Travel
Given that I talked a bit about the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel yesterday, I thought I'd post my one and only photo of the ceiling, "accidentally" taken in 2004. Photography is not allowed, but in the crowded and somewhat chaotic chapel, my camera somehow went off. And this is what I ended up with.
See God? See Adam? See the brain? See the museum guard look at me with disdain?
Canon 5D 1/13s f/4.0 ISO1600 24mm
The phrase "changing of the guard" can be metaphorical but at the Prague Castle in the Czech Republic it is literal. But the event is also a tourist attraction. Deb and I just happened to be arriving at the Castle when the three men seen here were marching to their post. Their baby blue uniforms are traditional but not particularly "normal" when it comes to military garb. Maybe the intent is to make the opponent feel happy and non-violent.
Have I just returned from the Czech Republic? No. We were there in 2006 and I found this photo in the process of organizing my vast collection of forgotten photos. I call it "dumpster diving" and the fact that I got caught up in processing this photo when I should have really been culling it is a reason I get so little organizing done. Some day I'll start on my closet, but I'll have the same problem with old college papers that I have with photos . . . .
Canon 5D 1/320s f/7.1 ISO400 105mm
During our recent stay in Salt Lake City we had a room with a view. I took several photos of the courthouse as seen from our room but I liked this one best, largely because of the way the strong sunlight helps light up the building against the distant cloud covered landscape. I walked over to visit the court house but it is much less ornate in the interior public spaces.
Canon 5DIII f/8.0 ISO125 100mm
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I am in Salt Lake City for a couple days and on my first morning, I drove north to Antelope Island State Park. Part of what intrigued me was the fact that the island was connected to land by a long causeway across part of the Great Lake Lake. It turns out that much of the water had evaporated and so I drove across flats of brownish white minerals.
Antelope Island was well worth the visit, partly because of the soft fall colors but largely because at this time of year, there are few visitors and so I felt like I was alone on this island. I also was lucky because there were fairly thin clouds covering the recently risen sun and that helped create strong, soft light. (Oxymoron?)
Canon 5DIII 1/250s f/11.0 ISO200 40mm
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My friend, Scott, may dispute my choice of the word "hope" in the title of this post. I have no idea if he was hopeful when he took his rod and reel out into the gentle surf at sunset on a perfect October evening along the Florida Gulf Coast.
I know he would rather catch fish than not when he casts. But I wonder if his fishing isn't sometimes like my photo hunting: it is often less about getting a photo that is a "keeper" than it is about the hunt for the photo.
Scott didn't catch anything of significance on this particular outing but he didn't seem too depressed when he came back to our room. He will live to fish another day. . . .
Canon 5DIII 1/250s f/2.8 ISO500 70mm
By Scott Shephard
It's hard not to get caught up in the amazing symmetry of humble sea shells like these. And when you move in close, as I did here, you are seeing details that many fail to notice.
This photo, incidentally, was taken at a state park near Gulf Shores, Alabama. The sand is some of the purest powdery sand I've ever seen. When you walk on it, it squeaks. And in October the beach is nearly empty.
Canon 5DIII 1/3200s f/2.8 ISO100 100mm
To be honest, I don't know Jack all that well. But I couldn't resist stopping by the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg, TN, on my recent trip to Alabama. Photography was allowed during the outdoors portion of the tour I took but wasn't on the inside of the buildings. The reason, we were told, is that a spark from the camera could ignite the high proof product being made. I don't believe it but I wasn't willing to test the truth of the statement.
Canon 5DIII 1/60s f/5.0 ISO400 45mm
This cemetery, which is south of the Missouri town of Boonville, is yet another place that I have driven by and then turned around so I can get a closer look. And then, when I got out of my vehicle, I didn't take my camera. Frankly, I just wanted to walk among the tomb stones, some of which dated back to the late 1700s.
There is something evocative about cemeteries, especially at the end of the day, when the sun is low and the shadows grow long. It isn't creepy to me. But it is a bit sad and more than a little thought-provoking.
This cemetery was well maintained, had a great view of the Missouri River valley and the recently deceased shared space with those who had been lying there for a a century or more. Many of the older tomb stones were seriously weathered and it was next to impossible to read the inscription.
Such is life. A stone may mark our final "resting" place but who we are may have been long ago forgotten. . . .
Canon 5DIII 1/125s f/4.0 ISO100 45mm
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This is a companion to yesterday's post to give you a better sense of what I was talking about. This is not our boat, but a companion ship in the Un-Cruise Adventure line named the Wilderness Explorer. We were heading back out of Glacier Bay in the dwindling light when I spotted this ship on the horizon. The word "horizon" is used loosely since it is not real distinct. I turned this photo to black and white but in fact there was very little color in this scene to begin with. As I said yesterday, the stillness and the quiet of this place was palpable. And it was eerie - but in a wondrous sort of way.
Canon 5DIII 1/500s f/5.6 ISO400 280mm
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Our journey into Glacier Bay in southeast Alaska on the Un-Cruise Adventures Safari Endeavor was unlike anything I have ever experienced. What I remember most about this place was the eerie, fog-shrouded silence.The fog certainly muted the colors of the rocks and trees on shore but it also seemed to mute the steady drone of the diesel engines of our ship.
This photo is one of those shots where I was in the right place at the right time. Besides the blue tones of the rock and the wispy white of the fog, I like the arching line of the ledge the pine trees are growing on.
As with so many things that we experienced in Alaska, I will say, "You had to be there," though I think this photo gives a pretty good sense of what this particular place was like.
Canon 5DIII 1/800s f/6.3 ISO400 175mm
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I don't normally take requests for this blog - largely because I don't get them. But yesterday, Brad H, one of the instructors at Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, South Dakota, saw me and told me I needed to post more Alaska photos. He said, "You must have more than we've seen on your blog!"
The fact is that I do have more but I'm trying to show my versatility by posting other photos. :-) But, because Brad asked for one, here's a whale for you.
We saw many whales on our cruise to southeast Alaska in August but only once did we see one frolicking as this one was. Though "frolic" may not be the right word since experts don't necessarily agree on why they jump out of the water. Whatever the reason, this young whale put on a heck of a show for us on a day that would have been perfect even if he/she hadn't shown up.
Canon 5DIII 1/640s f/8.0 ISO250 170mm
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I am calling this "Cooling Off," though it could be that they are warming up. "They" are harbor seals that we encountered resting on ice bergs as we left the area of the Dawes Glacier. They are staring at us with suspicion while we were staring at them with wonder.
Canon 5DIII 1/800s f/7.1 ISO400 280mm
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