Project 52 Week 4 Creve Coeur shoot

[IzzieK]

Here are a few of my shoots this week for Project 52 taken at the Creve Coeur Airport facility...a sort of a mixed bag going from one place to the other...C&C will be appreciated.

1. First off, Tractor Tire. I have to shoot at midday as I cannot go earlier nor late in the day. I have to rely on when the boys are going to fix our seemingly forever broke airplanes and annual-ling our other airplane. They are not morning people either.



2. Signs

This first one was found near the coffee machine inside the FBO. I do not know how to eliminate the flash but I think I should not have used it in the first place and rely on my exposure triangle instead despite the dark atmosphere in that corner. I found it funny so I took it anyway...and yes I did not edit because it will not look as old as when it was first put there in the early '70s...




3. Fire Truck models. I just thought these are interesting and they really look like this...ion real time.

[Geoff F]

With #1, Izzie, I wonder if you should have gone just a fraction wider to show the steering wheel and put a bit of space to the right of that longest pipe?

Possibly looking a little bit 'cramped' at the moment? But maybe you were restricted by elements which had to be excluded.

With the sign, you could try blending in a bit of highlight reduction using Curves and a mask, or an adjustment brush, but difficult to fully correct. Cloning a bit of darker area may also be worth a try.

I find that shooting at an angle to reflective surfaces can help to reduce flash rebound but that would probably have caused problems with the straight sides, unless you went for a perspective effect.

So, yes, a longer shutter speed without flash was the only alternative.

[flashback]

Izzie, I'm liking the images,
#1 I like very much, looks kinda HDR-ish. Interesting sky in the background, any chance you can bring out a bit more detail in that? Looking at the pipes behind the wheel, is that a well rig?
#2 Cute and totally funny and I bet you could have shot that without the flash.
#3 maybe crop that bit of gauge(?) above International. #4 is pretty good. You said these are fire trucks, maybe some other shots that would show exactly what they are, grill shots, tailboard, pump, hose etc

[mknittle]

Izzie, I'm liking the images,
#1 I like very much, looks kinda HDR-ish. Interesting sky in the background, any chance you can bring out a bit more detail in that? Looking at the pipes behind the wheel, is that a well rig?
#2 Cute and totally funny and I bet you could have shot that without the flash.
#3 maybe crop that bit of gauge(?) above International. #4 is pretty good. You said these are fire trucks, maybe some other shots that would show exactly what they are, grill shots, tailboard, pump, hose etc

What he said.

[Shadowman]

Nice captures. Did you do some grunge processing on the tractor wheel?

[wilgk]

I agree the tractor wheel looks great, looks like a reduced vibrancy or high pass filter effect. Either way it's very cool.
The signs are quirky aren't they, if placed with the one fom the petrol tanker, they could be a nice theme for a series on their own through the weeks. Great work to be out and about! I'm going nowhere fast with week 4 here & my time is nearly up!

[NorthernFocus]

I like this set, Izzie. The tractor tire was a great idea. As are the rest of them. Since you frequent the place you can do a re-take of the coffee sign. Wonder if anyone will freak out if you lift the extinguisher off its hook and set it out of the way for a minute or two. Depending on what else is around the sign, a bit wider perspective done in a B/W conversion could be a blast from the past opportunity.

You're definately exercising you creative eye. Nicely done.

(Aren't you loving that camera? )

[IzzieK]

With #1, Izzie, I wonder if you should have gone just a fraction wider to show the steering wheel and put a bit of space to the right of that longest pipe?

Positioning is a bit cramp because the tractor was located very very near the airplane port. And at the other side are the tube container in a stand or something.

Possibly looking a little bit 'cramped' at the moment? But maybe you were restricted by elements which had to be excluded.

No matter what I do, I will still include the wing of the airplane parked there. It was the most annoying task and position to shoot. One day when I go back and I see the wife of the owner of the airport, I will ask her to have the tractor moved to a better position. I had learned from two years ago that if I want something done, I ask the wifey-do and it will get done even before I blink my eyes.

With the sign, .... So, yes, a longer shutter speed without flash was the only alternative.

I think I will try this one and one that Dan (Northern Focus) suggested that I ask one of the line boys to move the fire extinguisher for a while, while I shoot.

Thank you so much for commenting. I asked hubby if we are going to the airport tomorrow and he said yes so I will re-shoot that sign the way you suggested.

[IzzieK]

I am zooming some images for further upload later. I had really tried to shoot some more of the other stuffs that make up the fire truck -- some gauges and stuff and instructions. I will do that later on. 'Have to prepare dinner now after I get off here...which should be soon...

Thanks Jack...I will be back later after I feed my crew here.

Izzie, I'm liking the images,
#1 I like very much, looks kinda HDR-ish. Interesting sky in the background, any chance you can bring out a bit more detail in that? Looking at the pipes behind the wheel, is that a well rig?
#2 Cute and totally funny and I bet you could have shot that without the flash.
#3 maybe crop that bit of gauge(?) above International. #4 is pretty good. You said these are fire trucks, maybe some other shots that would show exactly what they are, grill shots, tailboard, pump, hose etc

[IzzieK]

Nice captures. Did you do some grunge processing on the tractor wheel?

Not really John...I use Perfect Photo Suite 9 and pushed some buttons and this one came up differently nice...

Thank you for looking and commenting.

[IzzieK]

I agree the tractor wheel looks great, looks like a reduced vibrancy or high pass filter effect. Either way it's very cool.
The signs are quirky aren't they, if placed with the one fom the petrol tanker, they could be a nice theme for a series on their own through the weeks. Great work to be out and about! I'm going nowhere fast with week 4 here & my time is nearly up!

