While driving around searching for a good spot to capture the beautiful sunset I drove over this rail line and saw an engine backing up a row of cars. The contrast of the warm orange sky and the coolness of the foreground in shadows looked perfect. I also loved how the rails reflected the light in the sky and stood out from the rest of the ground. The lights on the active engine really pop in the background.
I’m a sucker for seeing the details of the small things in life. These thistles were all on the same plant and I figured that they would look great if isolated from the busy background with a shallow depth of field.
On the drive down to Washington D.C. we saw several wind farms off in the distance. We made it a point to try and get closer on our return trip. This image was shot from Rt. 68 right outside of Frostburg, MD. The light beaming through the breaks in the clouds were a pleasant bonus. The line of turbines were relatively close to the road, so we decided to get a closer look. We managed to find a road leading right up to the one closest in the image. They are absolutely massive machines. They make an eerie sound as they rotate too.
A road trip through the hills of Uniontown on our way to Washington D.C. led us past this dirt road alongside of the National Pike. As it usually happens, I see a scene out of the corner of my eye and I immediately search for a place to turn around and pull off to get a shot. Fortunately I was able to find a spot safely and jump over the bank, compose a few frames, and be back on our way quickly. This shot absolutely satisfied my need for the day. The remainder of the drive to D.C. I could not wait to get this one out into the world.
Today I got to accompany a fellow photographer to my favorite falls in Western PA. We had planned on a trip to this waterfall for a while, but the fresh snowfall made it a perfect day to shoot. The water was flowing well and the late season snowfall covered the rocks and branches of the pines all around the falls. I used my trusty ND10 neutral density filter to lengthen my exposures. This particular cascade caught my eye due to the multiple changes in direction over a short distance. It was a very good day to be in the woods.
Today I visited a little preserve near my house. I had driven past it many times before and have even been encouraged to visit there by a friend who holds it in high regard. Wingfield Pines is located in a valley in Bridgeville. It is a series a ponds near a stream that houses a variety of plants and wildlife. This small plant plays host to a vine that is using it to get a better view of the world.
My plan for this day was to catch a reflection of the clouds of a predicted sunset in a small pond. The sunset didn’t happen as I had hoped, so I scrambled to find an alternative. Fortunately my experiences shooting in the area led me to a small waterfall that had received a bit of a swell from the morning’s rain. A short walk through the woods and crossing of the stream gave me a great vantage of this small falls. The water wasn’t too deep that it kept me from getting right out into the middle for this shot. I’m really thrilled that there were some icicles left on the branches at the stream’s edge. The lateness in the evening allowed for a nice long exposure to exaggerate the movement of the water, which is one of my favorite ways to shoot waterfalls.
Whenever there is a possibility (or threat) of a thunderstorm in Pittsburgh, I immediately think of lightning. It was during my last Picture a Day project that I captured my favorite lightning shot over the city and I take every opportunity to get another one. This evening, I went to Station Square in the hope of seeing a bolt or two. Alas, there was no flashes in the sky. I did manage to find my way up to the observation platform looking out across the Monongahela. I had to balance my distance from the viewer carefully. Too close and I would get a wet lens, too far back and I would catch the edges of the elevator in my frame. The Nikon 14-24 gives over a 114° field of view which can sometimes pull in a little too much. I wanted to capture as much of the city as possible, and I got pretty much exactly what I wanted.
The last time I did a Picture a Day project was 2012, also a leap year. I wanted to do something completely different that day. I chose to make an elaborate setup involving coffee. I’m a man of consistency, so why not keep up the theme? This shot involved a cold room (I left the windows open for an hour), a very hot cup of coffee in my favorite cup, and a couple of studio lights and reflectors. The single sidelight with 10° honeycomb was intended to illuminate the rising steam. The front light was powered just enough to give the cup some definition. It is a relatively low-key shot with just enough color and detail to convey the feeling of a steamy cup of java. It makes me want one right now.
During a recent urban exploration trip to Wheeling, WV, a member of our group took us to a sweet little spot on the Ohio River. It was an island reachable via a sketchy bridge over a 20′ drop. The island’s inhabitant, an old barge pusher, lay landlocked atop a mountain of coal. We shot a for a bit, enjoyed some adult refreshments, and when it got dark, we did a little light painting. The stars were shining over the old girl as I painted the top deck, another friend used a red light on the middle, and the fellas on the ground lit the outside. I used a wireless trigger to open the shutter from about 40′ away. The graffiti is a distraction to me, but I love everything else about this image.
