January 3, 2023 by millicanphotography

2022: A Dozen Favorite Photos

2022 has been difficult for me, and many others. However, I am confident 2023 will be better. I made fewer photographs this year than in some recent years, but I still found joy in creating images. Enough that I selected a dozen to share here.

These 12 photos are my favorites, meaning they may not be the best technically, or there might be composition that does not “follow the rules”, or the subject may not connect with everyone. But, that’s ok! Each of these photos made me happy – and reviewing them still does! 🙂

1 – February: The Talimena Drive

After judging a photography competition at the Mena Art Gallery, I had enough time to travel west on the Drive. There was a lot of snow and ice, and I had always wanted to visit and photograph in these conditions. I was not disappointed!

2 – April: Indian Paintbrush, Flanagan Prairie

A visit to Flanagan Prairie usually rewards with a variety of wildflowers, but on this day there was not a great assortment. However, the Indian Paintbrush were blooming well, and that has always been a favorite to me.

I found this one in very nice light with a soft green background. Later, I used Lightroom Classic’s background selection brush and slightly darkened the background so the red-orange colors popped from the green.

3 – April: Dogwood, Devils Den State Park

A few days later, I stopped at Devils Den State Park to look for dogwoods. I had not photographed any thus far, and I knew the blooms were nearly gone. In years past, however, they sometimes bloomed in this park a little later, and this year was the same. Not that I really needed more dogwood photos; but, on the other hand, can we have too many dogwood photos? I do not think so…

4 – June: US Marshals Museum, Fort Smith

The Museum is not open to the public yet, but we are hopeful for this coming year!

But until then, it sits on the banks of the Arkansas River, looking across into Oklahoma. I see it as a striking piece of architecture and often go there to make photographs. Some of our photography classes have visited as well, and after taking a group there in May, I was inspired to return a week later and make this panorama. It is 7 horizontal images, merged in Lightroom Classic.

5 – July: “Ghost Rider in the Sky”, US Marshals Museum

This untitled and un-credited statue stands outside the Marshals Museum and looks like a Marshal from the 19th century on horseback. I imagine it’s what a criminal would see when the lawman caught up to him.

However, when I made this photo, the camera was set to overexpose the scene, and the resulting image immediately reminded me of the cowboy song “Ghost Riders in the Sky.”

6 – August: Milky Way, Talimena Drive

The Milky Way always provides a thrill, no matter how many times I have seen and photographed it. This old fire tower makes a nice foreground object, although there have been occasions when I found the access gate locked and had to find another vantage spot.

On this night, there was a little haze, but the stars still shone through for my class of 4 students.

7 – October: McWater Falls, Lake Alma Hiking Trail

In the Alma, Arkansas, City Park, a hiking trail makes a 3-mile loop around the City Lake. It is fairly rugged, and very scenic with tall trees, wildflowers, birds, and other wildlife. McWater Falls is about 300 yards off the main trail, and like many other falls, has the best flow after some good rain fall.

This photo was made in October, and the trees above the opening in the rocks were well on their way to having some good Autumn color. They also were much brighter than the waterfall area, but our modern camera and computer technology is so good that I was able to nearly balance the light in both parts of the image. This is NOT an HDR photograph.

8 – Thanksgiving Day: Arkansas Highway 59

Thanksgiving Day, after visiting family in Northeastern Oklahoma, I drove down Highway 59 from Summers to Van Buren. I had time, and the weather was nice – misty and foggy – and I decided to stop occasionally and also to drive down a dirt road, just to see what I might find.

I did find some cattle heading in for the afternoon feeding, but the favorite photo is just one of the dirt roads, bending into the forest and the fog. After making my photos, I continued driving south on Highway 59…

9 – Thanksgiving Day: Natural Dam

Natural Dam is an 8-foot-tall waterfall, located just off the highway. I have made hundreds, probably thousands, of photos here. The falls, but also wildflowers, autumn colors, the rocks, the water, and more. On this foggy, rainy day, with the sun already setting, it was getting dark, but the colors of Autumn were dark and rich…

10 – November: Cows in the Fog

A cattle rancher hired me to make photos for their website. The day began foggy and stayed that way for a while… I made photos anyway. This is probably not what he had in mind, but I liked it – and I think he did too!

11 – December: Johnson County, Arkansas

Near the Mulberry River is a twin waterfall called “High Bank Twin Falls.” This photo is of the creek flowing from the falls and headed toward the Mulberry. This was another dark, misty, and foggy morning; the exposure time was 8 seconds. I normally like a shorter length to maintain some “texture” in the water… But, I still like this photo, largely for the leaves in the distance still hanging from the trees, and for the leaves, rocks, and water in the foreground…

12 – December: Pigtrail Falls

This pretty little waterfall is right beside Arkansas State Highway 23, locally known as the Pigtrail. We only see the waterfall during runoff after some rainfall. It is such a popular spot for people to stop, the highway department enlarged the size of the parking area.

