Temporary Hiatus

The Blogspot-hosted Of Devils & Details is on what I hope has been and will be a temporary hiatus until I decide how to best host and display my photography.  Until then, please feel free to visit a Facebook page I've created for that very purpose.

Of Devils & Details, FB Edition

And thanks for looking!

Area 52: Week 7 (Doors, Deer, & Deep. Oh, My.)

These are all just scenes from a small town, crumbling at the edges.  Shall we call them RockwellScapes?  Motion carried.  Mine is a semi-benign dictatorship.

Shot o' the Week is the entrance to the shell of what was once a bustling business of some sort.

 

 And here it is in vertical landscape form:

This shot is of a padlocked and gated door on the same building.  While I love the above shots because of the naturally desaturated tones and textures, these got me because of the disconcertingly jaunty tone of RED...and the fact the wall on the left (which you can't see) is down.

And again with the vertical, because I HATE rules, man....

This small building - same shade of disconcertingly jaunty RED, though more faded - houses a small weigh station for pricing scrap metal.  While there were several interesting items inside as well, the light didn't cooperate.  So until I can get back later for interior shots:

 And what is this?  Some sort of Guard Tree?

Lovely, Dark, Deep & Cautionary

And finally, a small group of deer on the outskirts.  I shot 'em with the 50mm as my big zoom is in the shop.

Area 52: Week 6 (Project: Rescue! (Look@theFACE!))

One of my passions is helping stray, neglected, abandoned, or downright abused animals, especially dogs.  Cooper himself is a rescue, adopted from a local no-kill agency when he was about 4 months old.  I can't take 'em all in (Sweetie hath her limits), but I do what I think I can to help.  My photography, I've been told, helps in that endeavor.

This fine example of what is thought to be a Walker Coonhound was recently dumped near a friend's farmhouse.  She's probably 12-18 month old, is very sweet, and has lots of energy.  Having spent about an hour with her, I think she would make an excellent house dog, watchdog, hunting partner, or jogging buddy.  She is sweet, attentive, and energetic.  She deserves a shot at a life and someone deserves her love and loyalty.

Did I mention she's sweet?

I'm calling her BabyDarlingDollfaceHoney until she gets adopted.

Look@TheFace!

Great Lines and Markings

See What I Mean?

...help...

As to the quality of the photos: I'd say they're up there with really good snapshots.  Focus is generally spot-on the eyes, and the color/contrast is gorgeous (if I do say so meself...and I do...did...um, will?  Have?  Well, I hope you're happy as I've gone and confused myself), but you will notice the shadow in the background.  Unavoidable, as Mitch had to use the chain to keep her more or less still so I could get some good shots of her.  This was a quickie shoot, the purpose being getting her home.  I think they're good enough to be included as part of Area 52, but wanted to spotlight her.

Were it not for the expense of divorce court (KIDDING!), this little darlin' would have absolutely come home with me.  Cooper would lub her.

How about you?

EDIT: Adopted 2/8/11 and is officially a spoiled housedog with run of the farm....not mine, though.

EDIT the 2nd: Her name is now Molly.

Area 52: Week 5 (Backyards & Crackpups: All About Cooper)

Yes, you've met this subject more than once here, but never when he's in his favorite element: snow.

Self-Entertaining

Making the Final Turn

Comin' Atcha

Seek, and...

Ye Shall Find

It's the Little Things

...Squirrel...?

I add this last shot simply because it illustrates a couple of things.  First, even with the advanced auto-focus systems in modern cameras...the dog is often quicker than the lens.  Second, a great photo is measured in more than sharpness.  I love the composition and color of this shot.

How about you...?

A housekeeping note: I've decided all images I post here will be in the "large" format, as I prefer that uniformity, at least for now.  I might change my mind later.  I might not.  Oooooh, the suspense!

If you would, send a positive thought or two Cooper's way.  As I was working on the photos and blog, my wife found an oozing wound on the right side of Cooper's face.  It looks like he just gouged himself or has an abscess or maybe even just nicked a mole while scratching, but I'm taking him to the vet tomorrow to get checked.  He's just turned 3...we lost our last dog, Boomer, at 3...at about this same time of year.  It's probably nothing to worry about as Cooper is way healthier than Boomer ever was, but the symmetry bothers me.  He's not just my favorite subject, he's my little buddy and responsibility, so any little nick....

Excuse me while I tap a vein to check for compatibility....

EDIT: Little fellah's fine.  Just got a minor infection.  

Area 52: Week 4 (If Game is to Survive, It Must Have a Suitable Home)

Barns...barns and signs...barns, signs, and overgrowth, oh, my....  I never tire of these scenes, which tend to remind me of childhood rides to Edgewood to see my grandparents...or, sometimes it was a ride with my grandparents.  Old, dilapidated farm structures were a common site in southern IL while I was growing up, but, as they get older and the land passes down to younger owners, some genius gets the bright idea to tear these old, seemingly innocuous buildings down, giving barely any thought as to how the window sill became so worn or who put the doors on like that and why.

