Tonight photo is a simple macro shot of a couple of leaves that I took at a recent stop at Phipps Conservatory, in Pittsburgh. I really enjoy macro photography and the extremely limited depth of field that you encounter, although it can be very frustrating the results are well worth the time and effort.
This is shot with a Nikon D300 and a Sigma 150mm macro lens.
A Leaf is Just a Leaf
Todays post is two photos from a set of smoke stacks from an old factory in Homestead, Pa. The Pittsburgh region was once a major area for steel mills and other factories, thus the nick name the “Steel City”. Today many of the factories are gone, some have survived and there are a few remaining remnants of what once was. The stacks in these pictures are in the parking lot of a movie theater.
Tonights post takes us back to the warmth of summer, flowers, and butterflies. I’m including two photos from a trip this past summer to Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, Pa. Every summer they have a butterfly garden with many different types of butterflies. If your in the area be sure and stop by the butterfly garden.
Hope you enjoy.
Tonights post is photo from the Phipps Conservatory miniature railroad display. In this scene you can see a bee keeper tending his bees as a Pennsylvania Railroad car speeds by in the background. I really enjoy photographing miniatures and Phipps always puts together a nice show.
Tonights post is in response to a question I saw on another site. It was in reference to photographing abandon building and houses. The person was asking for information and opinions about how to go about photographing these places. I have over the past year or so ventured into a few of these places. And I will give everyone the same advice I gave the gentleman, be safe in your adventures. These places are abandon and there is no telling what you might run into. The house featured in todays post was missing much of the floors on the ground level. Most definitely not a place to venture into alone. Which brings me to my second bit of advise. Don’t go alone, it’s always better to have a partner or two when you are looking around inside these places.
So if you go out and photograph abandon places please be cautious and have a great time. It’s absolutely amazing what you can find in these places.
Leave a comment and tell me about your experiences in exploring abandon places.
Todays photo comes from a place in Western Pennsylvania called McConnells Mill. You can find this mill at the bottom of small road in McConnells Mill State Park. There you will also find a beautiful red covered bridge. It’s been a few years since I was last there and it’s on the list for places to visit again this year. Would you visit this place if you could?
Tonight, I decided to share some my vision of that amazing invention: The Automobile. To say I’m a fan of cars would be a “slight” understatement. I have been involved with cars my whole life. As a kid, instead of playing in the streets, I was normally at home working on a car of some sort. My dad was a mechanic and painted cars. And I was always right there along side of him working, helping, and learning. I learned many things about the cars that we worked on and grew to have a great appreciation for classic and antique cars. My dad and I never missed an opportunity to visit a car show.
Years later I started to photograph automobiles and found that overall shots of the cars was, well, kind-of boring. So I began to photograph parts of the cars and I think that the results show the intricacies of the car that many may never have noticed. Today I’m am posting several closeups of classic and antique cars. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Feel free to let me know what you think.
As I was driving home from work this evening I had the privilege of seeing a beautiful sunset. Unfortunately, I was unable to stop anywhere to get a shot. But, it got me thinking of several photos that I have taken over the last couple of years and I thought I would share them with you. I leave you with this poem that I found about sunsets:
The Sunset
The sunset glistens upon the land,
with people standing hand in hand,
the beauty that it brings to them,
the magic that it sings to them.The sunset shines upon the ground,
with people standing, staring, astound,
the colors soaking into them,
the art evoking heart in them.The sunset of life and love,
the sunset soaring in the heavens like a dove,
the sunset fills us up with mystery,
the sunset with an irreplaceable history.
Bette Kayley Jones
One of my passions, and this may seem weird to you, is that of visiting cemeteries. I really don’t know what it is that lures me into these places but I have always felt very comfortable in cemeteries. Once I started doing photography the two just seemed to go together. I think that cemeteries can be very peaceful and have many beautiful scenes in them. I visit as many as I can and I constantly look for new ones to explore. Some are abandon and some are well maintained. When I’m in Pittsburgh one of my favorites is, of course, Allegheny Cemetery and recently I found the Homewood Cemetery. Tonights post covers several cemeteries around Western Pa. Such as St. Vincent Cemetery, Unity Cemetery, and Allegheny Cemetery. Hopefully you’ll see the beauty that I have found to be so peaceful.
From time to time I like to take a walk, with my camera, through a part of Pittsburgh, Pa called the Strip District. Now, to say this area is dynamic would be an understatement. This place changes by the second, and you never know what your going to find. The photo opportunities never cease to amaze me. I make this walk several times a year and always find something new and interesting to photograph.
If you have the opportunity to visit the “Strip”, or if your city has something similar, I highly recommend taking that walk with your camera in hand and look for the unexpected.
I hope you enjoy the photos.
2Eight Photography 