I had a hard time with that sign. I took several and most of them are dark, then the highlights of the window wreck havoc on some because the sun was at the West so it was dark in that corner of the FBO. Nothing came up really good so I used the flash..and the flash didn't cooperate with me. I was lost just trying to eliminate the flash reflection so I will try the suggestion of Geoff tomorrow.

If I can find something else to photograph, it will be a good day. If not it will still be a good day if I can be successful in getting the sign right.

Thank you for your comment and viewing...unfortunately, I cannot remove that sign. It has been there since before I even came to know we have airplanes at our hangar and that we have a hangar.

[IzzieK]

I like this set, Izzie. The tractor tire was a great idea. As are the rest of them. Since you frequent the place you can do a re-take of the coffee sign. Wonder if anyone will freak out if you lift the extinguisher off its hook and set it out of the way for a minute or two. Depending on what else is around the sign, a bit wider perspective done in a B/W conversion could be a blast from the past opportunity.

You're definately exercising you creative eye. Nicely done.

(Aren't you loving that camera? )

Thank you Dan...yes. I will do your suggestion tomorrow and that of Geoff's. The fire extinguisher will be easy to put down on the floor for 5 minutes or so while I take shots of that coffee sign. There are some line boys at the FBO I can ask or one of the men who frequent that place while they are shooting the breeze. There are always some men there. I have not seen that place really empty. It does not matter what the weather is outside, there are there. I think they work for the owners of the airport restoring the antique airplanes to keep them flyable.

And yes, I love that camera. I had not spend so much time on my other ones but this one, I seem to keep with me. I even picked up one of smaller camera bag (Nikon of course) I bought a long time ago that was gathering dust on the shelf just to use it especially for it. I am very happy with it...so much to say for my D800e which I sold as soon as I can. With the money I can buy a better lens. I am testing some on loan but I like the two I have now. I brought it to Chicago yesterday when I went for my Global Entry interview and was playing with it while waiting for my time at the terminal with my book of Understanding Exposure as a blind for the security. I took several shots then put it down then pretend to read my book... My macro got my husband's ears, shot some passengers waiting for their flights, etc. Yes...I saw two securities about to come near me but I pretend to read my book and put the camera in my bag for a while, then took it out again to click some outside the window...I was playing cat and mouse with them...where there's a will...

[NorthernFocus]

...so much to say for my D800e which I sold as soon as I can...

As did I. I had planned to keep them both. But the first shoot that I went on with the D810, I knew that I'd never shoot the 800 again except in dire straights. So I sold it to a guy out in the Alaska bush that same weekend. I've sold every one of my old camera bodies when I've upgraded. Takes away some of the sting. But I have to spend it on other camera gear quick before the tax lady comes and puts it into the general fund

[joebranko]

Not much to add to these comments, except for the tractor wheel where I might have tried a closer crop to eliminate? the pipes at the back?? I have a problem with nt cropping enough , so who am I to say?!

[purplehaze]

Nice set, Izzie. I love that sign.

[IzzieK]

Thanks for looking and commenting, Joe and Janis...

Joe, I tried the square look by cropping close because I thought I did not get it (the clouds I mean) but this one came up good so I just changed size and used a PSD file that On One translated from NEF for me. The tire only shot/cropped was too centred and concentrated on the metal. I like this one because it incorporated the patterned sky that I like that day. Hopefully it will be cloudy today so I can take more cloud shots. I love the one that I am editing at the moment.

[Stagecoach]

Good to see you are having fun with the camera Izzie and you are getting a good selection of images from the same area.

Have they got a clubhouse at the airstrip, I'm sure they would appreciate some 'memories' hanging on the wall.

Grahame

[IzzieK]

Good to see you are having fun with the camera Izzie and you are getting a good selection of images from the same area.

Have they got a clubhouse at the airstrip, I'm sure they would appreciate some 'memories' hanging on the wall.

Grahame

Yes Grahame...I think I am curing my photography depression with this new one. I really love it. The clubhouse is the FBO itself. It is where different sorts of people interested in airplanes or have a hangar there go and shoot the breeze (tell stories about their experiences, the truth or expanded truths it does not matter.) And they have a wall for the actual old airplanes displayed at the museum but I have not seen any of the firetrucks or the Aviation gas trucks at all. Just lots of old airplanes and some shots of memorable events that happened there and of course the board notices and such at the corner where the funny sign is located by the coffee area. Water machine across and Pepsi products near the window and the wide screen tv at the other side. The grumpy manager is a very good published photographer too, Canon shooter, so he got to choose which he wants to display on the wall if one of the grumpy owners doesn't mind. Next door is the events area with a props room and supplies room for lunches and dinners for during Spring-->>late autumn. I have a couple of images framed on one of the walls there taken during our event in 2012.

[IzzieK]

Here are a few more images shot the same day...for Jack...for C&C -- I will appreciate very much your critiques. I am learning from all of them...thank you...

1. Fire truck -- this is the only one worth taking a shot at because it is located on the side where there are empty spaces but muddy at the time...


2. nozzle pressure chart -- I think it is what this is called or something...



3. front of the International Harvesters 1700 - I did this one on B/W to test my skills. I know I should have removed the weeds but I got lazy. The top is a little bit soft because I kept my focus on that name Howe which is located under the dark shade. I just included the top so it is the recognizable part of the truck.

[Geoff F]

That fire truck photo from the last set is looking good. Exactly the right angle and perfect background sky.