On Assignment: Fulton County, New York-Day Five

"Town Square" by Wes Aldridge

After 5 long, cold and hard days, my assignment in Fulton County, New York has come to an end. I learned several things on this trip, the most dominate being buy some insulated underwear. A close second is shooting in the snow is a tricking thing to get a solid exposure and that close 2 f-stops rule really doesn't hold water when you are shooting color.

When I was heading out of town, I had to stop and grab this shot. In Johnstown, NY, inside Fulton County, the cityscape is heavily influenced with Colonialism, i.e., architecture. Stocks were used in colonial times as a form of public punishment. Believe it or not, there is still a set of stocks in the pubilc square downtown across from the old courthouse.

I thought this was pretty interesting and gave it a shot at night. The Canon 10D holds up pretty well in long exposures in the dark. The stocks were lit by a street lamp a good 30-feet overhead (see the position of the shadow for subject to light source angle). The shot was at ISO 100, f/22 (max aperture on my 24-70 mm L series lens)with a 30 second exposure. All of this is evident in the star formation in the lamp post in the background. Notice the shadow under the stocks. Not much digital distortion in the black shadow on white snow. If the 10D rocks this solid, I would love to see what either of the Mark II's can do. Anyone have an extra $4000 they want to give me to grab the new shooter with?

On Assignment: Fulton County, New York-Day Four

"Little Skier" by Wes Aldridge

After wasting away one-and-a-half hours of my life snow shoeing deep into a thick forest to find cross country skiers and freezing my self nearly to death, here is my shot. I went back to the ski resort I was photographing and sat by the heater with the other bitter cold battered winter wonderland adventurers. I was exhausted, because snow shoeing is tedious work, and laid out on a couch with my head tilted back. I looked up and saw this tiny plastic skier hanging from a mobile in the lodge. I opened to f/2.8 and knocked the shutter down to 1/15th of a second and click. there is the shot.

On Assignment: Fulton County, New York-Day Three

"Painfully Cold" by Wes Aldridge

Today was ruff. I am beyond exhausted and my body hurts. This photograph isn't on the blog for its quality as a shot. It is here because it accurately captures my life today. This was sunrise (that never had any color) wrapped in gray sky. I think it was somewhere around 7 a.m.

It was a fierce 30 minute drive across country highway to get to this location. Hard drive in the dark with roads that hadn't been plowed by the time my 6 a.m. drive began. This isn't a field... it is a lake that had frozen 18-inches on the surface, lying on the edge of the Adirondacks.

It was 21 degrees below zero. -21 DEGREES. The coldest temperature I have ever witnessed. I got up intensely early, drove on terrible country roads and froze until my body stung for this pathetic sunrise. At least I tried. I am paying for it now with fever, wind-burned face, bloodshot eyes, aching joints and the darkest bags under my eyes I have ever had.

The sun actually rose above the clouds in about an hour and the sky cleared up beautifully. I was able to get a majority of my exterior shots done. Now, I am ready to crawl into bed and crash until the next sunrise.

My body has had enough for one day.

On Assignment: Fulton County, New York-Day Two

"Sticks" by Wes Aldridge

Another day wrapped up in 8-degree weather. Nothing like having my hand stick and freeze to my metal tripod while I attempt, sadly attempt, to shoot an exterior of a colonial theater in pitch black covered in 2 feet of snow. Ah... the joys of New York weather. Lovin' it! Seriously. Now, on to the shot.

I stopped into this little side country store and saw this little pieces of wood in the circular shape seen here. The light was right. The leading lines are perfect. The depth of field is cut lovely at f/2.8. Simple, but I think it is pretty interesting. Some very earthy color tones highlighted by the natural lighting.

I know, I know. I am on assignment in the Adriondacks and I haven't posted a single landscape or otherwise outdoors shot. Well, when I get a little bit of sunlight to break through this thick gray cloud cover, I'll get one up, promise.

On Assignment: Fulton County, New York-Day One

"Barney's Place" by Wes Aldridge

Tonight I shot the most interesting assignment I have ever had. In the "Gateway to the Adirondacks," an artist by the name of Barney Bellinger lives with his wife Susan and their 14-year old daughter, Erin. He is a beautiful painter, amazing natural woods craftsman and a genuine person.

