Scott Craig – Tennessee In Photographs

Nostalgia Nationals – Beech Bend Dragway – October 13-15,2017

I really enjoy this race each year.  I’m old enough to remember when most of what are called “Nostalgia” today were “New”. A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

33rd All Americna 400 – Fairgrounds Speedway, Nashville, TN – October 1,2017

The 33rd All American 400 was held over the October 1 weekend, and as usual it was a fabulous fall day for a racing. A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

NHRA Lucas Oil Series – Beech Bend Dragway – August 26,2017

Beech Bend hosted a NHRA Lucas Oil Series North Central Division event on August 24-27 and I went on the 26th.  Great racing, great weather (for a change!) and I had a blast! A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

Total Solar Eclipse – August 21, 2017

Nashville was on the receiving end of a total solar eclipse on August 21 and we were in the perfect place to view it.  The sun was almost perfectly cover by the moon and it was an awesome experience. A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

2017 Tri-Five Nationals – Beech Bend Dragway – August 12, 2017

I seem to be spending a lot of time at Beech Bend this season and still have several events there to go to.  This week was the Tri-5 Nationals, hundreds of ’55, ’56, and ’57 Chevys, row upon row of them.  Plenty of eye candy and hotrods on the drag strip. A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

2017 Hotrod Reunion – Beech Bend Dragway – June 15-17, 2017

The 2017 Hotrod Reunion was once again held at Beech Bend Dragway in June.  I had friends racing so I spent a couple of days there.  It was hot and humid but with machines like that around who cares? A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

JEGS SportsNationals – Beech Bend Dragway – May 27, 2017

The JEGS SportsNationals were once again held at Beech Bend Dragway and I went on Saturday.  Lots of hot rods, lots of noise, and lots of speed. A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

NHRA Gator Nationals – March 16-19, 2017

I spent 4 days in Gainesville, FL at the Gator Nationals in mid-March and had a blast!  Four days of noise, smoke, and the howl of race cars!  What could be better? A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

Western Trip – February 18-25, 2017

As has been the case for the past several years I made a Winter Sojourn to the Valley of the Sun to visit friends in Phoenix.  We spent a week traveling around that part of the country, saw a lot of interesting sights, ate some outstanding food, and enjoyed the company of friends.  We visited the Commemorative Air Force Museum, went to Las Vegas, visited the Mob Museum, took a day trip to Death Valley, stopped at Bearizona, and went to an NHRA drag race. A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

October 14-16, 2016

The Goodguys / NDRL Nostalgia Nationals was held at Beech Bend Raceway and this year I was there all three days.  A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

October 2, 2016

The All American 400 was once again held at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.  I also went to the regular weekend race on Saturday night and made a 2-day event out of it. A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

September 24, 2016

The Southern Survival Shootout was held at Music City Raceway this weekend.  It’s a 2-day event but I only went on Saturday since I wanted to watch a NHRA race on TV Sunday. A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

August 26-27, 2016

I headed out with friends to the NDRL Hot August Nights race at Gateway Motorsports Park in St. Louis in Late August.  Despite the heat it was a lot of fun.  Lots of cars and speed so I had a blast! A few photographs are below and more are on This Page of my web site.

June 16-18, 2016

The National Hot Rod Reunion was once again held at Beech Bend Raceway on June 16-18.  I had some friends racing at the event so spent a couple of days hanging out with them, watching the races, and trying to ignore the summer heat. A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

June 5, 2016

I had never been to a drag boat race so this weekend I decided to rectify that problem.  I headed north to Land Between The Lakes to watch the Kentucky Drag Boat Association put on their show. A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

May 29, 2016

The JEGS Sports Nationals were held at Beech Bend this weekend so I rode up there with some friends to watch for a while.  It was hot but not hot enough to prevent me from having a great time watching some gorgeous cars on the track. A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

May 6-7, 2016

I headed north with some friends this weekend to Madison, IL and the NDRL Nostalgia Rendezvous.  I spent 2 days hanging around a race track and having an absolute blast!  Good times, good friends, and lots of race cars.  What could be better? A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

