History Around Us

No matter where one lives, there are historical artifacts to be found. As many may know, Pittsburgh was once a major center of steel production. While the majority of the steel mills are now closed, their artifacts remain.

Some of these closed historic manufacturing facilities are difficult to get into to photograph. However, there are some remnants of the industrial age that have easy access for photography. One of the older mills land was sold off to make a shopping center near my home, but the mills' chimneys were not taken down. Rather, they were kept as an artifact of that age and stand as an aesthetic focal point of the mall.

Let me be clear that I am not at all a fan of building malls, nor a fan of steel mills and the pollution they produce. As a matter of fact, I find myself lamenting the fact that every large city in the US is starting to look the same with essentially identical malls and chain stores. Nonetheless, I am glad that in this instance it was decided to at least preserve the remnant of what once stood in this place.

Chimney Builders
Copyright Howard Grill

The photograph above is the door of one of the remnant chimneys. The color image was converted to black and white and then sepia toned.

Photographing local historical sites could potentially make for an interesting photographic project.

Mill Via Pinhole

I was looking over some of my older images and ran across this one, which is from a time when I was experimenting with pinhole photography using film. I could be wrong, but I don't believe I have posted it before.

McConnell's Mill
Pinhole Photo On Film
Copyright Howard Grill

I did enjoy photographing this way, but it became quite cumbersome to develop the film in my basement and then scan the film even before bringing the image into Photoshop. However, I became quite pleased a year or so ago when I found that I could once again do some pinhole imaging using the new LensBaby with drop in optics!

With the drop in pinhole / zone plate optic one can now do pinhole and zone plate imaging digitally, without film. Some might call this heresy.....but when you have limited time you do what is practical.

Pittsburgh Architecture

Those folks who have been following my Facebook page (just click the icon in the sidebar or click here) know that recently I have been doing a bit of urban architectural photography. In fact, I have been shooting in downtown Pittsburgh for the last several weekends along with two friends and have been enjoying it very much.

I find that I approach city shooting in much the same way that I approach nature and landscape photography, which is to say that I find myself attracted to graphic lines and shapes and generally simple compositions. I can easily see this becoming a small project, so I thought I would offer up two recent images from our outing to Union Station, which was built between 1898 and 1903 by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham.

Union Station II
Copyright Howard Grill

Union Station I
Copyright Howard Grill

I will likely post more images of Pittsburgh architecture as I slowly process my favorite shots from these weekend forays.

Forgotten

I was taking some pictures in Pittsburgh's Homewood Cemetery a few days ago. It was the first time I had gone there to photograph, as the idea of shooting in a cemetery has always made me feel, well, a little intrusive.

I was saddened by the recognition that even in a cemetery you can still be forgotten.

Forgotten
Copyright Howard Grill

The Twin Jewels Project: Published

I have previously written several posts about my Twin Jewels Project, a personal project photographing McConnell's Mill and Moraine State Parks, both of which are about an hour's drive from my home. I had several periods of uncertainty during the project, but kept pushing forward. I truly appreciate the comments and encouragement that folks on this blog gave me along the way.

I am pleased that the project has led to the publication of an article and photographs in Nature Photographer magazine. So, if you happen to run across the Fall issue at a bookseller....check out "The Twin Jewels of Western Pennsylvania" on pages 82-85.

In some ways, I would like to think of this as the culmination of Stage I of the project. I am wondering if anyone who has had a project of local interest published has been able to then continue showing it. If so, I would certainly appreciate any ideas. I am thinking along the lines of publishing in other local magazines, local slide shows, local nature or conservation groups etc.. If anyone has done these sort of things I would appreciate any tips as to how to get started, make contact etc.....

I had sent in 20 images to be considered along with my article about the history of these parks, knowing that only a few would be chosen for publication. The following images are the ones that the editors chose:

"Color In Motion"
Copyright Howard Grill

Interestingly, the image above, entitled "Color In Motion", is one that I had a good deal of doubts about as I had expressed in this post. To my surprise, the image was chosen as a full page photograph.

"Foggy Morning"
Copyright Howard Grill

I previously posted about "Foggy Morning" here.

"Icy River"
Copyright Howard Grill

I had posted about "Icy River" here.

"Peeking Out"
Copyright Howard Grill

"Peeking Out", an image from my series of posts about trillium.

"Hells Run Falls"
Copyright Howard Grill

This image of Hell's Run Falls was used as the half-page article opener and is one I almost hadn't submitted because I was uncertain about the composition (I didn't like the thin tree behind the falls) and because I thought the shutter speed was actually too slow, causing loss of definition in the thick 'strip' of water in the center of the falls.

Interestingly, some of what I felt were my better images did not get chosen for the article.