My appointment began at 7 p.m. and I didn't leave his home studio until 10:30 p.m. (normally my photo appointments last between 30-45 minutes). Barney showed me photographs of some amazing places he travels to to fish for trout, and conduct his artist business. We talked for quite some time, but I never got bored with it. I listened to him talk about how he started from less than nothing and worked through adversity of all sorts. And now, he seems to live life to its fullest. Did I mention he hand picks and carves pieces of wood into beautifully intricate works of functional art furniture. He showed me photographs of one tall elaborate cabinet that he said sold for $100,000.

Barney showed me several projects he was working on, each one elaborately detailed. As we walked around his wood shop, I stared in awe. The materials he gathered were simply amazing.

Barney looked around for a few minutes as I gawked about. He turned to me with a beautiful piece of wood in his hand. He told me it was from Yellowstone National Forest. He said he bought it from some Native Americans, because they were the only ones allowed to take the wood from the forest. He wrote his name on it with the date. I was honored to accept his gift.

The photograph was a mural on a wall in his home. I thought it was great, so I took a quick shot. Freezing Day One, complete.

Warm Sky, Cold Weather

"January's Full Moon" by Wes Aldridge

First, I apologize to all of you that are sick of seeing my Nashville skyline shots, but I think this one is worth it. I was paying an electric bill at Nashville Electric Service and when I came out, this is what I saw in the sky. Notice the tones on the buildings. That means the reflections are of the sunset in front of them. So, that big ball of light in the sky is January's full moon. I couldn't pass it up. I only had minutes to frantically search for a vantage point that I have never shot from before I lost last light and the shot would have lost all warm and vibrant tone... I found it.

The colors were amazingly warm.

Warm is a key word right now. I decided I needed this shot to remind me how warm it is in this city. I leave for New York on assignment tomorrow and the highs are in the mid teens with lows down to a whopping -10, not including wind chill factor. The weekend blizzard left about 2 feet of snow I have to deal with, with even deeper drifts, but I am excited because I have looked forward to a challenge like this. I even get the chance for one of the features in the magazine to be a photo essay of Colonial architecture that I will be shooting. Time to see what I can do.

This Moment

"In Flight" by Wes Aldridge

This simple photograph shows the value of a split-second. One second before or one second after and it would not have the same impact as the shot shown does.

The line to the right is a power line that is motion blurred from tracking the pigeons with a slow shutter speed to catch their flight action. It plays into the shot with the Rule of Thirds, a basic photography technique that draws the eye to a focal point in the plane of the shot. The line in this shot seems to me like a threshold of some sort. It draws you to the future action of the flock of birds. Through the motion in the frame you know that the birds are about to fly by the powerline. It is a simple story of nature and the motion of birds in flight.

Moonlight Dancing

"Roundabout" by Wes Aldridge

This is the $1.1 million statue, "Musica," that sits on the Music Row roundabout, just out from downtown. I remember when it was unveiled and all the controversy that surrounded a "naked" statue and how it offended some people since it was in public view. I find that hysterical. For someone to even think of art as "naked" or "non-naked," wow, pretty low level thinking going on there.

Well, this shoot was the first time that I have ever taken the time to stop and look at "Musica" for what it was worth. All the media hype just turned me away from even wanting to look at it. So, today I went and took a look at it at dusk... and there you have it.

On Demonbruen

"Tiger and Frankenstein" by Wes Aldridge

This is a simple shot. Just two interesting flyers plastered to some poles down on Demonbruen. Depth of field is killer with this cheap 50mm lens I have, it opens to f/1.8. Those poles were less than 5 feet from each other. The white balance is a wonderful tungsten and rich.

A little something I found interesting and simply came across it. The shot was right, and there it is.

Bottle Caps On The Rocks

"Good Call" by Wes Aldridge

This is a shot taken at the Demonbreun bar On The Rocks. The hallway leading into the restroom is dimly lit and covered with beer bottle caps that have been industrial stapled to the wall in various designs. If you take a side view of the wall, all you see is an endless sea of caps.

