Somewhere Downtown Rochester [Sky Watch Friday]

This view of downtown Rochester is one that you will see only rarely, if at all. It took a bit of hunting around to gain access to the spot where I shot from, but it was worth the effort. Of course, there is the ubiquitous Chase Tower [scroll down to earlier posts]. Now several of my colleagues suggested that I crop down from the top, since the crossed contrails are a distraction. While I agree to some extent, I decided to leave them for the Sky Watch posting. Speaking of posting, I will be taking off January. So, Happy New year and I'll see you in February.

Rochester's Chase Tower [Sky Watch Friday]

In last week’s posting, I referred to the Chase Tower and its reflections in the factory windows.  Below are some of my ‘up close and personal’ views of this wonderful building and its sweeping lines. One can understand why it is so popular among photographers. Interestingly, one is really not permitted to take photograph of the building when one is on the ‘private property; indeed, I have been chased away by security personnel on a number of occasions. Either you just have to get lucky that they are not around, or take your shots from public property.

 

 

 

  

The photo below is a few years old, so the connecting overhead passage no longer exists, as the building it connected with was torn down.

Downtown Rochester Pano 3 [Sky Watch Friday]

Here is the last of my Rochester panoramas. In contrast to the ones posted below, the individual images were shot with the camera in the vertical [portrait] rather than horizontal [landscape] position. It adds more of the scene in the vertical -- also, since I did not take as many shots, the aspect ratio [width:height] is not as dramatic as the earlier pics. A few words about some of the buildings here, which were not mentioned previously. The dark glass building has an outdoor elevator [no longer functional] that went up to the 17th floor, where you took another elevator up to a glass enclosed restaurant that slowly revolved. If you had a seat by the outside window, you could see the entire 360 degrees of the Rochester skyline in under an hour. The low-rise prominent complex along the water’s edge is our Riverside Convention Center. {Click to enlarge image.}
The high-rise building [The Chase Tower] to the far right is one of the most photographed structures in town. Look at the reddish brick building on the left -- do you see some wild reflections of the Tower in four of the windows? Those reflections really caught my eye and I had to focus in on them. Below is one of those shots.

New Flower Species

I thought I'd use Photoshop Elements to develop some new floral species. Here are a few representative images of my early attempts.

Downtown Rochester Pano 2 [Sky Watch Friday]

This panorama was shot at a location different from the one posted a few weeks ago. In the left foreground is our High [Upper] Falls. How many cities can boast of a waterfall located virtually in the heart of downtown? Just right of center is the building for the Kodak headquarters [what’s left of it]. The smokestack to the right of Kodak is slated for demolition.The red building complex off to the far right is the Genesee brewery, one of the survivors of the many breweries that once existed in Rochester.  The blue footbridge, which appears to connect Kodak and the brewery, is Pont de Rennes. Rennes, France, is one of some dozen Rochester sister cities around the world.

Rochester Skyline Icons [Sky Watch Friday]

Last week’s SWF panorama of downtown Rochester included a number of iconic buildings/architectural features. For example, in the far left corner is the Wings of Progress [completed in 1930] atop the Times Square Building. A bit to its  right is the statue of Mercury atop the Aqueduct Building [mostly obscured by another building]. The 21 foot tall Mercury statue [out of riveted copper plates] was created in 1881.  When completed, it was installed atop a factory smokestack and quickly became a hallmark of the city skyline. However, in 1951, the factory was demolished and the statue was placed in storage. In 1973, it found its current home, only one block north of its original location. The images below offer closer views of these two wonderful structures.

Downtown Rochester Pano 1 [Sky Watch Friday]

It’s high time to return from our travels and feature my adopted home town.  In addition to having an abundance of arts and cultural organizations/productions, Rochester, NY also possesses a rich history. It offers a wide variety of architecture and natural beauty that interests photographers of every stripe. Since one can park for free anywhere in the city on Sunday, I took advantage of good weather and ventured downtown alone and shoot some images that could be merged into panoramas. But, unlike those I made in Ireland and Arizona [scroll down through my archive], I used a tripod here-- turned out to be a wise decision. In the image below, some of the iconic buildings and structures are evident [I recommend clicking on the to enlarge the view]. I will post more of Rochester in the coming weeks. [Be sure to click on the image to enlarge].

Sedona Sky Panoramas [Sky Watch Friday]

These will be the last posts from our Arizona trip. Generally, panoramas  are ‘stitched’ together as a post processing event from a series of overlapping images [usually, one tries to have adjacent shots with about 1/3 overlap].  Recently, the stitching can be done right inside some cameras. That was not the case with the shots below. While one can use images from hand-held shooting, the likelihood of success is much higher if the camera was mounted on a monopod; and, a tripod is even better. Generally, panos are made with the camera 'held' in the horizontal/landscape position; however, they can also be shot in the vertical/portrait position. The two panos were shot either on a monopod in the horizontal mode or hand-held in the vertical mode [I think you can guess which is which]. They were taken from Airport Mesa in Sedona, the best place to see the valley and catch a great sunset and get a grand overview of some of the surrounding terrain. Staring in the center, the highest peak is Capitol Butte, with Sugarloaf to the right; and, slightly in front it and to its right is a group known as Coffee Pot Rock.