April 16, 2016

Yet another “Double Header” this Saturday.  I went to the Kars 4 Kids car show in Brentwood Saturday morning and the Super Pro race at Music City Raceway on Saturday afternoon.  Another great day of automotive Eye Candy in the books! A few photos from the Kars 4 Kids car show are below and there are more on This Page of my site. A few photos from the Music City Super Pro race are are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

April 9, 2016

A race track double-header was in the works for me today.  I went to Beech Bend Raceway this morning for ChallengerFest 7 and then went to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway this evening for the Music City 200.  Can’t beat that with a stick! A few photos from ChallengerFest 7 are are below and there are more on This Page of my site. A few photos from the Music City 200 are are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

March 26, 2016

An absolutely perfect spring day to go to a race track so I made good use of it and headed for Music City Raceway again.  Crystal clear skies and temperatures in the upper 60’s.  It doesn’t get much better than that! A few photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

March 5, 2016

I went to the NHRA CarQuest Nationals in Phoenix on February 26 but that was LAST month!  Today I headed for Music City Raceway for their season opener and it was great to be back.  A few highlight photos are below and there are more on This Page of my site.

February, 2016 – Arizona Again!

Once again I made a winter sojourn to Arizona to visit friends, go to a drag race, see some sites, and get warm!  Lots and lots of photographs on This Page of my site and a few highlight photos below.

All Year Long! – 2015 Motorsports

2015 was a significant “Motorsports” year for me.  Between late February and early November I went to 24 races.  LOTS of fun, noise, smoke, and color.  A recap of the entire season is on This Page of my site.

September 18 & 19, 2015 – Goodguys NDRL Nostalgia Nationals – Beech Bend Raceway – Bowling Green, KY

My fourth race at Beech Bend this year was for the Goodguys NDRL Nostalgia Nationals.  I spent two days there having a blast, meeting people I haven’t seen in ages, and purely and simply enjoying sensory overload due to the sights, smells, and sounds of professional drag racing.  What a weekend! There are a few photographs below and there are a lot more on This Page of my site.

August 29, 2015 – NHRA Lucas Oil Alcohol Regional – Beech Bend Raceway – Bowling Green, KY

I went to Beech Bend again this weekend for the NHRA Lucas Oil Alcohol Regional drag race.  Total sensory overload for a gearhead like me.  From the stock class to top alcohol dragster there were cars absolutely everywhere.  Truly a great event in my opinion. There are a few photographs below and there are more (LOTS more as a matter of fact!) on This Page of my site.

August 15, 2015 – Air and Land – Bowling Green, KY

I was planning on going to Bowling Green, KY for the Tri-5 Nationals this weekend and happened to notice on the news that there is an Aircraft Heritage Park in Bowling Green.  I don’t know which holds more interest for me, airplanes or race cars, but it only made sense to combine the two. Here are a few from the Aircraft Heritage Park and there are more on This Page of my site. And here are a few from the Tri-5 Nationals and there are more on This Page of my site.

June 19-20, 2015 – National Hot Rod Reunion – Beech Bend Raceway – Bowling Green, KY

I spent a couple of days at the 2015 National Hot Rod Reunion at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, KY.  Thanks to the remnants of Tropical Storm Bill one of them was pretty much a waste, but it was still a fabulous event. There are a few photographs below and there are about 100 more on This Page of my site.

May 16, 2015 – National Corvette Museum – Bowling Green, KY

I went to Bowling Green to go to the drag race at Beech Bend Raceway however it rained all the way up there.  So, rather then turning around and going back home, I went to the National Corvette Museum.  That was a very wise decision on my part since it is a fabulous place to visit. There are a few photographs below and there are more on This Page of my site.

April and May, 2015 – Out and About!

