Wednesday, June 10, 2015

A great lesson not only to photography enthusiasts, but also to mankind...

There are only a select few photographers who have inspired me over the decades, not only for their obvious camera-equipment skills, knowledge of exposure, depth of field, lighting, etc, but also for their respect of their subjects (ie: nature). They take the time to study, appreciate and respect what they photograph. One of these select few is Frans Lanting, a long-time National Geographic photographer. Last year, he gave a TED Talk in Vancouver. This is only 3 minutes, but a great lesson not only to photography enthusiasts, but also to mankind -

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

"Picnic Supplies"...


From a time when picnics were a common thread in society. Whatever happened to that time period? There are still a few small towns that still have a "town square". It's really square and it's usually the main intersection of two highways. In this photo, you'll see Cob's Corner Market, which my guess was a gas station at one time. The inset on the right side suggests a garage door was there at one time and an old gas pump around back. Hope you enjoy. Comments welcome.

Kingston, Arkansas. October, 2014.
Photo # IM3_8419bws.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

Monday, June 8, 2015

Beneath the Surface...


While we're out and about in our above-the-ground world, we often forget that there are other parts of this world that are often underappreciated and often undiscovered. In fact, we have yet to explore much of our own underwater world. As always, I spent most of a day appreciating and photographing this special grotto. Regardless of how many times you visit a special place, you just can't get enough of it. What may surprise you is how deafening this waterfall can be. Spending hours here, then going back to the surface was as if I had been teleported to a silent room full of trees.
This is located near the township of Batson, where the population density is only 7 people per square mile! Over one-third of the residents heat their homes with wood instead of electricity or gas. It's such a treat to still have townships like this to visit and spend time.

Johnson County, Arkansas. March, 2015.
Photo # KS7_5924-33h1.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

Saturday, June 6, 2015

"The Magic Hour" - infrared dimensions between day and night.


For some, the magic hour is the golden hour - just before sunrise or just after sunset. For others it may be the twilight hour. Nature offers us many hours of magic. It's up to us to experience it. If you look closely, you can see a definitive separation between the row of pine trees in the foreground and the oak tree in the background. The light reflecting off the top of the pine trees is actually illuminating the top of the oak tree.
Hope you enjoy. Comments welcome.

Woolly Hollow State Park, Arkansas. February, 2012.
Photo # IMG_1591ca3.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

"A new path"...


Even the smallest difference can be enough to make a difference. Sometimes it doesn't take much to change your perspective, appreciation, respect or opinion about something. In this photograph, a large water droplet rests at the center of this blade of grass. If you look closely, you can see the reflection of the grass and sky at the top of the water droplet. Hope you enjoy. Comments welcome.

Central Arkansas.
Photo # KS5_9798bwsa. June, 2014.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.