I enjoy making photos that relate to each other in some way. Here are several sets that do exactly that. (Photos made with Panasonic GX7 camera with 25 mm f/1.4 lens)
Set 1: Vegetation growing along a wall or on the ground.
Set 2: What’s inside that broken window to a vacant industrial plant?
Set 3: Something that might make you smile, while being “different” from the ordinary.
Set 4: Getting close to summertime flowers.
Set 5: Electrical power distribution no longer in use.
(All photos made with the Fujifilm X-T100 camera with 15-45mm lens)
(Images made with Fujifilm X-T100 Camera with 15-45mm zoom lens)
Driving around Martinsville Virginia recently, I stopped at a railroad crossing and pulled off to an adjacent dirt road to explore that small red shed shown in the above photo. Below is what I found.
As I got closer I noted there was a plant of some kind growing inside, along with debris of various sorts. I’m not really sure what the shed had been used for, but I’m guessing it was to store paint and similar materials. The diamond-shape small window in the upper right turned to to be a nice composition when viewed through the one directly opposite.
So, when you come to a RR Crossing (Look out for Cars), check around and if it’s safe to do so, pull over and see what you can see.
(Images made using the X-T100 camera with 15-45mm lens. Original color compositions processed using the Mac Desktop App “Tonality”)
I find that converting color images into black and white can result in a nice rendition. While I could have done this “in-camera” by adding a filter, I prefer to do it externally where I have more flexibility to get the look I’m seeking.
As you can see, Martinsville is no longer the vibrant city it once was. Closures of major economic centers related to textiles, furniture, and other key industries are the direct cause, just as it is throughout this region of Virginia and North Carolina. Before the expansion of governmental jobs in Northern Virginia, Martinsville was a major “economic engine” for the Commonwealth. In many ways, the city is re-buildig itself today through small business development and tourist related attractions such as NASCAR’s oldest track, Martinsville Speedway, and an excellent and very popular compertitive sports complex. For me, it’s a perfect place to live.
The Black-Eyed Susans are from our yard, the Pears are growing on our next door neighbor’s large and fully loaded tree, and the Weeds are, well, just weeds growing in a field in Martinsville, Virginia.
(All photos made with the Fujifilm X-T100 camera with 15-45mm zoom lens.)
We live in Ridgeway, Virginia, directly adjacent to the much larger City of Martinsville. I often walk around the city center, looking for interesting and “different” photo compositions. Each time I go, I find something I didn’t see during earlier visits. Today was typical. Each image was made with the Fujifilm X-T100 camera.
Toy cars in a shop window. Never underestimate photo possibilities of things on display behind shop widows. Place your lens as close as possible to the glass to prevent reflection. However, the reflected street scene in the window here blends in nicely with the toys.
Flowers growing in a planter along a window ledge. Example of “leading lines” in a photo composition.
Sun peaking out behind a Veteran Memorial monument in front of the old County Court House.
Entrance to a back alley access door to a basement storage area. The grain of the wooden door caught my eye.
Looking up one of the main columns of the Court House. Having a flip-out LCD on a camera allows one to easily make these kind of shots, without straining your neck or falling over while looking straight up.
Same as the one above. I liked the contrasting and vibrant colors.
There are always “signs” of our past in city centers, such as faded remnants of advertisements on brickwork of buildings as they once were. I like to find these and am happy when I discover one I’d missed before.
So, it was another good walk-about Martinsville for me today. I have many more images to share but that will come later.
Getting up close to summertime flowers often provides a new perspective.
(Each of these photos made using an iPhone 7Plus with the Camera + App in macro mode.)
I only display our Betsy Ross Flag on July 4th. According to the traditional account (Wikipedia), the flag was made in June 1776, when a small committee – including George Washington, Robert Morris and relative George Ross – visited Betsy Ross and discussed the need for a new American flag. The flag features 13 stars to represent the original 13 colonies with the stars arranged in a circle. I used the tilting LCD screen on my new Fujifilm X-T100 camera held next to the flag pole to get the composition I wanted. Unfortunately, there was no wind to show the flag. So, I stood there looking through the camera viewfinder, getting dizzy, when a slight breeze came up and moved the flag. Nothing like patience in the mind of a devoted photographer.
(A portion of the main fishing boat harbor near the center of downtown Kodiak, Alaska.)
One grandson of ours is based in Kodiak Alaska with the US Coast Guard, and today our daughter arrives for a short visit with him, and to participate as a family member in getting underway for a brief period aboard his ship, the USCGS Douglas Munro, to learn more about what the ship’s crew and leaders do. With that as background, I decided to share some photos I made several years ago while there with my wife, that show the rugged shoreline beauty of this remote island.
No, I didn’t need another camera. But when I read about the new Fujifilm X-T100 “consumer” camera that equals in many ways the capabilities of my “professional” level cameras (Panasonic and Fuji) and it only cost $700 with a nice 15-45mm kit lens, I had to go for it. Here are some samples I made today. The large X-T100 sensor provides soft backgrounds (Bokeh), and the JPEG out of camera colors are great. I still process all my images with Adobe Lightroom CC Classic before posting here however, but the fact that’s not required considering out-of-camera images are so good. I’m still getting used to how to use the many capabilities of this new camera. But, I’m off to a good start.
In sum, while the zoom 15-45mm kit lens isn’t as good as my “prime” lens (each costing more than this new camera) it performs way above average, and I’m happy with that. As I am with the camera in general.
