Zebulon Abandoned School – Part 1

Last weekend, some friends and I finally had the opportunity to check out an abandoned elementary school in the small, rural town of Zebulon, Georgia.  I knew someone who knew someone, and was able to get permission and the keys to the building — the best of both worlds!  We were also told that there was supposedly a ghost that haunted this school — predominantly in the auditorium — but I can tell you (very thankfully) that none of us encountered it.

I’m most of the way through processing my photos from this location, but the three below have surfaced as my favorites.

paper towel holder

Unlike the last two abandoned buildings I’ve explored, this one has been locked up and the windows boarded up, so there was really no graffiti to be found.  While this allowed for a more pristine environment, the windows being boarded up did mean that the place was pretty dark.  With very few exceptions, shooting hand-held here would have been close to impossible.  (As much as I hate lugging my tripod around, I keep finding myself at locations whose environments pretty much require it.)

lone lightbulb in weather-worn room

The photo above is my favorite, and I actually knew it would be the moment I walked into this room.  There was wonderful natural light coming in from one of the few windows that wasn’t boarded up, and this bare lightbulb was just hanging there — begging to be photographed!  And then there’s the chair rail and the texture on the wall….  I’m not a people photographer (I wait for people to get out of my pictures :-)), but I so badly wanted to photograph someone here.  If I ever do a portrait shoot, I know where I’m going to do it!

pencil sharpener in classroom

Lastly, there’s this shot of the old, rusty pencil sharpener and a wonderful growing bokeh down the length of the weathered chalkboard.  All of the rooms were painted different colors.  Clearly, this was one of the blue rooms, which contrasted nicely with the brown of the pencil sharpener.

If you’d like to see more photos from this excursion, please check out my Zebulon Abandoned School set on Flickr.

Thanks!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Unfocused

This was intentional — an out of focus shot of the beautiful blue sky and clouds as I flew from Atlanta to Milwaukee.  It reminded me of a beautiful, fuzzy dream, so I call it “dreaming at 30,000 feet”.

Happy Bloomin’ Mother’s Day

A very Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there, my own included!  In honor of Mother’s Day, I thought I’d post some flower photos I took this weekend with my iPhone in Lake Charles, Louisiana.  Most of these were taken with the Hipstamatic app, my favorite photography app.  The last one was also taken with my iPhone, and while it’s technically not a flower, I’m throwing it in here for good measure.

The botanicals in these photos are:  mimosa tree blooms, day lily, crane statue, sago palm, day lily, variegated canna, hydrangea, and a tomato plant.

Old Car City – Part 1

About 45 miles northwest of Atlanta, in White, Georgia, is a photographer’s paradise known at Old Car City.  Old Car City started as a small country store in 1931 and has been in the same family ever since. Owner Dean’s father started selling cars in the lot next to his general store and today the site has grown to 34 acres with over 4,000 cars. They no longer sell parts — it’s more of a living museum, with over 6.5 miles of trails.

ISO 200, 25mm with 4 exposures of 1/800, 1/200, 1/50, and 1/13 sec at f/11

I visited Old Car City for the first time back in November 2010, and it’s probably because of this visit that I became so fascinated with HDR (high dynamic range) photography.  HDR is a perfect canvas for conveying all the rust and grit this place has to offer.

On that visit, I shot lots of cars and trucks — *lots and lots* of cars and trucks.  I visited again this past Friday, and even though we had access to even more of the place than the first time, I found myself fixated on just about everything other than cars and trucks.

ISO 200, 30mm with 3 exposures at 1/320, 1/80, and 1/20 sec at f/8.0

The photos below is probably one of my favorites from the day!  The bikes were really colorful, but after processing the photos, I realized that the key element of this shot wasn’t the color, but the structure of bicycles lined up in a row.  Nothing shows off structure like black & white, and when I converted it, I was in love.

ISO 200, 25mm with 3 exposures at 1/160, 1/40, and 1/10 sec at f/8.0

ISO 200, 25mm with 3 exposures at 1/320, 1/80, and 1/15 sec at f/11

In my next post, I’ll share some of the cars and trucks that I shot, but I’ll wrap up this post with a shot of some radios on a shelf in the main building on the grounds.  Most of the texture and feel of this one are compliments of Snapseed by Nik Software (I *heart* Nik products!).

ISO 640, 25mm with 3 exposures at 1/30, 1/8, and 0.5 sec at f/5.6

Please check out my Old Car City set on Flickr for more photos from this set, as well as shots from my first visit back in 2010.

Thanks!

Milwaukee Art Museum – Part 2

Some exterior photos from my visit to the Milwaukee Art Museum to check out the Quadracci Pavilion, an architectural structure built in 2001 and designed by Santiago Calatrava.  Highlights of the building are the magnificent cathedral-like space of Windhover Hall, with a vaulted a 90-foot-high glass ceiling; the Burke Brise Soleil, a moveable sunscreen with a 217-foot wingspan that unfolds and folds twice daily; and the Reiman Bridge, a pedestrian suspension bridge that connects the Museum to the city.

Milwaukee Art Museum's Burke Brise Soleil

I think the HDR might be a little over the top when it comes to the sky, but what can I say — I’m a sucker for puffy clouds against a popping blue sky.  🙂

Milwaukee Art Museum's Quadracci Pavilion

Next to the Milwaukee Art Museum they’ve integrated the existing Milwaukee County War Memorial Center.  This architectural achievement of renowned Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen stands as a fitting memorial to those who have served in the U.S. Armed Services.  Saarinen’s unique design, a floating cruciform with cantilevered portions, is now considered a classic in the development of modern architecture.  The War Memorial Center was dedicated on Veterans Day 1957.

Milwaukee County War Memorial Center

Of course, I couldn’t resist turning my camera around to get a shot of “The Calling”, a sculpture that represents the sunrise, and kicks off the start of Wisconsin Avenue.  It was a bit challenging, as the sun was still a bit high in the sky, but I stood so the sun was behind the US Bank building, and just embraced the light.

Wisconsin Avenue and "The Calling"

Please check out my Milwaukee Art Museum set on Flickr for more photos.

Thanks!