Upper Antelope Canyon

For a long time I fantasized about shooting in Upper Antelope Canyon, which we missed on our trip to Arizona last year. Well, we did it last month. We left Sedona [see pics below and more will be added above] and headed up to Page. The only way to get into Upper Antelope Canyon is on a tour led by a Navajo guide. While I have seen many fabulous published photos of this famous 'slot canyon', I was not prepared for how dark it was inside. I did not bring a tripod or monopod along, thinking that my camera could shoot at really high ISO; and, that that would offset any low lighting. Well, I almost blew it -- I had to shoot at 3,200 - 6,400 and bracketed every shot. Still, exposure times varied from 1/30th - 1 sec; Image Stabilization and resting my arm/shoulder against a wall was my salvation. The images you see below were ultimately HDRed in Dynamic Photo HDR [an inexpensive and user friendly program].  I do not understand how the colors came out so brilliantly, since I tried to avoid going overboard in the tone mapping [a common occurrence with HDR images]. In any event, I think they came out well.

Cathedral Rock [Sky watch Friday]

Here are more traditional images of Sedona's Cathedral Rock. It is really an amazing group of 'rocks', and one doesn't tire of seeing at from different perspectives. The clear blue skies in these two shots reflect of what we experienced during our week in the area. Now a technical word of explanation. These images were generated by HDR processing of three bracketed shots [using the app, Dynamic Photo HDR]; it was really a fast, straightforward and simple procedure. At first glance, the upper image appears to contain the moon; actually, it was generated by lens flare, which I deliberately included. If you look further down in the image, you can see more flares.
Some people might think that the color in the bottom image was made by enhancing the hue/saturation during processing. In fact, I reduced them -- at sunset, the rock color turns a rather deep orange -- really breathtaking.

Sedona Skies [Sky Watch Friday]

 After a brief sojourn at home following our return from Germany, my wife and I headed out for another vacation--this time to Arizona. Although we had taken a marvelous Road Scholar tour last year through northern Arizona, there were still places/things left to be seen/done. So, we went back, but on our own. The ‘red rock country’ of Sedona was our first prolonged stop. The top image was shot from our balcony -- of course, we did not always catch such an awesome sky, as is evident from the lower image. That was shot in the early morning as we were driving toward Cathedral Rock [it consists of two massive rocks and two or three narrow vertical rock spires in between them]. As we came around a bend, I was stunned by the fog shroud in the distance. I had to pull over, get out and start shooting. This is the image I like best; and it is not typical of those you see of Cathedral Rock, perhaps the most photographed site in the Sedona area. Anyway, I will post more images from Arizona in the coming weeks.

Vierzehnheiligen [Sky Watch Friday]

This beautiful sky provides a wonderful backdrop for the facade of the Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers [in German, known as Vierzehnheiligen]. This week we travel from Halberstadt, in the former East  Germany, down south close to the town of Bad Staffelstein near Bamberg. The church, in the late Baroque-Rococo style, was constructed between 1743 and 1772. The church attracts many visitors, who have to be reasonably fit in order to traverse the steep climb up the road from the parking lot. However, one is rewarded with this striking view, and an even better interior.

Halberstadt Dom [Sky Watch Friday]

Well, we were away again and I have fallen even further behind. But, here are two shots taken of the Halberstadt Dom [pronounced 'dome'], St. Stephan's Cathedral, which dates back to the 13th century. Halberstadt is a lovely old city in northern Germany [but, south of Berlin]. Although it suffered massive damage in WWII, there are three churches and a synagogue still standing in the heart of town [I think that much of the original structures actually survived]. Anyway, as you can see from these two images, the sky underwent some dramatic changes, which made it fun shooting.

Niagara Falls [Sky Watch Friday]

Rochester has many wonderful places to shoot, but none have quite the grandeur of the Niagara Falls. Fortunately, they are only a relatively short car ride away. So, it's always nice to take visitors there, since there is an endless variety of possibilities for a keen eye. One is frequently rewarded with a rainbow to enhance an image, and this was no exception. However, I have to confess that the sky, nice as it was, is not the subject here.

Big Apple Pics [Sky Watch Friday]

Sorry to have missed the last several weeks of posting, but we were traveling in Germany. While the vacation pictures are being sifted through, here are a few taken [with my cell phone] closer to home; viz. New York City. These perspectives are not ones you would might commonly associate with NYC, but that’s the spice in doing photography. The shot of the Empire State Building was from a side street, where I was standing in front of a church garden.

Reflection [Sky Watch Friday]

The perspective in this image is somewhat confusing. At first glance, you might believe it is upside down, except it is a reflection of the sky in the rear window of my car. I was about to load my tennis bag into the back when I was awe-struck with this sight; and, of course, I had to photograph it. Yep -- another cell phone capture -- If you look carefully, you can see thin horizontal lines corresponding to the heating/defrosting elements in the glass.

