131. Wall - December 13-19, 2015
Don-
Well, I thought to go out to Shiprock where there is a very cool wall of stone that I had photographed last year but was to lazy to make the 50 mile drive and I did not want to hit you-all with another landscape. So the wall in my living room. It worked out so cool because I wanted to test some lens correction stuff in camera raw. Here it is. my living room wall with the furniture moved. As you can see I haven't quite got my flash mastered. Anyway shot with a Nikon D810 and a 24-70mm 2.8 lens set at 24mm. I decided I need that 14-24mm lens. 1/60th sec, f6.3, ISO 200. Center weighted - Average Metering. Flash was my SB900 set to TTL.
Well, I thought to go out to Shiprock where there is a very cool wall of stone that I had photographed last year but was to lazy to make the 50 mile drive and I did not want to hit you-all with another landscape. So the wall in my living room. It worked out so cool because I wanted to test some lens correction stuff in camera raw. Here it is. my living room wall with the furniture moved. As you can see I haven't quite got my flash mastered. Anyway shot with a Nikon D810 and a 24-70mm 2.8 lens set at 24mm. I decided I need that 14-24mm lens. 1/60th sec, f6.3, ISO 200. Center weighted - Average Metering. Flash was my SB900 set to TTL.
Byron-
I was too dumb to stay inside the day I took my picture for this week. I was driving along County Road 30 east of my house. For miles there are new buildings and industrial parks springing up. I was hoping to catch a construction site that had erected a wall and nothing else. In my quest I saw this building that is now incredibly out of place. I changed my photo plans and drove in for a closer look. The building has lots of character and also lots of junk leaning up against it. The snow on the roof was just enough to emphasize the damage. I decided that I would photograph the entire building in a very simple head-on style. What you see here is the West wall of this building. It made me think of photos you would see from the dust bowl era or from the Appalachians years ago. That led me to give the photo a sepia tone look. It just seemed appropriate.
ISO 400, f5.6, 1/200 sec. No fill lights or reflectors.
I was too dumb to stay inside the day I took my picture for this week. I was driving along County Road 30 east of my house. For miles there are new buildings and industrial parks springing up. I was hoping to catch a construction site that had erected a wall and nothing else. In my quest I saw this building that is now incredibly out of place. I changed my photo plans and drove in for a closer look. The building has lots of character and also lots of junk leaning up against it. The snow on the roof was just enough to emphasize the damage. I decided that I would photograph the entire building in a very simple head-on style. What you see here is the West wall of this building. It made me think of photos you would see from the dust bowl era or from the Appalachians years ago. That led me to give the photo a sepia tone look. It just seemed appropriate.
ISO 400, f5.6, 1/200 sec. No fill lights or reflectors.
Deron-
This is a mural painted on a wall in Riverside, CA.
It represents the rich navel orange growing history that this region holds. The painting depicts a label that would be on the side of an orange crate before it was shipped, full of oranges, to all parts of the world. The 'Ballet' part comes from Riverside's slogan of The City of Arts and Innovation... she should have been balleting in army boots and a snowmobile suit... now that would have been innovative.
This is a mural painted on a wall in Riverside, CA.
It represents the rich navel orange growing history that this region holds. The painting depicts a label that would be on the side of an orange crate before it was shipped, full of oranges, to all parts of the world. The 'Ballet' part comes from Riverside's slogan of The City of Arts and Innovation... she should have been balleting in army boots and a snowmobile suit... now that would have been innovative.
Kevin-
This hasn’t been a good week for me, as I have been experiencing pain in my neck, shoulder, arm, etc. that has varied from awful to extremely awful. In addition I had my Mayo Clinic appointment this week and casually mentioned the pain I was having to my cardiologist, knowing that the issue couldn’t be at all related to my heart defect. He surprised me by showing concern and saying they could indeed be related. So I had to drive back down there on Thursday for a CT scan of my neck (and presumably my empty head). My doctor called me the same night to say the results were a mild form of Spinal Stenosis. Which I suppose is good, though it will meaning taking some pain meds and going through physical therapy. Oh, joy.
