Lucas Winkelmann: March 2015

3/20/15

I went to Creve Coeur Park on a perfect sunset evening. The sky changed colors constantly as in dropped below our view. There were slight waves continually coming into the rocks on the shore as well, creating possibly a perfect sunset photograph.

As soon as I got there, the sun created a yellow, orange kind of tone in the sky. The dark colored rocks bring out this bright color showing on the clouds.

My favorite part of the evening was seeing this pink color shining among the silhouetted trees. It was a beautiful sight to see the bottoms of multiple clouds lit up with such a vibrant color.

There was a spot in the park that expressed the waves better than any other. The waves got big enough at this point to roll over, creating this cool picture that captured both the wave and sunset. The color of the sky truly made every photograph beautiful.

The rocks added a uniqueness to each picture because no rock was the same. They were placed differently which made each wave do something different when they hit the rocks. We are able to see the ripple effects because of the amount of light shining down on it all.

Right before dark, the clouds started to move across the sky all at once. At one point they created a sort of line that cut through the open sky, seeming to split it in half.

3/16/15

We ventured to Castlewood Park on a perfect day. There were barely any clouds in the sky, and the temperature was warm. Luckily for us, we may have gone there on the nicest day of 2015,

They had wooden railing occasionally along cliff edges that allowed us to go farther out and hold onto while looking over the river and railroad tracks. The sky was remarkably blue that day.

A few of us were fortunate enough to find a cave on the edge of one of the cliffs that nobody else found. It seemed like a perfect spot in the park to hangout on a beautiful day like that one. There was a little bit of greenery around it as well.

The inside of the cave provided a cool border for this picture of the view. Sadly some dead plants blocked the amazing view to a certain point but some of the wooded area and sky are still visible.

The railroad tracks were lit perfectly by the sun at that point in the day. I had never been on railroad tracks before that day, and so it was cool to see up close how they are made and how they look in person.

This is a mileage sign for the trains. They use it to gauge how far they have gone or how much farther they have until they reach their destinations. Whether fall or spring, the bright yellow and white stand out to make it easily visible to trains.

BIRD SANCTUARY AND LONE ELK PARK

3/4/15

It was a very cold, icy, snowy day, and I did not know exactly what to expect to see with the weather being the way it was. However, I was fortunate enough to get a close up look at some rare birds, as well as wild buffalo and elk.

OWL

This Owl had the most majestic stance and look. His bright yellow eyes seemed to just pop out of his head right below these feathers sticking out of his head looking like ears. The colors of his body allow him to blend in with his surroundings this time of year very well.

HAWK

My favorite bird to photograph the entire trip was this Hawk. I loved the colors of its feathers, and I think that it has the coolest facial structure. It looks so fierce and serious with its black eyes as well.

HAWK

Luckily there was a bird that was a little more active than the rest on this cold day. This Hawk spread its wings multiple times while being held by someone, allowing me to capture it looking as if it is about to takeoff.

BUFFALO

As we drove through the park, we came across these Buffalo. Naturally we got out of our car to try to get as close as we could. It was fascinating to see the way that a light mist of snow covered the backs of the dark brown Buffalo fur.

ELK FIGHTING

One of the coolest experiences for me was getting to see two Elk fight right in front of me. We saw them while driving so we got out of the car and got as close as we could without them seeing us. It was neat to watch them interlock their antlers and yank each other back and forth.

3/2/15

We went to the St. Louis Zoo on a day that it was not very crowded. Many of the animals seemed to not be as "bothered" by large amounts of people constantly surrounding them and tapping on glass. Therefore, I feel as though they were more playful and outgoing around us which was very different from how I was used to seeing them.

ORANGUTANS

These Orangutans were wrestling around with this yellow ball, and I thought it was a good picture because of the contrast of color all around. The colors of the blankets, ball, and Orangutans really contrasts the grey, rocky background.

GORILLA

This Gorilla stared me down for a good few minutes, allowing me to get a few shots of his serious facial expression. He seemed to be standing his ground as he ate and held onto the rope.

ZEBRAS

The Zebras were very close to the edge of their enclosed environment that was open for people to look at them. This allowed me to photograph them close up. The snow created a unique background that makes the Zebras stand out.

JAGUAR

This Jaguar was the coolest animal I got to photograph. I was so fortunate that it was so close to the edge of its cage instead of hiding somewhere on that beautiful cage. It seemed to not even notice my presence as it continued to look into the open with that dominating stance.