I feel like I finally got some good shots of the Tilt-A-Whirl last year at the fair. I like the combination of the magical lights, and the blue collar accoutrements. I like seeing some of the workings exposed (which is why I liked seeing Boris’ socks in the New Years photo!).
Tag Archives: TL-120
Faded Red Ford
I took a photo trip to the Palouse last year. It’s an area of Eastern Washington/Western Idaho that’s filled with rolling hills and old farms. the combination makes for some striking scenery, with lots of opportunities for photo-graphics. That said, a lot of those opportunities are seized using different lenses. Not an option on my TL-120. But I wanted to include a shot from my trip. It’s a well-worn route for photographers, and this truck was clearly left out front for the photo op. TL-120, Velvia 50, f22, shutter speed unrecorded.
Terlingua, Texas ghost town
Description Taken with the TL-120 on a tripod.
About the Image This image was taken through the window of the old school. In the distance is the Catholic Church that still has services once a month. It is called a ghost town but there are people living there and every year they host a famous chili cookoff. Historic Terlingua, in Texas’ Big Bend region is located between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park. Once an abandoned mining village, the ghost town is now the center of a charming desert community. The discovery of cinnabar, from which the metal mercury is extracted, in the mid-1880s brought miners to the area, creating a city of 2,000 people. The only remnants of the mining days are a ghost town of the Howard Perry-owned Chisos Mining Company and several nearby capped and abandoned mines, most notably the California Hill, the Rainbow, the 248 and the Study Butte mines. The mineral terlinguaite was first found in the vicinity of California Hill. Hence the name of the city.
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.
Tornado Bubble #10
Tom Noddy and the Tornado Bubble
In the last loop, I included a shot of my friend Tom Noddy with one of his marvelous bubbles. That was shot with the TL-120 and some bounce flash, but when I tried to figure out the exposure, I made some gross errors. So why did the pictures come out okay? I apparently made a whole bunch more errors in making my settings. Yes, I’m an idiot. But I’m an extremely lucky idiot.
This year I did some test shots before inviting Tom over again. There’s black velvet hung behind, because the DOF is extremely shallow. I think we had sharpness between about 28 and 32 inches. I had several flash units triggered by slaves, mostly bouncing off the ceiling here. (I’ve been reading the strobist blog a lot lately, and trying to learn more about the use of flash.)
To create this, Tom blows a bubble and catches it on the wand. He blows a second bubble below it, filled with smoke, so the smaller smoke bubble is attached and hanging below the clear bubble. Tom sticks a wet straw through the wall of the top bubble and blows gently, so the air is swirling inside. Then he break the membrane between the 2 bubbles, so now the smoke is inside the bubble with the swirling air, and the smoke is still somewhat concentrated. Finally, he opens a hole in top of the bubble, so the bubble deflates like a balloon, forcing out the swirling smoke. I shot a bunch of these. Every time you shoot one, you watch what it continues to do, and you think, “Dang! It got even better after I fired!”
I like the detail of the swirling smoke, and the saturated colors on the top of the bubble.
Tetrahedron
Tom Noddy and Bubble Tetrahedron
One of my best friends is Tom Noddy, aka “the Bubble Guy.” Tom appeared on the Tonight Show back when Johnny Carson was still host, and he travels the world doing his act. I’d always wanted to shoot some of his bubbles, but I had no experience shooting portraits in MF 3d. This is one of the simplest bubbles he makes. He also makes a cube, a dodecahedron, a 6-pointed star, a carousel, etc, etc.
Settings unrecorded. I had help from Don Lopp, who attended the shoot. We draped black velvet behind Tom, had a floor lamp beside him, and I bounced a flash off the ceiling.
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.
Spinning Wheel & Needle
Spinning Wheel & Needle
Also taken at the Seattle Center. The Fun Forest is a funky collection of carnival rides below the Space Needle. It’s destined for the scrap heap soon. I wanted to get down there and get some shots before it disappears.
I really enjoy taking shots of carnival rides. There is definitely a lot of patience involved (waiting for the ride to unload, then load, and once the ride finally starts going, trying to discourage folks from walking right in front of your camera) but it’s totally worth it. There are so many great surprises after you get the film back. Most of my night shots of rides are from the Puyallup Fair, a huge Fair that runs about 3 weeks in the fall, and one weekend in April, about 30 miles south of Seattle.