All images were taken with my Canon EOS 5D, with lenses as noted, but I did not record the exposures (I really need to get better at that, especially since the camera records all of the stuff on the memory card for me, but I always forget before erasing the memory cards).
I don't really know what this guy was doing (other than the obvious), but I couldn't pass without getting a shot of him.Canon 100-400L lens
The top of the Philadelphia Art Museum has some fascinating sculptures that must be captured in color to truly appreciate them. The lighting on these isn't the best, but since this scene is 100 feet off the ground, I'm at the mercy of natural lighting. This was taken late in the day, but it (mostly) works.The pleasure in getting this shot was using Canon's 100-400L lens - it really brings things in quite closely, and this was taken on my full-frame EOS 5D. If I used my 40D, which has 1.6x magnification, I would have had even more magnifying power. (I've made a note to go back and do just that.)
This is the same scene, but the center view. The sky was so blue that day, it looks like I used a circular polarizer, but I didn't, and this photo was not altered in Photoshop. I had a polarizer in my bag, and I thought about getting it out, but I didn't. Canon 100-400L lens
I've always enjoyed taking pictures of falling water and experimenting with different shutter speeds. I usually go to one extreme or another; I like to either freeze the water, or I use a drag shutter to give the water a milk-like effect. I like the juxtaposition of the water fountain here with the man taking a rest. Another advantage to having a long zoom lens in the city is that not all subjects like having their picture taken, and I've had a few instances where people have gotten downright militant. Enter the long zoom lens, and the problem's solved. This image was also captured with Canon's 100-400L lens.
The art museum here in Philadelphia is currently undergoing a $500 million renovation and expansion, and in many areas, this gorgeous Philly institution needs it. But, that doesn't mean the older aspects of the museum aren't photo worthy. Here, a fish head has seen better days. This one is located off the right side of the museum's famed front steps. It's part of a fountain system that's not currently in use. I hope the museum has the funds to restore little treasures like this one.Canon 100-400L lens
On the Kelly Drive side of the museum are several statues with very interesting mini-sculptures at their bases. Here, someone placed a flower over a soldier in battle, and I found them to be a very pleasing study in contrasts.Canon 85 f/1.2L lens
This is the top of the statue from the picture above. I'm a bit embarrassed to say I didn't get the person's name that the statue memorializes, but I was after pictures, not history. I've always loved to take pictures of statues and other objects looking up, using the sky as a background.Canon 135 f/2L lens
The same statue, on the other side of its base, had this mini sculpture of a mother holding her baby, and again, someone placed red flowers in her hands. I found the way the flowers stood out against the dark sculpture to be quite pleasing here as well.Canon 85 f/1.2L lens
This statue is at the base of the steps of the art museum - it's a bit barbaric, but I love the art work. The bokeh on the Canon 100-400L lens leaves something to be desired, but it's my only complaint about the lens to date. 
Nothing special about this picture - a view of Benjamin Franklin Parkway - I was just putting my lenses through their paces. This was taken from top of the steps of the art museum, late in the afternoon sun.Canon 100-400L lens
Back in my film days in the 1980s, when I first got into photography, almost all zoom lenses were trombone style; that is, you had to push and pull them to zoom in and out. Contemporary zooms are almost entirely twist zooms; trombone lenses are mostly a rare breed now, but my Canon 100-400L lens is a trombone style lens, and it's taking some getting used to going back to that style of lens after all these years.Anyway, almost from the very first day I got my first trombone lens, one of my favorite things to do was zooming in and out while pressing the shutter. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. (By the way, another reason to love digital; if you don't get the effect you want, delete and shoot on; trial & error with film can get expensive!)
I tried this technique with two buffaloes on Eakins Oval in front of the art museum [above], and the results are so-so at best. Practice, practice, practice I guess. But, I love the detail of these sculptures. I certainly don't fancy myself a sophisticated connoisseur of art, but I do appreciate the intricate work and craftsmanship that the artist put into these, which date back some 60-70 years ago (Hey, we're a young country).
If you like, you can see my best mid-shot zoom pic ever Here.
Canon 100-400L lens
Another shot of the buffaloes at the Washington Monument on Eakins Oval in front of the art museum.Canon 100-400L lens
What trip the the Philadelphia Art Museum is complete without some sort of Rocky reference or picture? Actually, since I've lived in Philadelphia for several years now, plenty, but not to casual visitors. I first shot the outside of the museum in the spring of 2003, and I don't remember these Rocky footprints being there, so I'm pretty sure that this fixture is relatively new. It is placed at the very top of those famous steps that Rocky made so famous.Canon 24-70 f/2.8L lens
No comments:
Post a Comment