Reviewing your photos annually, or any other fixed time, is a good exercise in comparing where you are today, and how your work has changed and hopefully improved.

It also helps me to relive the moments that I have preserved, and the pleasure and joy, of seeing that part nature.

I hope you do the same, and…

Slow down. Look. Prepare to be astonished!

Have a Great 2023!!

December 23, 2022 by millicanphotography

Perfect Imperfection…

When photographing Nature, I believe that some photographers (yes, including me) overlook or ignore gifts from Nature that are less than perfect. If a flower was missing a petal, or part of it had been food for insects, we keep going and look for a perfect specimen.

But Nature is not perfect. In the mix of wind and rain, sun and heat, growth and life, very few of Nature’s gems remain whole or without damage…

A few weeks ago, I found this small locust tree branch in a small puddle of water, frozen. What stopped me was seeing first that some of the leaves were partially consumed by insects or caterpillars, but then I noticed the pastel colors, and the one magenta leaf detached and apart from the branch, also frozen in the same puddle.

It was still beautiful, I thought, despite the age and wear. Nature had placed it there for me to find, so I could see the story of its brief existence, its natural beauty. I photographed the leaves and the ice and spent a few moments just looking. And I still think of the little branch and its lesson today.

Here is another image, this one of a single leaf, which if we saw hanging on the tree, or on the ground, we would pass by. But, with a little help from the sun, the leaf seems more alive with beautiful rim-light, and the reddish-brown patches glow, and one of the holes in the leaf lets the sun make its own statement…

A phrase we nature photographers hear often, and just as often repeat, is “just slow down”. When we do slow down, and look, there is so much more to see.

Slow down. Look. Prepare to be astonished!

August 22, 2021 by millicanphotography

This Photo, #9

Lone Tree, Oklahoma Panhandle, April 2021

Image File MGC04924.ARW

Driving across Oklahoma for my first visit to Black Mesa – the most western, the most remote, and the most elevated point in Oklahoma – I could see why some people have considered this part of the state barren and even worthless over the centuries… But the landscape fascinated me with each mile I traveled. The seemingly never-ending plains, the occasional rolling hills, the distant windmills, the tall grasses and the wheat fields – all were new to me, and I enjoyed every every scene and every moment. I made several stops to look with my camera, and made notes of many places worth a return visit.

I drove by this tree, alone on the prairie, and argued with myself (the light is wrong; it’s the wrong time of day; I could stop on the return trip, etc.) for about a half-mile, but the photographer-self won: I stopped the car and went back.

After parking on the side of the highway, I pulled out the camera and the telephoto lens, mounted it on the tripod, and crossed the highway so as to fill the frame with the tree, the grasses, and the sky. I was intent on composing the photo to emphasize those elements – expressing my vision of the lone tree.

Oh? The nest in the tree? Yes, I saw it, but did not “look” at it – composition of the landscape was my concern! After making a few exposures, I moved the tripod to the right about 20 feet and recomposed. When I looked up from the camera, a female Northern Harrier was taking flight from the nest! I was stunned and did not photograph her as she flew – I only watched her fly and marveled at her grace and beauty, and gave thanks for the moment, and apologized for my disturbance…

Tech data: Sony Alpha 7RIV, Tamron 70-180 f/2.8 lens, Manfrotto 055 tripod with Really Right Stuff BH-55 ball head; 1/640 sec, f/11, iso 400, zoom set at 83mm.

August 8, 2018 by millicanphotography

This Photo, #7

Just an Old Truck

File DSC05669

August 2013

A few years ago, on a warm and humid August day, two of my friends and I explored some backroads of the Arkansas Ozarks from sunup to sundown. We photographed landscapes, old buildings, little waterfalls, wildflowers, and more.

Continue reading →

July 19, 2018 by millicanphotography

Familiar Places

Many photographers, especially outdoor and nature photographers, including me, like to travel and to seek out new locations and scenes. There is so much in this country, not to mention the world, yet to be seen.

However, circumstances and time often prevent us from traveling, so we learn to make the best of the locations near to home. And, we soon find that we have favorites: “go-to” places that always give us a photo opportunity.

Returning there often, we learn the best times to go, we see the seasons change, and we challenge ourselves to see familiar things in a new way.

