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Scott Shephard Photography

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    • 2021 Complete
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A Photo A Day

"A Photo A Day" is a not-quite-daily presentation of a photo and commentary by Scott Shephard

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"A Photo A Day" is a not-quite-daily presentation of a photo and commentary by Scott Shephard

Blog
25.06.15 Almost 5
25.06.15 Almost 5
about a day ago

Maggie turns 5 in July

25.06.14 Campground Scooter Gang?
25.06.14 Campground Scooter Gang?
about 2 days ago

The grandchildren are getting pretty good at striking a pose for me.

25.03.26 Happy Travelers
25.03.26 Happy Travelers
about 2 months ago

Four travelers sticking a pose in the Waipio Valley on the Big Island of Hawaii.

25.03.24 Stairway To . . . ?
25.03.24 Stairway To . . . ?
about 2 months ago

Allerton Garden - Kauai, Hawaii

25.03.23 Morning Surprise
25.03.23 Morning Surprise
about 2 months ago

Who would have thought that we might end up swimming with dolphins?

25.03.22 The End of the Road
25.03.22 The End of the Road
about 2 months ago

Today’s post details the 2018 Puna eruption on Hawaii (the Big Island)

25.03.21 Kilauea Volcano Episode 14
25.03.21 Kilauea Volcano Episode 14
about 2 months ago

It was a good morning to be on the Big Island. . .

25.03.07 Toadstool Hoodoos - Utah
25.03.07 Toadstool Hoodoos - Utah
about 3 months ago

Today I present a very brief geology lesson.


11-26-14 I Really Don't Know Clouds*

November 26, 2014

By Scott Shephard

Kandinsky "Composition #8

I tell my students that if a photo needs explanation, it isn't a good photo. So why am I posting a photo that may need explanation? Well, I figure, if Kandinsky can get away with abstraction, why can't I?

So here's what you are seeing: scattered clouds seen from above at 36,000 feet. (Don't ask me about the Kandinsky, though for me it has "math story problem" written all over it.)

Frankly, I liked today's photo as soon as I converted it to black and white (a further form of abstraction). I liked the random nature of the clouds' patterns and the snow dappled geography below them.

Beyond that, the clouds made me think of how paradoxical they are: they can block sunlight but airplanes can fly through them; they seem to have form and shape but from the inside, they seem more like fog, which is amorphous; while they seem to float on air, they can be heavy with rain and snow; and they seem random and whimsical but science can explain and predict them.

No, I really don't know clouds at all. But I can live with paradoxes and mysteries. Frankly, I, and all I see and experience, are really just like clouds. . . .

iPhone 5S 11-25-14 1/5000s f/2.2 ISO32 4.15mm

*From "Both Sides Now" by Judy Collins

 

 

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email: scott@scottshephardphotography.com