Plus Friday was a travel day as I flew from MN to CA for the season. But I squeezed in a couple of hours on Wednesday night to head over to the studio where I knew that there was at least a concrete block wall to photograph. Given what I have been dealing with this week what might otherwise seem like simple things for an average Joe Photographer to do we're sort of out of the question for me. Like carrying my gear around in freezing temperatures and powerful winds looking for some interesting exterior wall for example. And I will note that I brought the camera and one lens with me to the Mayo on Wednesday, prepared to shoot any interesting interior walls I might encounter. But didn’t find anything anything even worth bringing the camera to my eye.
So, instead I simply have the boring shot I described of a concrete block wall. The lighting is a single studio strobe, angled extremely (really close to the wall) to simulate light from the rising sun on an exterior, and to maximumize the texture. I worked hard on shooting with various levels of tungsten gel over the strobe, but ultimately I decided that I like it more in black and white.
Also, I decided to shoot at a considerable angle, with my 85mm f/1.4 lens , at f/1.4 to limit the depth of field as much as possible, and decided not to correct the level of vignetting that occurs with that lens wide open.
Nikon D4s, tripod mounted, 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor lens, one studio strobe at minimum power, ISO 100, f/1.4 @ 1/250th of a second (flash sync).
This hasn’t been a good week for me, as I have been experiencing pain in my neck, shoulder, arm, etc. that has varied from awful to extremely awful. In addition I had my Mayo Clinic appointment this week and casually mentioned the pain I was having to my cardiologist, knowing that the issue couldn’t be at all related to my heart defect. He surprised me by showing concern and saying they could indeed be related. So I had to drive back down there on Thursday for a CT scan of my neck (and presumably my empty head). My doctor called me the same night to say the results were a mild form of Spinal Stenosis. Which I suppose is good, though it will meaning taking some pain meds and going through physical therapy. Oh, joy.
Plus Friday was a travel day as I flew from MN to CA for the season. But I squeezed in a couple of hours on Wednesday night to head over to the studio where I knew that there was at least a concrete block wall to photograph. Given what I have been dealing with this week what might otherwise seem like simple things for an average Joe Photographer to do we're sort of out of the question for me. Like carrying my gear around in freezing temperatures and powerful winds looking for some interesting exterior wall for example. And I will note that I brought the camera and one lens with me to the Mayo on Wednesday, prepared to shoot any interesting interior walls I might encounter. But didn’t find anything anything even worth bringing the camera to my eye.
So, instead I simply have the boring shot I described of a concrete block wall. The lighting is a single studio strobe, angled extremely (really close to the wall) to simulate light from the rising sun on an exterior, and to maximumize the texture. I worked hard on shooting with various levels of tungsten gel over the strobe, but ultimately I decided that I like it more in black and white.
Also, I decided to shoot at a considerable angle, with my 85mm f/1.4 lens , at f/1.4 to limit the depth of field as much as possible, and decided not to correct the level of vignetting that occurs with that lens wide open.
Nikon D4s, tripod mounted, 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor lens, one studio strobe at minimum power, ISO 100, f/1.4 @ 1/250th of a second (flash sync).
Paul-
All in all it’s Just Another Brick in the Wall…
Wall: Another theme with 11,235 different photographic interpretations. (I counted.)
I drove downtown to take a picture I wanted (but for some reason didn’t) submit for the Year One theme “Sign.” It’s a weathered brick wall laid in 1928 (I checked with the State Historical Society and one of the city building departments to get the date) and bears in faded, fragmented paint large block letters that say” Van Winkle.” A couple of genuinely helpful civil servants at the aforementioned agencies told me the building started as a tavern owned by a man with the last name Van Winkle. Many years later, someone sold cars there. Different, short-lived, business moved in and moved out thereafter. I thought it would be cool to submit the picture because Washington Irving’s short story Rip Van Winkle always captivated me when I was little.