It’s already getting hot but after the winter we had it actually feels good.  Lots of sunshine and blue skies, but our ever-present humidity is making itself felt as well.  But I’ve been enjoying myself and having a lot of fun! I went to Cheekwood Botanical Gardens on April 11 to see the tulips.  About 10,000 of them in fact.  A few photos are below and more are on This Page. I made another run up to Music City Raceway on April 25 to watch the drag races.  A few photos are below and more are on This Page. I went to the Kars 4 Kids car show on April 18.  A few photos are below and more are on This Page. I went to the Tennessee Renaissance Festival on May 9.  A few photos are below and more are on This Page. Next weekend I’m headed for Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, KY for a drag race.  It should be a good one!

April 4, 2015 – Season Opener at Fairgrounds Speedway – Nashville, TN

I went to the season opening race at Fairgrounds Speedway on April 4 and it was a lot of fun.  Cold after a cold front blew through the previous night, but still great to be outside and watching race cars. There are a few photographs below and there are more on This Page of my site.

Spring 2015!

It’s been a long, cold, wet, snowy winter in Tennessee.  It actually started in October, which is quite unusual for us, and as I write this in late March it’s still going.  Most of last week was in the 70’s however a cold front blew in late in the week and the high on Saturday was about 45°.  More snow than we’ve had in the past number of years to, so personally I’m really glad to see it heading out finally. I have been out and about though.  I’ve been walking a lot at Radnor Lake however since it’s been dark when I get there and still dim when I leave I haven’t been taking a camera with me.  That’s fixing to change though since I saw some Wood Ducks in full plumage this morning. I also took a Trip to Phoenix for the NHRA CarQuest Nationals, and while there spent a few days in Las Vegas (the first time I’ve ever been there).  I also went to a Gaelic Games Tournament and saw Hurling for the first time.  I went to another Kart Race at Fairgrounds Speedway and a nostalgic afternoon at Music City Raceway which was Union Hill Dragway when I was a kid. A few photographs from each are below and more are on the pages of this site I’ve listed for each. Phoenix and Las Vegas – February, 2015 Gaelic Games Tournament – March, 2015 Amped Up Kart Racing – March, 2015 Music City Raceway – March, 2015

September 26 & 27, 2014 – Reelfoot Lake – Tiptonville, TN

Until this weekend I had spent a grand total of about 2 hours at Reelfoot Lake when my wife and I flew over there in 1978.  They have a large migratory bird population during the fall and winter months so I decided to drive up there and see the area.  It is quite impressive.  There are a few photographs below and there are more on This Page of my site.

March and April, 2014 – Radnor Lake

I’ve spent a lot of time walking around Radnor Lake the past couple of months.  I need to walk but at the same time I love to photograph birds and wildlife so Radnor Lake is one of the places that I go to combine them both.  I’ve seen a Barred Owl just about every time I’ve been there for the past 6 weeks or so, and the Wood Ducks are returning as well.  The mornings are warming up and it’s just a very enjoyable experience all around. There are a few photographs below and there are more on This Page of my site.

February, 2014 – Portland, OR

I spent a few days in Oregon with a friend this month.  It was the first time I’ve ever been to the northwest so it was quite a treat for me.  Despite rainy, windy, cold weather the scenery was magnificent and I had a wonderful time. There are a few photographs below and there are more on This Page of my site.

January 1, 2014 – Radnor Lake

Happy New Year! I needed to go by my office for a little while this morning so I decided to take my morning photo walk on the same side of the county.  I went by Radnor Lake State Natural Area and walked about 3 miles, and while doing so got some very nice shots of a couple of Bluebirds and a Pileated Woodpecker.  Getting the shots of the Woodpecker made my day since the only shots I had previously were garbage ;) There are a few photographs below and there are more on This Page of my site.

December 25, 2013 – Old Hickory Wildlife Management Area

A crystal clear, cold, Christmas morning wasn’t enough to keep me from getting out and taking bird photographs, so about dawn I headed for Old Hickory Wildlife Management Area to see what was there. There are a few photographs below and there are more on This Page of my site.

