Ducati Days at Mid America Motorplex

Although the weather did not cooperate this morning, was able to snap a few shots of some bikes on the track and in the pits.  Hopefully tomorrow the weather will be nicer.  I used my D800e and Sigma 150-500 lens for shots on the track.  In the pits I switched to my new super wide angle Sigma 12-24mm lens; still learning the limits of the this lens; overall very pleased with it. 

 

Thunder in the Bluffs ATV Poker Run

Today my father and I photographed the first ever United States ATV Search and Rescue ATV poker run in Mills County Iowa.  The Poker run started and ended at Mid America Motorplex in the pouring down rain, but riders didn't seem to mind.  To cap it off the staff at Mid America Motorplex opened up the mud pits for some good 'ol dirty fun!  The event was a huge success!  I am sure that many folks were busy cleaning late into the evening!

Holy Family Shrine

For the past five years I have been curious about a glass and wood structure that kind of resembled an old corn crib just west of Omaha Nebraska.  Today I finally took the time to visit the Holy Family Shrine.  A unique structure perched on a hillside overlooking fields west of Omaha.

 

 

 

The combination of wood and glass walls really lets you connect with God and nature.  Running under the floor next to the pews is a small stream of water creating the gentle sound of a bubbling brook.

I recommend seeing this if you are in the Omaha area.
 

A day at the zoo

Got to spend some time with my father photographing some of the attractions at our local zoo.  We rarely get the opportunity to get out in the field together for photography, so it was fun today sharing our love of capturing images.  Growing up I always looked forward to hunting and fishing seasons to spend the time with my father out with nature, now days we mostly spend our time outdoors 'hunting' images with Nikon cameras. 

Getting a steady shot of a swan

Always be aware of your background for natrural looking settings

Panning

Photographing moving subjects takes practice and a steady panning technique.  It is important to keep your subject centered in the frame and pan at the same rate.  Chose a shutter speed that is slow enough to capture the movement, but not too slow to cause the subject to become out of focus.  I like to use a shutter speed of 40th of a second on fast moving subjects.