My Life, my photography, my passions
The clouds in Nebraska take on a life of their own and offer a landscape panorama that takes your breath away
A lone buffalo stands guard between Omaha and Lincoln Nebraska at the Lee Simmons Wildlife park. While he may not be wild, or even real, the buffalo inside the park are real. It is ironic this buffalo stands next to a fence, which to me symbolizes how barbed wire and man civilized the prairie to the point where the only buffalo can only be seen in captivity.
The above shot is straight out of camera shot, a little over exposed. When I adjusted the exposure the scene was just too contrasted for the texture of the bronze buffalo. So I turned him to black and white in Lightroom 4. This is a reach for me as I LOVE the blue of the sky and high contrast.
I adjusted the clarity in the clouds and reduced the shadows in the grass.
What version do you like best?
The grass is belly high, the cow have calves by their side and the sun is setting on the horizon. How I love the Midwest! Angus and “black baldy” cows are the norm around this part of the country and after “talking” to them a little I got their attention.
Editing notes: Used Lightroom 4 to increase the exposure and increase clarity in the grass and the brush to decrease the exposure in the sky. The last thing I did was use the masking brush and open up the the highlights in the cows, their black coloring was hard to separate individuals.
A Field Guide to Cows: How to Identify and Appreciate America’s 52
Cattle: A Handbook to the Breeds of the WorldRaising Beef Cattle For DummiesKnow Your CowsThe Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals: Choose the Best BreedsSmall Cattle for Small Farms (Landlinks Press)
The Holy Family Shrine can be seen as people travel on I-80 between Omaha and Lincoln Nebraska, although many do not know what they are seeing. It sits high on a hill and for those who take the time to venture off the beaten path.
It is very peaceful to walk through the gardens and reflect in the chapel. It is rumored that the Thorncrown Chapel in the Ozarks was the inspiration, but this I do not know for sure. It has become a popular location for photography and the view from the top of the hill is breath taking.
Take Exit 432 off I-80, turn south towards the Flying J truck stop and go almost 1.5 miles on Hwy 31. There will be a sign on your right hand side onto Pflug Road (it is gravel) proceed west one mile. Hours are Mon-Sat 10-5 pm and Sunday 12-5pm. There is a parking lot outside the gate and you can walk on the hiking trail after hours.
Jeremiah 29:11 Keyring
Journey White Resin Plaque With Bronze Title Bar And Scripture Verse Jeremiah 29:11Sterling Silver Miraculous Army Military Protection Medal PendantKONOV Jewelry Classic Vintage Cross Mens Ring, Stainless Steel Band, Silver, Size 9
Information About the Holy Family Shrine in Nebraska
Holy Family Shrine by BCDM Architects » CONTEMPORIST
Music in our schools is not dead, in fact it’s cool to be in choir at Elmwood-Murdock high school in Nebraska. The choir consists of 50% of the high schools enrollment and they are a source of pride for the school and community. Yes, this is a small school, but normally only those students who have good voices join the choir, which is normall a small percentage of a population.
However, a good choir director can find the inner voice in a willing student and bring out beautiful music. Below is the result in a piece performed at the 2012 Nebraska District Music contest. Enjoy “The Awakening” by Joseph M. Martin
Music contests are somewhat formal and below is the same song sung at the school concert. I like the below version better as the students are more emotional. Both versions give me chills, but I love the expression on the faces at the end in response to Mrs. Colbert getting emotional and tearing up.
