SHOOT! Archives - MarvinBowen.com

Old Rusty Can in Green Grass

I often find old things interesting. I’m a bit of a sentimentalist in that regard as I cherish that which most others would discard as worthless. I deeply enjoy history and have a fascination with any objects that clearly posses history.

This old rusty can is just one such thing. Just imagine what was inside of it and who owned it. What were they doing with it and why is it here in this gorgeous green grass? How long ago was this left here. So many questions that simply will not be answered. But if I could have an answer…. I would probably be bored with it. The fact is that this can was found beside a highway. It was probably just tossed out the window by someone having a drink and there it has been for a very long time.

Either way, I enjoy looking at old things most of the time. They have a story to tell. This old rusty can is just asking me to tell its story.

Sitting Cows Chew the Cud

Sitting cows chew the cud while in a grassy field. In the shade. Does life get any better? Well, I suppose if your end is to become a meal, then it certainly can. But in this case these cows are likely milkers and, given the surroundings, they might have been nearly family pets.

I had just finished a photo shoot for some real estate. I walked back to my car, which was parked down the street so it wouldn’t get in the shots, and saw these two next to it. What a view! This is a rather sketchy attempt at an HDR of moving things. Don’t tear it apart too bad, please. It was just for kicks. I think it may have been hand held too. Anyway, I enjoyed seeing the two and just had to have a taste of this to cherish for the future. Chew, cows, chew!

Caldwell Sunset

I was just leaving Gem State Academy after the first night of camp meeting. I was about to turn north on Karcher when I noticed how stunning the Caldwell sunset was. I had my left turn signal on, but after seeing the sky I immediately switched it to ‘right’ and headed into the sunset. Being among so much developed land I was not very hopeful that I’d find a spot to let the sky sing while the surroundings played second fiddle. I was not disappointed. The growing wheat makes a nice, gentle foreground while still letting the light dance among it. If you are ever in that neighborhood and you think it’s just ugly old farm land, think again. Caldwell sunsets may not happen all day long, but they sure do happen!

Baby Bump HIll

Just a bump on a hill. Lines on it’s sides. A baby bump on stripes. I stopped here to shoot a tree, but was unsuccessful at finding a shot of said tree that I was happy with. I did find a way to capture this nice little hill. It took me several months, maybe even a year, to figure out why most of the hills around here have this stripes all over them. The deciding factor was a fence – one side with stripes and the other side smooth.

Inside an Old Shed

What else can be said about the inside of an abandoned old shed? It is what it is. This one was particularly interesting to me because it had odd and random things inside. A roll of chain-link fence. An old chalk line. An ancient stack of tree limb trimmings, sized for firewood. The gaps in the walls and roof and the missing window glass certainly added to the appeal. What do you think, old and interesting or dead and boring?

Raindrops on Glass

Something about raindrops on glass has always fascinated me. It has proven difficult to make a nice image of them, so I have yet to share any of my attempts at it. Until now. It had rained and was dark out. I took out my tripod and a flashlight. That was it. A bit of experimentation and some contrast adjustment in post, and we have raindrops on glass as my minds eye sees them.

Move On, Move Up

Sometimes it’s the simple things that make life sweet. Moving through life without stopping to notice the details makes it hard to appreciate the finer points. That is what this image is a result of. Taking stock of my surroundings, and keeping an open mind. I was photographing something totally different, but the light here caught my eye and I had to find a shot. I’m pretty happy with it. What do you think? Did I move on to the next stage? Do I get to move up?

Morning Cattle Guard

I was up early a few weeks ago, with nothing much to do that day. So I decided to go out looking for a nice photograph. The sun was far from coming up so I had time to go poking around on this unplanned shoot. I came to a meadow filled with cattle, but more impressive were the approximately 200 elk grazing on the early spring grass. There were about a dozen elk calves wandering around in a clump. I did shoot a few shots of them, but simply wasn’t prepared for wildlife that morning. Nothing to show for it. I did hang around for a couple of hours watching the light do it’s little dance across the horizon to the west, gradually creeping down the sides of the mountains. As the sun finally peaked over the hill in front of me, I clicked off a few shots, but nothing was really exciting my artistic eye. As the morning wore on I suddenly became aware of the cattle guard I had been standing nearly on top of for the past two hours. The sun was glinting nicely off of it, making it a magnet for me. The sun rose higher and happily the clouds grew more interesting. The result is nothing short of pure joy for me. I hope you like it, too!

American Avocet

This is an American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) from the Camas Prairie in Idaho last May. I didn’t have a long lens with me, so this is a mega crop. I also didn’t have a fast lens, so my shutter speed was too slow. At any rate, I managed to get something. There are so many beautiful birds to see there for how far north it is. I was totally amazed! I’d seen this and another in a zoo in a special display, so I felt particularly honored to have seen them up close in the wild.