Great Freeway Ramp In the Sky

NE Portland, ramp I5 South to I84
taken from East Bank Esplanade
September 12, 2005, 4:53 PM
f/5.6, 1/500 sec, 38mm equiv focal length
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Esplanade Grating

Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade, Willamette Waterfront, NE Portland
August 31, 2005, 4:57 PM
f/8, 1/1000 sec, 48mm equiv focal length
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Criss-Cross the Sky

SE Portland, South Tabor neighborhood
August 31, 2005, 7:31 PM
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I usually try to avoid power lines in photos. But this sort of fit the Photo Friday theme, Chaos. Sort of.

Twisted Boat

Hood River, OR, along the waterfront
at the foot of the toll bridge
August 6, 2005, 11:52 AM
f/5.6, 1/750 sec, 38mm equiv focal length
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The wind-swept tree in the background is very telling of the Hood River climate, particularly the consistent wind conditions. Which of course is why it is the world capitol for wind-water sports.

Click the image for a bigger version.

Glowing Windows

SE Portland, South Tabor Neighborhood
August 12, 2005, 8:59 PM
f/3.2, 1/6 sec, 82mm equiv focal length
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This scene is very much as I saw it. I was attracted to the way I could virtually see the room inside the house glowing out through the windows into the dark neighborhood. The contrast of the warm indoor color against the cool night color outdoors.

Fenced Reservior Sunset

Mt. Tabor, upper reservior, SE Portland
August 12, 2005, 8:40 PM
f/3.2, 1/60 sec, 67mm equiv focal length
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Click photo for a bigger image, if it will fit your monitor

Lone on the Beach

Columbia River, at Hood River, OR
August 6, 2005, 2:45 PM
f/5.6, 1/750 sec, 82mm equiv focal length
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I was thinking of posting this guy's pic, because I was amused by his stocking-cap look on this 90-degree day. I figured it lent itself somewhat to the Photo Friday theme, 'One.' So we'll go with that. I layered it with a colorized copy of the image to create the sepia cast.

Belly of the Bridge

Broadway Bridge, from below the east end
August 5, 2005, 4:35 PM
f/3.2, 1/90 sec, 70mm equiv focal length
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Union Station Tower

[click for a bigger pic, if it will fit your monitor]
Willamette River west bank, taken from the east bank below the Broadway Bridge
August 5, 2005, 4:34 PM
f/4.5, 1/500 sec, 218mm equiv focal length
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I'm trying to take more pictures that show more of the Portland environment, not something that could have been taken anywhere. So while the train station clock tower is the main feature in the middle ground, the foreground shows the Riverplace apartments (the red and white block-buildings, recently expanded), and behind are other new NW Portland apartment/loft buildings (not quite Pearl District, but feeding the same demographic). Behind is the West Hills, near Forest Park. The very near foreground shows the tops of boats docked on the Willamette.

I meant to post earlier, but Flickr was closed for maintenance. I'll have to update the post with more details, EXIF data, when I get home. [updated] It was a maximum-zoom (10X) shot from the opposite side of the river, so it gets that compressed look

[What does 'EXIF' stand for? Anyone?]

Arches Behind Chain Link

NE Portland, on NE Knott, between Williams and Rodney
August 5, 2005, 1:29 PM
f/2.8, 1/350 sec, 38mm equiv focal length
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I wasn't sure why I kept coming back to this shot. I decided it's at least partly because of the retrograde-superimposed patterns. As the arches get bigger left to right, the chain link gets smaller.

This is the east side of the same building I've been obsessed with in my past two posts. The other two were of the north side of the building.

PGE Door, 1906

NE Portland, on NE Knott, between Williams and Rodney
August 5, 2005, 1:23 PM
f/3.2, 1/250 sec, 38mm equiv focal length
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Here is another perspective on yesterday's door, showing the age of the building.

Old Brick Wall with Door

NE Portland, on NE Knott, between Williams and Rodney
August 5, 2003, 1:22 PM
f/3.2, 1/250 sec, 65mm equiv focal length
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This is an old Portland General Electric building, across the street from Dishman pool and community center. There is still a big power station on the property, but I don't think the building is used anymore.

The truth is, I had other plans for this pic -- it was intended to be one quarter of a bigger wall scene, I was going to knit together with a series of four pics. But when I got them home, I didn't like the way it was turning out. I ended up liking this one by itself.

Frame the Sky in Shadows

SE Portland, my backyard
August 1, 2005, 8:34 PM
f/2.8, 1/90 sec, 38mm equiv focal length
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I was shooting something else in the yard, and just happened to look up, and liked what I saw and took this one. I liked the twilight indigo of the sky, and the way silhouettes of the trees were simple and varied at the same time. From left to right, that's a Western Red Cedar, a Douglas Fir, and a fruit cherry of some kind.

