A New Location

I recently had dinner with a couple of photographer friends.  We had great food and conversations . . . not all photography related.  Afterwards, one of my friends suggested a ride to Jones Island as we had been talking about the location during the evening.  It's a commercial port, coast guard station, train depot, etc. all under the Hone Bridge.

Needless to say, there seemed to be a multitude of settings that caught my eye.  It was night so it was dark but this area had a lot of interest.  I need to study the location more and understand it's history and current use.  There are public roads through this section but I have heard that the authorities patrol and try to prevent photographers from taking pictures.  This involves a whole separate discussion on photographer rights, especially when on public roads.

I caught this image as we slowly drove through the area.  While technically not the best (it is handheld at a slow shutter speed), it reminds me of a scene from a movie or TV show.  The reflective light of the car in the foreground puddle shows promise.  

Just a short drive from home, I need to explore this area further.

Manufacturing

Today, I was able to photograph our manufacturing plant in Racine, WI.  Partly, it's to create some images for the conference room there.  I'm also heading up original photography for our annual sustainability report.  The real fun is looking at all the patterns from pipes, assembly lines, conveyors and so on.  Additionally, there's all that steel.  It seems it's just made for black and white.  There's something beautiful about it all.

Making Lemonade from a Lemon

I had hopes for this morning's sunrise on Lake Michigan in Milwaukee but it was not to be. The clouds layer was too thick for the sun to poke through on the horizon. So, I was left to consider taking some images of the ice build up on the lake shore but I just wasn't seeing anything interesting.

The tree in this photo is at the end of the parking lot. There seemed to be enough color to make the shot somewhat interesting. I've taken this shot before and I do like the tree. Keeping the foreground dark, I was able to capture enough color and the contrast of this tree against it makes a nice silhouette.

East Side Church of Christ

I find myself at the beginning of a new project. As such, I'm excited and anxious to explore and take plenty of images. Sometimes, it gets the best of me and I wake up early and head out before the sun rises and before there are signs of life. But it's a good time to absorb, reflect and seek out places to spend more time. But the low lighting also brings opportunity. I really like the lighting on this image of the East Side Church of Christ.

Lensbaby

I was looking to try something a bit different. Than I remembered I had the original lens baby. It was a fun little toy but somewhat cumbersome to use. I recently picked up the Lensbaby Composer. It's a 50mm lens where the front element is on a ball and socket so you can rotate or bend the lens in any direction. This allows you to selectively focus anywhere in the frame while the you blur out the rest. Aperture rings allow you to vary the depth of field. The Composer is so much easier to use. I've been walking around town with only the lensbaby on my camera. This image had an aperture of f/4. It gives images a interesting mysterious look. Something that was merely ordinary now becomes something of intrigue.

All American

All American, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

I'm currently exploring ideas for a new project. North Avenue in Milwaukee is an interesting place. It's not thought of as the best part of town but there exists a vibrant community. Lot's of small shops. Sure, the area has its problems but many appear to be friendly and some eager to model. I may study this area a bit more. There's a number of places on my agenda.

Icy North Point Sunrise

Icy North Point Sunrise, originally uploaded by RJIPhotography.

Sometimes, you gotta go with your hunches and act quickly. I went down to the lakefront on Saturday. It was cold, windy and cloudy. I stayed hoping for a glimpse of the sun but it was not to be. I did get some images that look decent in black and white.

I woke this morning and really didn't plan to go out shooting. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the sky was getting lighter . . . there was blue sky and clouds. I quickly grabbed my gear and went to the lakefront and was greeted by a wonderful sunrise. The light on the iceflows along the lake was warming, even for winter. The contrast of the ice with it's blue tint and the orange glow of first light made it a colorful morning.