Unbelievable Sunset Setting
I am, overall, a landscape photographer. I seek out places that details are often overlooked. I have said this before, but I will repeat this somewhat known fact: When I decide to go out and photograph landscapes, I like to drive down roads I don't know. I love to get lost. Technology can always get me home, but when it comes to taking a picture, I want to not care where I am; I want to be in a place where I am unfamiliar with the area so I can focus on the details. Whether it be an old structure, like a barn or old shed, or some plants where the light is being collected in the leaves; I want to find something that can be easily overlooked or dismissed as normal.
When deciding to go out to capture a sunset, I really look for scarce to moderate cloud cover. A setting sun is a softer light that seems to make its surrounding glow. The illumination is captivating, and it's almost everything that makes a great photo, in my opinion. A great foreground completes it. We can watch sunrise and sunset times on weather apps, so knowing when to go is the easy part, unless there are a lot of clouds that are breaking apart at the horizon. Given the hills and valleys, the time of sunset can vary. This one piece of property was perfect for this sunset.
There were two fields that had been plowed within the past month. They were divided by a drainage ditch with some low, flowing water. On each side of the drainage ditch was a 6-8 foot patch of very green grass that followed the drainage ditch from the road all the way to the woods. By the time I had found this property, the sun was about to set, but it was behind the clouds. A small opening was between the clouds and the horizon. I waited for the right moment before taking a series of shots. This one was the best one. The sky was glowing, the sun was setting, and a plethora of colors were included in what was a picture perfect evening that I was able to share with everyone that cares to view my photo.
Stop the Press
Chapter 1-AbuseA book, sitting on a window sill, is opened to Chapter 1: Abuse
Among the friends I have, a group of them are adventurous photographers. We are all scattered throughout the state, but we have one common interest that draws us together for new adventures in urban exploration. Some of them live near the areas we explore, and are able to look into the building or area before we put ourselves in harm's way. Of the places we have visited, not one had felt unsafe in,...until this one. Keeping in groups is usually the safest means of travel, but for this shot, I had found myself alone. I was very fearful for my safety at this point, but the book kept me there for a few more seconds.
This book was among many in this classroom. There were books scattered all over the floor, some were still in book cases, and then there were these, spread across the window sill of a shattered window. We were exploring the Colin Powell Academy in Detroit, Michigan. While seeking the largest room in the abandoned school, we went through some of the rooms. When I came across this room, there was an eerie sense of quiet in the building. We typically communicate with each other all throughout an abandoned building just for the sake of safety. This book had really caught my attention though, and when I saw what page was hanging open, I knew I had to capture it. Chapter 1: Abuse. What a peculiar page to have been left in this position; in a school that has since been left behind, abandoned. The paper was yellowed and stiffened by the constant bombardment of the outside elements, yet the words stood out for attention.
Shortly after capturing this shot, I moved toward the doorway, seeking the company of my fellow photographers...all I found was the same strange quiet...that, and the two unknown guys standing right outside of the same window I was photographing the book. They were looking into the window, and we made eye contact. It was time to find my friends! I texted one of them, and they got back with me almost right away, and we were reunited on the next floor up, where they had found the room we all sought: The gym. We continued our exploration, but I refused to let any of them out of my sight again. None-the-less, another great place to visit, a lot of photos taken, and time spend with friends of a common interest.
Gurgling Brook
When I get out of work, I drive to my Mom's house and pick up my son. Sometimes my Aunt Connie is there and she likes to look at the pictures I had been able to capture since the last time I had seen her. She really takes joy in viewing them, and sometimes offers some of her perspectives as to what she looks for in a photo. Everyone is seeking something different, so I can't just focus on what she likes, but it is good to hear, from people, what they like. As a photographer, I really dig nature. The sky talks, the river sings, and the wildlife compliment every inch of it (So does the bug life).
One particular day when my Aunt Connie happened to be there, she mentioned a particular landscape perspective that appealed to her. We went through some of my pictures and then my son and I left. That weekend, I took my son with me as I sought to get lost in the country somewhere. I find that losing sight of where I am allows me to "see" inspirational settings and sometimes capture them. I don't worry about being lost...this is the day of technology, and my phone would get me home.