[I can't decide the right size for vertical-format images. On my 17" monitor set at 1024 x 768, after browser margins, toolbars and tabs, I can't see 700px vertically. And I don't want to have to scroll to see the image in pieces. It should be all visible at once. And maybe 500px vertically is too small, but I'm still trying to work within the limits of Flickr, and that's the standard 'Medium' size.]

Moon Over Parma

Hood River, OR, On the Columbia River
August 6, 2005, 3:31 PM
f/8, 1/750 sec, 190 mm equiv focal length
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Sorry for slacking lately. By the way, this picture . . . not . . . an actual moon. It is, in fact, a kiteboard sail.

Kiteboard

Columbia River, Hood River, OR
August 6, 2005, 3:42 PM
f/5.6, 1/750 sec, 128mm equiv focal length
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We were in Hood River on Saturday, and the kiteboarders were out in full force. Amazing -- just two years ago the sport was barely off the ground, so to speak. Today there may be more kites than sailboards on the water. I sat on the beach over an hour, trying to get the perfect kiteboard shot. There are many challenges to overcome, but unique to this sport I think is trying to get the boarder and his sail in the same frame, since there is about 30 feet (10 meters) between them.

Cat-Man Do

Downtown Portland, SW 5th
7/21/2005, 4:37 PM
f/3.2, 1/90 sec, 65mm equiv focal length
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And now for something completely different ... a man with a cat where is butt should be.

North of Pioneer Square

Downtown Portland, on SW Morrison
April 9, 2005, 12:47 PM
f/5.6, 1/1000 sec, 40mm equiv focal length
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This is a shot I've always liked, particularly by the way it was framed by parts of the MAX platform structure. (I was standing on the south side of Pioneer Square, looking north.) Notice the pigeons showing through the windowed overhang. I've been trying to find the name of the building -- online of course, not by actually going there -- and I haven't been succesful.

Somber

Reedwood Friends Church, SE Portland
8/3/2005 7:33 PM
f/6.3, 0.3 sec, 105 equiv focal length
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My Photo Friday entry for this week -- I was considering submitting my previous post, which fits the theme in a more abstract way, and I may wish I had.

[Man, there are a lot of Photo Friday entries already! I don't understand how, within the first 24 hours of announcing the new theme, there were 350 entries. Obviously they are from archives and back-catalogs, which I don't have the same luxury. We have a week to enter, People. Don't you think you ought to get out and shoot some photos? To me, that's the intent of the Photo Friday challenge, at least in part.]

Garden Morning Prayer

SE Portland, my backyard
8/2/2005, 6:44 AM
f/3.2, 1/500 sec, 95mm equiv focal length
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These are bloom-heads of leeks, and the early morning sun hit them, and they glowed, surrounded by shadows.

Home Team

N Portland, corner of Vancouver and Knott
July 26, 2005, 4:14 PM
f/3.2, 1/45 sec, 59mm equiv focal length
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I'm not a fan anyway, so it didn't hurt my feelings to learn that Portland's pro ball team now lives in a Gatorade bottle on a bus bench.

Building Blocks

NW Portland, Industrial Old Town
Between NW 5th and 6th
July 26, 2005, 4:30 PM
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I was intrigued by the way this cluster of buildings could be reduced to color and geometric form. And the pure blue sky helped.

Chinatown Escape

Portland's Chinatown
NW 4th Ave, between Davis & Everett
July 26, 2005, 4:47 PM
f/3.6, 1/500 sec, 38mm equiv focal length
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Yes, another of the same building in my previous post. There's something about these traditional fire escapes I like. I didn't realize how may buildings in downtown Portland have them until I started looking for them recently.

Windows Over Chinatown

Portland's Chinatown
NW 4th Ave, between Davis & Everett
July 26, 2005, 4:49 PM
f/3.6, 1/180 sec, 38mm equiv focal length
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Who's That Girl?

Rose Quarter MAX Platform, Inner NE Portland
July 27, 2005, 4:22 PM
f/3.2, 1/125 sec, 238mm equiv focal length
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My Photo Friday entry for this week.

[I'm trying a new page format, to move the sidebar content to the bottom, which gives me more horizontal room in my post for a larger image. I don't like the way it's pushed up against the left edge -- I thought I'd found the setting to adjust that (content padding:15), but it doesn't hold its format between 'preview' and 'publish.' The main problem: I really don't know HTML. I'm tinkering beyond my ability.]

Well-Traveled Guitar

Pioneer Square, Downtown Portland
July 21, 2005, 4:47 PM
f3.6, 1/350 sec, 288 equiv focal length

Among a crowd gathering for an after-work concert at the square. (He wasn't with the band.)

Playground at Dusk

SE Portland, Reedwood Friends Church
July 20, 2005, 8:05 PM
f3.6, 1/125 sec, 38mm equiv focal length

I erased part of a tree, and then evened out the tone in the sky. And some blending with layers that deepened the shadows and brightened the glare.