November 29, 2013 – Old Hickory Wildlife Management Area & Shelby Park
I spent the morning today chasing Belted Kingfishers.  It appears to me that the greatest thing in the world to them is to lead photographers on a never-ending chase to get a decent photograph.  They will let us get to within about 40 to 50 meters and then will fly further away while giving off a maniacal, laughing call.  Then they will sit and wait for us to get closer and repeat the procedure.  Eventually they will go back to the beginning and start the game all over.  I don’t think they ever tire of it but I sure do! So, when I got tired of walking back and forth I took some photographs of the other birds in the area.  Other than feeling like a fool it was a lot of fun ;) There are a few photographs below and there are more from Old Hickory Lake on This Page and from Shelby Park on This Page of my site.

November 2, 2013 – Old Hickory Wildlife Management Area
I’ve been to Old Hickory Wildlife Management Area 3 times in the past 3 weeks and have been rewarded with some great bird shots!  Bald Eagles, Osprey, Great Blue Herons, Killdeer, and several others.  Nice cool weather to, albeit foggy on two occasions.  It was well worth the ride over there each time! There are a few photographs below and there are more from the visit on This Page of my site.

September 22, 2013 – Old Hickory Wildlife Management Area
I haven’t been to Old Hickory for several weeks and decided to head that way this morning.  It was a fantastic morning with crystal clear skies and temperatures in the low 50’s for a change.  The birds seemed to enjoy it as well since they were flying around and having a great time. There are a few photographs below and there are more from the visit on This Page of my site.

September 7, 2013 – Dragon Boat Races
The seventh annual Dragon Boat race was held at Riverfront Park today, and it was another hot, humid, late-summer day.  I didn’t stay too long but did get a few shots.  A few are shown below and a few more are on This Page of my site.

July 20, 2013 – Old Hickory WMA
Old Hickory Wildlife Management Area is fast becoming one of my favorite waterfowl haunts since each time I’ve gone there I’ve seen something unique.  Today it was several Great Egrets gliding around. There are a few photographs below and there are more from the visit on This Page of my site.

July 13, 2013 – Herons
I drove to Old Hickory Wildlife Management Area here in Nashville again today and for some reason Herons were literally everywhere.  Sitting in trees, standing on the banks, flying overhead, all over the place.  At one point I counted 7 Great Blue Herons standing on the bank and a couple more flying around overhead.  One person on a photography forum mentioned that it might be since all of the nestlings are leaving the safety of their nest now, and he could well be right.  I have no idea how to tell the age of a Heron ;) There are a few photographs below and there are more from the visit on This Page of my site.

July 5, 2013 – “Fifi”!
I had a very unique experience today.  “Fifi”, the last remaining B-29 flying anywhere in the world, landed in Smyrna, TN for the weekend.  I didn’t go yesterday because it rained all day but I was there today despite cloudy skies and drizzling rain.  That was not something I was going to miss! There are a few photographs below and there are more from the visit on This Page of my site.

June 22, 2013 – “Sensuous Steel” at the Frist Center
I normally avoid art museums, but the Frist Center is holding an event from June through September named “Sensuous Steel” that exhibits about a dozen automobiles from the 1930’s and 1940’s.  This is something that I absolutely had to visit! There are a few photographs below and there are more from the visit on This Page of my site.

May 25, 2013 – Tennessee Renaissance Festival
I made it to the Tennessee Renaissance Festival again yesterday.  Since this is the last weekend of the event it was pretty much my last chance to visit (Sunday is the Indy 500 and Monday would be packed).  I always enjoy this event, so until next year: Thanks for the memories! There are a few photographs below and there are more from today’s visit on This Page of my site.

May 5, 2013 – Tennessee Renaissance Festival
For the past few years the Tennessee Renaissance Festival has become one of my favorite annual events.  The amount of effort that the staff, and many of the visitors, puts into their costumes and performances is amazing and I really enjoy it. The event is held each weekend in May so yesterday was the opening day of the event.  Unfortunately we had heavy rain early and then drizzle for most of the remainder of the day here in Nashville so I decided to wait until Sunday to go.  Sunday was better, but it was still drizzling at times.  Regardless I had a great time, took a lot of photographs, and plan on going again before it ends. There are a few photographs below and there are more from today’s visit on This Page of my site.

