Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
I was in Sacramento, California in October. Beautiful weather, daytime highs in the upper 80’s and nighttime lows in the low 60’s. No humidity.
Because Sacramento is three time zones from my home, and because I normally get up at 5 a.m. to go to the gym, I found myself awake far before dawn every morning. Nothing better to do than grab the camera and go for some night shots.
My hotel, the Embassy Suites Riverfront, was right next to the iconic Tower Bridge, a gleaming golden drawbridge that, together with the State Capital, bookends Capital Mall downtown.
This is my favorite photo of many that I took in Sacramento. Here I am looking back toward the hotel. My tripod is straddling the guard rail, though I was quite safe from traffic. The traffic was light at this hour (6 a.m. or so), which allowed me to get some uncluttered light trails.
2 second exposure, f/8, ISO 400. Shot with my 18-55mm kit lens wide open.
Shooting with Film
A photo of photos, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
I acquired my first DSLR camera for Christmas of 2010. It’s a Sony a230, which is an entry-level DSLR. I bought it* refurbished (though barely used) because it was inexpensive compared to the comparable Nikon and Canon Models. I also bought it because the Sony Alphas are compatible with old Minolta autofocus lenses, meaning I could save some money in building out my lens collection.
(* Yes, it was a “gift,” but my wife was kind enough to select what I wanted, because she doesn’t know much about cameras. Plus it was mostly my own money.)
A few months later my friend Cathy decided that she was done with her 35mm SLR camera, and she was going to sell it at a yard sale. She said that she thought the lenses were compatible with some digital cameras, and I informed her that indeed they were. In fact they were compatible with my Sony. She offered to give me the lenses, under the condition that I take her camera, too. (And a bunch of other stuff, like a flash and some film.)
I naturally agreed to these terms, and became the proud owner of a Minolta Maxxum 5, which is pretty advanced for the pre-digital age. This camera has many of the settings of my Sony (indeed, Sony purchased Minolta a few years back), though I didn’t know how to navigate them through the first roll. The biggest challenge was getting used to the fact that the photo wasn’t going to appear immediately on the back of the camera body. I would have to wait.
It took me several months to expose the first roll, and I just got it back the other day. Opening the package felt like tearing into a pack of baseball cards. I had no idea what I would find inside.
Though there were some exposure problems – which I fully expected, given that I went out shooting instead of reading the owner’s manual – I got a handful of decent photos, too. I’ve taken a lot of close-ups, mostly flowers, but a few seascapes, too. I’ve included a sampling with this post.
I started out the second roll with another of my favorite subjects, the moon. Because this can’t be done well on the “auto” settings, I took the time to learn how to use the camera. I’m excited to work through the second roll, now, and see what I’ve got.
Rosa multiflora
Hull's Cove, Bar Harbor, Maine
Frenchman's Bay, Bar Harbor, Maine
Being There
Vermont Moonset, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.I have a friend named Charlene who will occasionally comment on a photo that I post on Facebook. “You take such great photos,” she’ll write. “I need lessons.”
It’s a wonderful compliment, but it’s only part of the equation. One can take classes, or read books, or ask questions on Internet forums, and this will help you take great photos. But you also have to be there – you can’t take a photo of something that you don’t see.
Many of my better photos are of sunrises and sunsets. I also favor shooting the full moon. Often these are, from a pure technical standpoint, only fair images. But a fair exposure of spectacular light is usually going to be an impressive photo. I don’t take great photos of sunrises or moon rises because I’m a great photographer. I’m not especially talented. I get some great photos because I prepare for the opportunity and make a point to be there to capture it.
And so it was that I was climbing Montpelier, Vermont’s Hubbard Tower a couple of weeks back an hour before sunrise. The temperatures were hovering just above zero degrees, and I hiked up the steep hill via flashlight.
I made the climb because the full moon would be setting in the west just before the sun rose in the east. I love photos of the moon looking huge over the horizon, and I wanted to get some of my own. And the hour of this event (just before 7 am) was too convenient not to take advantage.
