I drove through the cemetery this past January after a fresh blanket of snow. I have always been fascinated by the arrangement of the monuments in the military section of cemeteries. At the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Watertown, there are monuments that date back to the 19th century, and many wars are represented by the veterans buried here.
Thick frost like this is more ephemeral than most subjects in nature. In South Dakota, it is rare and then to have a windless morning to preserve it is rarer still. Notice the amazingly blue sky, as pure as any South Dakota winter sky.
I took this photo a few years ago. Humid air had caused a particularly thick coating of frost crystals and the lack of any breeze preserved it - at least for an hour or two after the sun came up.
Almost anything looks better in morning light, including the Terry Redlin Art Center in Watertown. This photo was taken a few minutes after I took "Flocking Behavior 01." (Click)
To balance yesterday's winter photo, how about a sunset on the Pacific coast near Ixtapa, Mexico?
I must really be running out of photos if I am posting pictures I've taken that I really don't like looking at! The good news is that it doesn't look like this in South Dakota. Yet.
I took this photo several years ago after a major winter storm closed schools and shut down businesses. But life goes on after such a storm and this person was out in the first rays of sunlight to remove the snow from his driveway.
A year ago my wife, my mother-in-law and I visited Gig Harbor, Washington, and happened to arrive just in time to experience Halloween festivities. The street in front of our bed and breakfast was blocked off and it was filled with all sorts of characters, including these two beautiful fairies.
Here's a view of main street. (click)
A few minutes after I took the photo of the fairies, I stepped across the street and found this. (Click)
This is from my recent stay in Denver. I didn't have much time to wander around taking photos and the weather wasn't real conducive, anyway, with wet snow falling nearly continuously for two days.
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This red rose came from an arrangement for my mom's funeral. We had brought the rose home and as I was walking through the dining room, I noticed that the late afternoon sun was bathing it in strong, angular light. I guess this was a sign for me to photograph the flower.
You may have noticed that I like to take photographs of art museum interiors. This photo comes from the Denver Art Museum. The inspiration for the title is the fact that the design and color of the space that showcases the art are so welcoming.
Art museums are often busy and full of the sound of voices and footsteps echoing off the walls and wooden floors in the spacious galleries. But because it was snowing outside, the museum was quiet and I had this floor almost to myself. I was looking for serenity, warmth and color on this particular morning and I found it.
For those who might be curious, the painting on the wall directly opposite my camera is called "Childhood Idyll" by Bourguereau. Click here to see a better view of the painting.
Canon 5D II 1/30s f/4.0 ISO800 35mm
I am in Denver this week and we are being treated to the first major snow storm of the season - 8" so far. But it is supposed to be sunny tomorrow, when I fly out.
This is the big bear sculpture that stares into the lobby of the Denver Convention Center. I'll have to admit that it wasn't the best day for street photography, with snow coming down in big chunks. But sometimes the worse weather conditions make for unique photos.
This photo was taken on the Stradun, the main street that runs through the center of Dubrovnik, Croatia. Many European cities have parts that are "people friendly," including Dubrovnik. No cars allowed - only pedestrians. This is a strange concept to a citizen of the US who lives in a city that is missing sidewalks in many key places. You want to walk to Walmart? You must be kidding!
What I like about this photo is that usually the dog leads the people but this dog is doing all it can to keep up with these children, who seemed pretty focused on going somwhere.