Anyway, I am quite pleased that after several years of photographing the parks I was able to get some portion of the project published for others to see. As I mentioned, any further ideas about how I might use the park images are welcomed and appreciated.

Overlooking Special Opportunities

A recent experience made me realize how easy it is to overlook special photographic opportunities that may exist right in ones own backyard.

For 17 years I have been living a mere 10-15 minute walk from Phipps Conservatory, which a wonderful botanical garden. Needless to say, I have often photographed the outdoor gardens, but never the indoor ones because of the much lower light levels. Little did I know that if you are a member (which I am) you can bring a tripod inside from 9:30 - 11:00AM on Sundays. Thanks to Bob Egan, whose wonderful show "In Search Of Color" is still on display at Phipps, for letting me know about this member benefit.

Two Tulip Abstract - Indoors At Phipps
Copyright Howard Grill

I was able to bring my tripod in two weeks ago and am signed up for this Sunday once again.

I guess the lesson is that if there is someplace nearby your home that would be interesting to photograph, but there seems to be a limitation to doing do......just ask and maybe you will get lucky. Had I asked about photographing Phipps years ago there would have been many cold winter mornings spent photographing flowers and plants! It does make the idea of next winter more palatable though.

Canna Lily - From Past Phipps Excursions
Copyright Howard Grill

Unfurling Spring Growth - From Past Phipps Excursions
Copyright Howard Grill

A Bit Of Confusion?

I am quite pleased that I had two prints juried into a multi-artist show commemorating Pittsburgh's 250th birthday. The show is entitled "Pittsburgh Through AAP Eyes", with AAP being the Associated Artists Of Pittsburgh. The show runs from Feb 8th to March 9th at The Pittsburgh Center For the Arts and includes both two and three dimensional art. The two prints of mine that are going to be on display are:

"Escape"
Copyright Howard Grill

"Old And New"
Copyright Howard Grill

So where does the issue of confusion come in, as the title of this post would suggest? Twice in the past I have written about the rights of photographers in Pittsburgh. Those posts can be seen here and here. In addition, fellow blogger Billie Mercer recently wrote about two even more concerning episodes involving photographer's rights. Those posts can be read here and here.

Again, what is the source of confusion? The issue is that, on the one hand, there are apparently areas in the city where security guards feel that they can stop people from photographing, despite the fact that it is perfectly legal to do so and, on the other hand, a show can be put together to honor the city that contains images that, on another day, might have been unable to be obtained because of over-zealous security guards and building owners. The image entitled "Escape", for example, was actually taken while standing on PPG property, though not of the PPG Building. So, they stop you from photographing there, but, if you manage to get some shots, the images can be in a show commemorating the city! Figure that one out.

Photographer's Rights In Pittsburgh........Again

I have previously written about a run in I had with a private security guard while taking pictures at Gateway Center, a large skyscraper complex located in Downtown Pittsburgh. I thought this was likely just an isolated event, but I had a similar occurance this weekend. These types of events have been reported in many different places in the country, so I don't at all mean to insinuate that this is an issue isolated to the city of Pittsburgh. Anyway, on to the story.

I was out photographing in downtown Pittsburgh last Sunday, just walking about with my camera handheld without a tripod (not that a tripod should really make a difference on a Sunday morning with almost no people around) at PPG Place, another downtown skyscraper complex. I was looking for and taking pictures of reflections in windows, an idea that I had mentioned in my last post (this building has mirrored glass windows). A private security guard for PPG approached me and said that since 9/11 PPG has a rule that no one can take pictures of the building. I left after politely telling him that this was simply wrong and that PPG can't make such a rule.

I was curious to find out if this has happened to others, and, searching the internet as well as doing some reading on the largest Pittsburgh related flickr group, found that it has, in fact, happened frequently to many other people.

I was quite angry about this and had been thinking about how to approach 'fighting it' or at least making my rights clear to the powers that be. In the interim, I found several other resources about this issue and would like to take the opportunity to share them, which I will do at the end of this post.

Unfortunately, after reading them, it turns out that I can't press the issue based on this occurance as I was in the wrong, at least according to the letter of the law. In this instance, I was standing in the open air plaza between the buildings, which is private property, (though there is full public access including shopfronts, outdoor tables for everyone and a public ice skating rink), when the security guard asked me to stop. According to one of the articles I reference at the end of this post, I have every right to take pictures in this situation, however, since it is private property, I can be asked (or forced) to leave if I don't comply with the request not to take photos. However, what I find interesting is that because the locale is public (even though the property is private), I can't be legally compelled to give up the photos that I have taken prior to leaving or stopping photographing.

