A Stick in Time II Photo

Photographer’s Note

Stick in Time II

Lake Mitchell .. Mitchell, South Dakota.

This is the same exact place (looking the other way) as my photo A Stick in Time. Strangely, a different time and a different log ....

This is the same place as my image Dakota Autumn but a different season.

The strange green you might see on the stick, beach, and surf is some sort of compound added to attempt to get rid of the pollution in the lake caused by farm waist upstream.

the rest of this note pasted together from some earlier notes of this place ....
This a quiet place down the road from my parents place .. when I am home I can often sneak off for a quiet morning or two here and get some good practice with the camera .. this is one of my favorite spots on the lake.

South Dakota is most often associated with the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore .. or Native American culture .. or for those of us with cameras maybe the Badlands .. all of these things are found in the vast arid ranch land that makes up the "West River" half of the state ... I grew up in "East River" South Dakota .. a humid farming area similar to Minnesota and Iowa ..

From an earlier image:
My dad is a historian and archeologist. In
the early 1970s he excavated a prehistoric probably pre Mandan village
on the lake. Now there is a major dig on the site .. but a good portion of the site goes under this man made lake. The burial grounds are under the local golf course .. which is why it has such nice rolling hills (sarcasm). I guess we call all this progress

Buin, scobert, gunbud, evanrizo, thea0211, vagabondtravels, ekinokswest has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Buin (39562) 2007-04-20 12:00

Hi John!
This view gives me calm ... this water, like qicksilver - these trees, like a wall - this dark log ... all gives calm. A very special atmosphere here .... Wonderful!
Greetings from warm and sunny Germany - and have a nice weekend!
Frank

scobert (5333) 2007-04-20 12:14

Hello John,
Your "soft light" style works very well again for this gentle scene. You sarcasm about the "rolling hills" was not wasted on me. A great satirical comment. Just don't tell the local golfers. Well done!
Stan

gunbud (28813) 2007-04-20 22:25

Hi John,
Looks like this portion of the lake is completely undeveloped with that lush green jungle on its shores. Very nice reflection and the lonely bit of drift wood gives this a very secluded feel.
Regards, Tom

evanrizo (456) 2007-04-21 2:51

Hi John.
A peacfull place, the soft lightness and the soft sharpness gives a nice-sweet effect.
Very nice to have inside this dried-dead branch, it gives also the 3D efect.
Have a nice time.
Evan

thea0211 (1355) 2007-04-21 4:08

he he john, this log looks like a crocodile - are you sure it wasn't one in the prehistoric era? who knows ... very nice texture of water, the use of tripod makes it look almost solid, metallic.
well seen!
thank you and have a perfect weekend,
dora

vagabondtravels (6119) 2007-04-28 8:29

Hi John

Nice comp. Very sharp with good detail. The motion blur on the water really makes the image. Well done.
Ben

pinakie_slg (835) 2007-05-09 6:37

A peacfull place with the soft light gives a romantic effect.

ekinokswest (2974) 2007-09-02 17:42

John
What I like most about your photos is , it included a lot about nature , rather than city life and people portraits. I am not against them, but you have a style and follow it, which is good in terms of consistency
About this photo , the weird look on that wood stick took my attention when I examined it carefully. Sad but true, their compound is actually what causes the pollution, and your shot is the obvious evidence.