January with Sam

Most of the images posted on this blog are from our trip to the Lost Corner of Nebraska in January. There we were, a group of college students ranging from freshmen to seniors, our experience with photography varying about as much, with some having worked for local newspapers and others playing with the manual functions on their point-and-shoots for the first time. And our two professors: Brett Erickson and Sam Abell.

Sam joined us Monday night, meeting and eating with several of the school and department officials before giving his second lecture at Hastings College (he had also presented the year before for Canon Explorers of Light). I don’t think Sam can give an uninspiring lecture, and we were privileged to hear many of them over the course of the next four days.

We took I-80 to Sydney, and then shot up to Chadron on Hwy 385. Sam was taken with the stock of Mossy Oak at Cabelas, and commenced to wear it the rest of the day along our stops along the highway. We stopped in the village of Dalton, where it hadn’t been Elvis’ birthday for a while, but the sign remained taped to the door, and Rainbo is still good bread.

Our journey took us through dirt and snow, ice and manure, and at one point, cow ovaries. At the Semroska Ranch, we photographed a spaying. We ate at the Longhorn Saloon in Harrison, and the Ranch House in Crawford. Both restaurants served up formidable but delicious hamburgers. Tough luck to the vegetarian in the group. Our experiences, in short, were vast and our education greatly benefitted from being able to shoot with a master.

On the trip back to Hastings, we took Hwy 2 through the Sandhills. One word: clouds. They were fantastic, mirroring the path of the hills and the train tracks. Our dinner stop was in Broken Bow (the photo of me, Sam and Ethan Richardson was taken there), and then it was time for the last stretch to Hastings along a dark highway with trains for company.

Thank you Sam, for your patience and enthusiasm in working with young photographers, and Brett, for creating opportunities like this for your students.

Sam Abell tells us about his experiences in Australia, in the parking lot of the Sydney, Neb. Cabelas.

Looking out from the Dalton, Neb. grocery store. Fun and good memories, indeed.