Tag: Indiana

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Our Savior

Happy Easter!!! 

Re-post September 2011

If you have not noticed, I don’t stick with one photography genre very well. My last 10 posts have been a combination of portraits, HDR’s, sunrises, sunsets, black & white, wildlife, etc.  I’ve always been someone who likes to explore, try new things, and have many interests that have no relation. Probably my only constant enjoyment is my wife (I’ve been with since junior high).  For example, I am a foot and ankle surgeon by day, an avid photographer by night, I enjoy playing basketball 2-3 times a week, I weight lift, enjoy politics (but don’t talk about it openly), and have a very strong interest in anything technology related (I’ve always been the go to guy with computer repair or technology related questions). I’ve yet to find anyone with similar interests (it’s usually one or the other).

Having all these interests have made me well rounded.  I feel as if I can find some association with all people I talk to, and credit my broad interests in allowing me to do so.

In keeping with my theme or I guess “no theme” todays post is taken at the cemetery that I wrote about a few days ago. What really caught my attention was this large Jesus crucifixion on the east side of the cemetery. It set on a large slab of concrete about 4 feet off the ground and all that could be seen behind it was the sky. I felt it would be a great place to take an HDR or time lapse shot but after attempting this many times I really didn’t like the angle (I wish I was at eye level with Jesus). I decided to put up my 28mm summicron and take a few shots with my 50mm summilux wide open. After taking this shot I realized I was wasting time with my 28mm summicron. The 50mm summilux with it’s beautiful bokeh was definitely the way to go!

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The Cross

Recently I decided to sell my Leica 21mm elmarit and move to a 28mm summicron.  This decision didn’t come easily.  I’ve enjoyed  shooting with wide angle lenses (I had Canon 16-35mm on my full frame 5d Mark II) but have noticed recently my interest is beginning to change.  As I have become more educated in photography, I’ve realized that wide angle lenses are not always the best for landscape.  Wide angle lenses can flatten your image and typically have a lot of distortion.  They are best, when you have something relatively close to you in the foreground and are attempting to add some depth of field.  Telephoto or at least 90mm lenses are often times better for true landscape with no subjects in the foreground.

Leica 28mm summicron is still considered to be a wide angle lens but it doesn’t have any noticeable distortion.  On the Leica M9 it also will allow you to use the internal viewfinder versus an external (needed for anything wider than 28mm).  This lens is very popular with journalist because of its wide angle, no distortion, low light performance, and sharpness.  So far i have to agree with their assessment.  Hopefully soon I’ll post a few more pics using the lens.

A few days ago I drove to a small rural Catholic church.  Behind the church lies a small cemetery.  I captured this image using my 28mm summicron at sunset. I really like the sharpness  and bokeh produced.

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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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Old Interior

Last winter I visited the Auburn Cord Duesenburg Automobile Museum in Auburn, IN. It’s located at the original headquarters of the Auburn Automobile Company.  From the outside it looked like a good size building but I never imagined the amount of cars they had.  I’m not a motor head but enjoyed my time looking at their collection.  It’s definitely a place to visit if you enjoy looking at old cars.  I snapped many pics and thought this one in black & white with a little noise worked well.

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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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Indiana Sunset

Living in Cleveland, OH for 5 years I got accustomed to grey skies. It seemed as if we would have one blue sky in the winter maybe 1 or 2 times a month. When I moved to Fort Wayne, I was hoping to see more blue skies and fortunately I do but still not as often as I would like (I’m sure others agree in Northeast Indiana). One evening in January, while driving home from work we had one of those rare events. I was driving on the interstate staring at the sun and noticed 2 trees in a field with nothing around them. I immediately took the next exit and drove into the field where they were located. Fortunately, I was able to catch one of these rare Indiana sunsets.

P.S. This is a good reason why you should always carry your camera equipment, you never know when you will find a good picture opportunity.

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