As I turned on some unknown road, I moved my foot to the brakes and my right hand to the hazards button on the dash. I find that this is something I do lot of now, and the two actions are subconscious. My son was looking for whatever made me stop so suddenly, but realized that it was for a photo. I picked up my camera, and exited the car to overlook this gurgling brook (now free from ice and snow). The fence was partial, and there was an old broken swing tipped over nearby. There was some trash in the creek and on its banks (beer cans), but those were removed in post edit. ---- That day that my aunt told me the perspective she liked, it was this... A small winding creek and an old fence. The broken swing was a bonus, I guess.
Thank you! :)
Midway Stop
After a long grueling day of photography adventures in Detroit, Michigan with two Olympus Trailblazers,... That's sarcasm, folks!! Opportunities to photograph graffiti, abandoned structures, downtown attractions, city improvements, street activities, city-scapes from the top of parking structures, the mystery horn-blowing ship in the river, and the day-to-day life in the huge city of Detroit is far from grueling! Add in two professional photographers to instruct, guide, and offer their perspectives, and you get an outstanding day. I don't recall how long I was there, but I arrived when it was just starting to get light and returned home in the mid to late afternoon.
The picture above was a spontaneous stop along the way home. I had carpooled with a friend, Jamie MacDonald (one of the Olympus Trailblazers), so I had to be there somewhat early and left when all was said and done. As we approached this area, we decided to exit at the next off ramp and go shoot this oddity along the highway. Located across the street from the Whitetail Museum and Calderone Farms Golf Course, this one-room school house sits on a little spit of land bordering a farmed field.
With the constant bombardment of news relating to ticks, and the fact that this property was not mowed, walking to the schoolhouse was something we both considered not doing. We were both in shorts and we knew that one of us would end up walking away with a lime-disease carrying bug. We shot from the edge of the grass for a while until I decided to throw caution unto the wind. I approached the building and photographed around it, but the one shot I liked the most was this one: Low to the ground, shooting over the tall grass, capturing the attitude of the sky and the loneliness of a structure that once educated our youth. It now sits vacant, as a semi-filled shed that has been forgotten.
Catching Nature as it Happens
Attentively SpottedTwo fawns enjoying a spring day.
This shot, involving two spotted fawns, was one of those spontaneous opportunities that couldn't be passed up. In my daily work schedule, I sometimes have to travel between two warehouses. This happened to be one of those trips.
As I travel, there usually isn't much to see, especially when the leaves start to appear on the trees. By that, I mean that the birds are now able to hide within the foliage. Typically, near the Grand River, I will see a red-tail hawk or a blue heron. Those are fun to stop and watch, as well as photograph. I am always looking though; looking for something to pop out at me before I enter the industrial area of Jackson Michigan. This particular day yielded something that was equally fun to watch and capture: Three fawns playing in a small grassy field across the street from a factory.
As I drove past, I noticed they weren't startled by the passing vehicles, which made me think that the parent was nearby. I safely maneuvered to the side of the road, waited for traffic to clear, and made a U-turn. I was hoping that by parking across the street I wouldn't cause them to run. I have made it a habit to ALWAYS carry my camera, so I opened my bag and found that the lens I wanted to shoot with was already attached. That made for a quick setup.
I exited my car and began photographing from in front of it. The fawns became curious, and started to walk toward me, which would have put them into harm's way. That wouldn't have made for a good picture, so I lowered the camera, waited for traffic, and then crossed the street. The small deer were startled by my direction of travel and made their way back into the center of the field. Upon crossing, I moved away from them. One of the fawns had made its way to an opening in the woods, while the other two remained in the field. These were those two. They were still on alert at this point, but slowly decided that I wasn't a threat.
After about 20 minutes of photographing them, I figured I ought to continue on to my destination. When I started to make my way back to the road, the doe half-way exited the woods, stomped her foot twice, and the fawns ran into the woods, followed by their mother, after a brief period of time as she watched me. The session was over, but I was able to capture this image in all of the excitement. They were, as I titled it, Attentively Spotted.