The truth of the matter is that this was the second time in about 14 hours that I had made this climb. The moonrise coincided with the sunset at about 5:30 the previous evening. Unfortunately there were no clouds to juice up the sunset, and the moon rose behind some trees that obscured that view.
Sometimes being there isn’t enough. You can’t will the magic to happen. (I should note that the obverse is also true. Magic light often happens when you’re not looking for it. It helps to have a camera nearby to take advantage.)
But the conditions were ripe for the moonset that Wednesday morning. Clear skies surrounded the bright, perfectly round moon as it gently lowered behind the Green Mountains west of the city. The moon obligingly dropped between Mount Ethan Allen and Camel’s Hump, perhaps the most recognizable peak in Vermont.
I was pleased with the photos I took, though the exposures could be more crisp. There’s more for me to learn, and more practice to be had. But it’s fun to keep trying, to challenge myself, and to live the stories behind the photos.
In Tight
808846, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
On Saturday, I joined other members of the First Light Camera Club on a photo field trip to Fort Andross, home of Cabot Mill Antiques and the Brunswick winter farmer’s market.
Most of my photos from the event are super isolated macros. I think the nature of these venues necessitated this approach. The antique mall is so filled with stuff, and the farmer’s market so filled with people, that wider views are too cluttered. So they are all up close – a mannequins hand, a bit of a trumpet, a close up of some beans.
This approach dovetails with my current approach to writing – my long-term approach as well. In my class, we talked about letting the work stand on its own rather than think about outside forces, i.e. the audience. In a different vein, Anne Lamott in her book “Bird by Bird” talks about looking through a one-inch window and describing what you see.
This isn’t meant to be “Joe’s Writing Blog,” though writing is a part of my original vision for this space. I’ll be moving back to more photo-centric posts in the near future. At the moment I am happy with my ability to focus closely on the tasks at hand.
McLaughlin Garden
Hosta Leaves B&W, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.I attended a Capturing Maine meetup at McLaughlin Garden in South Paris, Maine today. It was a fun time, with nine or ten of us in total.
The garden is famous for its lilacs, but those were a bit past peak. There are tons of flowers currently in bloom, including rhododendrons, globe flowers, forget-me-nots (everywhere), columbines, and the elusive Jack in the Pulpit. There is a lot of interesting foliage among all the flowers. Read more about it at Examiner.
Lenten Rose in bloom
Siberian Iris foliage
We also met the new Director, Ruth Copeland. She is an accomplished photographer in her own right.
These gardens were open to the public when they Bernard McLaughlin’s private garden. But I never really knew about them back then, even though South Paris is my home town. I’ve visited a couple of times in recent years. It’s a great place for photos, and a terrific excuse to go home and visit family.
Window Box
Window Box, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.I was in Portland for a meeting the other day. Rather than rush back to my office, I wandered around downtown with my camera. Here are a couple of shots.
Hay Building at Congress Square
Play Imagine Act
Strange Maine
I recently acquired a couple of second-hand Minolta kit lenses that fit my Sony. These shots were taken with the 28-80 mm lens. It’s a useful size for me.
“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children”
“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children”, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
Thoughts for photographers on Earth Day.
Wild Chickory at the Galick Farm, West Haven VT
Mt. Katahdin from the Table Lands
OOB Photo Meetup
(caro)USEL, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
The Maine Photography Meetup group got together for a shoot on Saturday morning in Old Orchard Beach. Many members arrived in time for the sunrise. I love photographing the sunrise, but didn’t get up in time to make it.
The sunrise shoot was followed by breakfast at JJ’s Eatery (good food, bad coffee, terrible service), then a walk around the closed theme park and desolate streets of off-season OOB.
Photographers walk the empty streets of OOB
It turns out that downtown OOB is pretty small, so we next ventured a couple of miles to Pine Point in Scarborough. There we were met with boats in the water and on the beach, and a variety of hidden treasures.
Boats moored at Pine Pint
It’s always fun to get together with photo friends to share the joy of photography. The group’s Flickr page has lots of great images.
