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Scott Craig Photographs - A Few Of My Favorites
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NHRA Arizona Nationals - October 14, 2011
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There is absolutely no motorsport on earth like NHRA Top Fuel drag racing. I've been to Talladega when the entire field
comes by in a pack but that is a poor second to the thunder from a funny car or top fuel car when they launch. The
sound is more physical than audible, a physical force much like a thunderstorm a few feet away. Everything shakes; the
ground, the bleachers, everything. It's one of those things that has to be experienced to be understood.
I went to the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firevird Raceway in Chandler, AZ on October 14 and had a great time. Lots of
cars, lots of power, and LOTS of noise! There are more photos of this event on
This Page of my web site.
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WERA Motorcycle Road Racing - April 17, 2011
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I love to watch motorcycle road racing and when they come to town I try to make it out to watch them run. I took
a bunch of photos at the last event but these are probably my favorites.
There are many more photos from 2011 on This Page and
from 2010 on This Page of my web site.
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 Nashville Superspeedway - April 17, 2011 |
 Nashville Superspeedway - April 17, 2011 |
 Nashville Superspeedway - April 17, 2011 |
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Red Panda - November 13, 2010
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I've tried to get a decent photograph of this Red Panda at the Nashville Zoo several times but he (she?) is pretty shy. Most
of the times that I've been there the panda has been high up in a tree at the back of its pen making it difficult to get much of
anything. This time it was very active. The Clouded Leopards in the adjoining pen were also agitated over something,
and I think it was the maintenance people cleaning up nearby.
I watched it prowling its pen for a few minutes, and when it settled behind that limb I was waiting for it. It's such a pretty
little bear I'm glad I finally got a good shot of it.
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Standing Guard - June 4, 2010
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This was a planned shot, but it still turned out differently than I expected. It was taken at Cheekwood
Botanical Gardens of a portion of an exhibit of Dale Chihuly art (more photos of the exhibit are on
This Page). The statue
is at one end of a reflecting pool with the glass right in front of it. I shot the photo using a flash placed
in front of the statue right on the edge of the pool. It was my intent to light the face of the statue, but I
had to guess at the angle for the flash and just got lucky.
In the photograph I can see a huge statue on a hillside standing guard over a futuristic city of purple glass towers. |
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Closed For The Season - January 16, 2010
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I call this one "Closed For The Season" for obvious reasons. I'm not much into the artsy aspects of photography
but this one kind of jumped out at me as I walked by so I took it. When I got home and looked at it I thought
it was pretty boring but then I played with it some and found the part I liked.
It was taken at Couchville Lake on January 16, 2010 and the boats are rental boats for use on the lake. Given that the lake was frozen over, the water very low, and nobody there to rent the boats the simple title seemed to fit. |
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Wildlife - December 9, 2009
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| I think I enjoy taking wildlife photographs better than any other subject. I'm not sure why, but I've always gone out of my way to get photos of wildlife. Below are a few of my favorites taken over the past couple of years. I'll add more from time to time. | ||||
 American Coot Centennial Park - Nashville, TN November 15, 2009 |
 Hen Mallard Centennial Park - Nashville, TN December 6, 2009 |
 Drake Mallards Centennial Park - Nashville, TN January 31, 2009 |
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 Hyacinth Macaw Nashville Zoo - Nashville, TN November 21, 2009 |
 Emerald Tree Boa Nashville Zoo - Nashville, TN November 21, 2009 |
 African Crowned Crane Nashville Zoo - Nashville, TN November 21, 2009 |
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 Gray Squirrel Centennial Park - Nashville, TN November 15, 2009 |
 Gray Squirrel Radnor Lake - Nashville, TN December 5, 2009 |
 Gray Squirrel Radnor Lake - Nashville, TN December 20, 2009 |
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 Chipmunk Radnor Lake - Nashville, TN November 21, 2009 |
 Ring Billed Gull Centennial Park - Nashville, TN December 24, 2009 |
 Ring Billed Gull Centennial Park - Nashville, TN January 9, 2010 |
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 Cooper's Hawk Radnor Lake - Nashville, TN January 3, 2010 |
 Red-Tailed Hawk Radnor Lake Nashville, TN February 7, 2010 |
 Red-Tailed Hawk Radnor Lake Nashville, TN February 7, 2010 |
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 Male Downy Woodpecker Radnor Lake - Nashville, TN January 1, 2010 |
 White Tailed Deer Radnor Lake - Nashville, TN December 26, 2009 |
 White-Tailed Deer Radnor Lake Nashville, TN February 7, 2010 |
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 Canada Goose In Flight Centennial Park - Nashville, TN December 24, 2009 |
 Canada Geese In Flight Centennial Park - Nashville, TN December 24, 2009 |
 Male Cardinal Radnor Lake January 10, 2010 |
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Fall Foliage - November 21, 2009
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I love fall, it's my favorite time of the year. I don't like summer at all because in this part of
the country it is hot, humid, and miserable. I don't care that much for spring because even though it
marks the end of winter it is a harbinger of summer. I used to love winter but as I get older I find
it harder and harder to get through the cold damp months. So, I like fall.
