04-24-09 Japanese Temple - Kyoto

Something just occurred to me as I was trying to figure out what to write about this photo: I have taken around 75,000 digital photos over the last 6 years and when I look at them, I can remember a remarkable number of details about the circumstances surrounding each photograph. Why is that?

My answer has to do with flow, a theory developed by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. Flow "is the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity."

In a crude way, my "focus" while taking photographs reminds me of golfers like Jack Nicklaus and other athletes and coaches who can remember amazingly precise details about every shot they hit or plays they made in games performed 20 and 30 years ago.

No, I am not Jack Nicklaus, nor was meant to be. :-) But I can get focused once and a while. When do you achieve flow?

Canon 1DII 1/80s f/1.8 ISO800 50mm (35mm eq:65mm)

04-22-09 The Drive Home

Yesterday, my "Missouri River Sunrise" photo appealed to some of my Facebook friends in a way that I hadn't expected. So once again I'm posting something that may seem prosaic to some but which is perhaps meaningful to others.

This one wouldn't exist if my friend Jack hadn't said, "You need to take a photo of those clouds" as we drove east across the state. I resisted -- in part because I was driving and in part because I don't like taking photos from the car. But here are the clouds. And here, also, are the rolling plains of central South Dakota, touched with a hint of green and the promise of another summer. (Jack steered the truck as I took two quick photos in very sparse traffic.)

Canon 5DII 1/400s f/10.0 ISO160 67mm (24-105mm f/4.0L)

04-18-09 Things Grow On Rocks There

In my home state, we have difficulty growing things in dirt sometimes. But in the Waipio Valley on the Big Island even the rocks are fertile nesting places. My son Jon guided us down into this valley. The road down is one of those that made my wife close her eyes. We had a similar experience driving to the top of the Big Island. Both drives, of course, were worth it, though as we drove I was worried about our rental cars and the contracts I had signed. Would they know we went where we weren't supposed to?

Canon 1D 1/30s f/4.5 ISO800 60mm Lens unknown

04-13-09 Chicago Skyline

I wonder how many photographers using digital cameras wish they could re-photograph the same scenes once they get improved cameras? That's what I wished for as I was working on this photo the other day.

This shot was taken with my first high-end digital camera: a Canon 1D. It had a 4.4 megapixel sensor and wasn't all that great at high ISO. There is no question that I could have gotten a better photo with film that evening. But now, with my 21 megapixel Canon 5DII. . . Incidentally, the 1D was a revolutionary camera and set a very high standard for "affordable" professional digital cameras. "Affordable" meant around $5000 in 2003!

I did have the advantage of a great lens when I took this photo: the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS. Thus, I was able to get a pretty sharp photo hand held at 1/6 sec.

This picture was taken from the observation deck of the John Hancock Building and if you are planning on going, do so a half hour or so before the sun sets. It is a remarkable experience to watch the city light up. Kind of like Paris - but with skyscrapers.

Canon 1D 1/6s f/2.8 ISO1000 70mm (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS)

04-10-09 Eucalyptus Tree - Maui, Hawaii

The Hana Highway on the east coast of Maui covers 50 miles of some of the beautiful scenery I have seen. There is an amazing variety of vegetation but the eucalyptus trees that grow here caught my attention. They are so different from anything South Dakotans like me are used to seeing - especially their colorful, camouflage "bark."

My family waited while I got out of the car and photographed a small grove of these stately trees. From all of the photos I took, this is the one that seemed to best represent the nature of this tree.

Canon 5D 1/320s f/13.0 ISO400 24mm (Canon 24-105 f/4.0L IS)

04-09-09 The Old Jewish Cemetery - Prague

The Jewish cemetery in the Jewish Quarter of Prague is one of the most memorable experiences of my last visit to Prague. There is something powerfully symbolic, if not ironic, in the survival of this cemetery given the fate of the Jews in Eastern Europe. Some of the markers in this cemetery go back many centuries.

