Month: October 2013

10-18-13 Hope

2013 10-18 Hope by Watertown, South Dakota, photographer Scott Shephardf
My friend, Scott, may dispute my choice of the word “hope” in the title of this post. I have no idea if he was hopeful when he took his rod and reel out into the gentle surf at sunset on a perfect October evening along the Florida Gulf Coast.

I know he would rather catch fish than not when he casts. But I wonder if his fishing isn’t sometimes like my photo hunting: it is often less about getting a photo that is a “keeper” than it is about the hunt for the photo.

Scott didn’t catch anything of significance on this particular outing but he didn’t seem too depressed when he came back to our room. He will live to fish another day. . . .

Canon 5DIII 1/250s f/2.8 ISO500 70mm

10-17-13 Geometry

2013 10-17 Geometry by Watetown, South Dakota, photographer Scott Shephard
It’s hard not to get caught up in the amazing symmetry of humble sea shells like these. And when you move in close, as I did here, you are seeing details that many fail to notice.

This photo, incidentally, was taken at a state park near Gulf Shores, Alabama. The sand is some of the purest powdery sand I’ve ever seen. When you walk on it, it squeaks. And in October the beach is nearly empty.

Canon 5DIII 1/3200s f/2.8 ISO100 100mm

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10-14-13 Do You Know Jack?

2013 10-14 Do You Know Jack? by Watertown, South Dakota, photographer Scott Shephard
To be honest, I don’t know Jack all that well. But I couldn’t resist stopping by the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg, TN, on my recent trip to Alabama. Photography was allowed during the outdoors portion of the tour I took but wasn’t on the inside of the buildings. The reason, we were told, is that a spark from the camera could ignite the high proof product being made. I don’t believe it but I wasn’t willing to test the truth of the statement.

Canon 5DIII 1/60s f/5.0 ISO400 45mm

10-12-13 At the End of the Day

2013 10-12 At the End of the Day by Watertown, South Dakota, photographer Scott Shephard
This cemetery, which is south of the Missouri town of Boonville, is yet another place that I have driven by and then turned around so I can get a closer look. And then, when I got out of my vehicle, I didn’t take my camera. Frankly, I just wanted to walk among the tomb stones, some of which dated back to the late 1700s.

There is something evocative about cemeteries, especially at the end of the day, when the sun is low and the shadows grow long. It isn’t creepy to me. But it is a bit sad and more than a little thought-provoking.

This cemetery was well maintained, had a great view of the Missouri River valley and the recently deceased shared space with those who had been lying there for a a century or more. Many of the older tomb stones were seriously weathered and it was next to impossible to read the inscription.

Such is life. A stone may mark our final “resting” place but who we are may have been long ago forgotten. . . .

Canon 5DIII 1/125s f/4.0 ISO100 45mm

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10-11-13 Installation

2013 10-11 Installation by Watertown, South Dakota, photographer Scott Shephard
I had to smile when I turned a corner in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City and saw “Museum Guard” standing in the corner. He is not human but instead is a Duane Hanson installation. And he really is called “Museum Guard.”

This is not the first time Duane Hanson has been mentioned in this blog, by the way. Check this out.

And for more about “Museum Guard” click here.

Canon 5DIII 1/40s f/4.5 ISO1000 24mm

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10-10-13 Change of Seasons

2013 10-10 Change of Seasons by Watertown, South Dakota, photographer Scott Shephard
The Lake Area Technical Institute Photo/Media class took its annual field trip to Sica Hollow, near Sisseton, South Dakota yesterday. Finding a perfect day near mid October in South Dakota is difficult but we got lucky. With little wind, blue skies and temperatures in the low 70s, it’s hard not to think that life is good.

We don’t get a riot of color in the fall as some states that I’ve been to do, but if you look, you can find good examples of the flamboyance of fall. I guess these leaves are in the throes of death. But they are going out in style.

Canon 5DIII 1/400s f/2.8 ISO400 100mm

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10-09-13 Sister Ship

2013 10-09 Sister Ship by Watertown, South Dakota, photographer Scott Shephard
This is a companion to yesterday’s post to give you a better sense of what I was talking about. This is not our boat, but a companion ship in the Un-Cruise Adventure line named the Wilderness Explorer. We were heading back out of Glacier Bay in the dwindling light when I spotted this ship on the horizon. The word “horizon” is used loosely since it is not real distinct. I turned this photo to black and white but in fact there was very little color in this scene to begin with. As I said yesterday, the stillness and the quiet of this place was palpable. And it was eerie – but in a wondrous sort of way.

Canon 5DIII 1/500s f/5.6 ISO400 280mm

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10-08-13 Atmosphere

2013 10-08 Atmosphere by Watertown, South Dakota, photographer Scott Shephard
Our journey into Glacier Bay in southeast Alaska on the Un-Cruise Adventures Safari Endeavor was unlike anything I have ever experienced. What I remember most about this place was the eerie, fog-shrouded silence.The fog certainly muted the colors of the rocks and trees on shore but it also seemed to mute the steady drone of the diesel engines of our ship.

This photo is one of those shots where I was in the right place at the right time. Besides the blue tones of the rock and the wispy white of the fog, I like the arching line of the ledge the pine trees are growing on.

As with so many things that we experienced in Alaska, I will say, “You had to be there,” though I think this photo gives a pretty good sense of what this particular place was like.

Canon 5DIII 1/800s f/6.3 ISO400 175mm

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