A View Of A City Of Steel

Whenever there is a possibility (or threat) of a thunderstorm in Pittsburgh, I immediately think of lightning. It was during my last Picture a Day project that I captured my favorite lightning shot over the city and I take every opportunity to get another one. This evening, I went to Station Square in the hope of seeing a bolt or two. Alas, there was no flashes in the sky. I did manage to find my way up to the observation platform looking out across the Monongahela. I had to balance my distance from the viewer carefully. Too close and I would get a wet lens, too far back and I would catch the edges of the elevator in my frame. The Nikon 14-24 gives over a 114° field of view which can sometimes pull in a little too much.  I wanted to capture as much of the city as possible, and I got pretty much exactly what I wanted.

Leap Day Coffee

The last time I did a Picture a Day project was 2012, also a leap year. I wanted to do something completely different that day. I chose to make an elaborate setup involving coffee. I’m a man of consistency, so why not keep up the theme? This shot involved a cold room (I left the windows open for an hour), a very hot cup of coffee in my favorite cup, and a couple of studio lights and reflectors. The single sidelight with 10° honeycomb was intended to illuminate the rising steam. The front light was powered just enough to give the cup some definition. It is a relatively low-key shot with just enough color and detail to convey the feeling of a steamy cup of java. It makes me want one right now.

Continuing Adventures Of The S.S. Mary

During a recent urban exploration trip to Wheeling, WV, a member of our group took us to a sweet little spot on the Ohio River. It was an island reachable via a sketchy bridge over a 20′ drop. The island’s inhabitant, an old barge pusher, lay landlocked atop a mountain of coal. We shot a for a bit, enjoyed some adult refreshments, and when it got dark, we did a little light painting. The stars were shining over the old girl as I painted the top deck, another friend used a red light on the middle, and the fellas on the ground lit the outside. I used a wireless trigger to open the shutter from about 40′ away.  The graffiti is a distraction to me, but I love everything else about this image.

Learning And Spanning

The Cathedral of Learning and the Schenley Bridge on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. I had just finished photographing a march and rally and dropped a fellow photographer back at his vehicle when I thought to see how things looked at Phipps Conservatory. I parked and saw this view in front of me. It was too good to pass up. I ducked around a fence to get a less obstructed view.

Sometimes you have a plan and a goal when you shoot. Sometimes an option presents itself. This is an example of the latter.

Every Dapper Dino Needs A Scarf

Dippy the dinosaur is sporting the finest in winter wear. The Jurassic period star is wearing a Rae Gold creation from the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh on this chilly February day. That’s a lot of neck to keep warm!

Snow In The Steel City

The view of Pittsburgh from St. John’s Cemetery is always a stunner. The city sits over a mile away and the houses of Troy Hill can be seen in the foreground. On this particular day I drove in to see how much the rivers had risen due to the rain, but it began to snow. Wanting to get a wider field of view during the squall, I quickly drove up to the cemetery to catch the big flakes. I am really happy with the detail of the snowflakes throughout the frame. The city is softened in the background by the brief squall.

A Peek Of Blue Through Stormy Winter Skies

The 24th was a beautifully cloudy winter day. Blue skies behind wonderfully textured clouds prevailed. At points throughout the day, small breaks in the clouds were visible. The contrast of light and dark really drew my eye all day long. when I finally broke down and pointed my camera up, there was a small spot of blue visible.

A Peek Of Blue Through Stormy Winter Skies

To Breathe In The Sky

It was another beautiful warm winter day in Southwestern Pa. I hiked to a new area of Boyce-Mayview park today and this was the first image that I shot. I conceptualized the stark whiteness of the sycamore against a middle grey sky with the parts of the tree away from the sun having a dark shadow. The lightness of a few clouds in the bottom right corner were a bonus!

West End Crossing

While consulting my photographer’s ephemris app, I noticed that the sun was going to set directly behind the West End Bridge. I wanted to get a long exposure of the wispy clouds and blur the quick moving water of the Ohio River. With the help of my ND10 filter, I got what I was after. I even managed to get a train passing in the background! Bonus!