Montpelier, Vermont
Cool Jewels #15, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
My job takes me to Montpelier a few times per year. Downtown Montpelier lies nestled along the river, but much of the city rests on the side of – or on top of – its many hills.
Panoramic view of the city at sunrise
Atop a hill behind the statehouse is Hubbard Park, and atop Hubbard Park is Hubbard Tower, a 54-foot stone monolith that offers 360-degree views of the town and the hills both near and far.
Hubbard Tower
When in Montpelier recently, I woke up before dawn to take some photos of the small city as it woke up. At the top is a shot of the corner of State and Main Streets. This was a two-second exposure that captured a box truck moving through the intersection. Below is a photo of the Winooski River running toward the State House, taken from the Main Street Bridge.
The Winooski River runs toward the Vermont State House
I had hoped to get “Golden Hour” light shining upon the dome, but cloudy sky that morning dashed the early morning light. This will be a challenge for my next trip. For many more photos of Montpelier, check out my set on Flickr.
Spring Begins
Sunbathing, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
The Earth’s continuous circuit of the Sun has brought us once again to the Vernal Equinox. Spring has begun, and though winter still has a thing or two left to offer – it’s snowing in Southern Maine as I write this – nature is starting another cycle. Sure signs of warm weather to come: the robins are hopping around the lawn looking for worms, and in warm patches of earth, the crocuses have appeared.
Flowers on the South-facing side of the Bank of America building in Brunswick always seem to be a week or two ahead of their brethren elsewhere. So it is with these crocuses, which are in full bloom while snow still covers my flower gardens. The daffodils and tulips are surely not far behind.
Moon 3/15/11
Moon 3/15/11, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
Just a photo of the moon, to show that I haven’t forgotten about the blog. Shot from the top of Hubbard Tower in Montpelier, Vermont with the Big Beercan. The sky was still blue, but all the photos came out with a black background, else the moon itself was all washed out.
I love the details visible. This was what I had in mind when I got the new lens. I’ve shot the moon every month since I bought it.
Guitar Parts
Stripes, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
The other day I made a makeshift studio on my kitchen table to play around with a variety of shots. Eventually I took out my electric guitar – a Fender Toronado – and took a bunch of photos with it. This was my first try on the guitar with my new camera. It was a fun experiment in light and focus and depth-of-field.
Close up of the bridge
Close up of the saddles
I got some decent shots with my old camera, but a combination of the camera’s and my own shortcomings in dealing with low light usually led to a fair amount of graininess, as in the Tuners photo:
Tuners on my Fender Toronado
Guitars, with their curves and shiny bits, are a lot of fun to photograph. One day I hope to get a satisfactory image of the whole thing!
Moon Shots
Full Moon 2/18/11, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
Since I got the Big Beercan lens, I’ve taken the opportunity to try to shoot the full moon. The first attempts didn’t go so well, but round two provided some good shots.
Maple tree branches are silhouetted in the moon
I recently wrote about what I have learned about shooting the moon in a recent piece at Examiner.com.
This morning I saw a sliver of the moon, so I thought I would give that a try. Not as good as the full moon. Perhaps I needed to kick up the ISO.
Crescent Moon at dawn
Challenging
Honey Bear: #94, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
I’ve entered into a couple of new projects for 2011, to mix things into all the sunrises and keep the creative juices flowing. One of these new things is joining a challenge group on Flickr called “Take Aim.”
Every two weeks, two new challenges are issued. Photographers have a little over a week to come up with up to two entries for the challenge, then there are a few days for votes. The winners issue the next challenge.
I took a bunch of photos of a honey bear for the “Keep it Local” challenge. This challenge acknowledges that not everybody, especially those of us in colder climates, is getting outside during the winter to take a lot of photos. So the idea is to take shots of something close by – in your house or office, or any place you find yourself on a regular basis. Hopefully you’ll try an interesting new interpretation of the object.
This photo that I took of the honey bear fit well into this week’s second challenge: “Look into my eyes.”
Gaze deep into the honey bear eyes.
