As a busy solo practitioner, Dr. Scott Kasden’s free time is valuable.
In his free moments, his camera is his vehicle to escape and capture precious once-in-a-lifetime precious moments.
“Photography is more of a passion and an excuse to travel,” Kasden said. “When I’m behind the camera, it’s an escape.”
In his travels across the country and globe, Kasden has captured thousands of rare images of sights, animals and people. Portraits of some of his pictures adorn the walls of the Kasden Plastic Surgery clinic on Old Town Boulevard in Argyle. He’s also published a book, featuring his favorite photos, including many from Yellowstone, the American Southwest and Africa.
Scrolling through the photos on his computer, ranging from an antique cash register found in a shop in Forney to a group of cheetahs in the Serengeti, he points out the vivid, jaw-dropping moments images are not all about the beauty.
“It’s discovering the things around us,” Kasden explained. “Each of the pictures tells a story. People will look at an image differently and it’ll elicit its own story.”
The board-certified plastic surgeon has been practicing for 30 years. During his time practicing, he’s trained himself as a world-class photographer.
“It was something I could do on my own. The camera was an excuse to explore,” Kasden said. “Then once I’m there, you get a once-in-a-lifetime look in the camera.”
Many days that escape is just down to a neighborhood pond where he’ll sit for 30 minutes or an hour and may only capture a couple of images of an owl or heron.
“I might be out there for an hour and take two exposures. But I’m able to be there in the moment, and no one is bothering me,” Kasden said.
When Kasden does get the opportunity to break free, he looks to find places he would be interested in. He spends time studying destinations and finding places to photograph. That dedication put him in the perfect place to capture a stunning view from above the Grand Prismatic at Yellowstone or an iconic photo of the T.A. Moulton barn near Jackson Hole.
“I visit travel websites to get ideas of places that I’d like to go that are off the beaten path,” Kasden said. “I read a lot to see what piques my curiosity.”
When traveling, he never knows what he will run across to photograph. On a stop in Amsterdam, he spotted a young girl in a window and captured the awe on her face.
“I don’t know what she was looking at,” Kasdem explained in showing the image.
In Ecuador, he stopped to take a picture of a man getting a shave in a local shop. Even in stops in Texas, he found a little cowboy enjoying a snack during a rodeo.
“I love meeting interesting people. I’ve got to know some fascinating people,” Kasden said.
Studying zoology in college, Kasden has a love for animals and has been able to see lions, elephants, warthogs, jackals, cheetahs and leopards up close during his travels. One trip took him to the Serengeti to see many of earth’s majestic creatures.
“In the safari, you just sit there and watch. I’ve always been interested in animals,” Kasden said, as he scrolls by one of his favorite pictures of zebras stampeding through mud.
For the sake of getting a picture, he’s put himself in harm’s way on more than one occasion.
“I’ve been close to lions and twice been charged by elephants,” Kasden said.
But it’s the baboons and monkeys that are the most frightening to the doctor.
His travels have also taken him away from much of the light pollution found in cities to capture stunning images of the night sky, including star trails above the Mittens in Monument Valley in Arizona and the safari in Africa.
“The constellations like up the sky like Roman candles,” Kasden said.
There are still many places on his bucket list to visit, explore and take pictures of, including the ice caves in Iceland and Antarctica.
“There are a lot of places I still want to go. Right now, I don’t have much time as a solo practitioner,” Kasden said.
Pointing out that many of his favorite pictures were taken only a few miles from his home, he encourages everyone to get out, explore and observe what is around them.
“There are so many amazing places in this country to discover. But you have to leave your home,” Kasden said.
“There are so many amazing places in this country to discover. But you have to leave your home,” - Dr. Kasden
