Architecture
Here's another one from Denver, Colorado. I was visiting the art museum and was captured by the construction of a new wing of the museum. The red structure that frames the two workers is itself a work of art. Check out this photo (which isn't mine) for the context and to see what the finished building looks like.
1/500s f/13.0 ISO400 56mm
Scott P and I were waiting to catch the morning train to Paris. As busy as this train station is, I was struck by the peacefulness at the moment I took this photo. As I look at the picture, I am also drawn to the fact that the golden morning sunlight streaming in the windows echoes the golden color of the trains. I didn't see this when I took the picture. What I saw were all of the lines and curves and if you go back and look at my architectural photos, it's clear that I have a penchant for lines and curves.
This morning I finally realized why paintings and sculptures get such lame titles sometimes - the artists spend all their creativity on the art and have nothing left when it comes time to name it. I doubt my photo is a work of art but I do know that the title is lame.
Anyway, I'm back in Chicago for my "Picture of the Day." This one is of part of an intriguing foot bridge in (or near) Centennial Park in downtown Chicago.
Yesterday's post asked a question about lines and so I thought I'd post another photo that is obviously linear. I rarely think of vanishing points when I take photos but this one clearly moves the eye to infinity. If you want to see an interest use of vanishing point, check out da Vinci's "The Last Supper." How does the artist use a vanishing point in this photo?
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License
By Scott Shephard
This photo is mostly monotone (brown), with many dominant sloping lines. If anything makes this photo interesting, it's the lines and not the color. Do you look for lines when you frame a photo?
I'm embarrassed to admit this but one of the pleasures of visiting Delft last summer was standing in the very spot Scarlet Johansson stood in "Girl With a Pearl Earring." I like Scarlet but I don't think she likes me. This building, incidentally, isn't far from the spot she stood and is pictured in the movie.
Canon 5D 1/80s f/6.3 ISO400 45mm
The Mellette House was the residence of Arthur Mellette and his family. It was built around 1885. Mellette was appointed Governor of Dakota Territory in March, 1889, and in October, 1889, he became the first governor of South Dakota.
So ends the history lesson. Mellette House web site
This photo is a film scan. What's film?
Those who live in Watertown, SD, know this house well. It sits on a large lot on the edge of town. It's current location isn't where it was originally built. Perhaps someone else knows the history?
Check it out on a map here.
By Scott Shephard
I'm back in the country today - this time showing another shot of an area already pictured in this blog. On this particular summer morning, the humidity left wisps of low-lying fog surrounding this long-vacant farm.
Canon 1DII 1/2s f/7.1 ISO400 24mm
I guess it may be obvious that I like taking photos of Chicago. To be honest, I don't remember taking this one, but it is my photo. I guess I wasn't feeling "flow" when this one happened, though I did take it in 2003, which is a long time ago. :-(
I wish I knew the name of this building. But I don't. Anyone?
Canon 1D 1/640s f/14.0 ISO400 90mm Lens unknown.
I wonder how many photographers using digital cameras wish they could re-photograph the same scenes once they get improved cameras? That's what I wished for as I was working on this photo the other day.
This shot was taken with my first high-end digital camera: a Canon 1D. It had a 4.4 megapixel sensor and wasn't all that great at high ISO. There is no question that I could have gotten a better photo with film that evening. But now, with my 21 megapixel Canon 5DII. . . Incidentally, the 1D was a revolutionary camera and set a very high standard for "affordable" professional digital cameras. "Affordable" meant around $5000 in 2003!
I did have the advantage of a great lens when I took this photo: the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS. Thus, I was able to get a pretty sharp photo hand held at 1/6 sec.
This picture was taken from the observation deck of the John Hancock Building and if you are planning on going, do so a half hour or so before the sun sets. It is a remarkable experience to watch the city light up. Kind of like Paris - but with skyscrapers.
Canon 1D 1/6s f/2.8 ISO1000 70mm (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS)
By Scott Shephard
My wife and I were in Frankfort waiting for our morning flight to Amsterdam and then on to the US. She was reading and I was restless. So I went looking for a picture.
What drew me to this location was the strong morning sun and the clean, almost hospital feel of the hallway (though the "Camel" sign suggests this isn't a hospital!). I took a few pictures of the empty space but then a solo traveler walked into the frame. And here's the result.
Canon 5D 1/125s f/5.0 ISO160 92mm (Canon 24-105mm f/4.0L IS)
