04-30-16 Life’s A Beach

By Scott Shephard

“A dog’s life” on the beach at Cane Garden Bay in the BVI isn’t all that tough. I had seen these two roaming the beach and working the crowd the day before. On this day, they seemed exhausted. No towel and beach chair for them – the cool, white sand is enough creature comfort. Life is good!

iPhone 6s 1/1150s f/2.2 ISO25 4.15mm (35mm eq:29mm)

04-29-16 Free Range Rooster

By Scott Shephard

It is 5am as I sit here writing this and there are at least three roosters crowing. They have been doing this all night long. The idea that roosters make good alarm clocks because they crow at dawn is a “city-folk” concept. Certainly, on the island of Tortola is isn’t true. They seem to call out out 24/7.

This particular rooster was part of a band of chickens we encountered on our explorations yesterday morning. There were other roosters in this group so I can’t say if this one ruled the roost. Since chickens like this are free range and appear to belong to no one, I don’t know what the island culture is about turning them into food. Deb had chicken on her salad yesterday and it makes me wonder. . . . 

Canon 5DIII 1/350s f/2.8 ISO400 100mm

04-28-16 Night Falls Fast on Cane Garden Bay

By Scott Shephard

The sun sets around 6:40 local time and it is completely dark by 7:00. In the northern latitudes we’re used to long, lingering twilight and because I tend to go to bed early, I don’t do night photography.

But here in the Virgin Islands it’s no problem. It’s certainly warm enough to be outside and, in the case of our current location, I have a fairly photogenic subject. 

I don’t think I mentioned yesterday (same subject, different look) that Jimmy Buffett mentions Cane Garden Bay in his song “Manana.” And “Cheesebuger in Paradise” may have been inspired by a meal Buffett ate at one of the restaurants here.

I believe that I have found paradise.  I haven’t started looking for the perfect cheeseburger yet. 

Canon 5DIII f8 iso 800 30 seconds

04-27-16 A View from Our Porch

By Scott Shephard

Deb and I have re-located for a few days and our first stop is a small house above Cane Garden Bay on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. It gets up to 85 degrees pretty regularly here and at night it dips down to 83. Pretty boring, I guess.

I hear that snow is forecast for parts of our home state. Unless climate change takes a bizarre turn, we won’t see any snow here. 🙂

Canon 5DIII 1/10s f/8.0 ISO200 27mm (3 frame HDR)

04-23-16 Genesis

“In the beginning. . . ” (read more)

By Scott Shephard

When I think of the “Book of Genesis” in the Old Testament, I don’t think of God willing coconut trees to grow out of volcanic rock on a place like the Big Island of Hawaii. But why not?

There is certainly something elemental about a fledgling tree growing out of some of Earth’s newest land – in this case near (or over) what was once the community of Kalapana. The black volcanic rock looks impossibly barren and hard but it is neither – it is brittle and rich in nutrients. Soon, there will be rich soil here and maybe even earth worms. But the word “soon” has a different meaning here and can’t easily be understood in human years.

Come back in a few thousand years and you won’t know the place. I’m thinking God’s watch doesn’t measure days or minutes or seconds. Probably not not months or years, either. . . .

Canon 5DIII 1/125s f/6.7 ISO100 47mm

04-22-16 Willow, Moon and Fog

Fortune favors the prepared mind? . . . (read more)

By Scott Shephard

Generally, my photography is intentional rather than accidental. That is to say that I go looking for photos. But yesterday morning this one found me. I knew we were close to a full moon – I almost always pay attention to that.

But when I stepped out onto our patio, my intent was to check the weather. What you see here is what greeted me. Knowing that things like light and fog are fleeting, I rushed to get my camera. I should have used a tripod but I knew that the minute or two it would take to get it set up might jeopardize my opportunity. And so I shot with my telephoto lens resting against a post.

 A great photo? Not exactly. A good photo? I guess so. Ansel Adams said that “fortune favors the prepared mind.” I agree with that: good photos are sometimes a result of good luck. But good photos are rarely accidents. I would say that about this photo. But did I have a prepared mind? Not really.

The next time there’s a full moon when there is fog in the river bottom and the willow is golden with new leaves, I’ll be ready and waiting. But the chance of these things all happening at the same time in my life are almost zero. In some ways every photo is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity . . . . 

Canon 5DIII 1/30s f/4.5 ISO1250 140mm

04-16-16 Stone And Light

It has been called by some a “palace of justice” (read more)

By Scott Shephard

As some old timers say, “They don’t build ’em like that anymore.” That’s certainly true of the Codington County Court House, which was built in the late 1920s. Though the building is beautiful, there is talk about the need for something more “modern.” Modern isn’t always architecturally interesting, though I understand the need for space, efficiency and security.

The problem with modern is that it often pays little respect to the “vintage.” In fact, the antecedent to our current court house was destroyed to make room for it, even though the old building was itself a beautiful structure. Out with the old and in with the new, I guess.

Canon 5DIII 1/80s f/4.5 ISO1250 16mm

04-14-16 Photographer At Work (Andy O)

Have you seen Andy’s brilliant early morning photo in the LATI photo gallery? (read more)

By Scott Shephard

If you live in Watertown, SD, and haven’t had a chance to see the student photo gallery at Lake Area Technical Institute, you should try to do so. There are some great photos there but one of my favorites is a photo of Lakota Lake in the Black HIlls taken by Andy Olson last summer during the Black Hills Photo Adventure I hosted.

I’ve taken many photos of this lake but I’ve never captured it the way Andy did. But I did manage to get a decent photo of Andy taking the photo. That’s got to count for something doesn’t it?

Canon 5DIII 1/350s f/2.8 ISO400 145mm 

04-07-16 Columbine

Another hint of things to come. . . (read more)

By Scott Shephard

Unfortunately, when some of us hear the word “Columbine,” we think of the school shooting that happened in Colorado in April, 2009. And I’m sorry to bring that up . . . .

But if you want to think of something brighter, think “delicate flower” and think of this picture. The name columbine comes from the Latin word for dove, a bird which produces a soothing sound and which is the symbol of peace. I like that. Further, if you didn’t know it, the columbine flower is the state flower of Colorado.

Canon D60 1/40s f/5.6 ISO200 120mm (35mm eq:192mm)

04-06-16 Rite of Spring

These small flowers are dangerous non-conformists.

By Scott Shephard

As I look out of my office window, I am more conscious than ever of the fact that the building covenants in our neighborhood are what I am calling “anti-color.” That translates as “earth tones” which translates as “dull.”

Add heavy clouds, light haze and mostly brown grass to the nearly colorless painting schemes and you have a prescription for the early spring South Dakota blues.

A pill might help. But how about taking in bright, purple crocus flowers, which seem to flaunt the color covenants in our part of town instead? You have to get down on your hands and knees to see them as they are pictured here. But why not bow down to this wonderful little iconoclast?

Canon 5DII 1/250s f/3.2 ISO400 100mm