Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Park

Walking through the areas that Native Americans inhabited as far back as 10,000 years ago, it is hard not to wonder if this culture shared the same feeling that I did as I went through the area.  Magical, spiritual, and surreal are some descriptors that come to mind.  Filled with enormous canyons, it is hard not to feel small when exploring them.  Both glaciation and aggressive stream erosion formed the canyons that are primarily St Peter sandstone1.  Most of the canyons have active waterfalls, that vary in performance depending both on season and precipitation levels.

Lake Falls, Matthiessen State Park

During my stay, the precipitation levels and type varied from thunderstorms (that happened while shooting St Louis Canyon) to snowfall.  The temps were variable as well.  When I arrived it was about 65, the morning I departed it was 26.  Needless to say, it was well worth the trip.  Going when the weather is not ideal means very few people.  That is an ideal situation for any nature photographer: to be by yourself, listen and feel the nature and try to capture its beauty.  I hope I did it justice.    See the rest of the gallery here:  

http://www.matthewjkirsch.com/gallery/Starved-Rock-State-Park/G0000FShnJ.rTxYk/C0000vLkidu44.io

Pontiac Canyon - Starved Rock State Park

1.  Illinois DNR "Starved Rock State Park." 27 Apr. 2014
     

Perfect Pose

Across the room, intently looking through the glass was a jaguar.  It was in its perfect pose, just gazing out like it wanted me to come over and photograph it.  So when I looked I knew it was just a matter of time before all the children and surrounding families at the zoo would tap on glass or disturb it or aggravate it.  

Incognito

While vacationing at my cousins place on a lake I was presented with multiple photographic opportunities: fog, sunrises, sunsets, reflections, and frogs.  Yes frogs.  Each morning the area near the lake was still wet with dew and the frogs propagated there.

Blocking out the Sun

Ideally, when photographing your want the sun at a low angle.  This means capture times either need to take place two to three hours maximum after sunrise or two to three hours maximum before sunset.  In between that time, the light is not ideal, especially if the sun is out in full force.  So what are you supposed to do if you want to capture something and the time is not ideal?

Can the Sky Be Your Subject?

When shooting sunsets, sunrises, storms, etc., a lot of people shoot the areas surrounding the sky.  But what if the sky was so awesome that it could stand alone in a image?

The Perspective of Repetition

Perspective and repetitive pattern in photography are two ways to bring interest into your subject and make your images more compelling. Combining both of these at the same time can yield some interesting results and if done right produce a captivating image.

4th of July Freedom

I have a bit of a special place in my heart for the fourth of July. It might have something to do with that fact that I was supposed to be born on that day, and it was 1976 (yes aging myself) so I have the whole bicentennial thing going as well. I did come a few days early though. But I digress.