This photo would never make the pages of Martha Stewart Living Magazine because, as you may have already noticed, the pears are less than perfect. But as far as I'm concerned, that's OK: it lends authenticity to the salad. After all, the salad was made to be eaten, not to be photographed. And it was delicious.
Canon 5DIII 1/100s f/4.5 ISO800 96mm
I'm guessing that a photo of freshly made Chex mix doesn't carry much punch with the readers of this blog. But I'm posting it anyway because in the Shephard household, it is very much a traditional December/January snack. But this batch is a real treat because the Chex mix generally goes away along with the Christmas cookies, Christmas lights and Christmas trees.
And all of this has me thinking of traditional seasonal foods. What are your favorites?
Canon 5DIII 1/2s f/4.0 ISO250 90mm
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
Cappuccino, a morning coffee drink "invented" in Italy, is generally served in an 8 ounce cup and consists of 1/3 espresso, 1/3 hot milk and 1/3 milk foam. In Italy it is a social blunder to order a cappuccino after 10am. And, generally speaking, cappuccino is a drink you sip, not gulp. In America, where gulping is more of a standard, where the size of drinks does seem to matter and where we proudly call our food "fast," a true cappuccino is somewhat rare. I think that if you received a true cappuccino in a mainstream coffee shop (Starbucks?) you would probably feel cheated.
I certainly didn't feel cheated when this cup of delicious cappuccino was served to me at a small resort on the island of Hvar in Croatia a few years ago. And, yes, I sipped it - as I enjoyed the view of the little harbor outside the cafe. But I will admit that I ordered a second cup just so I could enjoy the view a little longer.
Canon 5DII 1/200s f/9.0 ISO200 65mm
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
If I had a true scientific interest in coral, I would have answers to the many things I wonder about when I look at it. I wonder, for example, about the many ways that coral seems to organize itself. I wonder about the age of coral we find along the shore. And in the case of this piece, I wonder what the pink substance is.
But I don't have a scientific interest in coral and I don't seek answers. In the case of coral I take comfort in my wonder.
Canon 5DIII 1/640s f/5.0 ISO200 100mm
This photo is entirely serendipitous. As I was filling my coffee cup from the airpot I keep next to my computer, I noticed the intricate pattern of bubbles that each jet of coffee was creating. I quickly grabbed my camera and took a few photos. A perfectionist would have spend more time in an attempt to get a more artistic pattern of bubbles. But I had things to do and I needed my coffee fix.
Canon 5DIII 1/50s f/2.8 ISO1600 100mm
This photo is demonstrably "unreal." As I've said before, humans don't see out of focus light as soft, overlapping balls. And we certainly don't see the world upside down, as it is shown here in a crystal ball I inherited from my grandma Ida.
But wait a minute. . . Our eyes are lenses somewhat similar to a crystal ball. And, in fact, all that we see is upside down, too. But our brains, for some reason, turn it "right side up." So do I dare ask, "What is reality?"
Canon 5DIII f/5.0 ISO320 100mm
I encountered this tree branch on a short hike on a rainy day while Deb and I were sailing in the Virgin Islands. I'm not sure if the caterpillars were seeking shelter from the rain on the underside of the branch or if they were up to something else. Though what caterpillars might be "up to" is a bit beyond me, not that I would attempt to pass judgement on the purpose of a caterpillar's life. . .
In honor of a predicted afternoon temperature of -15 F today*, I have left the tropics to return to a subject I started a few days ago: window frost. This time, I've created another triptych.** And even though I was amazed the first time I studied these macro photos, I am just amazed today.
If those of us in the Great Plains need a reason to feel good about our weather, people in the tropics never get to see beautiful, frosty windows.
*That's -26 for the Celsius fans. **Thanks again Dennis Newman for the inspiration.
Canon 5DIII 1/125s f/5.0 ISO100 100mm