Photographically, this is a fascinating place but challenging, in that creating a focal point is somewhat difficult. This photo was taken in color but I felt, as I often do, that color adds even more distraction. Thus, I created a fairly high contrast B&W image. As I look at this photo, the scene appears very well lit. But in fact, the exposure information will tell you that this is another photo that would normally demand a tripod. The trees and the cemetery walls create fairly deep shade. Again, I am grateful for the 24-105mm f/4.0L image stabilized Canon lens that I carry when I travel.

Panoramio

Canon 5D 1/25s f/4.0 ISO400 105mm (Canon 24-105mm f/4.0L)

FlickrScott Shephard Photography

04-08-09 The London Eye

By Scott Shephard

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I've been told that the London Eye is not a Ferris Wheel because Ferris was a Frenchman and the French and the British have their differences. So don't called it a "Ferris Wheel." Whatever you call it, the London Eye is an impressive feat of engineering and technology. And it offers a very comfortable Ferris-Wheel-Like ride. It was expensive (over $20); but it is certainly worth it.

The clouds in the background add interest to this photo. Another things that is interesting to me is the tiny airplane that seems to be flying through the spokes.

Canon 5D 1/1000s f/14.0 ISO250 73mm (Canon 24-105 f/4.0L IS)

FlickrScott Shephard Photography

04-07-09 The Traveler

By Scott Shephard

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My wife and I were in Frankfort waiting for our morning flight to Amsterdam and then on to the US. She was reading and I was restless. So I went looking for a picture.

What drew me to this location was the strong morning sun and the clean, almost hospital feel of the hallway (though the "Camel" sign suggests this isn't a hospital!). I took a few pictures of the empty space but then a solo traveler walked into the frame. And here's the result.

Canon 5D 1/125s f/5.0 ISO160 92mm (Canon 24-105mm f/4.0L IS)

04-06-09 J Paul Getty Center

By Scott Shephard

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The J. Paul Getty Center north of Los Angeles is a remarkable place. It is filled with great art, including Van Gogh's painting of purple irises. But if there were no art at all, it would still be a place worth visiting. I know very little about architectural psychology but I would say that both the indoor and outdoor spaces of this complex are very "human." Or maybe humane.

The clean, white structure and the rough, stone contrast very well with the green grass and the deep blue sky. Los Angeles was clouded in smog but this place seemed very pure to me.

Canon 5D 1/400s f/11.0 ISO250 55mm (Canon 24-105mm f/4.0L IS)

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

04-03-09 The Magic Olive Grove

My wife and I were out exploring the back roads of Corfu two summers ago. There are many olive groves on the island but there was something about this one that caused me to sop the car and take a few photos.

I've learned that olive trees can be hundreds of years old. I doubt that these are that old, though the rugged and gnarled nature of the trunks suggests that they are older than trees I am used to seeing in South Dakota.

I converted this photo to black and white because I think the tones make this picture much more interesting and mysterious.

Canon 5D 1/60s f/5.6 ISO320 28mm (lens unknown)

04-02-09 The Brilliance of Nature

If you go to Olympia, WA, be sure to find the Japanese Garden. It is a beautiful, serene enclave surrounding by fairly busy streets and office buildings. I was there is late November and it was raining. (Is that the norm at this time of year?). I had taken a few photographs of this tree from the front and then decided to look at the tree from behind. And this is what I saw.

The color is striking, of course, but so, too, are the twisted, near-black branches. I could have photographed for quite a while but the rain and my wife suggested that I should move on.

Canon 5D 1/60s f/4.5 ISO400 58mm (Canon 24-105 f/4.0L)

03-29-09 A 20th Century Cathedral?

This is the Illinois State Office Building and I must say that while it's not quite as amazing as St. Peters, it is still somewhat overwhelming. The first time I was in the building, I was able to go to one of the upper floors and look down. Being mildly afraid of heights, I found it unsettling and wondered if any of the workers on upper floors had to deal with their own acrophobia. When I visited this time, I think that security concerns prohibited me from going past the ground floor.

Incidentally, my title is not intended to imply that working for government or in a government building is a religious experience. It isn't. Right?

Canon 20D 1/100s f/6.3 ISO800 10mm (Canon 10-22mm EFS)