The photo below was take for the previous “Cold Cold Winter” challenge. For this shot, I waded through four feet of snow in the Pines Cemetery in Brunswick to capture the stones nearly – or in some cases, completely – covered over. I titled this one “Buried Again,” though a friend suggested “Ten Feet Under.”
Brunswick grave stones endure four feet of snow
I find the challenges to be a good way for me to think about getting away from comfort of the tried-and-true. The give me a reason learn new techniques and more about how my camera works. All of which will make me a better photographer.
VoxPhotographs
A portrait that didn’t quite work out: #77, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
A few photos that I took while interviewing Heather Frederick for my Examiner.com article about VoxPhotographs. Above is a portrait that I think was a good idea, but that I failed to pull off. Below are a couple views of the gallery walls.
Maine Heritage photos available for purchase
Contemporary fine arts photos adorn other walls
Welcome to Winter
Laughter, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
Last Saturday I attended the WinterKids Welcome to Winter Festival at Peyson Park in Portland, Maine. The weather was perfect – there was an abundance of fresh snow, but skies were sunny and temperatures weren’t nearly as cold as had been predicted. We were lucky to beat the deep freeze that soon followed.
The Welcome to Winter Festival is an annual event in which WinterKids welcomes “new” Mainers and introduces them to outdoor recreational options for winter. Many of these immigrant children are from countries that don’t see snow. It didn’t take long for them to catch on with sledding. It’s fun for kids of all ages, no matter where they grew up.
Smiling kids enjoy the sledding during the Welcome to Winter festival
I got lots of great photos, mostly using the Big Beercan at the long end. This collage collects my favorites.
Kids of all ages and from all over enjoy the snow
Against the Grain
Against the Grain, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
In taking photos, I like to occasionally incorporate an element of the unexpected into the composition. Perhaps taking a slightly different interpretation of a subject, or including something that doesn’t quite fit in with the main focus of the shot.
It’s a perspective that I’m comfortable with, as I’ve always thought of myself as being a bit off from from from the norm. It amuses me to turn around a phrase – “the lights aren’t on, but someone’s home” – to confuse the obvious. I enjoy very private jokes.
One domino faces west
As such, the theme of deviation from the norm usually isn’t as overt as it is in these photographs. One domino is facing in the opposite direction from the rest. There is purpose behind this as well. As much as this domino is trying to show it’s individualism, it’s quite obvious that it is only subtly different from the rest. You have to study it’s dots to see that it is not like all the others.
Dominoes play with light and shadow
I took these shots in answer to a challenge to take abstract photos. The dominoes are terrific photography subjects. Their smooth lines are very pleasing to the eye and accept light well, and their uniformity lends itself to abstract interpretation. I enjoyed allowing one to show its colors in most of the shots. Even though the individuals were randomly selected.
Car Button Cloth
Car Button Cloth, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
No deep thoughts, just a few takes that I liked from the “Car Button Cloth” photo session last night. Still digging the narrow DoF available from the new camera.
Car Button Cloth
Car Button Cloth
These photos were inspired by a Lemonheads album title.
Read about all things photography at my Examiner.com column.
More from the New Camera
Dead Flowers, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
I haven’t had a chance to get outside and try shooting landscapes or sunsets yet with the new camera. Instead, I have been taking photos at family holiday gatherings and testing the close-up capabilities of the 18-55 mm lens. This isn’t a macro lens, nor does it have a particularly wide aperture, but I have found that it can provide a very satisfactory shallow depth of field, especially compared to my old Canon P&S.
The photo above was taken at the long end of the lens (55 mm), as I didn’t want to get too close and cast shadows upon my subject. And the aperture of f/6.3 isn’t particularly wide, yet still provides nice bokeh on the background flowers.
I was teased a bit by my flickr contacts for using autofocus on this shot. Rightly so, because the AF really couldn’t read my mind and didn’t want to focus on these buds. (Once the correct light on the lens came on, I fired.) So I promised that I would use manual focus on future close ups. Thus, the one below of our Christmas Cactus was shot using manual focus.
Christmas Cactus Bud
It’s all a terrific learning experience right now, and my lens wish list is growing fairly rapidly. It’s very gratifying to be able to visualize a photo and have the camera be able to pull it off. Thank you, Santa!
