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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)
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)
(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
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
I guess it's appropriate that the final post of 2013 is a photo of our grand daughter, Glenyce Jane, whose arrival on June 2 was no doubt the biggest event in the life of the Shephard/Brass family this year. As everyone who has a grandchild has told me, she has been a blessing and a true marvel.
This photo wasn't staged and is the result of a little luck, as is so often the case in photography. Deb was intending to read this book to little Glenyce but Glenyce decided she would rather taste it instead. And I happened to have my camera ready.
Having traveled only to South Dakota and back from her native city of St. Paul, Glenyce isn't yet a "global baby." But given the nature of the world and the inclinations of her parents, she will certainly be cosmopolitan, which literally means a "citizen of the world." The world is lucky to have her. She is, of course, smart, beautiful and everything else that grandparents say about their grandchildren. :-)
Canon 5DIII 1/100s f/2.8 ISO800 100mm
I posted a great face yesterday so I decided to post two great faces today, this time of our grand daughter Glenyce Jane and one of G's namesakes, my mother-in-law Glenyce D. I'm lucky to have them both in my world and I'm learning to interpret Glenyce J's facial expressions. This one says, "You're pretty cool and I like you."
I get the same look from my mother-in-law all of the time. :-)
Canon 5DIII 1/125s f/5.0 ISO800 90mm
Given all of the talk in the wake of the death of Nelson Mandela, I felt compelled today to offer a small tribute him and his legacy. He not only helped change the face of South Africa, he also helped change the way many think about race and equality. The photo is not mine and I hope that's OK.
Four quotes of his strike me as particularly meaningful today
"I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying."
"Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again."
"Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies."
and
"It always seems impossible until it's done."
At the end of one of my photography classes the other day, I asked if there were any questions. During the minute or two that I waited, I was greeted with silence. I told the class that their silence may be due to their shyness, their total understanding of everything I taught, or their confusion. I did point out in a friendly way that "teachers don't drive the best learning; curiosity does."
I call this post "Curiosity" because when I watched my son (the teacher) coach his second cousins on the use of a fascinating puzzle, I realized that the learning was pure: it was based solely on a desire to understand. It certainly wasn't based on fear of the disapproval of the teacher, the disappointment of the parents, or the assignment of a grade to the task at hand. It was all about wanting to know more. . . .
Canon 5DIII 1/250s f/5.6 ISO1000 45mm
Yesterday's photographic mission was to copy a photo that had been taken 59 years ago. The subject in the photo is Debra DeGeest (AKA Deb Shephard). The new subject for the copy was Glenny J. (AKA Glenyce Jane Shephard). The dress in both photos is the same dress - worn very little for the photo so long ago and worn only for a few minutes for the recent shoot. Both subjects are 6 months old.
Careful observers will note that there are striking similarities between the two children. Such is the nature of genetics. The single most striking thing to me is that they both seem healthy and happy. What more could you want?
Canon 5DIII 1/125s f/5.6 ISO200 58mm
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In case you'd like to see the out takes, here's another contact sheet. . .
And a short video. . .
A few years ago one of my photography students told the front office that there were several reasons I should be fired. As hard as it is to realize one isn't all things to all people, the one reason that made me laugh went something like this: "He should be fired because he doesn't like children and therefore we won't learn how to photograph children!"
Really! The truth is that I love children of all ages, even if they can be intimidating and even aggravating at times. And I will admit that I have never aspired to be a child photographer. Getting a good portrait of a child is a daunting task and I admire anyone who does it well.
This photo of our grand daughter Glenyce Jane Shephard is probably more snap shot than portrait, though there was a little technical artistry that went in to this, including the white pillow my wife was holding off to my right to bounce some light back on Glenny's face. The problem with the pillow, though, was that Glenyce Jane was both fascinated and amused by it. I was aiming for a shot where she was looking at me, but I was hidden by the camera. But I did get a keeper. . .
Canon 5DIII 1/100s f/4.0 ISO800 102mm
For those who wonder what this shoot was like, check out this contact sheet:
We attended a party in honor of the 2nd birthday of my grand niece Evie DeGeest a few days ago. I wasn't going to take photos because most of these events are very well photographed. But I couldn't resist. Alicia, Evie's mom, is a designer by bent and trade and DeGeest birthday parties are always brilliantly planned and certainly photogenic.
Maybe it's because of the birth of our grand daughter, Glenyce Jane, but these days I seem to look at the children in our family differently. "Wonder" and "awe" are two words that come to mind to describe how I feel when I study the face and eyes of a child like Evie.
I wonder about the gathering of all the forces that shape the person that Evie is becoming. And I wonder what she is thinking and what the world looks like through her eyes. And isn't it awesome that what begins as a microscopic fusion of DNA ends up becoming a wonderfully complex bundle of cells, thoughts and inclinations like beautiful Evie?
Canon 5DIII 1/80s f/2.8 ISO500 168mm
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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