Images

 

The detail you find in a church is quite remarkable. In telling the story of historic architecture is it the greater scene you should capture or the specific detail you find in the building itself. In visiting the Abbey in Bath, UK it was the detail which drew my eye as it was so detailed and telling of the story. Using a longer lens you can get that fine detail in the ceiling or other parts of the building as you walk around looking at this detail and wonder how this was constructed so many years ago.

Prints: Details at the Abbey

Using along lens to get close to the scene is something I have done in the past, especially when standing on the edge of a river and you can’t get much closer. On this day I spotted the water rushing over a rock and set-up my tripod so I could capture a longer exposure. Zooming into the scene and using a exposure which is longer then what you can handhold I was able to capture the motion of the water as it made its way over the rock and further down the river.

Prints: River Runs through Montana

As I was standing along the boardwalk in Juneau, Alaska I noticed the piers under a section of walkway and how the evening light was lighting them up a little from their normally dark place. Initially I took some images of the scene, but after a little while I moved to a longer exposure length and slowly moved the camera in a vertical direction which match the primary direction of the wood pilings. The result of this movement is the look of the pilings in this photograph as well as a smoothing of the water of the Gastineau Channel below.

Prints: Under the Boardwalk

It is always fun to not only watch fireworks but also photograph them, especially as you will not know what to expect during the show. On this evening capturing some fireworks over Coors Field, it is always good to determine if you want to just capture the displays in the sky or also an element in the foreground. Based on this decision it will really determine where you will photograph the fireworks from and also what type of lens length will be best. For a scene like this a longer lens (telephoto) works best since it lets you get close to the fireworks and capture their detail.

The 4th of July in the United States is a time to celebrate the birthday of the country which includes firework displays. A few years ago I headed to Civic Center Park in Denver to find a spot in which to capture the annual display which takes place on July 3rd. In the past I had set-up further back but this year I decided to try to get closer. I was able to get to a spot just off center in the midst of the large crowd which gathers and set-up my camera by other photographers looking to do the same thing. As the firework display started I was able to capture the display, which is set from the top of the City and County of Denver building on the west side of the park, as the symphony provided the soundtrack.

Prints: Fireworks in Civic Center Park

During a recent visit to the United Kingdom, I became fascinated by the detailed ceilings in some of the cathedrals which I visited. While in Edinburgh, I visited Saint Giles Cathedral and after first looking around at what was at eye level started looking at the ceiling in the building. Finding the lines and patterns interesting in this cathedral I took photographs from various angles of the ceiling. When you zoom into the detail it starts to tell a different story then just part of the building which is protecting the interior.

Prints: Cathedral Ceiling in Edinburgh

In the past couple of years a new sculpture has been added in Juneau, Alaska. The whale sculpture is not too far from downtown and for those coming to visit by cruise ship could be 0.5 – 1 mile away. Around every 15 minutes the water feature of the sculpture starts which adds the effect the whale is jumping out of the water which is around it in the park. As I photographed around the sculpture, I watched this sequence happen a couple of times and towards the end of the second sequence zoomed into the fin to catch the water which was dripping down and off the fin. Initially I used a small aperture which gave more motion in the water. About halfway through I changed to a larger aperture which results in a faster shutter speed and less motion in the water but puts the background out of focus. With the backlit sculpture this time of day I opted for the shorter shutter speed which is this image.

Prints: Water on a Whale Sculpture

Visiting a salvage yard to photograph can be an interesting adventure. As I made my way through one in Denver I used my macro lens to get close to many of the objects which I found. The soft light provided by the clouds helped when I came across this bulb sign sitting on a wooden table in the yard. By positioning my camera so there were angles in the photo instead of straight on provided a stronger image to me. The macro lens also allows me to get closer to the object getting more of the detail of the piece being captured.

Prints: Rusted Bulb Sign