Palacios is located on the Texas Gulf Coast. Home to about 400 vessels, Palacios is the third-largest shrimping port on the Texas Gulf Coast, and has proclaimed itself to be the “Shrimp Capital of Texas”. It is located about 2 hours south of Houston.
Tag Archives: existing light
US Botanical Garden, evening in the “Jungle”
I shot the USBG earlier this year during the day, and it is a smorgasbord of post-industrial steam-punk vs. wilderness 3d imagery. I returned last month to try and capture the magical evening light, which makes the place look even more mysterious than it already is. I was hampered by equipment problems (in part of my own making), and did not get very many shots. This is one of the better ones, taken about 5 minutes after the “magic” lighting had ended. (Equipment failure prevented pictures during the magic 15 minutes!).
Then, on the drive home (about two hours highway driving), my car broke down near Culpeper, about halfway home. Michele and Jet had to come fetch me in the middle of the night. The car was repaired in Culpeper over the course of three more weeks. I only got it back just recently. All in all, an ill-fated photo mission.
Sputnik, RSX 400 film, f16 probably, 30 seconds exposure.
KINGS OF FREEDOM by Kaun at UVa.
In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, this year we have a supposedly historic piece of Berlin wall grafitti art on our campus, on loan from the Hefner Collection. It is Dennis Kaun’s KINGS OF FREEDOM. I’m still researching the provenance of this artwork, because I’m a little bit suspicious of it, as it is clearly signed “copyright” 1990. Continue reading
Tajin
Located in the state of Veracruz, El Tajin was at its height from the early 9th to the early 13th century. It became the most important centre in north-east Mesoamerica after the fall of the Teotihuacan Empire. Its cultural influence extended all along the Gulf and penetrated into the Maya region and the high plateaux of central Mexico. Its architecture, which is unique in Mesoamerica, is characterized by elaborate carved reliefs on the columns and frieze. The ‘Pyramid of the Niches’, a masterpiece of ancient Mexican and American architecture, reveals the astronomical and symbolic significance of the buildings. El Tajin has survived as an outstanding example of the grandeur and importance of the pre-Hispanic cultures of Mexico. Taken with the spud, hand held.
Grrrrrrrrrr!
Former car parts and spoons take the shapes of mysterious creatures including prehistoric reptiles, bugs, and even aliens at Scrap Daddy’s Art Yard. Art forms are scattered throughout this museum of sorts, among overgrown grass and metal scraps. Welder and gallery owner, Mark Bradford has an eclectic eye for art that has moved him to put his own distinctive mark on the many metal sculptures displayed in the outdoor gallery. Sights for innovative eyes include the 20-foot praying mantis (that I can’t get out of my mind), a flying saucer, and an automobile-sized scorpion. Bradford welcomes free visits to his yard daily.
El Coronado Visitor Center Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas
Palo Duro Canyon State Park opened on July 4, 1934 and contains 29,182 acres of the scenic, northern most portion of the Palo Duro Canyon. The Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930’s constructed most of the buildings and roads still in use by park staff and visitors.
The Canyon is 120 miles long, as much as 20 miles wide, and has a maximum depth of more than 800 feet. Its elevation at the rim is 3,500 feet above sea level. It is often claimed that Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the United States. The largest, the Grand Canyon, is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide, and 6,000 ft. deep.
Palo Duro is Spanish for “hard wood”. The photo was taken from the roof of our CCC constructed cabin located on the rim of the canyon. Only 3 cabins have a rim “view”. I am fascinated by the CCC work and visit and/or stay in CCC constructed cabins whenever we can.
Bastrop State Park #2
I provided all the relevant data in the previous post on Bastrop State Park. 2011 Texas experienced a severe drought, over 300 million trees died. My photos do not begin to depict the severity of the wildfire in the park. The park will take decades to reco
ver. The Lost Pines of Texas near Bastrop are important as they are the westernmost edge of the species’ natural range.
All photos were shot with the TL120 and I used either Provia or Kodak 100. And they were handheld using natural light. F/stop not recorded nor remembered.
Temple Guardian #1
This is from my early days with my “Don-Lopp-modified-Sputnik.” We try to visit NYC every other year during the winter holidays. This is from a late-night visit to the NYC library. I spot metered around the scene. It’s quite dark there at night, with a little bit of ambient light from the traffic.
Provia 100F, f22, 80 seconds.
…and the Clock Struck KAZAM! #2
Carnival rides light up the Puyallup Fair at night
I have my night exposures of carnival rides pretty well set, but this particular ride was running without the spotlights for most of the duration of the ride. It looked darker than usual, so I bumped the exposure. Taken with twin Hasselblad 500Cs, 50 mm lenses. Exposure could have been 16 seconds at f22.
The top part of the ride is swinging down, and looks to me like the pendulum on a clock. It intersects with Sinbad’s extended sword in the painted backdrop. It looks as though he’s hitting the pendulum with a loud KAZAM!
Canyon X Colors #34
Reflected, unfiltered light in Canyon X
Last year I was on a break between contracts, and Mandy saw a window of opportunity to sneak off for a vacation. Picking the southwest US was easy. She had only 2 weeks available, but I was free as a bird, so I offered to drive down to Page Arizona a week early. That gave me a few days to spend with a photo guide, Mandy flew down to meet me, and we took it from there. I’ve seen shots of Antelope Canyon for years, but I had no idea what a tourist trap the place has become. When I went to Antelope, which is a fairly short Canyon, there were 200 other photographers crammed into this tiny space elbow to elbow.
I also went to Canyon X, which only one tour company has the rights to visit, and it was a completely different scene. Unfortunately, most of the day at Canyon X we were getting filtered light, but there were some lucky breaks, like this one. It’s all reflected light bouncing around. There’s no surface in this shot getting direct sunlight. I metered off the highlights.
I think this makes a nice complement to John’s ice cave.
Above Lake Viviane
Golden larch in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington
Mandy and I went on a backpacking trip into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in September 2007. Permit required, hard hiking, heavy pack, uncooperative weather. The whole point for me was photography, and by 3 days in I had taken 1 stereo pair in 35mm. Winds died down some on the 4th day and I went nuts with the picture taking. This area is known for its pristine lakes, granite peaks, and larch turning gold in the fall. It’s a stunningly beautiful place.
This was taken with my Sputnik, tuned up by Don Lopp. Thank you, Don! Please forgive any mounting errors — the focal lengths of the lenses are a little mismatched.
Sinbad & Tornado
Sinbad & Tornado
Taken last September at the Puyallup (pyoo AL ip) Fair, about 40 minutes south of Seattle. I had avoided the Fair for years, and finally went 2 years ago. Now I can’t get enough of it. Be warned — neither of my spuds has perfectly matched lenses. So any mounting errors are not my fault :^)
Sputnik modified by Don Lopp, f22, 4 seconds, pushed 1 stop, Provia 100F.
EMP Backside #1
Experience Music Project, Seattle Center
The EMP (Experience Music Project) is Seattle’s version of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Museum, at the Seattle Center. The building is designed by Frank Gehry. I’ve never been inside (it’s kinda pricey – I’d rather have a new camera filter) but the outside has given me a lot of photo ops. Remember waaaaay back in loop 19A, when Dave Casey had a photo of the “sculpture thingie by the EMP?” The shadow of that sculpture thingie can be seen in this shot.
Shot with a TL-120, Provia 100F, 2 minutes.