Columbus Buildings, Doorways, Urban Decay Teaser

Columbus Day 1 Teaser

I will be posting a full review of the Edison Photo Society's (EPS) weekend photoshoot in Columbus, OH. As I prepare for the summer show, I wanted to post a few teaser shots from Day 1 at Innis Woods Metro Park and Franklin Park Conservatory on the blog as well as my Flickr account. Feedback is welcome.

Troy, Ohio

So, as you all know from my last post, I used my new camera for the first time at "Historic" Loveland Castle. That experience was not what I hoped for, so I wanted to go on another shoot to get better acquainted with the Canon EOS 50D. For me, the easiest thing to do is to go on a "walk-about" of downtown Troy, OH. On a Sunday morning, I got up early and went downtown and took about 50 to 60 images.

I didn't get any "show-stopping" images, but I worked with aperature, got to know my camera a little better, and generally had a good experience. Troy is a quaint little town and there are some interesting things to photograph. It was a good second experience with my camera and there's something comforting about walking around your neighborhood; for me, the goal is to always find something unexpected in something that's so familiar.

I've posted some images below with a few descriptions. You can see more from the shoot via my Flickr account.

The BREW 1831

I've recently begun experimenting with the deconstructing of a whole as the focus of my image, especially with signage. Let's take this shot for example. I actually hate the Brewery, but the historic and vintage nature of the sign is perfect for an image. So, instead of photographing the whole sign, I split it in two sections. I also added a sepia tone to give it a truly vintage feel. I have a B&W version over at Flickr as well.

ERY 1831

This is the second part of the Brewery sign. Again, I used a sepia tone to give it a vintage look. When I view these, I seem to think of Cheers. I did not shoot these as one image and crop them; they are two entirely separate images.

Aged Paint

If anyone is familiar with Troy, there is a brightly painted wall on one side of the small Mayflower Theatre. The paint has begun to peel, so I chose to highlight the paint peeling from below. This is my view looking up; I used aperature priority to get a shallower depth of field.

Is That a Cone?

I found this configuration on a side street. I liked the colors and the fact that the "?" was "pointing" towards the cone.

In Bloom

I'm not sure what type of tree this was, but I loved the texture of the blooms and the greens of the leaves, the pink blooms and the blue sky. Again, I used aperature priority for this shot. There is another version on Flickr.

Active Lifestyle

I saw this image on a porch as I was getting ready to get back into my car and drive home. I couldn't resist taking this shot and it was one of my favorites of the day. I posted a cropped version on Flickr, so head over and tell me what you think.

Loveland Castle Pics

The Dungeon Below

Tabletop

Knight vs. Knight

Sundial

Recent Shoot - Historic Loveland Castle

The first photo shoot that I used my Canon EOS 50D took place Saturday, March 27 at Historic Loveland Castle in Loveland, Ohio. For those of you who don't know, Loveland Castle or Chateau Laroche, was built by one man: Harry Andrews.

I was anxiously awaiting this shoot. For starters, I had a brand new camera that I hadn't used yet. I was also going to shoot a castle. I admit, I had grand visions of English and Scottish castles; picturesque views of structures that we don't see everyday. However, Loveland Castle was anything but picturesque. The structure itself is a sight and especially since it was built by a single man. However, that's where the intrigue ended. The castle was filled with random artifacts and pictures, providing the visitor with a cloudy picture of what they were walking through. The lighting was horrible, the landscape around the castle was shabby, and the "Renaissance" individuals in costume sat around and chatted among themselves. They didn't perform or offer any sort of insight into why they were there.

Overall, the shoot was disappointing. The subject matter was dull and I didn't walk away with many shots worth a second look. At the end of the day, I'll have to go to the source if I want to photograph a castle with character. Using the camera for the first time was exciting and I did manage to capture a few images that were worth posting, if nothing else, for a look at my work.

Harry Andrews, you may have been brilliant, but you were also odd. I don't believe your residence is worth the price of admission, because the so-called castle and museum lack cohesiveness.