Twelve Months of Nebraska
Photography and text by Matthew Houska
“Nebraska must be a boring state. What is there to photograph?”
The question reverberated in my ears
like a close-fired gunshot. Caught off guard, I could only respond with a smile
and a shrug.
The question haunted me for the next few days. Realizing that many people have only a limited knowledge of Nebraska’s natural beauty, I set a goal for the following year: As a photographer, I would capture the state’s beauty on film by traveling to a different region of Nebraska each month. I resolved to show why I’m proud to call this state home, why there’s no other place like it.
January – Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge, north of Oshkosh
I climb the highest hill and look out into the grass-covered dunes of the Sandhills stretching for miles in all directions. My eyes follow the rolling contours of the landscape until the hills touch the distant pale sky. Their vastness creates a feeling of solitude and of freedom to go anywhere in any direction. I can’t help but wonder what is over the next hill.
February – Sandy Channel State Recreation Area, south of Elm Creek
The whistle of wings overhead means that sunrise is near. A pair of Gadwalls land with a soft splash and the water hitting their backs freezes instantly. Soon they become feathered icebergs, seemingly unaware of the cold. Fresh snow covers the ground, and steam lifting off the warm creek turns to frost on the shoreline vegetation. Nebraska winters may be harsh, but Mother Nature uses the cold as her medium, creating pristine winter scenes.
March – Harlan County Reservoir
Even on a small, secluded pond, wood
ducks can be difficult to photograph. Reclusive by nature, they have a knack
for hiding behind branches.
April – Niobrara River,
north of Ainsworth
As day turns to night, the first star appears. Soon they arrive by
the millions. A lone coyote’s howl echoes across a prairie canyon, and
it is answered by a chorus of drawn-out howls fading into the darkness. A starlit
Nebraska night is born.