01-25-14 Dreaming of Spring

As I browsed looking for a photo to post, this bright, pink rose called out to me. And those are real rain drops.

01-24-14 Matt & Lacey D

You may have noticed that I have a propensity to post photos of places and things in this blog. But once and a while I like to prove that I do like working with people. Most would hope that would be true given that I have worked pretty closely with thousands of people as a classroom teacher for 35 years. :-)

This photo was taken this past summer during an engagement session for my nephew Matt DeGeest and his fiancé, Lacey Johnson. There are great colors in this photo but I figured that savvy South Dakota hunters would know that you would not likely be out hunting in a field of mostly green grass graced with purple and gold wildflowers. And so I turned it into something that looks a little more seasonal.

Canon 5DIII 1/1600s f/3.5 ISO125 200mm

01-23-14 Ready To Fly

I had a version of this photo ready to go several weeks ago but I had already posted several "fall color" shots so I put the maple seed pods picture on the back burner. Last night, in a quest for a photo with rich colors to use for a class demo, I came across the maple tree photo and started to play.

And all of a sudden, my "fall color" photo was converted to black and white. Why is that? Well, in part, I am partial to black and white treatment of subjects because the emphasis switches away from color to lines, shapes and textures. But I also am posting the black and white version because just after I converted the original to this, my wife walked in the room and said, "That's nice." And I trust her critical judgement.

2014 01-22 A Simple Salad

This photo would never make the pages of Martha Stewart Living Magazine because, as you may have already noticed, the pears are less than perfect. But as far as I'm concerned, that's OK: it lends authenticity to the salad. After all, the salad was made to be eaten, not to be photographed. And it was delicious.

Canon 5DIII 1/100s f/4.5 ISO800 96mm

2014 01-20 Tradition

I'm guessing that a photo of freshly made Chex mix doesn't carry much punch with the readers of this blog. But I'm posting it anyway because in the Shephard household, it is very much a traditional December/January snack. But this batch is a real treat because the Chex mix generally goes away along with the Christmas cookies, Christmas lights and Christmas trees.

And all of this has me thinking of traditional seasonal foods. What are your favorites?

Canon 5DIII 1/2s f/4.0 ISO250 90mm

01-19-14 Photographer At Work

I snapped this action shot with my iPhone as I watched Josh, the hired wedding photographer, pose Lacey and the groomsmen in the pre-wedding shoot at the wedding of Matt DeGeest and Lacey Johnson last weekend. I missed hearing the concept behind this shot so you'll have to impose your own interpretation on the scene.

iPhone 5s 1/30s f/2.2 ISO100 4.12mm (35mm eq:30mm)

01-18-14 The Good Life

We are being hit with the second Alberta Clipper (translate: mini blizzard) in less than a week. While I enjoy seeing the swirling snow and fierce winds lash the gray/green pines outside my window, I prefer more summery scenes as a rule.

Thus, I am resurrecting a photo that made it to my Instagram feed but not to this blog. Subject: son Jon floating serenely on a back bay on the amazing Lake Oahe. Jon had made a rare visit to the midwest last summer and an even rarer visit to a place we both love, Lake Oahe.

iPhone 5 1/1153s f/2.4 ISO50 4.13mm (35mm eq:33mm)

01-17-14 Family Unit

(Oops! Those who subscribe through email are getting 2 posts today, January 18. It was supposed to auto-post yesterday but I put the wrong date in. Am I losing touch with reality? But like the things you see here, I've concluded that calendars aren't real either.)

My nephew Matt DeGeest married Lacey Johnson last Saturday and I went not as a photographer but as an uncle. But as I watched the "real" photographer at work, I couldn't help but get my camera out of the bag and take a few candid photos of the wedding party. As a photographer I am much more comfortable as an observer and when I and my camera are not the center of attention. Maybe thats why I like taking photos of landscapes and nature so much: the land and nature could not care less about me.

Canon 5DIII 1/80s f/3.2 ISO1600 75mm

01-15-14 A Good Start

Cappuccino, a morning coffee drink "invented" in Italy, is generally served in an 8 ounce cup and consists of 1/3 espresso, 1/3 hot milk and 1/3 milk foam. In Italy it is a social blunder to order a cappuccino after 10am. And, generally speaking, cappuccino is a drink you sip, not gulp. In America, where gulping is more of a standard, where the size of drinks does seem to matter and where we proudly call our food "fast," a true cappuccino is somewhat rare. I think that if you received a true cappuccino in a mainstream coffee shop (Starbucks?) you would probably feel cheated.

I certainly didn't feel cheated when this cup of delicious cappuccino was served to me at a small resort on the island of Hvar in Croatia a few years ago. And, yes, I sipped it - as I enjoyed the view of the little harbor outside the cafe. But I will admit that I ordered a second cup just so I could enjoy the view a little longer.

Canon 5DII 1/200s f/9.0 ISO200 65mm

01-13-14 Two Beauties

The title says it all. Both Glenyce Jane and Deb were dolled up for a family wedding.

Canon 5DIII 1/160s f/3.5 ISO500 105mm

01-11-14 Pretty In Pink

If I had a true scientific interest in coral, I would have answers to the many things I wonder about when I look at it. I wonder, for example, about the many ways that coral seems to organize itself. I wonder about the age of coral we find along the shore. And in the case of this piece, I wonder what the pink substance is.

But I don't have a scientific interest in coral and I don't seek answers. In the case of coral I take comfort in my wonder.

Canon 5DIII 1/640s f/5.0 ISO200 100mm

01-10-14 Morning Joe

This photo is entirely serendipitous. As I was filling my coffee cup from the airpot I keep next to my computer, I noticed the intricate pattern of bubbles that each jet of coffee was creating. I quickly grabbed my camera and took a few photos. A perfectionist would have spend more time in an attempt to get a more artistic pattern of bubbles. But I had things to do and I needed my coffee fix.

Canon 5DIII 1/50s f/2.8 ISO1600 100mm