My go-to locations near my home in Western Arkansas have been Natural Dam, Devils Den State Park, and Cherokee and Flanagan Prairies, among a few other spots. I always find something to photograph at these locations. Continue reading →

February 23, 2017 by millicanphotography

This Photo

Great Blue Heron Flying Across the Arkansas River, Slide file 10039, date 1989

Location: Citadel Bluff Park, near Cecil, Arkansas

Of all the photos I have made, this one fills a special place in my memory. The moment, the location, and the image all added up to make it one of the best photos I had made at that time…

In the 1980’s and 90’s, I often visited Citadel Bluff Park and Campground on the Arkansas River, just outside the small community of Cecil, hoping to see bald eagles – and frequently I did. A trail led from the end of the campground, through the woods, and along the river. However, no matter how quietly I approached, wildlife knew when I was there…

On this cool but pleasant winter morning, the Great Blue Heron flew when I got too close, sounding its blood-curdling alarm call. A grove of cane blocked my view, but I pushed through and saw the heron flying away. I had learned the hard way to preset the camera, but I still only had time for two photographs: the one you see here, and a second one with its wings in the downbeat.

Is it a good photo? I like it; but, for me, there is more: the image includes the sounds of the breeze in the trees and the river lapping on the bank, the smell of the forest, and the breathtaking flight of the heron. There’s nothing else there but the Arkansas River, with its own reflected image of the heron, and small ripples in the current…

Some tech stuff, as I remember it: Minolta Maxxum 7000 camera, a Sigma 400mm f/5.6 lens, and Kodachrome 64 film. (Yes, film.) Settings were probably f/5.6, at 1/500 sec shutter speed. I frequently set the camera ISO to 80, so as to underexpose the film and add saturation to the colors.

Oh – we have since incorporated the heron’s image into our logo:

In closing… this is the first post in a series. Would love to hear your thoughts about my little story, and if you have a photo that means something similar to you, we would love to hear about that, too! 🙂

October 16, 2016 by millicanphotography

Milky Way Photography Adventures

Despite the fact that Arkansas’ River Valley has had a dry year, it seemed that every time I planned a star photography outing – there were clouds.

On this night, the clouds parted over Shores Lake just for a few minutes, and just enough to see the Milky Way.

And, this trend included our Night Photography Workshop in August. We tried 3 times, before we finally had a marvelously clear night to see and photograph the Milky Way.

Same location – Shores Lake – but no significant clouds! 🙂 To add a little foreground interest, I set up my film camera to photograph the stars streaking across the sky, aka “star trails.”

If you live in an area with little light pollution, you may wonder what’s the big deal. However, for those of us who live in an urban area, it is a rare treat! Some of the photographers in our workshop had not seen the Milky Way since childhood. Seeing it and making photographs was very exciting!

Would you like to photograph the Milky Way? Here are 5 things I think you need:

A DSLR camera, because shooting in manual exposure mode and manual focus mode, and at a high ISO is necessary. Very few compact cameras have all those functions.
A wide angle lens. How wide? My preference is a 24mm for a “full-frame” sensor, but up to a 35mm will work. If you have an APS-C sensor, sometimes called a “crop-sensor,” 18mm to 24mm is the equivalent. That does not mean that we cannot use even wider! Many photographers use a 14mm, 16mm or an 18mm, and sometimes a fish-eye.
A Good tripod. Shutter speeds will be measured in seconds, and no one I know can hold a camera steady for that long. Your tripod will need to be solid, and easy to adjust in the dark. I recommend a carbon fiber or aluminum tripod, with a ball head.
A remote control for firing your camera. Pressing the shutter button will cause your camera to move, so use a remote cable or wireless remote.
A headlamp or flashlight with a red lens. Without the red lens, your night vision will be compromised each time you turn on the light.

Also helpful: an app on your phone. “Photo Pills” and “The Photographers’ Ephemeris” will provide photographers where and when information – I like and use both. I also like “Star Guide” which does just what it says – displays on screen where and when the stars are.

Once you have the equipment, the techniques we use are different from most other types of photography:

Locate an area with a probable good view of the Milky Way. Helpful web sites: www.cleardarksky.com, www.darksitefinder.com, and Google Maps www.google.com/maps.
Check the moon phases – a full moon is so bright you cannot see the Milky Way. A crescent moon is also bright enough to interfere, although if it sets early, the light – coming from the opposite direction of the Milky Way – can be helpful by lighting up the foreground.
Nearly a full moon means no visible Milky Way. When the moon went behind the clouds, there was still enough light to photograph Shores Lake with a 10-second exposure.
Camera settings: Start at ISO 3200, a shutter speed of 15 seconds, and your aperture at its widest. Make a test shot, check your image exposure, and adjust as necessary. It is not uncommon to set ISO at 4000 or higher. (Note: to calculate the longest usable shutter speed, divide 500 by your lens focal length. Example: with a 24mm lens, 500 divided by 24 = 20.83, so you would keep your shutter open no longer than 20 seconds.) A too-long shutter speed results in trailing stars, not points of light.
Focusing can be difficult. We tried to use autofocus before dark, then switched to manual focus. We also applied gaffer tape to the focus ring to avoid accidentally bumping and moving it. If you need to focus after dark, try using “live view” and magnify the display. (Practice this before dark!) The good thing about digital photography, of course, is we can see what we shot, then adjust and reshoot if necessary.