[Yeah, I'm starting to get that feeling... is anybody out there interested in what's going on in here? Nearly all my hits are on Photo Friday entries, and then not a lot of clicking around. I can relate, because when there are upwards of 500, 600 Photo Friday entries, I feel the need to assess and move on. And I still haven't yet come close to seeing all the entries in a given week. So, if I post an entry I get hits, but no comments yet from the voters.]

Tile Roof

SE Portland, OR, roof of Reedwood Friends Church
July 20, 2005, 7:22 PM
f3.6, 1/350 sec, 218 equiv focal length

...But I wonder if any of that camera data means much, considering it's been tweaked in post-production. To me, this one's about the texture/patterns, and the shadows/lighting.

I'm looking back and thinking back, and realize that I spend a lot of time shooting abstracts (like this) and details. I should try to stretch more and work on capturing scenes. Or maybe my current mode is a creative phase I should play out.

Silhouette with Yellow Glasses

SE Portland, on the 4 Division bus
July 15, 2005, 4:59 PM
f6.3, 1/60 sec, 317mm equiv focal length

Another of the same guy on the bus. See how his glasses are refracting a sign from out the window.

[I'm disappointed with myself, that I couldn't get an entry together for Photo Friday: Silky. But I think I made the better decision, to *not* post something that wasn't worthy.]

Yellow Glasses

SE Portland, on the 4 Division bus
July 15, 2005, 4:58 PM
f3.6, 1/60 sec, 317mm equiv focal length

This guy, a complete and oblivious stranger, was on the bus across the aisle. He was reading something. The only post-processing on this was to crop it to near square -- I liked the balance and color just as it was.

Iron Wheel

Gresham, OR, Historic Downtown
July 10, 2005, 5:28 PM
f3.2, 1/250 sec, 105mm equiv focal length

This wheel handle caught my eye, on the same block as the color hydrant I posted earlier. It was red against a white wall, but I decided to go duo-tone to emphasize the texture and contrast.

Hoop Dreams

SE Portland, OR, Reedwood Friends Church
July 13, 2005, 6:00 PM
f4.5, 1/750 sec, 94mm equiv focal length

I wish I could say I planned this shot, or that I saw it coming. But it just happened, and I was there to push the button. Meaning and significance came later.

1 Hour Dry Cleaner

Gresham, OR, Division Street near the MAX line
July 10, 2005, 5:49 PM
f3.7, 1/500 sec, 380mm equiv focal length

This is an experimental piece for me. I liked the kitchy sign at the dry cleaner's, but all the pics I took looked too mundane as they were. So I played with the color settings ... quite a bit. Check out the green pigeon. There's also a significant bit of Photoshop magic on some of the corners and edges. But if you can't tell, why should I?

Chevy Tailgate

SE Portland, by the baseball field at Essex Park
July 7, 2005, 7:59 PM
f2.8, 1/125 sec, 43mm equiv focal length

This was taken while on my PF-Used assignment.

I'm learning Photoshop Elements 3 (a good tool as far as I can tell, built by your friends at Adobe, with many of the same abilities its big brother has). I've tried various ways to convert an image to black-and-white, and I liked the way this one turned out.

Shiny Happy Buildings

Downtown Portland, from Pioneer Square
April 9, 2005, 10:54 AM
f5.6, 1/1000 sec, 38mm equiv focal length

This is another from a 'series' when I spent a morning at Pioneer Square, during a Chess For Success tournament. (It is the actual sky -- I haven't replaced it.)

Candid

SE Portland, our back yard
April 3, 2005, 12:41 PM
f3.6, 1/180 sec, 307mm equiv focal length

"Candid photography, eh? Eh?"
"Oh, you mean holiday snaps?"
"Could be! Could be taken on a holiday!"

I felt, for the Candid theme, the image needed to include some sense of spontaneous expression. This is one of my favorite expressions by M I've captured in a pic. Its the face he made, with that full-body hand gesture. He can be very expressive anyway.
[Thanks for visiting -- stay a while, look around -- I appreciate your feedback]

Color Hydrant

Gresham, OR, Historic Downtown
July 10, 2005, 5:26 PM
f3.6, 1/180 sec, 288mm equiv focal length

All the hydrants in this neighborhood are painted multi-color schemes, different color combinations. But most of them didn't have background opportunities like this one. I tried many different points of view, and got the best at maximum zoom from almost across the street, stooped at a very low angle.

Sky Pole, 1928

SE Portland, at corner of 79th Ave and Center St
July 7, 2005, 8:03 PM
f2.8, 1/180 sec, 38mm equiv focal length

I did some cleaning up on this image, and warmed the tones of the pole but not the sky. I do like the result. ...It does make me wonder what the numbers mean. I should have compared it to other utility poles on the street, to see if there is a sequence. It wouldn't match any house addresses on that block. Could it really be the year it was installed?

