Case 220

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I will forever love the combination of orange and blue. I saw this old Case tractor this weekend and just really liked it’s shape and colors. A little web research told me that this Case tractor is actually an old one-cylinder, 10 horse power lawn tractor, produced by Case in their Winneconne, Wisconsin Plant between 1968 and 1988.

HDR urban decay

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One thing I like about HDR photography is that it makes the impossible, possible. It allows your eye to see what you ordinarily wouldn’t be able to see. When you shoot HDR, you use a series of images to reveal details in the shadows and highlights which you just wouldn’t see in a single exposure. Adobe Lightroom makes it easy to stack and merge these images, resulting in images like mine below.

Linfield Industrial Park

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Currently under demolition.

Down low

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A little more low angle photography tonight on the way home from the grocery store… I walked down the wayside to snap a few shots of these tank cars paralleled by the utility lines during the last few moments of sunset.

Ever wonder how tank cars are made? Check out UTLX’s website. I was impressed with the level of detail they provide in their “build process” overview.

1/30 sec at f/2.8, ISO 250, 14mm, Sony A7R IV

Straight up

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I really enjoy making images using this perspective. …Straight up y’all.

Low angle and extreme low angle photography, using super wide angle lenses, is one of my favorite styles of shooting. Low angle shots always add a bit of majesty to the subject. They can even add a heroic feel to the image. I’m really happy with this image. I love the perspective, the industrial feel, the leading lines that take your eye right to the top of the tower, and the use of negative space.

1/30 sec at f/1.8, ISO 125, 14mm, Sony A7R IV

The office

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Glad I had my asbestos mask and tripod with me for these images. The first image looking out the window, is an HDR (High Dynamic Range) image compiled of five layered exposures. To do this, the scene is first properly exposed and captured. Next, the same scene is captured four more times, under and over exposing from -2 to +2 stops. Lastly, the images are stacked, aligned with each other, and processed. By using this technique I’m able to overexpose the scene to capture details in the shadows that the eye isn’t able detect, as well as underexpose the scene for those details in the highlights that are normally blown out (Tree branches against the sky). When the stacked files are carefully edited, the HDR image produced can have quite a surreal look.

HDR image.

30 seconds, at f/16, ISO 50, 14mm, Sony A7R IV

3.2 sec at f/9, ISO 50, 14mm, Sony A7R IV

Abandoned Camper

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I’ve been driving past this abandoned camper for months. Every time, I say to myself: Self, you should stop and make some images of that. But I never do. However, the other evening, as I was crossing the Burlington-Bristol Bridge entering into New Jersey, I had my friend Mr. Camper in mind and finally pulled over to take a few shots.

1/640 sec at f/5.0, ISO 100, 28mm, Leica Q2

1/500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 100, 28mm, Leica Q2

Morning gloom

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Determined to get out early with the camera, I had the Subi packed last night and was rolling towards Glendale, PA by 8:15, this dreary morning. I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for quite a while and wasn’t going to let some crumby weather stop me from getting out there and creating some images. I thought I’d try to use this morning gloominess to my advantage to amp up the drama in some of my shots. Following this thought, Sleighton Farm School came to mind. Sleighton Farm School is an abandoned reformatory school for delinquent children in Pennsylvania. Click here for the complete history on this dilapidated campus.

…Poor Mr.Groundhog.

1/160 sec at f/4.5, ISO 100, 16mm, Sony A7R IV

1/100 sec at f/6.3, ISO 100, 21mm, Sony A7R IV

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

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These birds are awesome. I love seeing and hearing them in the woods. Folks are quick to mistake them for Red-headed Woodpeckers which I, personally, am not a fan of. I find them a bit frightening! As someone who’s probably watched a few too many horror films, the Red-headed Woodpecker just conjures up a gruesome, Quentin Tarantino version of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. So much blood. So Gross. I digress. But, see for yourself, is this a creepy looking bird?

Nevertheless, I love the way these birds are built. Did you know that their tongues retract deep into their heads and actually wrap around their brains to cushion their little brains while they’re hammering away at the side of a tree, in search of delicious insects. Not only are their tongues three times longer than their bills’ length, but they are also highly maneuverable, cylindrical, pointed, and barbed at the tip. It’s true!

