10-12-10 The Most Famous Warehouse?

I just finished reading a new book entitled The Kennedy Detail, which gives the accounts of the Secret Service agents whose job it was to protect John and Jacque Kennedy the day they went to Dallas in 1963. Until this book, these men had remained silent about their experience. It is a book worth reading.This is a shot of the famous "Texas Book Depository," which is now a historic landmark and a museum. If you look to the farthest window on the top floor, you can see where Lee Harvey Oswald fired the shots that killed JFK and stunned the world. In the middle left of this photo is the so-called "grassy knoll." From which some conspiracy theorists say a second gunman fired shots.I was in the third grade when Kennedy was killed and I didn't really understand the significance of this event. Now, after more than 50 years, I can see that it was an event that changed the psyche of our nation, just as 9/11 has seemed to.I must admit that I don't think I have figured out the true meaning and significance of this event. Interestingly, the "truther" conspiracy movement has already fogged what some think is "true" about 9/11. Will it take us 50 years to understand the impact of this event?Incidentally, I have posted another somewhat similar photo of the Texas Book Depository. But today's photo gives you a broader view. I hope you don't mind.

The Orange Temple

This is a detail of one of the many photogenic buildings on the grounds of the royal palace complex in Kyoto, Japan. Like many of the places I've visited on our travels, I want to go back to this city for more photographs. When? I have no idea. . . .

Where Did All the Flowers Go?

If you are inclined to be philosophical, you might read deep, existential meaning into today's picture and the title I gave it. Yes, I suppose you could say, as Macbeth did, that life is a "walking shadow" and a "brief candle signifying nothing." And you could say that nothing better symbolizes this sentiment than twisted, dead flowers, bent by age and time, standing in a garden covered by snow.But don't give in to this depressing thought! Here's a happy thought: the flowers in this garden have gone to sleep and will soon wake up in all their glory. In fact in a few short days, the days will start getting longer. Spring and summer are surely around the corner. :-)Footnote:I read an interesting article that suggested that because Macbeth lived in a northern climate, with short winter days, he might have been so pessimistic because he was suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). If he and his Lady could have had a couple weeks on the beach in Mexico, the story might have been very different. . .

Suspicion

For the last several years, in addition to teaching at Watertown High School, I have also volunteered to take photos for our yearbook. Sometimes the editors tell me what to photograph. And sometimes I'm told to "wander." And that's how I found this subject.The art rooms are my favorite places because I can almost always find people doing things rather than sitting and listening to teachers. Often the students are so absorbed in their work, that they are oblivious to me. But this girl was anything but oblivious.When I was about to take the photo, this girl gave me this look, which isn't exactly hostile and not exactly friendly. It is suspicious. After taking this photo, I told her who I was and what I was up to and she relaxed and let me take a another photo or two.This photo didn't make the yearbook but I like it nevertheless, largely because of her undisguised doubt. But I also like it because I think this girl looks a little like Scarlett Johansson, one of my favorite actresses.

Blue Abstraction

These are lounge chairs built into a swimming pool at a resort somewhere south of Cancun, Mexico. This was another abandoned photo that was re-discovered in a search for something to post to this blog. Good picture? I don't know. . . . Nice place to sip tropical punch on a warm, sunny December day? Oh, yes. . . .

Tenacious

Once again, I made a foray into my neighbors' yard. It seems that the tulips, leaves and apples are occasionally more photogenic on the "other side." I have been watching these apples for a while and after our recent snow, thought I should capture a photo or two.To do this right, I need a ladder since the apples are about 10 feet up the tree. I also need better light, though this photo let me experiment with the flash exposure compensation built in to my camera.As a look at this photo, incidentally, I am wondering if the idea of Christmas ornaments (round balls on trees) was inspired by tenacious fruit that refused to fall?

What's In A Lei?

The answer to the question posed in the title is "plumeria." Plumeria are the fragrant flowers that grow on trees - but not in South Dakota. :-(These plumeria were growing in Hawaii. I was reading that in some Pacific cultures the plumeria is associated with vampires and in others the trees are said to provide shelters to ghosts. Ghosts and vampires must smell good in these places because the fragrance of these flowers is strong and pleasant.

Walls of Glass

The most famous Gothic cathedral in Paris is the Notre Dame de Paris. But I think St. Chapelle is the most beautiful, primarily because there is so little stone and so much glass in the walls.When I walked into this structure the first time, I stood for several moments in amazement. This structure was built in the 13th century. If I'm amazed, imagine how someone from the 1300s would have felt when walking into this sacred place the first time.

What If God Was One of Us?

Joan Osbourne's song "One of Us" asks an interesting question:"What if God was one of usJust a slob like one of usJust a stranger on the busTrying to make his way home?"Neither of the men in this picture is God (I don't think). And we aren't on a bus, either. We're somewhere under Paris riding the Metro. The gentleman on the left is my friend Billy, The Lutheran Minister. So I guess he's close to God. At least that's what he tells me.The man on the right was wide awake and lucid until Billy started talking to him about the marvels of Lutheran theology (or some such subject) and you can see the effect this had . . . Can you say "soporific?"But I do love my friend Billy.

Where's George?

This is a composite picture of two scans I made of a dollar bill I found in my pocket yesterday. I have seen the "Where's George" stamp on money before but today I decided to track this bill. I went to the web site wheresgeorge.com, put the serial number in and found that this particular bill had traveled to Watertown from Ohio. How it got here I don't know.I told my students about this project and gave this dollar to a student who is going to Florida for Christmas. She needs to spend it there and with a little luck, I'll be able to follow my dollar's journey.

Details

By Scott Shephard

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Most of the photography I do is very personal and maybe even selfish. I rarely think, "What will they say about this one?" when I push the shutter button. When I frame something, I am more often studying the object being photographed than I am recording it for posterity.Thus, the details that I often capture, such as the back of my daughter-in-law's wedding dress, are nothing more than . . . details. Later, when I am sifting through my photo collection, some of the details jump out at me. And so I present today's Picture of the Day.What I like about this picture isn't my doing - I like the symmetry of each button and loop and their symmetrical relationship to each other. I also like the curves and lines that adorn this dress. Finally, I like the warm, soft light that plays on this subject.The light wasn't my doing either. I just found it. And often that's what photographers do best.

Canon 5DII 70-200mm 2.8 1/250s f/3.5 ISO400 200mm

Another Cute Kitten Photo

My son Brian helped me resurrect some photos I had taken years ago. There were 90 in the collection but I chose this one, mainly because of the amazing blue eyes. I'm guessing that not everyone looking at my blog thinks every kitten is automatically photogenic. You'll have to move on to other things if you are one of those people. . . .Subscribe to A Photo A Day by Email