Even the old fella that gave me permission to be on the land hoped someone would eventually tear this place down.  I guess an empty lot has more curb appeal.

I disagreed.

Of highways, scenic drives, and miscellany....

 

The Big Lesson for me in this photoshoot: trust.  I have been in the habit of taking several shots of the same scene for "safety," just in case I didn't quite get what I wanted.  As a result, I have to whittle down 200 or so shots to around 50 to edit, 20 final edits and the above to post.  I've gotten to the point I know generally how the camera settings I use will treat the final shot, so I can just take a few shots of a scene at different apertures and know I have what I want.  I could easily edit around 80% of what I shot and get excellent results, but a lot of the shots would be almost identical.  Now, I can concentrate on capturing what I see in my mind, then moving more quickly to the next shot.

In other words: I am loosed. 

[All shots processed using a preset designed to mimic AGFA II film.]

BONUS SHOT:  Random abandoned....

Area 52: Week 3, Part One (Crumbling Landscapes)

This is a series from a long-abandoned Shell Oil facility.  Crumbling, aging, weathering....  Nirvana for me.

Processing was simple: a wee-little, teeny-tiny bit of cropping, then a preset designed to mimic Kodak 400 film with a tiny bump in brightness, and a little noise reduction is all it took.  I'll be going back to this spot occasionally to catch different seasons, lighting, and experiment with macro-photography.  

What Remains

Full Frontal

I liked the background in this shot as well.  The colorful mixers at the concrete plant on the left, the long-defunct water tower on the right.

Vertical Landscapes Are Go

What Through These Doors....

Not a Love Shack

Reclamation Creeps

Who's Gonna Pay for the Window?

Disconnect

Out of Service

 The following shots are a bit random.  The first is of a former drug house, which I captured as a burned out shell.  I always wonder about the history of such places....  Who built it?  Who were the first owners?  How did it come to be in such a state?  In the week since I took this shot, it has been bulldozed to the ground.  

It used to be someone's dream.....

When Good Homes Go Bad

Finally, a simple branch with some snow.  I just liked the depth of field and the lines; however, I think my favorite thing about the shot is the coloring.  This is the way the shot looks on its own--no post-processing for the color; no de-saturation, except that which came from the light and pine needles.

Area 52: Week 2 (Part the Second-Lanscapes)

To know me at all is to know I have an odd fetish for barns and other decaying bits of Americana as photography subjects.  The holiday season provides no relief from that affliction, so:

That Ol' Time Advertisin'

I found this glorified shed still standing on a rise just outside of Xenia, IL.  When I was growing up, I recall dozens of barns with advertising painted on the rooftops, but that redneck Mad Men strategy seems to have gone the way of the loon a long time ago.  The color version of this is kind of striking: a sun-bleached yellow roof, the line between the faded red paint protected by the overhang against the far more faded red beneath.  However, I LOVED the B&W treatment, so...here 'tis.  Much more tasteful than billboards, yes?  That motion just carried without objection. 

There was apparently a state license required to advertise this way.  The original metal plate is still on the west side of the building...gonna hafta go back for that pic, huh?

No...Really...?

I found the signage in this picture so...obvious.  I used a preset to mimic Kodachrome 400 film to excellent effect, I think.  Presets - and tweaking same - are a new addiction.












Finally, a sort of test shot:

Again with the Kodachrome treatment.  I found this old barn by accident.  It's on the outskirts of town, just east of a neighborhood in which I misspent many a night of my youth, yet I'd never seen this spot before.  I didn't have opportunity to get out and explore the property at the time this particular pic was taken...but was able to return today (1/13) for more detailed work.  Later for those, kids.






BONUS LEVEL:  The color version of the first shot:

I think that last will work better on a sunny day.  But photographers - even the hamfisted - take what they can get while planning to come back for more.

Area 52: Week 2 (Holiday Edition in Two Parts)

Of course the holidays offer great opportunities for snapshots and get me:  I'm only a coupla weeks late posting!


This first entry is family snapshots, some of which I am genuinely proud.  Because I knew we would be inside, I slapped the 50mm 1.8 on Betty (don't judge) and fired away.  Some were taken with flash (an SB 800, bounced) and some not.

Shot o' the Day, I Think

Dad, immediately reading from his Christmas present, a coffee table/photography book on the history of Harley Davidson.  I used a template on this shot, one that attempts to recreate the look of Kodachrome film.  Successfully, I might add.

To the right, my niece, Q.  I used a B&W preset on this one, then bumped a couple of levels to get just the look I wanted.

And another niece: Madison.  No flash, but did use a preset designed to mimic film.

Bub, In Repose

And not to be outdone: my nephew Stetson.  Or, as I prefer, Bub. 










These are just a couple of family snapshots in various treatments.  Enjoy!

Just Let Me Help, Pa-Paw

I Got Yer Present Right HERE