1/2000 sec at f/7.1, ISO 2000, 480mm, Sony A7R IV

Dark-eyed Junco

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The Dark-eyed Junco is one of my favorite small birds. My favorite being the Black-capped Chickadee. These images were shot right out of my living room window. With my camera on a tripod, and with this little guy sitting still, I probably could have dialed down my shutter speed and ISO, for a cleaner image, but I’m pretty happy with these results. Next time!

These images were all shot at these settings: 1/2000 sec at f/7.1, ISO 2500, 500mm, Sony A7R IV.

I love the excitement of making the image. When you’re in the moment, pinning focus on that little bird as he hops from branch to branch, changing your composition in realtime, spinning dials under thumb and finger to properly expose the scene as he moves in and out of the light.

The vertical grip on my A7R IV is also so handy. I love that I still have access to the front and rear dials for shutter speed and aperture, and can still back-button-focus even when I’m shooting in portrait orientation. So handy. So comfortable.

Female Red-winged Blackbird

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I’ve really been enjoying shooting wildlife at 500mm. I’ve never shot at this focal length before, and the process has been a lot of fun. I believe I have found the “sweet spot” with the Tamron 150-500mm lens, regarding optimal sharpness and aperture size. That sweet spot seems to be at f/8. Although the lens offers a faster f/6.7 aperture, the images just aren’t as crisp when stopped down to this maximum limit. Case in point; the little bird below; shot at f/8.

1/2000 sec at f/8.0, ISO 500, 500mm, Sony A7R IV

Shooting film with the Leica CL

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Not long ago, I picked up this fantastic old Leica CL. This model, made in Japan, by Minolta was introduced in 1973 and discontinued three years later, in 1976. It’s an interesting story as to why. Click here to hear it. At any rate, it’s a beautiful old rangefinder. I am fortunate that the light meter still functions properly, which research has taught me is quite a rarity when you come across these old models. I shot the first 36 exposures putting my faith into the meter, in hopes that it still worked, and I was relieved when I picked up my photos at Cardinal Camera. I opted for high resolution scans of my images, when I dropped my film with the shop. Take a look at the images in the gallery below. The sharpness is razor crisp, which I attribute to the fact that it’s a Leica rangefinder and it’s paired with a brand new Voigtlaender 40mm f/1.4 lens. Being my first time using a rangefinder, I was second guessing the accuracy of my focus. It’s quite different from using a single lens reflex camera; there’s more work involved for sure. It’s a challenging and enjoyable way of focusing; essentially aligning two images until the overlay is as accurate as possible; while maintaining your composition and also properly exposing the scene. Add to this, the fact that this camera has absolutely no automatic functions. As a result, my captures, when using this rangefinder, are certainly more deliberate and intentional than when I am shooting digital cameras.

Camera: Leica CL

Lens: Voigtlaender Nokton Classic Lens 40 mm / F1.4

Film: Fujifilm Superia X-TRA, ISO 400

Paper: Fujifilm Chrystal Archive, matte

Snapshots from the Pine Barrens

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I popped down to the Pine Barrens of New Jersey today, to visit my buddy John and take some photos out amongst the evergreens and sandy back roads. Below are a few snapshots from the day.

1/4000 sec at f/2.8, ISO 100, 24mm, Sony A7C

1/1000 sec at f/2.8, ISO 100, 24mm, Sony A7C

1/800 sec at f/3.2, ISO 100, 24mm, Sony A7C

Wissahickon Waterfowl Preserve

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I’ve been enjoying bird photography lately. I’ve always kept a bird feeder, especially through the winter months and enjoy seeing the birds and squirrels go to town at it. Over the years, and unintentionally, I’ve developed a genuine interest in birding and have amassed a decent library of identification and reference materials. I’m particularly fond of the National Audubon Society’s Guides. I’ve got a nice set of binoculars and get a kick out of watching the antics of each type of little bird that visits the feeder.

Growing tired of shooting birds from my living room window, I decided to make an early morning trip over to the Wissahickon Waterfowl Preserve. My plan was to arrive at sunrise and capture a male red winged blackbird, perched on a cattail, backlit by those golden sideways morning rays with a wisp of steam coming from it’s open beak. Welp. That didn’t happen! This morning’s sunrise was a real let down; it was so overcast. Gee thanks Mother Nature! Still, I did enjoy using shooting at 500mm. focal length and am fairly happy with the results. I’ll definitely be visiting this Preserve again!

By the way… how sad is it that the little bird shown above is actually the female Red Winged Black Bird? Poor girl! I think it’s funny, that in the world of birds, the males are generally the more brightly colored ones.