I've always enjoyed fall foliage photographs but I normally focus on the whole scene in general. Trees showing their fall colors or groups of trees displaying the whole warm end of the spectrum in leaves. This year I've focused some on individuals. Individual groups of leaves or individual monochromatic trees and I managed to get a few that fall into my "Favorites" category. Others may not agree but then that's why they are "My" favorites and not theirs. |
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 Afternoon Sunlight - Nashville, TN November 15, 2009 |
 Afternoon Sunlight - Nashville, TN November 15, 2009 |
 Afternoon Sunlight - Nashville, TN November 15, 2009 |
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 Simply Pink - Radnor Lake November 11, 2009 |
 Simply Yellow - Radnor Lake November 11, 2009 |
 Simply Red - Brentwood, TN November 8, 2009 |
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Oldies - November 12, 2009
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I took the photos below in 1980 and just got around to scanning them. No digital photographs these, they were good
old 35mm Kodak Kodacolor negative film. I processed the film myself and made the prints myself. Good times in
the darkroom many years ago.
For many years the first one has always been one of my favorites. I had forgotten that it was actually a section cropped out of the second one. Presumably I knew that when I made the print but I had forgotten about it over the years. Funny how we only remember what we want to remember ;) |
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The little girl's name is Carrie and the older girl is my sister Barbara. They met through the
Big Brothers/Big Sisters program They, and I, were at my mother's house helping rake up the
leaves. Well the intent was to rake leaves, but I spent the time taking photographs and they spent
the time playing in the leaves. I wish I had metered her face better but it was a quick snapshot. A
bad shot that I got is better than a good shot missed.
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As I said above, good times in the dark room many years ago. In many ways I miss the old days before digital photography. I processed all my own film, both black and white and color, and did all my own printing. These few samples would account for several hours of darkroom time, but it wasn't work it was fun. These days I come home, download the images from my digital SLR, and then "Process" them with computer software. I can do in a few minutes what took hours years ago. It isn't the same though. I have far more control over the final images today, but it isn't as "Personal" as it was then. I've spent untold hours in a darkroom trying to get a print "Just Right". Print it, develop it, dry it, and then decide what I want to change. I've printed the same negative over and over and over trying to get just the right tonal balance and just the right amount of dodging and burning, and when I did there was a great deal of personal satisfaction in what I had. I miss it in some respects, but I don't think I'm ready to give up my digital gear yet.
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Day At The Lake - August 29, 2009
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The company I work for had an outing at Center Hill Lake on August 29, 2009. We are a small company and most of the employees brought their kids. Everyone knows that kids and water go together like peanut butter and jelly, and just watching them made my day. I'm not a water person myself but watching those kids was great. Below are a few of my favorites. |
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Flowing Water - May 3, 2009
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| I enjoy photographs of flowing water but I'm not very good at making them look natural. Using a shutter speed that is too high freezes the motion of the water and it doesn't have the flowing appearance. Using a shutter speed that is too slow causes the water to have too much softness to it, and that doesn't look natural either. One of these days I'll get it right. | ||||
Laurel Falls - Savage Gulf Natural Area |
Laurel Falls - Savage Gulf Natural Area |
Bald River Falls - Off the Cherohala Skyway |
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Bald River Falls - Off the Cherohala Skyway |
Bald River Falls - Off the Cherohala Skyway |
Bald River Falls - Off the Cherohala Skyway |
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Girl at Radnor Lake - May 2, 2009
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| I was at Radnor Lake on the morning of April 26. It was a beautiful morning and for a change the weather was absolutely perfect. Bright sunshine in a cobalt blue sky reflecting off the water of the lake, temperature in the mid 60's, just a fantastic morning. | ||||
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| I was standing on a wooden platform over the edge of the lake just enjoying the morning when I heard a girl singing softly. I looked around and finally spotted this young lady sitting on the edge of the lake singing and playing her guitar. I took a few photographs of her and these two were my favorites. | ||||
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Redbud Lenses - March 27, 2009
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