Since my son has borrowed my Pentax, I’m using my Panny - the Panasonic FZ-30. Nice camera, really nice. A bit noisy for long exposures, but I left the noise in.
The combination of the headlights, tail-light trails, copper and mercury street and parking lights give this a rich color presentation.
The more I played with it, the more I kept preferring it as it was shot and interpreted in the camera.
Sometimes I spend too much time trying to make something what it isn’t. I include myself in that conclusion.
This is a repeat, but different angle, interpretation of the view out of my building looking to the west.
It’s a nicer view, to me.
Perhaps to you also.
Walking out of work at 12:30AM, I saw this blazing white light.
No, I wasn’t heading on to heaven.
Some utility company had a work crew doing some sort of drilling in the middle of the intersection. The lights were from a portable light setup. Lots of lumens were being broadcast over their work area.
When I took this photo, they were gathered around, discussing something of importance. What, I don’t know.
I couldn’t pass up the rare photo op for this scene.
Rare to me.
Ordinary to them perhaps.
Interesting, nonetheless.
I’m glad I had my camera set for 3 exposures, -1 ev, 0 ev, +1 ev (dark, normal, light exporue).
I let some of the traffic get in front of me at the red light, and waited until the lights turned green (better color mix to my thinking).
Click, Click, Click - or Whap, Whap, Whap for those imagining the camera’s mirror flapping up and down 3 times.
A bit of post processing using Photomatix Pro and here you go.
Rich blues, the band of sunset gold at the horizon, and the green, copper, and red adding vibrancy to the mix.
Yummy for my eyes!
I made a circle of the street blocks and came back to explore it, photographically.
It is a depiction of what appears to be Lady Liberty, with a U.S. Marine soldier and sailor. At the base of the statue, the phrase “Remember the Maine” is etched in granite.
This is a link to the Wikipedia article on the Spanish-American War of 1898.
From my reading, it is probable that the battleship Maine was not sunk due to an attack, but by an unfortunate accident.
The green patina of bronze adds much character to this dominating depiction by the side of the street.
That’s what caught my eye.
I’ve driven past this monument probably hundreds if not thousands of times, without noticing the detail, such as the rope in the sailor’s hand.
There are two other images of this statue, from other angles, which are found at my Flickr home.
Different views of the everyday, which, upon reflection, develop a beauty to the eye.
As for statues or monuments to those people who died in wars, I hope one day, that they are ancient historical artifacts, rare markers of a distant, violent past.
This is a photo that I just snapped away to see what the settings would capture, with no real composition in mind.
One I would have deleted as not worth it.
I noted the cobalt blue sky and made the decision to hold on to it until I could pixel peep it on my monitor at home.
Good thing, that hesitation and decision to save.
The combination of the yellow brick, the sodium-based lights with their signature copper coloring of the surroundings, against that sky!
Bonus - the reflection of the lighter blue/pink sky in the side-mirror of my car.
Majestic beauty for my eyes.
A feast of color.
A set of statues, depicting the family of President Abraham Lincoln, prior to his being elected President in 1860.
The only home he ever owned is restored to life here in Springfield. Much of the travel and tourism industry revolves around Lincoln, his days as a State Legislator, County Lawyer, and erstwhile candidate for political office (he failed at several elections prior to his election to the Presidency).
This is the back of a set of statues of Abe, his wife Mary Todd, and one of their sons (I cannot recall which at this time). There’s another statue of an older Lincoln child a few steps further, to which the young son is waving.
The scene is right outside of Mr. Lincoln’s law office which he shared with his partner William Herndon. The bricks to the left are the corner of that office.
I take it for granted, living in the same town as Lincoln did. He’s also buried her in a grand tomb.
I’ve not traveled much, but I wonder if it’s the same familiarity which a native of Rome, or Paris, or Singapore, or Cairo feels to walk the same path that others in history have.
I stare in wonder at the new, I glaze over the familiar.
Somehow, looking through my camera lens, has given me new perspective to see the old familiar as new - when I take time to see.
I would not want to be the one to raise and lower these flags.
405 feet (123 meters) up in the sky. (See this site for more info: www.ilstatehouse.com/ )
Makes my palms sweat just thinking about it.
I took an alternate route home in search of today’s photo.
While stopped at a traffic light, I saw this to my left.
Of course, the camera was in my right hand at the ready.
3 quick snaps and this is the result.
A view of someone’s frightfully high duties.