The end result can be very rewarding photos. And, watching the Milky Way – and other stars and constellations – begin to appear after the sun goes down is exciting and breathtaking! Especially the first time…

This photo is from a shoot with just Gayle and myself, when preparing for the workshop. Rich Mountain Fire Tower, Talimena Scenic Drive, near Arkansas’ Queen Wilhelmena State Park. Sony A7R, 24mm lens, f/2.8-15 seconds-ISO 5000

The “season” is about done for this year; during the winter months, the Milky Way is not visible. When it is most visible is late spring to late summer. (I can hardly wait!) The apps I referenced earlier are great for helping us plan. Feel free to contact me if you have questions – or search the internet for more information.

Wishing you good light!

September 30, 2014 by millicanphotography

Some Thoughts About… Polarizing Filters

A frequent question I hear is “is there a filter that will help me __ __ __?” Often, the answer is no. However, a Polarizing Filter is the one I encourage most people to acquire. Here are some basic tips and thoughts about this accessory…

The Polarizing Filter: A Nature Photographer’s Best Friend

The one accessory I always make certain is in the bag.

Grand Canyon, 2013 The polarizing filter helped separate and emphasize the clouds, and deepen the blue skies

Why use a polarizer

If you want to see your outdoor photographs really “pop,” this is the answer. A polarizing filter changes how you see the light that is being reflected from objects in the scene you are photographing. If your photograph includes water, it becomes clearer; if there are wet rocks, suddenly you see the rocks and not the light reflected from the moisture. If there are blue skies with puffy white clouds, the sky becomes bluer and the clouds whiter and more distinct. If your photograph includes vegetation, the color of the foliage is made richer – think fall foliage.

When to use a polarizer:

Get out your polarizing filter when you photograph:

Falling Water Falls, October, 2013

Water, waterfalls, wet rocks, lakes and oceans;

Landscapes, especially with blue sky and white clouds;

Fall foliage;

Or need to slow the shutter speed

Jack Creek, Ouachita National Forest, Arkansas

How to use the polarizer

The greatest amount of polarization occurs at a 90° angle to the sun; but, that does not mean you only use it at that angle. Rather, it just means you will see the effect lessening as you move the camera more toward or away from the sun. If the sun is in the frame, or directly at your back, you will essentially see no effect. So, with that in mind:

With the polarizing filter in place, frame your image and focus. Then, slowly turn the outer ring of the filter. As you do so, you will see the effect on your image increase or decrease. When you like what you see, stop the rotation and press the shutter button.
Take caution: if you are using a wide angle lens and have the blue sky in your frame, the effect will be uneven across the image, making the sky look unnatural.
If you are shooting at high elevation, the air is thinner, making skies a deeper blue than at sea level, and the polarizing filter will make the sky very dark, almost black.
In addition, pay attention to your exposure settings. This filter reduces light to your camera by 1½ to 2 stops. Your camera’s light meter will automatically compensate for this – usually by changing your shutter speed. If you are hand-holding your camera, or if you are trying to stop motion, you may need to compensate with aperture and/or ISO settings to keep your image sharp.

One final note: Unless you are using a pre-1970’s camera (or a view camera) be sure yours is a “circular polarizer.” Occasionally, you will come across a “linear” polarizing filter. This does not mean one is round and the other is not; this refers to the way they filter polarized light. Simply stated, the circular polarizing filter will work better with today’s cameras.

The polarizing filter: one accessory I don’t leave home without.

Additional resources and references:

Bob Atkins: http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/technical/polarizers.html

The Luminous Landscape: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/polarizers.shtml

Digital Photography School: http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-use-and-buy-polarizing-filters/

December 21, 2013 by millicanphotography

California Photo Festival

In October, I traveled to San Luis Obispo, California, to attend the California Photo Festival, aka “Click 4”, the fourth annual event. The week-long event is organized by Hal and Victoria Schmitt, who own and operate Light Photographic Workshops in Los Osos, California. There was a wide selection of subject matter in the classes, and photo shoots in vineyards, on the California beach in several locations, and on the city streets. We took photos of horses and riders, small critters, sunsets and sunrises, birds and other animals, and portraits of various models in a multitude of locales.