March 16, 2013 – Spring Birds
Seventy degrees and nothing but sunshine was the weather of the day today, and I took advantage of it.  I started at Shelby Park however it appears that most of the migratory winter visitors have headed back towards wherever their summer homes are located.  The local population of Mallards and Canada Geese were still there but all of the Ring-Billed Gulls were gone.  Even so it’s a place that I really enjoy visiting. From there I headed to Centennial Park and just walked around photographing birds and enjoying the wonderful weather.  I was not alone either, the place was absolutely packed with other people doing the same thing. There are a few photographs below and there are more from Shelby Park on This Page and Centennial Park on This Page.

March 9, 2013 – Hunters Auto Expo
Once a year the drab, utilitarian walls of the Tennessee State Fairgrounds are lit with reflections of red and orange and green and purple when the Hunter’s Custom Auto Expo makes its annual appearance.  This year’s show was no exception. There are a few photographs below and more on This Page.

February 22, 2013 – Chattanooga Zoo
The weather forecast showed that Friday was supposed to be mild so I decided I had earned a day off of work and headed for the Chattanooga Zoo to try and get some shots of the Snow Leopards that were nearly comatose from the heat when I visited in July.  Unfortunately some rain in Nashville on Thursday left a heavy overcast in Chattanooga on Friday so I didn’t have very good light to work with.  I got some decent shots though, and luckily one of the Snow Leopards was up and about so it was a good trip!  There are a few photographs below and more on This Page.

February 9, 2013 – Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge
I visited the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge today to see the migrating Sandhill Cranes that winter there.  What an amazing sight!  Even though we were limited to an observation area about 125 meters from the birds it was still an event that has to be seen to be appreciated!  There are a few photographs below and more on This Page.

December 22, 2012 – Shelby Park
After a few days of warm weather and a few days of cloudy weather and a few days of rain and a few days of cold and a few days of rain, it finally turned very cold and crystal clear again.  I drove over to Shelby Park again this morning and after slaloming around a few hundred people jogging I got to the lake and shot a few waterfowl photographs. I took a number of photographs but the four below are the only ones I really liked from today.  Look closely at the background of the first one ;)  There are a number of others from Shelby Park on This Page.

November 24, 2012 – Shelby Park
I’ve been to Shelby Park several times in the past few weeks taking waterfowl photographs on Sevier Lake, and finally got around to adding a page for them. A few shots are shown below and there are a number of others on This Page.

October 28, 2012 – Scarecrows and Trains
Cheekwood Botanical Garden has had an exhibit of scarecrows for the past month or so as well as an encore exhibit of some G-scale model trains that were there last year.  I finally managed to get by there today and it was really fun.  I don’t pretend to understand some of the scarecrows however some of them were really well done. A few shots are shown below and there are a number of others on This Page.

October 20, 2012 – NAIA PowWow
I had never been to a real Native American Indian PowWow until today and it was great!  Native American arts, crafts, performances, dances, music, you name it!  A few photographs are shown below and there are several more on This Page.

October 13, 2012 – Cars and Zombies!
Lots of things happen around here in the fall.  Our summers are miserably hot and humid and in the fall people start to get out once again and enjoy the nice, cool weather. This weekend was no exception and Saturday morning I headed for downtown for several reasons.  I headed for the only remaining decent local camera shop (Durys) and then headed over to Centennial Park to a car show sponsored by the Nashville British Car Club and then to one of my favorite annual events, the Nashville Zombie Walk!  Both were great events, and I had a great day in mild fall weather! There are a few shots below of both events.  More of the car show are Here and more of the Zombie Walk are Here so enjoy!

October 2, 2012 – Tennessee Aquarium
I’m on vacation this week and had planned on visiting the Chattanooga Zoo and then drive up to Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains for a day.  It has rained for the previous two days, but today was supposed to be relatively clear so I decided to go to the zoo in Chattanooga for a day trip and then head back home.  Naturally it rained on me all the way to Chattanooga and when I got there it was still drizzling.  So I decided to go to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga instead.  It’s, obviously, indoors so it didn’t matter if it rained or not. There are a few shots below and a number of additional shots from the aquarium on This Page.

