03-09-09 The Green Fuse

The first line in the poem by Dylan Thomas "The force that through the green fuse drives the flower. . ." came to mind when I took this photo. Chives about to bloom are pretty mundane but I caught them at the right time, with their soft purple color contrasting nicely with the deep green of the foliage.

Depth of field is tricky on a shot like this given that my goal was to try to get several of the "flowers" in focus while blurring the rest. I took 10 or 12 pictures but ended up liking this one.

Canon 5D f/5 1/60 ISO 400 Canon 70-200 2.8L (200mm)

03-08-09 Votive Candles - Zagreb, Croatia

My wife and I arrived in Zagreb via train from Budapest and had most of the day to explore before a flight took us to Dubrovnik. Except for a wonderful lunch we ate at an outdoor restuarant, we kept moving almost the whole time. We saw the Church of St. Mark, with its beautiful tiled roof, the Croatia Museum of Native Art, among many other things.

At one point in our walking tour we passed through the Stone Gate (Kamanita Vrata) which the tour book said was "the oldest city gate." Just inside the gate there is a chapel with votive candles. I still remember feeling the warmth and smelling the strong odor of authentic tallow candles before i saw them. A breeze was blowing through the arcade, stirring the flames of the candles. I would have stayed longer but my wife thinks that my photography in a place like this is an intrusion into people's spiritual lives. Maybe it is. But I am always drawn to photograph votive candles.

Canon 5D f/10 1/500 ISO 400 Canon 24-105 4.0L (105mm) Photographed: June 1, 2007

03-07-09 Frozen Crab Apples

By Scott Shephard

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In our part of the world, we get more snow than freezing rain but in late November, 2005, we got rain and then cold temperatures. Everything was coated in a layer of ice. School was called off, trees broke and driving was difficult. But there was a silver lining - the clear, icy coating.

I took this photo late in the day after the storm had passed and the sun had come out - you can see the sun glowing in each of the out-of-focus ice-cycles in the back of the photo. I took about 20 pictures during the short time I was outside but this is really the only one that turned out.

Canon 5D f5.0 1/640 iso320 Canon 70-200 2.8L (135mm)

03-06-09 Helping Hand

By Scott Shephard

03-06-09-helping-hand

My nephew's new born son Ethan was only a few weeks old when we visited him for the first time. I wish all portraits were at simple as this one - both subjects were easy to pose.

I intentionally used a narrow depth of field so that most of the photo would be out of focus. I shot this in available light in Derek and Alicia's kitchen. An assistant (my wife?) held a white sheet of paper to the left of the hands to provide a little more light. I also used a soft focus action in Photoshop to make details in the photo less distinct. Finally, I applied a sepia action to the picture.

I am told that this picture has considerable meaning and symbolism but I guess I'll admit that all I was trying to do was to get Ethan's grip reflex on his father's finger.

Canon 5D f1.2 1/640 50mm 1.2L iso640

03-05-09 Cold News

By Scott Shephard

On a Saturday morning a couple years ago, my wife sent me out to get the paper, which was wrapped in plastic due to a slow, cold drizzle that was falling. When I picked up the paper, I noticed that the water had beaded up on the plastic and then frozen. So, before I let my wife unwrap and read the paper, I put it on the dining room table and took a couple photos before the ice started to melt. Some people read the paper (left brained); some people take photos of it (right brained).

03-04-09 Take A Leap (02)

By Scott Shephard

This photo was taken on Battle Creek at what is called "the Hippy Hole" or "Big Falls," near Rockerville, SD. My friend, Scott, and I were staying at our family's Black Hills cabin for a few days and decided to try to find this spot. Though it was somewhat difficult to get to, it was worth the effort. Initially, we had the place to ourselves but eventually several teens showed up to enjoy the amazing natural pool.

This photo is lucky, given the composition of the two jumpers - both are frozen in their jumps and in fair focus. The main figure in the green suit was doing a back flip and the one on the left looks like he's headed for a belly flop (though he lands feet first). The fall from the ledge to the water, incidentally, is about 15 feet.

Canon 5D f7.1 1/500 Canon 24-105mm 4.0L (24mm) iso500

03-03-09 Take A Leap (01)

By Scott Shephard

This is South Point on the Big Island of Hawaii. South Point is billed as the southern-most point of the United States. So why not jump off the edge of the US? I didn't jump but my son, Brian, did. I love the scream that seems to be frozen at the time the photo was taken. It turns out that Brian over-rotated and landed a little on his tailbone, which hurt for a few days after this jump. I sometimes use this picture to illustrate the concept of a "leap of faith." It is one of my favorite family photos.

Canon 1D f16 1/640 Lens unknown 28mm iso500

03-02-09 Kunsthistorisches Museum - Vienna, Austria

By Scott Shephard

So here's the second of my "Museum Interiors" theme. The Kunsthisoriches Museum is one my favorites, largely because of the Brueghel Room, which is not the room we are seeing here. Another thing I like about this museum is the fact that there are the large, welcoming sofas - very user friendly. Incidentally, my wife, Deb, is in this picture. She looks likes she's enjoying art though I think she is enjoying the rest, as well.

Canon 5D f1.2 1/60 Canon 50mm 1.2L iso400

03-01-09 Art Institute of Chicago - "Paris Street; Rainy Day"

By Scott Shephard

As you can tell, this painting by Gustave Caillebotte dominates the gallery it is housed in. What I enjoy about candid art gallery shots is that there is a bit of irony of looking at a picture (as you are) of people looking at pictures. Photos like this seem convey quite and calm. I also enjoy seeing how people are grouped and wondering what they are seeing.

02-28-09 Iron Creek In Spring

By Scott Shephard

Iron Creek is only a few miles from our cabin in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This small pool has been the subject of my attention many times and this photo was taken in April of 2007. It had rained the night before, which increased the volume of water running through the creek. The rain also gave a wet look to the rocks, which helps create the atmosphere in this photo.

For this picture I put my camera on a tripod, which is standing in the water. I'm balancing precariously on rocks, trying not to let my feet slip into the icy stream. The secret to getting the milky look of the water in a photo like this is a timed exposure - in this case the shutter was open for 4 seconds. If I get a good photo when I come to this place, I'm happy. But just spending time in this serene place is enough for me. Can you hear the sound of the creek, the breeze in the branches of the trees and the birdsong?

Canon 5D f22 4s Canon 24-105mm 4.0L (35mm) iso100

02-27-09 Public Display of Affection - Barcelona, Spain

By Scott Shephard

And now, as Rocky would say in the "Rocky and Bullwinkle Show," for "something completely different." Aside from my portraiture, I don't take many photos of people. But this is one of my favorites. I was in Barcelona Spain with a student group in the summer of 2003. We were visiting the famous Park Goell, designed by Antoni Gaudi. The trio in this photo was sitting on one of the mosaic covered benches on the terrace that overlooks the city. In our culture public displays of affection are frowned upon. But in Spain. . . why not? The couple is oblivious to the hundreds of tourists like me who were sharing their space. But my favorite part of the photo is their friend, whose frown is mysterious. Is he disgusted with his friends, does he feel left out, or is he just bored? Who knows.

Canon 1D f9 1/400 iso320 135mm lens unknow (Photo taken on July 17, 2003)

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.