Equally interesting is that the security guard seemed to me to be approaching even before I stepped into the plaza and was still on the public street. Additionally, he didn't say that I couldn't take pictures while in the plaza, he stated that I was not 'allowed to take pictures of the building', implying from anywhere. In support of what I thought would have happened, here is a post from someone else regarding an occurance at the very same location where they were told that they could not take photographs of the building despite being on a public thoroughfare. There is also interesting discussion in the comments section as to what he did and the results he got while trying to 'right this wrong'.

I am still wondering if there is something more that I could do on a local level to express my anger about this.

Here is the list of references that I found as well as the one I listed in my original post several months back:

Photographers Rights in .pdf format
A nice article from USA Today, Part I and Part II
Another review of photographer's legal rights
An interesting blog entitled PhotoAttorney


Of course, needless to say,.............please do not construe any of the above post as legal advice as I am not an attorney, nor are the authors of many of the references that I site.

One Idea Begets Another

I think it's interesting that sometimes looking over photographs that one has taken can lead to ideas about making new types of images.

For example, I previously wrote about making abstract urban and skyscraper photographs. I recently decided to print one that utilized a telephoto lens to 'compress distance', leading to an image that, to me, took on an abstract feel. I was happy with the way it came out:

Old And New
Copyright Howard Grill

As I looked at it, I was amazed with the appearance of the reflections in the windows of the building on the left. Initially, looking at the image as a whole, they didn't take on that much importance, though their tone and warmth did add to the overall image. But as I continued to look at the reflections it seemed like they could take on a significance of their own, which led me to the idea that they could almost make a separate project. Such a project could entail making images of window reflections that appeared as abstract colors and shapes, rather than reflections grounded in reality. Here is a crop showing just the abstract color and shapes from one of the windows from the building on the left. Of course, it is unsharp because I have cropped only a small area of the entire image and enlarged it, but you get the idea....I could easily have walked closer to the building and filled the entire frame with the window:

Window Crop
Copyright Howard Grill

I am intrigued that the idea for a whole new set of images can come from looking carefully at a photograph that you have already made.

Western Pennsylvania's Secrets

Western Pennsylvania has many beautiful natural areas that are known locally, but, surprisingly, do not seem to have much recognition outside the state. I suspect that part of the reason is that these locations tend to be relatively small in size and are not 'national' parks. In addition, the beauty in this area of the country is generally of a 'quiet' kind. We have mountains, but they are not vast and towering ranges. We have rivers, but generally not massive and powerful ones. We have canyons that are grand but not Grand.

The interesting thing is that this is probably true of, well, almost anywhere! Which is why it is a good idea to spend time exploring, as they say, "right outside your front door". Areas close by are easy to get to again and again, and the more often one goes, the more experience and knowledge can be had with a location under many weather conditions and seasons. That is an advantage that a 'native' has when photographing an area, as compared to a visitor.

So, without further ado, here is just one of Western Pennsylvania's 'secrets'.....Ohiopyle State Park.

Cucumber Falls
Ohiopyle State Park

Cucumber Falls
Ohiopyle State Park

Rock Abstract
Ohiopyle State Park

Images All Copyright Howard Grill

Chihuly!

Last night, I had the opportunity to go to the Chihuly glass sculpture exhibit at Phipps Conservatory, right here in Pittsburgh. It was simply breathtaking. I write this post not as a review (many have done it much better than I possibly could) nor as a display of my photos (they are simply snapshots I took walking the exhibit with my seven year old daughter), but, rather, to give folks a small taste of what was there and to urge anyone that is able to attend the traveling exhibit to do so! You won't regret it.

Even my daughter, who is not yet into visiting formal art displays, loved it and wants to go back. By the way, she was having a great time taking pictures with a point 'n shoot digital herself.

A taste of the Chihuly exhibit at Phipps:

Images Copyright Howard Grill

Shadow Shooting

I went out to take pictures several weeks back and it turned out to be one of those days that nothing seemed to click. Maybe it was where I was looking, maybe it was my attitude, or maybe the light was just a bit harsh. As I was walking along with the sense that this was not going to be one of my more productive outings, some shadows on a concrete wall caught my attention. The interplay of the shadows with the actual tree, with the neutral color of the concrete wall, and with the cracks of the wall somehow seemed interesting, though I really wasn’t quite sure why.

City Trees
Copyright Howard Grill

When nothing seems to want to happen, it is probably a good idea to follow the slightest premonition, so I spent some time photographing the shadows against the wall.

It strikes me that photographing shadows is also a good idea for when the light just isn’t so great. Since a bit of contrast can be useful for accentuating shadows, photographing them can be accomplished in light that is somewhat harsh. If necessary, the contrast and color temperature of the image can then be adjusted in Photoshop.

As I reviewed the images I took that day, I found something appealing in the idea of images of ‘phantom’ shadows with perhaps just a touch of the ‘real’ object in the picture as well. Now that I have this idea, I think I can do better than this.......now that I know what to look for.

