The Photography Thread (photo-heavy content!)

[gusbus]

[PDBreske]

This reminds me of the opening sequence of John Carpenter's The Thing. Loved that movie.

[PDBreske]

Anyone familiar with Florida's Gulf coast will recognize the structure known as "The Honeymoon Suite" off of Cedar Key. It's an abandoned stilt house that is gradually falling apart and is probably the most-photographed building in Florida. Google Earth is full of Panoramio flags around this location.

Abandoned stilt house, Cedar Key, August 2007 (had some nice clouds this day)



As I stated, it's getting a little more run down with every passing year. This shot is about five years after the one above:

Abandoned stilt house, Cedar Key, June 2012



This exposure was just over one minute long, a few minutes after sunset. The glow in the background is probably a natural gas vent on an oil rig way out in the Gulf of Mexico and it's invisible during daylight hours. The very long exposure time blurs the wave action and cloud movement, making moving objects very soft and dream-like, but the tripod-mounted camera captures fine details of stationary subjects like the rocks along the shore. (I've worked up several versions of this image and I can't decide how bright I want it to be in the final print. It was very dark when I captured it, but I can't make a nearly-black print, obviously. This is the best one so far, but I may decide to process a new version sometime in the future.)

Abandoned stilt house (long exposure), Cedar Key, June 2012

[gusbus]

PD,
Your photo's are consistently awe inspiring.

gus

[PDBreske]

Originally Posted by gusbus

PD,
Your photo's are consistently awe inspiring.

gus

I thank you, but I always tell people the secret to being a great photographer is to show people only the great photos. You don't get to see all the images I don't even bother to process because the exposure was too dark or too bright, or the focus was off, or I cut off someone's fingers with a bad composition, etc.

[gusbus]

I AM familiar with the process of getting extraordinary photo's. It's much like being an excellent carpenter. . . .you learn to cover your mistakes.

Gus

[Redbear]

A former co-worker was a previously a self-employed professional photographer, but when video started overtaking film, he took a full-time job with less pay and better (any?) health insurance.

Anyway, he told of teaching a photography class, maybe it was a community college or adult education class. Anyway, he said his introduction was not technical about shutter speeds, film speeds, and f-stops, but instead he told them:

"I'm going to teach you to see light."

I'm surprised at how many amateurs set up group poses for their phones, without even looking to see where the sun is coming from. I had a tiny bit of theater lighting experience, so even if using auto-exposure, at least I notice if my subject is in the shadows . . . .

[gusbus]

point well taken; guess I've seen some really good subjects with the wrong light. It does ruin an otherwise perfect moment.

[PDBreske]

Last year someone on another forum I'm active on asked me to explain some things about photography in a dedicated thread. I started off with wording similar to that described above: "Photography isn't about camera control. It's about light control."

The camera is a tool used to control light. Studio strobes are tools used to control light. Sets and reflectors are used to control light. The decisions on what time of day to shoot outdoors, what side of a building to shoot on, and which direction to have your model facing are all designed to do one thing: Control the light.

[PDBreske]

Snowy egret (Egretta thula) on Rainbow River near Dunnellon, May 2008


Double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), Silver River State Park, Ocala National Forest, January 2008


African elephant (Loxodonta africana), Miami Metrozoo, April 2005

[PDBreske]

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on the south end of Key Biscayne, an island connected via causeway to Miami, FL


Bahia Honda State Park, Florida Keys, August 2005


Sunrise and lifeguard tower, South Beach, July 2005

[PDBreske]

So last week I was driving around and noticed a crew painting the water tower here in Ocala. I stopped and took a few pictures and talked to the ground crew. As we spoke, I noticed a small window near the top of the "stem" and asked what it was for. It was explained that there are two levels inside the tower, one at about fifty feet and another at about 150 feet. The window was at the higher level and there was a little room just inside it. I inquired about the possibility of getting up there to take a picture of the painting crews working near the window and—to my surprise—the supervisor said, "Sure. We can put a harness on you and you can go up there." Wow, cool! I came back two days later when the crews were in the same position and the sun was at a better angle for the photos I wanted.

Here's the tower:


You can see the little window just under the water tank:


Inside the base of the tower. This room is filled with equipment for the cell phone antennas on the roof. I had to climb the skinny ladder at the back of the room and it disappears through the floor at the 50-foot level:


Looking down from the 150-foot level. The floor below is the ceiling from the last photo:


Here's a room with a view. The ladder on the left goes up through the water tank to the roof. I didn't go up there.


Looking down to NE 8th Avenue:


This is the shot I wanted. I've already sold one framed print of this to a city employee who wants to give it as a gift to the manager of the city water department:

[gusbus]

PD,
That photo is awesome! I doubt you'll have much trouble getting rid of a few of those pics. A curiosity! What did you use as a frame for the guys in the basket? Just the basket?

[PDBreske]

Originally Posted by gusbus

PD,
That photo is awesome! I doubt you'll have much trouble getting rid of a few of those pics. A curiosity! What did you use as a frame for the guys in the basket? Just the basket?

Thanks, but I'm afraid I don't understand your question. What do you mean by a frame? (I'm assuming you're not asking about the frame I mounted the print in.)

[gusbus]

Well usually in a ground pic. one tries to frame the subject within some surrounding framework, not always but a lot of the time. In this aerial photo I'm not sure how one would have set themselves up for this; is all.

[PDBreske]

Originally Posted by gusbus

Well usually in a ground pic. one tries to frame the subject within some surrounding framework, not always but a lot of the time. In this aerial photo I'm not sure how one would have set themselves up for this; is all.

Oh, okay. No, I didn't do that here. I just wanted to get a pleasing composition with the painters and the background showing how high up they were while still getting part of the tank they were painting.

[sdwarf36]

Awesome pic! The only problem I have with it is the horizon is just too darn flat.

[PDBreske]

Originally Posted by sdwarf36

Awesome pic! The only problem I have with it is the horizon is just too darn flat.

That's Florida for ya!

[gusbus]

OK thanks, that gives me a better idea of what you were looking for. For sure the focal point seems to be the guy painting against an expansive background. Also I think the black and white gives it a sense of . . . timelessness I guess.

[frank-id]

Thank you very much. You are a real talent. Keep doing what ya do. Frank in Idaho