62 Nebraskaland • April 2025
THE LAST STOP
Fort Robinson State Park's Soldier Creek at sunset. JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND
By Justin Haag
LINING UP A PHOTO
Last April, I added this image of Soldier Creek
at Fort Robinson State Park to the countless
sunrise and sunset photos I've shot through the
years. Some have been as easy as stepping out of
the truck and pushing the button. Occasionally,
the view from the driver's side window even has
worked. More eff ort goes into others.
A goal on this day was to capture a photo
of a Pine Ridge stream at sunset. By studying
a website that shows the angle of the sun's
exposure to locations at any given time, I
noticed this section of the creek would line
up with the setting sun on this day. Off I went
for an afternoon of photography around Fort
Robinson — always worthwhile, regardless if
planning is involved or not.
With the sun approaching the horizon and
a bunch of other photos from around the park
in the bag, I arrived near the location, donned
chest waders and hiked to the spot with the
camera, wide-angle lens and tripod over my
shoulder. As expected, the sun shone through
the mostly leafl ess trees of early spring.
I was pleased to see, actually fi rst hear, a
little waterfall. I waded into the creek and set
up below that spot. The tripod, placed in the
middle of the stream, allowed me to emphasize
the water's motion with a slow shutter speed
and capture the sunburst with a small aperture.
Is it the best sunrise-sunset photo ever taken
at Fort Robinson? Not by a long shot. I like it,
though.
Besides, it's always a good day of work when
we get to wade in the creek.