Playing To An Audience

Several days ago, I suggested that perhaps one of the reasons that abstracts don’t have as much broad appeal as, say, landscapes, is that they might be too personal. Steve made an interesting comment in response to that post. He said:

“I take flower images and photoshop them in such a way that they are vaguely reminiscent of O'Keefe paintings. These images are very popular because that artist, long ago, struck a chord with a segment of viewers. I wasn't looking to copy anyone when I started out doing that, but found that others saw in these photoshopped images that same chord that the original artist had discovered. I suppose that I too was influenced by this artist and just hadn't recognized that in myself. So, I do think that abstract images that are done with an audience in mind aren't too personal but have a more broad appeal, and thus successfully attract a following.

What do you think about working with an audience in mind?"

I thought that was a very interesting concept, the idea of making abstract images with a specific audience in mind. I responded to his comment by saying that the idea of photographing with a specific audience in mind seemed quite reasonable to me, perhaps even desirable, if the subject was one that the photographer already had a genuine interest in and that they would have already wanted to photograph independent of the audience.

I went on to bring up the example of an annual vintage car show that is held near my home. I go to this show every year to take photographs and typically show them to friends of mine that I know have an interest in antique cars. However, although I tend to show them to people that like cars, I took the images for myself.

"Supercharged"

"852"

"Godspeed"

Photographs Taken At Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix
Images Copyright Howard Grill

Honestly, in general, I know very little about vintage cars. What I do know is that I absolutely love their amazing lines, shapes, and colors. If I didn’t find them so appealing as a subject, I doubt that the images I make of them would be of much interest to my friends that like cars. I believe it is hard to make good images of a subject that one has no interest in or passion for.

I had previously written about Huntington Witherill. He has put together an amazing collection of black and white vintage car abstracts as a project entitled “Chariots of Desire” (you have to click into the website to locate the portfolio, as individual web pages on the site are unable to be linked) that is well worth spending time looking at.

Finally, I think I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the specific show I am talking about. The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is held one weekend each July or August in Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park. It is a fantastic outdoor show that includes both vintage, as well as unusual contemporary cars. In addition, there are two days of vintage car racing on a track that winds it way through the 420 acre park.

Interestingly, I mentioned in a prior post that I find it very difficult to ask strangers if I can take their photo. However, I find it to be no problem at all to ask people I don’t know if I can set up to take photographs of their car. No one has said no. On the contrary, they are very excited to have “a serious photographer” take a picture of something they have worked so hard on. I usually offer to send them a photograph of their automobile.

If you have any interest in photographing vintage cars, this show is really a wonderful opportunity to do so.

The Abstract: Does Location Matter ?

While a good deal of my photography is nature related, I have recently started to venture into the city in search of interesting abstract and landscape images. I have not been doing ‘street photography’ per se, nor have I been seeking ‘the decisive moment’. At this point in my urban outings I am still too uncomfortable to try to slip in a hidden candid shot or ask people if I can photograph them. What I have been doing is more along the lines of just looking for that nice coalescence of lines and shapes that seem to call for an image to be made.

Oregon Dunes
Copyright Howard Grill

United Steelworkers Building
Downtown Pittsburgh
Copyright Howard Grill

What really intrigues me is how absolutely similar looking for the abstract seems to be in both settings. It doesn’t really seem to matter whether I am in Downtown Pittsburgh or the middle of nowhere. In either location I find that I am using the same mindset and looking for the same components with which to construct an image. I am not sure if others feel this way, but urban and nature abstracts, as well as landscapes, seem like two sides of the same coin to me, being far more similar than they are different.

Changing Shape

It is easy to allow the shape and dimensions of an image to be dictated by the constraints of the particular photographic format that is being used. That is to say that many images are presented as squares (for 6x6), 3:2 rectangles (for 35mm) and so on. Sure, we crop a bit here and there, but most often still retain the same basic shape. Sometimes, however, an image seems to call for something totally different.

Copyright Howard Grill
Taken In Downtown Pittsburgh

This image was shot digitally in 35mm format, but a 3:2 ratio just didn’t seem to convey the feeling I was aiming for. A severe vertical crop seemed to come much closer to the mark. After allowing the image to dictate the crop, it was clearly no longer in a standard format but the shape seemed much better suited to the image.

I realize that one could view this image as merely a vertical panorama, but the process of working with it and ultimately settling on this presentation made me wonder about how using non-traditional shapes might make images more expressive. One sees, for example, portraits of people presented in an oblong shape, but not very many other types of images are done that way. What about a portrait of a tree presented in that fashion. What about circular or odd shaped images…how might the shape of an image be a useful adjunct to expression? It might be an interesting and perhaps useful exercise to look through some old images with that thought in mind.