This shot was handheld at 400 ISO and shot with a shutter speed of 1/15th of a second at an aperture of f/1.8, which is extremely wide open for maximum light with an extremely shallow depth of field. This is how the one inch focal plane was achieved with everything else in the frame falling drastically out of focus to the point of unrecognizable blur.

The interesting thing about this photo is what you cannot see. Former Tennessee Titan Eddie George was standing directly beside me as I took this shot. Normally, you would expect a celebrity football star to get mobbed in a jam-packed bar on a Thursday night. Not so with Eddie. It seems that his defection to the Dallas Cowboys has left the city of Nashville with a bitter taste in her mouth. For the record, he is a huge guy, but his head is really as small and unporportional to his body as it looks on television. And no, I didn't play papparazi and fire off a bunch of shots of him.

Reflections on the Parthenon

"Grecian Midnight" by Wes Aldridge

I have been to the Parthenon many times to do photographs, but never at midnight. Most of the time I end up shooting children feeding ducks and geese or old men fishing in the pool, but this time I rode the cliche and actually shot the building itself.

It was another interesting time with cops. It seems like everytime I want to shoot a Nashville landmark of some sort, that a cop comes and hassles me about the park being closed, where ever I happen to be.

I assume this harrassment has something to do with the heightened level of terrorist fears floating around the city. I don't want to cause any chaos at these places... I just want to take a photograph or two.

Anyway, here is the Parthenon at midnight. Look hard and long at this shot, because you know, you probably won't get to see it in person without being harrassed by some cops trying to run you out of the closed park.

Four More Years, sigh...

"G'Day G.W." by Wes Aldridge

With the presidential inauguration approaching on Thursday, I thought I would get into the spirit of political speech and share this shot with everyone. This was from a protest when Bush II made a campaign stop in Republican Hell, or Nashville as some call it, for a fundraiser on Tyne Avenue. I thought it was a very telling shot and figured, what the heck, what better time to showcase it than right before an inauguration?

As I guess you can tell, these people weren't in support of Mr. Bush's money making efforts in Music City. They lined one side of the road as W. supports lined the other side.

The look on the lady's face in the foreground tells her story pretty well. Add the message of the sign and the person in the background giving a peace sign, and then you are pretty much dropped into the scenario with a pretty good feel for it.

Four more years, sigh...

On Assignment: Pall Mall, Tennessee-Day Trip

"Pall Mall" by Wes Aldridge

Today was spent up north on Highway 127, off Interstate 40, between Cookville and Crossville. The quaint little town of Pall Mall, population 2500 our story subject Jim Buck told us, is about a 2 and a half hour drive from Nashville. The assignment was slated for print in our Farm Bureau magazine, Tennessee Home and Farm, is slated for print in next year's winter issue.

In years past, Pall Mall was made famous as the home of World War One hero Sgt. Alvin C. York. York defeated a 150+ man German machine gun unit in the Argonne Forest in France and received the Medal of Honor for his actions. Then, he returned home to live a simple life in cozy little Pall Mall.

In more recent times, Pall Mall's claim to fame comes in the form on an annaul tournament of the card game "Pig" that originated there. I don't know the rules of the game, but one day I hope I find my way back down to the general store there where the tournament is held and play a hand or two at the mercy of the locals.

THE SHOT: This is an outhouse that sits on the land next to one of the cabins of a bed-and-breakfast we are doing a story on. I think it pretty much sums up the community it stands in. Things are still pretty isolated there. It is almost like going back in time a few decades, and for some reason, even in all my high-tech-electronic-gadet-glory, I really felt at home there.

True Nashville

"TN Tone Boys" by Wes Aldridge

Every Wednesday and Sunday night, Harry Fontana and the Tennessee Tone Boys gig at Robert's Western World on Broadway, and tonight was a great night to be there. These guys are what great Nashville music is all about. Their style is Rockabilly Boogie and their show is truly exciting. With blazing fast guitar licks, extremely dry onstage humor and a singer from Helsinki, Finland, what is there not to love about Harry Fontana?

