Mike Houge

Fresh Snow:

Fellow photographer,  Dan Ruf and I found time this weekend to get out slip and slide thru the fresh snow and came home with a few good captures. It's been a pretty dry winter up here in northwest Iowa and I have to say the fresh snow was welcomed.

Both images are from the west side of Lake Okoboji and towards the end of the day and the temps were beginning to fall. So thanks to Dan for allowing me to follow him around for a couple of hours and don't forget to stop by his site too at www.danielrif.com . Have a great week and thanks for taking time to stop by.

Star Lily Study:

There were several lily's in the bouquet I gave my wife, Pam for valentines -  so I took advantage of the opportunity. I love getting up close and concentrating on one small area of the flower so the rest of the image is out of focus.

For the above image, I zoomed the camera lens while the shutter was open and merged several of the images in a software program to get the above look. I rather liked the final result.

That's all for now, our internet is poor here in the middle of nowhere so it helps if I can keep the content low. Have a great week and as always, thanks for stopping by.

More studio work:

I've been working indoors this weekend due to the nasty weather and the above is one of my favorites. I have to give partial credit to my friend Dan Ruf who you can find at www.danielruf.typepad.com. We get together often to visit about the ins and outs of photography and he's been encouraging me to not give up on still lifes. They don't come easy for me but as they say "practice makes perfect". I have a long way to go but I guess it is part of the journey.

Thanks for stopping by and have a safe week.

Studio work:

Winter is a good time to work on improving ones skills and this weekend - with all the ice- was a perfect one. The above amaryllis was definitely a work in progress. While working inside on cloudy days, lighting is always a concern and background is another. So after rearranging the dining room and creating the proper background- I started the process.

I previsualized what I wanted the image to look like but the right side of the plant was too dark. I decided to use a flash light to lighten it up but that also was a work in progress - as it needed just the right amount. After lots of trial and error, I finally had what I wanted but the work was just beginning.

Next in the computer after a little cleanup and a slight crop- on to OnOne software for some creative textures. This software has really given my creative juices the shot in the arm I needed. It has made the layering process easier than the photo shop work I was using before. After several attempts I ended up with the above image, which I hope you enjoy.

Have a great week and thanks for taking time to stop by.

 

 

Abstract winter scene:

It's funny, you never know where things will lead when you head out on a photo shoot. I went to Lost Island Lake this afternoon to see what I could find in the way of winter scenes. I had a few things in mind but was keeping my mind open to what I could find.

I spent some time capturing a few moments here and as the light was dimming, I noticed a nice light from the sunset through some nearby trees. I finally had to quit, so I headed home to see what I'd captured. As soon as I saw the above image, I knew I had to do a wood cut print look. I've always like that technique so I worked for some time until I got just the look I wanted.

I hope you enjoy the image , have a great week and thanks for stopping by.

Saying goodbye to fall?

Another fall season has passed way to quickly and I'm feeling rather cheated. In an effort to ease my pain and possibly yours, I have a few more fall images to post from previous years.

I hope you enjoy this set of images as much as I enjoyed taking them. These images always remind me of those warm dry days with a mild breeze and the sound of crunching leaves under foot.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and have a great harvest season.

Northern MinnesotaColors:

My wife, Pam and I were able to get a way for a long weekend last week and this year we hit the fall colors around Grand Marais just right. It's always a risk picking a date months in advance and hoping the colors will wait around for you but occasionally mother nature takes pity. The above image was taken from the side of Carlton Peak near Tofte, and it was drop dead gorgeous.

We stayed in the beautiful little village of Grand Marais and I was taken back by the gorgeous sky Friday morning. I spent a lot of time there on the beach capturing the sail boats in the harbor and enjoying the calm morning ( it didn't hurt that the Java Moose coffee shop was across the street).

The above image was captured at another of my favorite haunts- Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. The weather was wonderful but the colors had reached their peak the week before we arrived but I thought this view over the old bridge still showed some promise.

Thanks for taking the time to let me share some of my northern images. The weather is turning cold and windy and I'm afraid we are about to lose the little color we have here in Iowa, so I hope you've had time to enjoy this years fall. Have a great week.

A quick trip to the Arrowhead Region:

My wife and I were able to escape to northern Minnesota a while back before the hustle of the Clay County Fair begins. We were greeted by rain and cooler weather while we were visiting, which was really appreciated. It's surprising - but there were signs of the leaf color changing. I figured with all the rain they've received it might hold off. I'm planning on a late month fall trip and I'm hoping there are still leaves on the trees.

The first image is from down in Canal Park at Duluth just at sunrise, it was one of those beautiful Lake Superior mornings. The second image is as you might guess- from Gooseberry Falls State Park north of Two Harbors. In both locations I wasn't the first one on the scene- which I found amusing, as that isn't common. Normally I have these spots to myself, I'm not used to sharing.

Thanks for stopping by and for the locals-maybe I'll see you at the Clay County Fair. By the way, there were aprx 2200 photos entries at the fair this year- not a record but close. I hope you can find time to stop and see all the beautiful images on display, I think it'll be worth your time. have a great week.

Dreaming of Duluth,MN

I suspect the first winter snow of this winter season finds you dreaming of somewhere warm. For those of you that know me or have been following my blog for a while, you know that I'm dreaming instead of the areas of northern Minnesota. My wife and I have been going to the arrowhead region of Minnesota over Valentines weekend now for several years.

Yes we tend to do things backwards from most people in this area but it's been calling out to us louder each day. For anyone that has fallen in love with the north shore you will understand what I'm talking about, if you haven't, then I hope that someday you give it a chance.

 Someone recently asked me what the draw was and it tried to put into words the feeling I get when I'm along the big lake and as silly as it sounds- it's almost spiritial. Not only is it a quiet place but it's a combination of air that smells of pine, of a big lake that seldom freezes over , of snow that falls straight down and a big blue sky.

The image above is of a view that I find timeless, taken on a walkway overlooking the Duluth skyline from the north. If you're familiar with Duluth, I think  you'll recognize it, if not I hope someday you'll be intrigued enough to want to visit.

Thanks for letting me rant-have a great week and as always thanks for stopping by.

Dreaming Of Flowers:

 
This weeks photo blog is for anyone dreaming of spring. Here in northwest Iowa, mother nature has been teasing us with some nice warm weather and then taking it away. On a trip to Storm Lake Friday, I couldn't help but notice  that they had no snow but here at home I still have some five foot drifts. Now today we receive more snow and the weatherman is predicting some nasty stuff for Monday and Tuesday- wow!

 

I'm hoping the flowers on this blog will bring some temporary warmth into your life and remind you that no matter how much nastiness mother nature sends us, she has never not  brought us spring. The images on this weeks blog have been created using Totally Rads software and  if it interests you check out www.danielruf.typepad.com or www.tonysweet.comfor some other variations of textures using a variety of software.

 
The first image at the top of the page was taken in Orange City, Iowa just after their Tulip Festival. If you've never visited their festival, I highly recommend it. The middle image of Lupines was taken at the O'Brien County Nature Centers prairie set aside, which is also a great place to visit- any time of the year. The last image is of a young cone flower and was taken near Lost Island Lake. I would like to thank you for stopping by and don't give up dreaming of spring- it will be here soon. Have a great week.