September 29, 2012 – Sixth Annual Dragon Boat Races
The Sixth Annual Dragon Boat Races were held at Riverfront Park today, and unlike the previous events that were held during the August heat this one was held during some gorgeous September weather! There are a few shots below and a number of additional shots from the past three events on This Page.

September 22, 2012 – USS LST-325
We had a visit from USS LST-325 this week.  An LST is a landing ship used during World War II to land tanks, troops, and materiel on shore.  I had never seen one up close and personal so this was a real treat for me! There are a few exterior shots below and a number of additional interior shots on This Page.

September, 2012 – Hummingbirds
I’ve never tried to photograph Hummingbirds before, and while at Edwin Warner Park in late August I found that there are a number of Hummingbird feeders there.  At that time it was a Saturday and the place was absolutely packed with people and the Hummingbirds were understandably scarce.  Looking at their web site I noticed that the Nature Center is closed on Sunday so I assumed that meant there would be fewer people around so I gave it a try the following Sunday.  I was right and there was hardly a soul there except me and the birds. I spent three Sunday mornings there happily photographing Hummingbirds and all I can say is that they are difficult to photograph!  They are nervous and very fast, but once they got relatively comfortable with me and my camera they let me get close enough for a number of decent shots. There are a few shots below and a number of other shots on This Page of this web site.

July 14, 2012 – Summer Smash IV
The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville hosted the fourth annual Summer Smash today.  The Summer Smash consists of a US Army LARC LX 8 crushing a car or two.  This is the third time I’ve been and it’s always interesting. There are more many photographs from the museum on This Page of my web site, and the Summer Smash events are at the bottom of the page.

July 5, 2012 – Chattanooga Zoo
I had never visited the Chattanooga Zoo so I decided to do something about that.  While not as large as the Nashville Zoo it is very nice and they have a selection of animals that the zoo here does not.  I will be back when it cools down a bit! There are more photographs from the zoo on This Page.

June 23, 2012 – Clouded Leopard Cubs
The Nashville Zoo released 5 new Clouded Leopard cubs and this evening was the first time I have seen them.  It was late in the day and hot so I didn’t stay long, but I will certainly be back for more shots of these kids! There are many photographs from the zoo on This Page.

June 2, 2012 – Tennessee Aquarium
The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, TN is something I have wanted to visit for a long while so I finally decided to to it.  It was the first time there for me but it won’t be the last! There are additional photographs from my visit on This Page.

May 19, 2012 – Tennessee Renaissance Festival
I made my second sojourn to the Tennessee Renaissance Festival today.  A few photos are below and there are lots more on This Page.

May 12, 2012 Great Tennessee Airshow
The Great Tennessee Airshow was held on May 12 & 13, 2012 in Smyrna, TN.  I was there on Saturday and despite the cloud and sprinkles of rain it was a great show!  A few shots are below and there are MANY more on This Page of my web site.

May 6, 2012 – Tennessee Renaissance Festival
The Tennessee Renaissance Festival will run throughout the month of May and I intend to go back a couple of more times so this is just the first installment!  Lots more photographs on This Page.

April 15, 2012 – Birds
Some birds at Centennial Park here in Nashville.  The Blue Jays (there were two of them) were working diligently to get their nest built despite a pretty stiff wind.
And some Wrens in my backyard (also two of them) trying to accomplish the same thing.

April 8, 2012 – Centennial Park

April 7, 2012 – Nashville Zoo at Grassmere

March 31, 2012 – Night HDR
The two photographs below are “High Dynamic Range” combinations of 5 photographs each.  The dynamic range of a camera, the separation of tones between pure black and pure white, is not as sensitive as that of the human eye.  To overcome that limitation we use special software to combine multiple images taken at varying exposures from underexposed (excessively dark) to overexposed (excessively light) to extend the dynamic range of a photograph. These two photographs were taken from the parking lot in front of Adventure Science Center just after the sun went down.