This shot was taken with the flip screen of a camcorder in the foreground, handheld at 1/25 of a second at f/4.5, giving the background a nice blur while still being able to make out it is a man and a guitar.

At first I thought the light balance of the foreground and background was a little bit off and I wish I would have had the opportunity to bounce a little fill flash from an umbrella. But the more I thought about it, I came to my senses and realized the dramatic effect the sharp lighting contrast gave the shot. It really sums up the atmosphere of that moment in time. It was truly Nashville.

On Assignment: Cincinnati, Ohio-Day Four

"Wards Corner" by Wes Aldridge

Another trip done and in the books. Cincinnati was a great time and the IMAGES of Clermont County magazine should look pretty good.

This was the last shot that I took on this trip, so I thought it was only fitting to have it up here. After two solid days of rain, this beautiful sunny, yet 15-30 degree, weather came about. It was all planned perfectly: Shoot portraits, interiors and product shots the first two days when the weather forecast called for 70% precipitation and then do all exteriors the following two days. This shot is from a series that will be used for Feature One in IMAGES of Clermont County. There are better shots of the reflective buildings of Wards Corner, but I am saving the best ones for the magazine... so you will have to pick one up when they get published in like a month or two.

I realized on this trip that I have the greatest job. I am paid to run around the country and take photographs of beautiful things and places, with an expense account no less, and all travel expenses paid. I am thankful for the opportunity that I have been given with what I do.

On Assignment: Cincinnati, Ohio-Day Three

"Pride of Patchel Road" by Wes Aldridge

While I was driving through Batavia, a small township on the outskirts of Cincinnati, I saw this image. I thought it was interesting in many ways. During my stay in this city and surrounding areas I have seen multitudes of American flags flying high, but none quite like this one.

Remember the latest presidential election? You know, the one John Kerry lost because he couldn't carry Ohio, among other things? Well that is all I could think about when I saw this scene on a back country road. It really made me sad to know this state crashed a victory for the Democratic Party.

Anyway, this is the "Pride of Patchel Road."

On Assignment: Cincinnati, Ohio-Day Two

"Heart of Cinci" by Wes Aldridge

I felt that the detailed shot of Fountain Square (On Assignment: Cincinnati, Ohio-Day One) in downtown Cincinnati wasn't a good enough representation of the actual location. I think the tall buildings' architecture and layout really added to the attractiveness of the fountain itself. Here is another shot that showcases the pinnacle point of the fountain, the figure on top with out-stretched arms, in front of the U.S. Bank building. It gives a better feel and representation of the scene.

I read a New York Times article last week (thanks for the link Quigley) about truth and accuracy in a photograph. This quote from Richard Avedon, an extremely accomplished and highly regarded American photographer, appeared in the article: "There is no such thing as inaccuracy in a photograph. All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth."

I started thinking about this and I wasn't happy with only showing a detailed shot of Fountain Square. So I offer another today. "Heart of Cinci," like the previous shot "Fountain Square," is still accurate, but still not the truth. The Times article brought up the point of truth being 360-degrees, a panoramic of life. A photographer can take a shot, turn slightly to the left and snap the shutter seconds later, and still be accurate when representing a scene. So, in essence, every shot you see is a partial truth of a greater whole.

I want every shot I take to be total Truth. With the case presented here, that is impossible to attain, so I guess I have some work to do before I die. Just have to keep shooting.

On Assignment: Cincinnati, Ohio-Day One

"Fountain Square" by Wes Aldridge

I ventured down into the heart of Cincinnati late tonight in the hunt for the shot. I drove around for what seemed forever, and ever, and ever. Then as I was driving down Vine Street, there it was. A wonderful fountain statue was in a plaza square in front of the Fifth Third Bank building. It was lit by flood lights and its bronze cast caught my eye immediately. I wanted it. The only problem is, parking is Hell downtown.

I must have circled the block (yes, one way streets everywhere) 20 times or so because I didn't feel safe strolling all over downtwon with my camera gear. As I was driving by one of the many times, I noticed the flood lighting on the fountain went away. Damnit, you gotta be kidding me. I had been working to get a parking space and missed the moment. But, it was getting later and I was getting more tired, and I was determined to turn this location into my photo for the day.

