Photographers gather on Wickiup Hill

TODDVILLE - A group of photographer hobbyists gathered Saturday morning to learn tips from Bob Lancaster, founder of the Linn Area Photo Club, and to capture shots from the North prairie at Wickiup Hill.

'It's jut a very unique area,” Lancaster said. 'You don't find a prairie like this very often. It changes constantly - every month.”

Lancaster said he started coming to Wickiup Hill before the nature center was built with pathways carved through the area. He added that he comes cross-country skis and snowshoes in Wickiup Hill for winter photos of the prairie and woods.

At the beginning of the event, Lancaster talked about the best way to shoot with the day's overcast skies, damp atmosphere and the slight wind that softly moved the prairie grass from side to side.

The three photography past timers lined up nest to one another as Lancaster gave pointers on camera settings, angles and focus points.

'I like to show people hands on,” he said.

Lancaster started the Linn Area Photo Club 11 years ago as a way to get photographers together with the goal of teaching one another.

One of the hobbyists at the event, Doug Schutjer, is also a member of the Linn Area Photo Club.

'It's a great place to meet people with similar interest and you can learn from other people too,” Schutjer said. 'We go to rodeo grounds or shoot the leaves changing in the fall.”

Lancaster crouched down in the prairie grass to get close-up pictures.

The event started at 7:30 a.m. right after some slight rain in the morning, so the area had overcast skies with a damp atmosphere as the sun started to creep up.

'The colors are very subtle in this kind of light,” he said while looking at a group of grasses in the prairie. 'You've got four of five shades of green in just one little area and you can make those colors pop. Most people just don't see that on a bright and sunny day. But on a day like to day, the colors are just beautiful.”