After skipping that wall in Year One, I’ve been waiting for just the right theme (Dilapidated? Past Its Prime? Graffiti?) which would allow me to photograph it again for the WPOTM. Which is why it’s a little strange—and perhaps this has happened to one of you as well—that after heading back to my car, I came across a wall shot I liked better. And after I shot that one, and cut through an unfamiliar alley, I came across something I liked even more. So much for “Van Winkle,” I guess. I can wait a couple of more years for another chance…
I suppose you could say the picture I’ve submitted is as much about a door as a wall, but I found the combination of the two too compelling to pass up. For one thing, the wall is a combination of two construction projects. And the colorful smears of paint almost give the poor little dismal, decayed alleyway a little pigmented dignity. Almost.
Anyway, as disgusted as I was with my “Cookie” picture last week, I’m very happy with this shot. There’s something about this still life in urban blight that makes me smile every time I look at it.
Our story so far: 18-55mm lens set at 23mm; aperture priority; center-weighted averaging; ISO 2300; 1/400 sec.; f/4/5; -1 1/3EV; in one of the less savory alleys of downtown Lincoln.
All in all it’s Just Another Brick in the Wall…
Wall: Another theme with 11,235 different photographic interpretations. (I counted.)
I drove downtown to take a picture I wanted (but for some reason didn’t) submit for the Year One theme “Sign.” It’s a weathered brick wall laid in 1928 (I checked with the State Historical Society and one of the city building departments to get the date) and bears in faded, fragmented paint large block letters that say” Van Winkle.” A couple of genuinely helpful civil servants at the aforementioned agencies told me the building started as a tavern owned by a man with the last name Van Winkle. Many years later, someone sold cars there. Different, short-lived, business moved in and moved out thereafter. I thought it would be cool to submit the picture because Washington Irving’s short story Rip Van Winkle always captivated me when I was little.
After skipping that wall in Year One, I’ve been waiting for just the right theme (Dilapidated? Past Its Prime? Graffiti?) which would allow me to photograph it again for the WPOTM. Which is why it’s a little strange—and perhaps this has happened to one of you as well—that after heading back to my car, I came across a wall shot I liked better. And after I shot that one, and cut through an unfamiliar alley, I came across something I liked even more. So much for “Van Winkle,” I guess. I can wait a couple of more years for another chance…
I suppose you could say the picture I’ve submitted is as much about a door as a wall, but I found the combination of the two too compelling to pass up. For one thing, the wall is a combination of two construction projects. And the colorful smears of paint almost give the poor little dismal, decayed alleyway a little pigmented dignity. Almost.
Anyway, as disgusted as I was with my “Cookie” picture last week, I’m very happy with this shot. There’s something about this still life in urban blight that makes me smile every time I look at it.
Our story so far: 18-55mm lens set at 23mm; aperture priority; center-weighted averaging; ISO 2300; 1/400 sec.; f/4/5; -1 1/3EV; in one of the less savory alleys of downtown Lincoln.
Jerry-
For this week's assignment I chose an interior location, trying to avoid the cold and wind. Fortunately at the U of M there are lots of interesting inside places so I spent a few minutes at the Weisman Art Museum. This particular wall has a really large painting along with a funky sculpture. In a few minutes a student wandered by in the background and I snapped this photo.
D750 with 24-85 set to 40mm. 1/80 @ f8, ISO 6400.
For this week's assignment I chose an interior location, trying to avoid the cold and wind. Fortunately at the U of M there are lots of interesting inside places so I spent a few minutes at the Weisman Art Museum. This particular wall has a really large painting along with a funky sculpture. In a few minutes a student wandered by in the background and I snapped this photo.
D750 with 24-85 set to 40mm. 1/80 @ f8, ISO 6400.