04-17-09 Gliding In For A Landing

I wasn't trying to find another picture where yellow is the dominant color for two consecutive "A Photo A Day" pictures. But here's another photo with yellow. . .

A few years ago I was invited to take a ride in the Lake Area Technical Institute glider. Greg Klein was the pilot and we had a great trip. This is a powered glider, which means that it uses a conventional engine and propeller to take off but once the plane climbs to 10,000 feet or so, the engine is turned off. Greg told me that the engine could be re-started but I could tell that this wasn't considered "cool." Thus, we landed as a glider. Another thing that wasn't cool was when Greg took his hands off the controls and told me to steer. Shortly after that, I started to hear a beep, which Greg calmly told me was the "stall warning indicator." I quickly turned control over to him. I'd rather take pictures than fly a plane.

In this photo we are a little north of Lake Kampeska. The skinny body of water towards the top of the photo is Lake Pelican. The Watertown airport is visible just forward of the end of the wing. If you are wondering why there is a military insignia on the wing, it is because this plane was used as a trainer by the Air Force Academy and then was "retired." Now LATI is putting it to good use with their students in the aviation program. Another good use is giving people like me rides. Have I said how impressed I am with Lake Area Technical Institute?

Canon 1D Mark II 1/500s f/16.0 ISO320 17mm (Canon 17-24mm f/4.0L)

04-11-09 Abandoned

Several years ago we had a governor who instituted a program to destroy abandoned farmsteads, which allegedly become havens for rodents and predators. Fortunately, the program wasn't all that successful and there are still many old houses, barns and sheds scattered through the countryside.

There is something very evocative in seeing hulks of buildings that were built a century ago. It's even more powerful to walk through one of these buildings and wonder about the people who used and inhabited them. This shed is in an area that I have photographed many times. It is about 15 miles north of our small town. Incidentally, this photo can be viewed on Google Earth but it might be easier to start at Panoramio.com.

Canon 1D Mark II 1/8s f/9.0 ISO100 21mm (Canon 17-24mm f/4.0)

03-11-09 Before the Fall

One oak leaf back lit by the morning sun - it doesn't get much simpler than this. Since I was shooting into the sun, the challenge was to find shade for the lens to avoid lens flare. From the sunny side, this leaf looked dull. But with the sun shining through it, the leaf came to life - which is a bit of an irony for a leaf about to fall.

Canon 1D II f/5.6 1/250 lens unknown 240mm ISO 100

02-26-09 Lake Oahe Sunset

By Scott Shephard

This photo was taken about 20 miles south of the "212 Bridge" photo that was posted yesterday. In this photo I am looking west across Lake Oahe towards the confluence of the Cheyenne and the Missouri Rivers. The wind had died and I was bathed in the lingering warmth of the sun. And, aside from the creaking of the tiller in its fittings on the back of the boat, I was engulfed in near total silence. When the wind blows hard, this place can be very intimidating. But on an evening like this, it is spiritual.

02-25-09 212 Bridge - Missouri River, South Dakota

By Scott Shephard

This is the Highway 212 bridge across the Missouri River in South Dakota. There are some who would say that large parts of South Dakota are barren and unremarkable. But, of course, I disagree. I think there is true beauty in the openness and expansiveness of the plains. This is especially true at sunrise, when this photo was taken. On this morning I was on my way to the Little Bend area of the Missouri River for another sailing outing. This view of the river is the first view I get when I am on a sailing trip. At this juncture, I don't cross the river but turn south along highway 1804. I am only 30 minutes away from picking up my boat. And only 60 minutes from casting off on the third largest reservoir in the United States - Lake Oahe.

Canon 5D f18 1/50 iso250 43mm Canon 24-105 4.0L (Photo taken August 16, 2005)