I parked and started walking toward the square, cussing under my breath all the way up the block. When I want a shot and have it set in my mind, I am going to get it, or simply die trying. As I came to the crosswalk I looked up to see the lights were illuminating the fountain once again. That's odd I thought, oh well. So my spirits lifted and I gingerly trotted across the street.

In mid stride, I saw the lights go out again. I thought, "This must be some kind of whacked out power shorting thing going on or someone is watching me from a hidden compartment somewhere and cutting the friggin' lights on and off just to screw with me." I continued to walk over to it and busted out the tripod, pissed again. As I was positining for the shot, the lights came back on. Ah... they must be on a timer for some reason. So, I played the little game with the timer. The pattern was on 2 minutes, off 1. Makes things tricky when you are doing about 30 second exposures.

None the less, I chose a detailed shot of the sculpture. It was interesting to see this ancient style sculpting sitting in the middle of a fast paced modern cityscape. Day one in Cincy is done. Enjoy.

Quickie With a Cop

"Columns" by Wes Aldridge

I'll be the first to admit, this shot is no photo masterwork. It is alright, but nothing special. A simple night shot of the columns at Bicentennial Mall close to the Tennessee State Capital. I was planning on working some angles and really pulling out some kind of ultra-artsy shot, but my shoot was abruptly cut short.

I was kneeling down looking through the viewfinder trying to meter this shot and I caught a glance of a figure walking up the Mall towards me. It was about 10 p.m. and I was the only soul anywhere around, so naturally, I felt a little uneasy with multiple thousands of dollars worth of camera gear in a pretty ruff part of town.

I didn't really look at the guy coming toward me. I figured him to be "street taught and bought" and knew we would strike up a conversation and I would end up giving him a couple of bucks in the process, like I usually do... unless he kicked my ass and took my gear. Anyway, I hoped for the best as he approached.

"Excuse me," he said. "Park's closed." I thought what the hell is he talking about? Who is this guy? I lifted my face from my Canon to see a rather stout Metro park ranger standing there. I was confused. I didn't know the Mall was a park and I saw no signs about hours of operation. I asked and he said it closed in winter time at 9:30 p.m. I said what a crock and asked if I could take this shot. He said yeah, but then leave.

So, fired two exposures and got on my way. The important things learned tonight: 1.) Listen to Metro, even if they wear forest green and drive the white Explorers 2.) Bicentennial Mall is a park.

Pie In the Sky

"The Not-So-Great Balloon Chase " by Wes Aldridge

Today was exciting. I looked out the window of the photo department at our Franklin-based magazine publishing company and saw a sight that hasn't danced around since Christmas: sunshine.

I said, "Hey Coach, let's just go out and shoot something for the heck of it, its nice outside." Coach, or my boss, Journal Communications Inc. Chief photographer Greg Emens said, "What time you got?" I said 3:27 p.m. He said, "Ok, you've got roughly 30 minutes. Go out and find a shot for your blog and be back here by 4 p.m."

I almost exploded from the excitement shooting through my body, adrenaline pumping fiercely. I said, "rock on," grabbed my camera bag, threw on my RayBans and bolted out the door. Here it was, an unanticipated and pretty freakin' tight deadline assignment. And you better get done what Big Ol' Boy Greg asks you to do, if you know what I mean.

I jumped in the Jeep and started pulling out of the parking lot and thought, "Jeez, where am I gonna find a shot that fast." Before I even had a chance to fret, I looked in the sky and what did I see off in the distance? A hot air balloon. Well, only one thing to do now... chase that sucker.

And I did chase it, through Cool Springs and into Franklin. Up and down Mack Hatcher Parkway and through side roads and neighborhoods until I was almost directly under it... but I was still a little off center. That is when I took the urge to take the Jeep into an empty field that the balloon was floating over. Hey, big deal, I was on deadline, right? As you can see, I got right under the balloon and got the shot, and didn't even get arrested for trespassing to boot! What a rockin' day. Did I mention that I am addicted to this photo thing?