New Camera
My Precious, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
I lost my old Canon point and shoot camera a few weeks ago. Naturally I replaced it with two cameras bought off Ebay. One is the Nikon Coolpix that I’ve been using for the last several weeks. And for Christmas, I received my first DSLR – a Sony a230. It came with an 18-55 mm kit lens, but I hope to get a zoom (or zoom/macro) lens sometime soon, hopefully with my Examiner.com earnings. (Subscribe!)
The kit lens takes pretty good macros on it’s own, I’ve already discovered.
Harry Potter Christmas Ornament
I’m looking forward to improved clarity and light control with this camera. I feel like I’ve taken a step toward being a “real” photographer. (EDIT: See comments regarding this statement. I don’t mean to imply that “real” photographers have to use SLR cameras. I’m simply saying that the new camera will allow me to explore more photographic ideas.)
Holiday Lights
Lighted Snow Plow
In the past few days I have come across some interesting holiday light displays – some traditional, some less so. Above is the snow plow parked in front of the Minot, Maine town hall, tastefully trimmed out in strings of LED lights. Below is a cement truck that was parked in front of the Montpelier, Vermont city hall. The truck is definitely eye-catching, though I’m not sure the word “tasteful” comes to mind.
Cement Truck in Montpelier VT
Lastly, yesterday’s snow made for delightfully coated trees. Those in front of Fort Andross in Brunswick, Maine were already decked out with white lights, making for a striking image. My camera struggled a bit with the light, but hopefully this shot captures the essence of the scene.
Snow and lights make a delightful image
Today is Christmas Eve. For all who are celebrating, have a safe and healthy holiday weekend.
Fort Andross
Ft. Andross at Twilight 2, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
I work in an old mill building in Brunswick, Maine. Once known as the Cabot Mill and home to a textile factory, it is now named after a military installation that once sat on this site, Fort Andross. It’s an enormous building, with several wings and countless nooks and crannies, and it dominates the North side of Maine Street.
It’s a photographic wonderland, inside and out, with fascinating light:
Window light on storage units
Out-of-the-way hiding places:
Fort Andross Courtyard
And remnants of the building’s history:
- Calendar from days past.
I posted a couple other photos from this building in my prior post Exclusion.
As the days have grown short and the air has chilled, I have found it a treat to have ready access to such a terrific subject.
Sharing
Solar Power, originally uploaded by Roadduck99.
Happy News! This photo of my solar hot water tubes now graces the Industries page on the Maine’s Opportunity Coast website. The website is a promotional tool for Midcoast Maine, from Brunswick to Waldoboro.
This isn’t the first time one of my photos has been solicited for an online promotion. My photo of the Renaissance Hotel in Baltimore was Schmapped last year.
Renaissance Hotel in Baltimore
I’ve also received a couple of inquiries from the frustratingly uncommunicative Visit Maine website. Because I couldn’t get them to tell me what was in it for me (photo credit, cash payment, whatever), I did not give them the rights to anything. I don’t mind giving away licensing rights to my photos – I don’t pretend to be a professional photographer – but you have to at least provide attribution.
Ultimately there’s not much gained from this, but it is fun for me nonetheless.
Exclusion
Window out of reach
As an aftermath to the abstraction post, I found the above image while I was walking the halls of Fort Andross in Brunswick. This is simply a shot through a frosted door window into a room lit by sunlight through the window. To me it evokes the image of being caged, or at least being kept out by a fence. The light, the window, is within view, but the viewer can’t reach it because of the fence.
Which is literally the case here – I am kept away from the window by the door. But I am not trapped in any way, of course, as I am free to move about the building.
Not completely free, however. In my travels I came across a big, dark, empty room. Light streamed through a window and created interesting shadows from the pillars within. The door to this room was wide open, nothing to stop me from going in, yet I stayed outside. I’m sure the room was safe, but it didn’t feel like a place that I could enter without permission. In this case, the fence was all in my mind.
A vacant room in Fort Andross
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