By Scott Shephard
05-30-09 Incipience 3
in South Dakota
By Scott Shephard
This time it's the incipient dawn that looms over the Missouri River in South Dakota.
05-29-09 A Different View - Notre Dame de Paris
By Scott Shephard
05-28-09 A Stroll Along the Stradun
By Scott Shephard
The Stradun is the main street in Dubrovnik. And for the locals it is considered part of their culture to walk the street in the evening. For the tourist it is a great place to sit and have a coffee and watch the world go by. All three the "people" in this photo appear to be native Croatians but they look like kids (and dogs) anywhere in western society, don't they?
05-27-09 Red Roofs - Dubrovnik, Croatia
By Scott Shephard
As you look out over the city of Dubrovnik, it's hard not to be struck by the flamboyant red roofs. The color is brighter than one would expect for an ancient city but most of the clay tiles you see in this photo had to be replaced after the bombardment this Unesco World Heritage Site came under in the 1991 war. Our Croatian host said that there was no strategic reason for the city to be bombed - it was done for spite.
During the height of the bombardment, he remembers helping women, children and the elderly board boats in the middle of the night so that they could flee to safety. His own family left that night and he no doubt wondered if he would ever see them again. He also told us he and his fellow Croatians wondered why the US and the other western leaders appeared to be doing so little to help stop the death and destruction. They, too, he said, "would surely want to save this beautiful city."
Both the city and our host survived the seige and he eventually re-united with his family. But 68 percent of the buildings in the walled city were hit by shells and there were many Croatian casualties. Today Dubrovnik has been rebuilt and is thriving. It is fun to sit along the main thoroughfare (no motorized vehicles are permitted inside the walled city) and watch how seamlessly the lives of the locals and of tourists like me mesh.
05-26-09 View of Dubrovnik, Croatia
By Scott Shephard
This view of Dubrovnik, Croatia, is one of millions taken by tourists from the same spot. So why post it? I am leaving for Croatia is less than two weeks and in preparation I was going through photos from a previous trip and I came across this picture.
It was a partly cloudy day when we were walking the walls around the city and I think the clouds can help make a landscape photo more interesting. Another example of this is my view from the Maui coast or of the Black Hills. None of these photos would be as interesting to the eyes with a blank, blue sky. In fact, all of the photos that I've posted of skies show clouds except for one: "A Perfect Place." Compare these and discuss.
View on Panoramio to see this photo's geographic setting.
Canon 5D 1/250s f/11.0 ISO250 24mm
05-25-09 Industrial Art - Shaved Foam
By Scott Shephard
Sandy, a graphic designer who occasionally hires me to do photography for her promotional publications, asked me if I was interested in taking photos at a foam factory. I said, "Yes," of course. She said that I had several prosaic shots of the processes that she wanted me to take. But she also said that I was free to let my "creative eye" roam. Another perfect job!
This photo was taken at a machine that trims foam sheets down to a uniform size using hot wires. I was attracted to the thin strips of foam that had curled away from the trimmers. And, amidst the noise and harsh lighting of the factory, I found something soft and almost ethereal. This is another example of the power of the camera to capture something that most people wouldn't look twice at.
Sadly, this manufacturing plant burned down this past fall. But like a phoenix, it has been resurrected, though at a different location. Here's a photo I took of part of the destruction caused by the fire.
Canon 5D 1/80s f/2.8 ISO640 135mm
05-25-09 Industrial Art - C-Clamps
By Scott Shephard
In looking for something different to post, it occurred to me that I have done a little industrial photography over the years and and that I should post a few of those pictures. So here's the first one. This one was taken in a local sign factory and I was struck by how carefully the clamps seemed to have been placed on the curved metal that was being prepared for welding. I got paid for the day I worked for this company, but I had fun. They say it's only work if you'd rather be doing something else. . . .
Canon 1DII 1/100s f/4.0 ISO1000 55mm
05-23-09 Wandering Star
By Scott Shephard
I know - there's nothing special about this one. But I thought I should let you see my new used boat. Here's where I am picturing it - "The Perfect Place." The boat in that photo is a 19' footer named Ariel, which I've sailed for over 20 years. The new boat is a 25' Catalina.
05-22-09 Paris Street Performers
in Travel
By Scott Shephard
This photo was taken on a "walking tour" of Paris that was part of the last school trip I took with students. We saw various parks and buildings but at one point, while walking through an arcade, we encountered this group of street musicians.
I wanted more than the musicians in the photo and so I walked behind the group and framed the violinist between two of his companions. At the moment I took the photo, the violinist looked my way. This is a brief encounter between me and one of the Earth's 6.7 billion inhabitants frozen in 1/60 of a second.
Canon 5D 1/60s f/4.5 ISO400 50mm
05-21-09 Curiosity
One of the highlights of our trip to Japan in 2004 was a visit to the Japanese pre-school my son Brian worked at. The children we saw that morning behaved much as you'd expect children to behave anywhere, though I saw one big difference - these kids didn't appear to be as fearful or suspicious of strangers as our kids seem to be.
It was recess time when this photo was taken. As we stood and talked to one of the administrators, I noticed this young boy leave his pals on the playground and walk up to the open doorway to watch us. I turned the camera towards him and instead of turning away, he continued to watch me with intense and friendly curiosity.
Canon 1DII 1/320s f/4.0 ISO400 145mm
05-20-09 A View From St. Peter's
in Travel
I have already posted a photo of the dome of St. Peter's from the inside. This is what you see when you stand on top of the dome. The climb up is a bit strenuous but well worth it. Though I would suggest you consider going up in the morning because you can avoid the heat and the crowds.
You can see two countries in this photo - Vatican City and Italy. The "border" is a white line at the open end of St. Peter's Square (which is actually an ellipse). The "square" and the colonnades that enclose it were designed by Bernini, who also designed the baldacchino visible in my interior shot.
What was I thinking when I got to the top? I was thinking that it's a good thing that there is a sign by the dome ticket window warning people with heart problems that the climb may kill them. I was also thinking that it's too bad Michelangelo, who designed the dome, didn't live to stand where I was standing. I wonder if Pope Benedict has been up here?
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Do want to view a narrated video of this photo? Try going here. (This is a bit of an experiment and it is clearly un-rehearsed!)
Canon 5D 1/640s f/5.0 ISO400 24mm