Instructors included Marc Muench, Rob Sheppard, Ben Willmore, Lee Varis, and Rick Sammon, as well as a dozen more. In addition, a number of vendors and equipment companies were on hand to show their equipment; not a huge trade show, but plenty of goodies to see and touch. 🙂

The cost for the Festival is reasonable, given the huge amount of information presented. Interested? Next year’s event is scheduled, but not yet accepting registration. Click the link above, or here, for more information.

Here are a few photos from my library. Hope you enjoy them!

“Horses on the Beach”

The intention was to photograph members of Cal Poly Tech’s Polo Team riding their horses in the surf at Morro Bay with a marvelous sunset in the background. The riders were there with their horses, but alas! we had no sun, just clouds, fog, and mist. We still made photographs! 🙂

Polo player in the surf at Morro Bay

Polo players riding in the surf at Morro Bay

One of the Cal Poly Polo team takes a break from the action. I really liked the reflection the wet sand gave us…

“Macro Critters!”

Another photo shoot set up for us was captive small animals – lizards, chameleon, snakes, spiders and insects – in “stations” that we could move to and from, making photographs of the small animals. Great fun, although somewhat cramped space. I carried my tripod, but left the legs together, using it like a monopod.

The Chameleon was perhaps the most photographed

Colorful, exotic lubber grasshopper

Gila Monster. I grew up hearing terrible stories about this animal…

“The Elfin Forest”

The morning after photographing the horses on the beach, I was in a group that went out for sunrise. Again, fog, drizzle, and clouds hid the sun. So, we turned out attention to details. We were in an area called the “Elfin Forest” which was populated with a dwarf oak tree, and more…

Small shrub with dried flowers and seed pods.

Bracken Fern closeup

“Photo Walk With Rick Sammon”

Another sunset opportunity, and finally, we saw the sun. Not to complain, but that is all there was to see – not a cloud in the sky, leaving the sun without a complement. We walked along the street at the Morro Bay Harbor, and still made photographs.

I photographed one of the other participants, with the sun backlighting him, creating the sun-star.

I photographed one of the other participants, backlit by the sun.

Morro Bay Harbor with Morro Rock on the horizon, just after the sun has gone down.

Morro Bay Harbor at dusk.

There were other classes and photo shoots; these are just some of my favorite images…

The California Photo Fest makes for a good destination, and will present the participant with a lot of information. Almost too much info! 🙂 But, if you pick and choose your classes and shoots, and don’t overdo yourself, you can learn much.

All photos were taken with the Sony Alpha 77; lenses were the Sony 16-50, Tamron 180 macro, Tamron 70-300.

June 17, 2013 by millicanphotography

Cherokee Prairie

Each spring, I look forward to visiting Cherokee Prairie, an Arkansas Natural Heritage Site. There are a number of pieces of land in Arkansas similar to this; allowed to grow naturally, with only foot traffic allowed.
This spring, I’ve been able to make several visits to the Prairie, and here’s some of what I’ve seen – and photographed.
Among the first wildflowers to bloom is Indian Paintbrush. I visited once and they were just beginning to show color; a later visit and the Prairie was nearly covered with the colorful red flowers.

Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea), Cherokee Prairie, near Charleston, Arkansas

Then, in the midst of the red flowers was this yellow version.

A yellow version of Indian Paintbrush

Here’s another image (my favorite) of the same yellow flower, juxtaposed with the red ones in the background.

Yellow Indian Paintbrush, Cherokee Prairie near Charleston, AR

Next, a few weeks later, the Purple Coneflowers covered the Prairie:

Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea), Cherokee Prairie, Charleston, Arkansas

Purple Coneflower framed by Doll’s Daisy, Cherokee Prairie, Charleston, Arkansas

Large patch of Purple Coneflowers, Cherokee Prairie, Charleston, Arkansas

There are other wildflowers there; these are some of my favorites.

And, the visitor can also see some other “flying flowers”, such as this Eastern Tailed-Blue. This was a first for me, and I appreciate our friend, Anne Sayers, helping identify it…

Eastern Tailed-Blue, Cherokee Prairie, Charleston, Arkansas

These images were all made with the Sony Alpha77, a Minolta 100mm macro lens and, more recently, a Tamron 180mm macro lens, Manfrotto tripod and Really Right Stuff ball head. And, all the water drops were there before I was… 🙂

Millican Photography

Photography by Larry & Gayle Millican

outdoors