"A Recital of Hand-crafted Instruments"...

In an age of digital music and iPods, few truly appreciate the skill, artistry and dedication to the craft of hand-made, musical instruments. A true craftsman, Paul V. lives up near Huntsville, Arkansas. He has many stories and skills that some argue will be lost in the coming generations. Among many crafty results emanating from his workshop, he makes fiddles, guitars and banjos. Hope you enjoy.
Comments welcome.

The back of the guitar is a turtle shell.
Location: near Huntsville, Arkansas. August/2013.
Photo # IM3_1664bw2.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

"Windows of Time"...

I found this juxtaposition interesting. You have several window metaphors to explore. The window on the left of the door is a window into complete shadows, whereas the window on the right is partially shadowed with an opening allowing you to see through the structure. The area to the far right gives you an open field with layers of trees. The area to the left gives you a view to another old building on the property. The skies above are opening up, giving you a window into the clearing sky.
Hope you enjoy. Comments welcome!

Location: near Kingston, Arkansas. August, 2013.
Photo # IM3_2059-68h2bws.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

"Visions and Reflections"...

Almost 20 years ago, I photographed this sunset with a slightly different vision than what you may think. The layers and gradations of clouds provided a great texture in the sky, but while reflecting at the water's edge, I had a new end-vision of a photograph. What you see here is the vision I had while photographing the sunset. What you may not realize is that I photographed this upside-down to achieve this result. What you see as silhouetted reeds on the right are actually reflections of the actual reeds. Everything you see, excluding the ground at the bottom edge are reflections in the water.
Hope you enjoy. Comments welcome!

Location: Woolly Hollow State Park, Arkansas. May, 1996.
Nikon F4s, Fujichrome Velvia.
Photo # 6171rbws.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

"Sand Harbor"...

Nestled in a warm, cozy cove, sungoers enjoy the warm sand at one of the many beaches of Lake Tahoe. If you look closely at the water, you'll see it's almost clear, then emerald, then blue. Lake Tahoe has a visual clarity of 75 feet and water purity of 99.7% ! The lake is at 6,229' elevation, 22 miles in length and 12 miles in width, covering 191 square miles. Maximum lake depth is 1,645 feet, averaging 989 feet. Surface water temp stays at 68 degrees Fahrenheit, year-round. It never freezes. It's the 3rd deepest in North America and the 10th deepest lake in the world.

Location: Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe, NV. Sept/2014.
Photo # KS6_3429-33c.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

"Reno at Night"...

A colorful view of Reno, Nevada at night.
Photo # IMG_1023. Sept/2014.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

"The Woodland Hunter"...

This is a juvenile Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus). This medium-sized hawk species is known for hunting from low perches in woodland areas, dining mostly on frogs, lizards, snakes, insects and small mammals. Weighing just over 1 pound, the average length can be 20 inches, with an average wingspan of 44 inches. It often has white barring on dark wings, with rusty-colored shoulders. All ages show narrow, pale crescents near the wingtips in flight.

You may notice that it has it's toes straightened-out. These birds often get cramps from the powerful tendons in their feet. They often have to stretch and rest the feet from grips.

Location: central Arkansas. June, 2013.
Photo # KS2_8474_75c.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

"One of the Best DJ's"...

In 1993, I was given the opportunity to photograph and interview Craig O'Neill during his morning show on KURB (B98.5). He was in his second year at B98.5 and was well known for his prank telephone calls and incredible wit and humor. In this photograph, you can see what it looked like behind the controls of running a popular, morning radio show. This is pre-digital, so you can see a lot of DAT's and CD's. There is even more off-screen to the left and right. The rack of DAT's on the far right contained many sound-effects used during the show. In this photograph, he's actually pausing during a commercial.
I have a variety of stories and fun photos from that experience. I hope to find my audio tapes from the interview. There's one question I asked him, which the answer will surprise you.

(For those of you outside of Arkansas, you may not know this radio personality. "Craig O'Neill" spent the most of three decades in radio.)

May, 1993. Fujichrome 100.
Photo # People_1_3a.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

"Patterns in Flight"...

The male Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) has a red crown and nape, female has the red nape only. They are omnivores and are very beneficial, eating ants, grasshoppers, beetles, as well as fruits and nuts. This species habitually stores food. The red markings on the belly that give the bird its name is difficult to see in the field. They are approx. 10 inches long with a wingspan of 16 inches.

Photo # KS5_3190a. Location: central Arkansas. Feb/2014.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

"The Hat Tip"...

Sometimes shadows reveal more than light. The shadows I produced in this portrait were on purpose. I wanted to invite mystery, depth, as well as light-and-shadow play. Hope you enjoy. Comments welcome!

Portrait session with Heather.
Photo # _KS10340bwsc2. Jan/2010.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

"Nature's Bounty"...

Nature has a way of giving us what we need. If you keep your eyes, mind and heart open, mother nature may just surprise you with more than you expected.

Location: Woolly Hollow State Park, Arkansas. May/2009.
Photo # _KS10230-236bws2.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.