Building Archives - Bliss Photographics

Posted on March 31, 2020March 25, 2020 by Frank Bliss

Reflections Driveway Twilight Show

Long Red, Orange and Yellow wavelengths survived the gauntlet of the atmospheric filters present. This lake looks HUGE but I assure you it’s a perspective trick of angle and light. It is a small melt water pond on my driveway probably 15 feet across but that is irrelevant to the illusion. If it were windy that night, this would have been a reflective mess. I know the bottom here 😜.

This low area is part of the drainage inside my compound however . I’ve seen 4 inches of water flowing through this spot before during the spring melt. It is the secondary water course through my property. When the primary water channel is full of ice, this part of my driveway is a run off channel. Plan B as it were. lolol. My buildings foundations are a foot above this. I did the surveying for many of the structures here. I taught surveying to collect seniors in the Horse Creek Area east of Dubois.

Reflections from calm water are always darker than the skies they are reflecting. Rippled water presents a smaller surface to reflect the available light so windy surfaces are even more dark. The dynamic range of these Sony Alpha 7 series never fail to amaze me and I’ve used them for 2 years now. I put a lot of clicks on camera bodies lol. Hard use up here in the backcountry. Lots of dust /environmental exposure plus wear and tear.

This location is directly on my gravel driveway. Sometimes I don’t have to go far to chase the light. . As this posts the sun is setting further to the north or straight west each night after the March 19 Equinox at 9:50 PM MST. It set at 270 degrees that day. The sun is setting/rising north of east/west roads as well. There are so many opportunities over the next week folks, pay attention to sunset and sunrise and where those “leading lines” lead to.

Location: Bliss DInosaur Ranch, Wyoming/Montana borderlands (Wyotana)

Title: Reflections Driveway Twilight Show

Posted on February 8, 2020February 1, 2020 by Frank Bliss

Miller Bros 101 Ranch

Alright, I understand this image dated in Bliss Oklahoma back around 1907 and not in Wyoming/Mt, it’s part of our past though…. . MANY of the cowpokes standing around in this image are famous as heck with some from Wyoming. For instance, Bill Cody’s show proper shut down in 191. Those performers certainly performed at the 101 before and after that date. There are several famous Wyoming born bred cowboys in this image. Miller Brothers show had a 34 year run to follow. They first performed in 1905. Several members of Cody’s troupe are in this un-signed image.

Let me start by saying, the 101 earned most of its notoriety from the Wild West shows that it staged. 80,000 people attended their grand opening day. Geronimo, Buffalo Bill (himself) , Tom, Mix (FAMOUS TV cowboy) were all involved. They seasonally employed 2-3 thousand people.

Several entertainers who continued their careers in the fledgling motion-picture industry had connections with the 101. They included Will Rogers, Tom Mix, Mabel Normand, and Buck Jones. The Millers leased equipment and loaned employees to the Bison 101 Film Company, which produced Western films in California. The road show continued. They even recruited stars such as boxing champion Jess Willard. In 1916 the production combined with Buffalo Bill Cody and toured as “Buffalo Bill (Himself) and 101 Ranch Wild West Combined, with the Military Pageant Preparedness.” Tex Ritter, Bill Pickett and Ed “Hoot” Gibson were star performers as well.

I obtained this original in Cody Wyoming back in 1995. I’ve never seen it elsewhere. Thought I should get it on the FB archive and off site.

Location: Original photo currently resides at Bliss Dinosaur Ranch, Wyoming/Montana borderlands behind UV resistant glass.

Title: Miller Bros 101 Ranch

Posted on November 6, 2019November 16, 2019 by Bliss

Alpenglow Across the Barnyard

Caught Coming Home the other night: Alpenglow across the Barnyard

Really dark scenes like this are best caught on a tripod. I have a vehicle window clamp that works pretty well for lenses under about 8 or 9 pounds. I’ve had several cameras on that window before lol. One is easy. The reflections in the windows of this rather large Barn Structure we have (286 feet by 94 feet I believe) which is about the size of a regulation foot ball field. The Moon was up far to the left and I was trying like heck to see it’s reflection in the windows but I couldn’t get low enough to catch it. Durn Ground was in the way. Some things you just have no or little control of.😜”Alpenglow Across the Barnyard”

Time exposure, night time about 30 minutes after sunset at the beginning of Nautical Twilight. About 2 seconds worth of shake free camera. (you have to turn down the volume on the stereo AND turn off the car to avoid that. A real mood breaker since I tend to do photography with some jamming tune in the backcountry.

Alpenglow:

When you have a LOT of “stuff” in the atmosphere plus a LOT of red/orange light filtering through it, leads to Alpenglow. The low angle sun light plows through hundreds of miles of air, clouds, moisture, and dust. In this case, ICE is a major sun projection screen lighting up with the infusion of colored hues, mostly orange here but I’ve seen EVERY color in Alpenglow. Often the Gradients can literally be a rainbow gradient. I’ve seen and photographed it numerous times.

You can count the number of architectural silhouettes I’ve published on both hands I’m pretty sure. My tendency is to work nature not the man made stuff up on ranch…

Location: Bliss DInosaur Ranch, Wyoming/Montana borderlands.