Tag: Canon 5D Mark II

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Vermilion Lighthouse

When we lived in Cleveland, we would visit Vermilion a few times a year.  It has a nice old downtown with many shops to explore and great places to eat.  Each time we came, I would take a picture of the lighthouse.  I never realized until recently that it is actually a replica of a lighthouse that used to sit there (no wonder it’s so small).

This picture is a 5 exposure HDR.  I used a wide angle lens for the shot and corrected most of the distortion in photoshop.  Most people probably think that I shrunk the lighthouse but in reality it is very small.

P.S.  Here is another post of mine taken at the same spot.

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The Rustic Barn

Last summer I was driving around trying to find old barns to take pictures of.  It’s getting more and more difficult to find these old structures and when you do they are typically surrounded by other buildings or homes therefore it’s very difficult to get an isolated shot.

I came across this barn that set well behind the owners home.  I went up to the door and inquired if I could take a few pictures.  They initially questioned if I was trying to sell them something (I guess they have people come by inquiring about taking “fly over” pictures of their farm).  After I informed them I was just an avid photography with an interest in old barns, they had no problem letting me walk around their property.

This was a 7 exposure HDR.  I used a wide angle lens and made sure that there was something in the foreground so that I could add depth to the image. The only downside is that a wide angle lens causes “distortion” to the structures.  This can be fixed in photoshop but often adds a nice effect to the image.

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The Orange Sunrise

Sunrises and sunsets are always amazing to watch.  The surrounding environment is calm, the sky undergoes multiple changes in color, and the rush of daily life has either not begun or has ended.

When I was in the Outer Banks taking pictures of the Avon Pier I witnessed one of those moments.  As the sun began to rise, it cast an orange glow in the sky.  I was able to line the shot just center and below the pier.  I didn’t realize until later that there were two birds posing for the pic.

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Faith

Up until our move last year to Fort Wayne we would make the trip from Cleveland to Illinois a couple times a year to visit family. We always took a shortcut on US Highway 20 that would allows us get on I-69 in Angola, IN. I must have never paid much attention to my surroundings because on each of these trips we would pass this old white church that set off the main road about 1/4 of a mile. One afternoon, while driving back to Cleveland after preparing for our move to Fort Wayne, I noticed the large white church. I pulled over and liked its simple architecture and its weathered look.

Recently, the caretakers found me and commented on a picture I took of Powers Church on flickr (they said it was one of their favorites). Anyway, I never realized the importance of this church to the local community until I read a few articles about it. It was built around 1875 for less than $2000 by one of the original settlers in the area, the Powers family. At one time it set unused for over 20 years.

If you want to read more information about the church, you can find great articles in the USA Today and the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. Also, there is information on wikipedia.

Below are a few pictures I took, including the picture the caretakers liked.

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Looking Onward

A couple years ago my family and I drove to Vermilion, OH. It’s a small town that has a marina where the Vermilion River connects to Lake Erie. There are many local shops and restaurants (one of my favorite restaurants Chez Francois is located there) that bring tourists to the area. On the lake, there is a small lighthouse that is now a historical monument next to the Inland Seas Maritime Museum. My nephew was visiting from out of town and his mother thought this would be a good place to take some photographs. As you can see from the picture it was a beautiful day with low lying clouds. The museum sits to the southwest of the lighthouse and casted a shadow over the south side of it. There was a ledge that stuck out from the lighthouse about 3 feet above the ground. My nephew was able to stand on it while I shot from underneath him. I used a wide angle lens which allowed for me to capture the sky and entire lighthouse. Shooting people with wide angle lenses is not always good because of the distortion but in this case I thought it added a little drama to the scene.

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