Daylily Veins

SE Portland, just down the block
June 19, 2005, 7:55 PM
f5.6, 1/60 sec, 38mm equiv focal length

I thought it was time to post something a little more colorful. I enjoy taking garden pictures -- but a picture of a gorgeous flower is almost too easy. I think this one goes a little farther, with the silhouette of the bottom half, and the veins showing through the petals above.

Twin Rocks Sky

Twin Rocks Beach, Oregon
Feb 5, 2005, 1:45 PM
f5.6, 1/1500 sec, 38mm equiv focal length

The exposure makes the scene look much darker than it actually was. I like the limited colors, almost the effect of black-and-white.

Hinge, VW Beetle

SE Portland, by Essex Park
July 7, 2005, 7:46 PM
f3.2, 1/125 sec, 69mm equiv focal length

This was a close runner up, in my mind, for my Photo Friday post. There's a lot I like about this one, something elegant about it. But I thought the other one was more 'used'.

Now that I'm figuring out how to make my images post bigger, I'm going back and re-posting my previous pics.

Used

SE Portland, OR, by Essex Park
July 7, 2005, 7:57 PM
f3.2, 1/60 sec, 67mm equiv focal length

My first Photo Friday entry -- talk about last minute! While out on my 'Used' assignment, I gave myself a flat tire and had serious concerns about making it back home in time to post. But I made it, and I think I ended up with some interesting shots to choose from. (See my next post.)

Skyscraping

Downtown Portland, OR, from Pioneer Square
April 9, 2005, 10:54 AM
f5.6, 1/1000 sec, 38mm equiv focal length

I like this one also as a black-and-white, and almost posted it that way. But decided not to throw away that perfect shade of blue. I think it's limited color palette is still effective.

Photo Blog, Learning Tool

Thank you to everyone who has visited my space since I've begun, now only a few days ago. I appreciate your comments -- I say a blog isn't a real blog unless there are comments. I'd be glad to hear even critical comments. Maybe 'glad' is too strong a word, but I'm hoping this exercise of blogging will continue to push me, help me develop my eye, my technique.

In fact it has begun to do that already. It's made me look critically at my work, think about which of my images I consider the best, and how I can make them better. And I appreciate your feedback, which will help me gauge whether I'm on the right track.

(I'd be honored if you would put me on your PhotoBlogs.org watch-list, and check back every week or two. If I can work my way up to some Favorites votes, that would be icing!)

Sunset Blues

SE Portland, from Mt. Tabor Park
June 20, 2005, 9:21 PM
f3.2, 1/45 sec, 64mm equiv focal length

I've deepened the image with an overlay layer, then boosted the yellows and reds. What do you think of the tilt? I turned the camera to use the tree-covered hillside as a frame for the right side.

Firm Foundation

Rockaway Beach, OR
May 20, 2005, 5:24 PM
f3.2, 1/60 sec, 238mm equiv focal length
(then adjusted for contrast and brightness, and colorized)

These were the foundation pillars under the motel where we stayed. I liked the layers of repeating paterns.

Orange Doors

SE Portland, Kellogg Middle School
June 11, 2005, 6:11 AM
f3.2, 1/90 sec, 67mm equiv focal length

Now that I've found Photo Friday, this is the pic I wish I had submitted last week. This was a Saturday morning, and I was suprised as anyone to find myself drawn out of bed at such an hour. But it just seemed the perfect morning for a camera-walk around the neighborhood.

Moss Rocks!

Columbia River Gorge, OR
on the trail to Wahclella Falls
May 15, 2005, 3:17 PM
f2.8, 1/30 sec, 43mm equiv focal length

Wahclella Falls was a great easy hike -- only one mile in, and one mile out, with killer payoff at the falls. It was not a sunny day. In fact rain got us pretty wet on the way out. The upside: good diffused natural light to bring out details.

Tabor Bike Race

SE Portland, Mount Tabor
June 22, 2005, 8:52 PM
f3.2, 1/30 sec, 59mm equiv focal length

The park is closed to cars on Wednesdays. I went up hoping for some good sunset pics, and found this group doing a 15-lap circuit. There were somewhere around 20-25 riders. Overheard: they do this weekly. Turned out the bikers were a more interesting subject than the sky that night. I was using low shutter speed, and challenged myself to match hand-held camera pan speed with the passing bikers, to get a sharp moving subject and blurring the background. It took some practice, and only a few really worked.

Escape

Downtown Portland, OR, from Pioneer Square MAX platform, facing South
April 9, 2005

A Place To Start

SE Portland, OR -- From the night of the electric storm
June 19, 2005, 8:42 PM, facing south-southeast
The color cast is natural - everything was turning orange that night.


8:44 PM, facing west