Category: Macro

09-27-13 Change of Seasons, Alaska

2013 09-27 A Change of Seasons by Watertown, South Dakota, photographer Scott Shephard
Yesterday’s post is a broader view of what you would see from the Safari Endeavor, the Un-Cruise ship we lived on for our week in Alaska. Today’s post shows what you might see if you were lucky enough to move into the apparently dense forest of spruce trees. This photo was not taken on this neat little island but it wasn’t taken far from this spot.

Fall in moving in to our part of the world but, as you can see, it arrives even earlier in Alaska, given that this photo was taken in late August. If I paid more attention to our guides and less to my photography, I could tell you the name of this plant, which is apparently one to be avoided because of its serrated leaves. But it’s looking pretty photogenic here.

Canon 5DIII 1/125s f/4.5 ISO400 100mm

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09-18-13 Scaling Down

2013 09-18 Scaling Down by Scott Shephard
Since I talked about the immense scale of Alaska yesterday, I thought it would be proper to show the smaller side of nature. In the context of looking at mountains, forests and glaciers, it’s easy to miss things that are under foot some times. Of course, this is the power that we have as photographers.

Also, when I post my mushroom photo, I can feel better about myself: there are things in the Alaskan wilderness that are smaller than me. 🙂

Canon 5DIII 1/80s f/2.8 ISO1000 100mm

07-18-13 Prickly Pear

2013 07-18 Prickly Pear by Scott Shephard
Anyone driving along the forest service road I used to get to this photo location would have wondered why a man was lying prone near an old, dead tree at 5:45 am this morning. But nobody else was likely to do that. In fact I could lie prone for the whole day and not be seen.

My mission this morning was to photograph rocks and trees in an area I hadn’t photographed before. But in my quest for the perfect shot, I discovered a small colony of prickly pear cactus growing by a weathered tree. And so my mission changed.

Fortunately, I had my 100mm macro with me and I was able to get up close and personal with a plant you wouldn’t think would thrive in the Black Hills National Forest. What I liked about the subjects in this photo were the rich, monotone textures of the weathered wood and the spiny, crisp edges and lines of the cactus. I also liked the vibrant green of the cactus juxtaposed against the dull, gray tree branch.

Canon 5DIII 1/6s f/18.0 ISO250 100mm