thoroughly. As I was hiking a ran across these little beauties reaching for the sun. I just love how the burgundy stems contrast against the delicate white flowers
and how thier leaves wrap around the stems before they fully open.

Happy spring!

Fields & Sunset II

2011-04-20T21:31:00.003-05:00

Fields & Sunset II, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

I left work one evening last fall determined to get in some shots before the sunset. I drove and
drove and drove, all the while I could see the "good light" and an amazing sunset behind me
in the rearview mirror. I finally found a road to turn off on and had just a few minutes to snap
some shots before the sun fell below the horizon.This is one of them.

Morning Fog & Fields

2011-04-20T21:21:00.004-05:00

Morning Fog & Fields, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

This image is from last year in late spring. So often the valley where I live is shrouded by fog
in the early morning hours. This scene is just up the street from where I live. How beautiful it is.

Sunset

2011-04-20T21:03:00.003-05:00

Sunset, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

Another enchanting sunset at Perrot State Park. Here, there is just a sliver of an opening
left for the sun to shine through allowing me to catch the setting sun's rays.

Winter Trail II

2011-04-17T21:05:00.004-05:00

Winter Trail II, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

While visiting family at Christmas, I decided to go for a walk. Of course I took my camera with
me which turned the walk into a two-hour photo shoot. When I got back my family commented
that I must have taken a very long walk. I just started laughing then explained I had only gotten
to this spot, which is about a quarter mile from their home.

Birds, Berries & Snow I

2011-04-17T16:20:00.005-05:00

Birds, Berries & Snow I, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

This image was take through my living room window on a cloudy snowy afternoon. The Cedar
Waxwings came to visit in November 2010. They seemed to disappear for 4-6 weeks from mid
to late December then return in February. I am still seeing small flocks of them at the time of
this posting.

Winter Forest

2011-04-17T15:27:00.005-05:00

Winter Forest, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

This winter I purchased a Tiffen 2-stop graduated ND filter. On this excursion, I used it along
with the camera's internal sepia and red filter settings to balance the snow, bring out some
more contrast and highlight budding details at the top of the tree.

Trempealeau Mountain at Sunset

2011-04-17T15:11:00.009-05:00

Trempealeau Mountain at Sunset, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

This was the same camping trip . . . the calm before the storms.

A Break in the Storms

2011-04-17T14:55:00.007-05:00

A Break in the Storms, a photo by Radha121 on Flickr.

I started taking photos about three years ago. This was taken last summer on a camping vacation
at Perrot State Park in Trempealeau Wisconsin. This park supports a vareity of veiws for nature photography. There are steep bluffs with beautiful vistas up and down the Mississippi river. On
this trip there was one sunny day out of nine. The weather ranged from overcast and misty to
violent waves of storms. This image was captured between the waves of vioelent storms at
sunset. You can see the setting sun highliting another storm front over the bluffs on the
far horizon.