Erie Canal Bridge [Sky watch Friday]

Rochester is fortunate to have many bodies of water in and around it. These include the Finger Lakes, the Genesee River, [Great ]Lake Ontario, Niagara Falls, Irondequoit Bay, and the Erie Canal. They make for numerous sports/recreational activities, as well as photographic opportunities. I have posted a number of images for SWF with the Genesee River [aka the Genny] -- in fact, my blog site header was shot on its shoreline. Today’s image was shot during a walk along the Erie Canal in Pittsford, NY. It was another one of those occasions where I had to resort to using my cell phone to capture what I thought was an irresistible view. 

Rochester Skyline Sunset [Sky Watch Friday]

This continues my 'in and around' Rochester shots. To repeat what one of my photography gurus said, the best camera you have is the one you are carrying. Well, all I had at the time I shot this was my cell phone. As I was waiting for a traffic light to change, this is what I saw and had to capture [albeit, at low res.]; so, one shot and onwards.  Just a little cropping and a few bright-spot removals were all the post-processing I did. I just cannot get into an 'always have my DSLR with me' frame-of-mind... sigh.

Cobbs Hill Reservoir Walk [Sky Watch Friday]

It's time to get back to showing off more Rochester sights. The reservoir up on Cobbs Hill is a favorite place to take a walk, view the city sky line [I have some earlier posts of this], picnic, and/or make music. The black picket fence enclosing the reservoir is punctuated by the presence of a series of lamps, which never fail to catch one's eye. But, it it is not easy getting the right angle/alignment in a shot. Actually, I thought this was fairly decent -- and, it showed some nice blue sky. Hope you like it.

Yellowstone Park [Sky Watch Friday]

This image was generated in the summer of 1979, when the Hattman family was driving cross-country. Yellowstone Park, which is a truly wondrous place -- it has something worth photographing in every direction. The original image was on a 2x2 slide, which I scanned, and the digital version is what you see. To be honest, it needs some editing [to remove some of the Schmutz in the sky, and to reduce the slight blue caste], but I thought I’d post it anyway. The colors in the pool are are due to algal or bacterial [or both] growth. These organisms are thermophiles and acidophiles; i.e. they can grow at very high temperatures and high acidity [probably relatives of the earliest living critters on earth]. Sorry to be so pedantic ----

(Another) Aruba Sunset [Sky Watch Friday]

  

There are already several Aruba Sunset images posted in my Archive, but, I think that there is always room for one more. This was shot [hand-held] earlier this year using my Canon A-720 ‘point-and-shoot’. I mention that to reiterate that one does not need the latest hi-tech camera to generate a good image. 

Icarus [Sky Watch Friday]

This is the last of my 'through the tour bus window' images taken in Ireland last month. It is a statue of Icarus [from Greek mythology], which stands in a roundabout in the town of Ennis [western Ireland]. Some background I took from Wikipedia: Ennis was going to celebrate its 750th anniversary in 1990. In its honor, an aviation company [now defunct] commissioned the statue.  Although the sculptor [John Behan] named it Daedalus, apparently the townspeople began calling it Icarus, and that name stuck. Anyway, as we circled the roundabout, I had just one chance to shoot, and managed to get the backside of it. All the unsightly electric/phone lines were 'cloned out' in Photoshop Elements.

Similarities [Sky Watch Friday]

The two images below come from two vastly different locales, but they bear a striking resemblance in their architecture. The image immediately below is a detail of the Albi Cathedral in the southwest of France. Originally named the Cathedral of St. Cecilia, its construction was begun in 1287 and completed some 200 years later. Now considered to be the largest brick structure in the world, it was had been intended to be a fortress. This view of this side of the church certainly leaves no doubt about that. However, the interior is totally surprising -- it is full of color and decoration, quite the opposite of the stern and forbidding exterior.

 

The next image is that of the Grain Tower located in Schoen Place, right along the Erie Canal near Rochester. Residents of the area pronounce it ‘Shown’ Place; that bugs me since it deserves the German pronunciation [which I cannot spell phonetically in English; you either know it or you don’t]. While this is not a brick building, its size and shape always makes me think of Albi. The structure is actually grey, but the setting sun [and a little help in Photoshop] gave it some color. Oh, I forgot to note that I shot this with my cell phone camera.

Ireland's Changing Skies #2 [Sky Watch Friday]

As 'advertised', I am posting more shots from the emerald isle wherein the sky ranges to brilliant blue with white puffy clouds to just bright grey. In short, we saw everything during our tour; so, there was no way to get bored.

 

This is St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. It was shot on perhaps the nicest day we experienced. 

There were  many lovely vistas along the Ring of Kerry route. 

I'm embarrassed to say that I do not remember the town in which I shot this from a short foot-bridge. Then again, that is not an important detail ---

This shot was taken just outside the Belleek Ceramic Factory [the lupins in the Arrays below were just at my back].

Ireland Arrays #2

Well, why wait -- here are the remaining 'array' images I mentioned below. These differ in that there is no diagonal feature present.

Ah yes -- we enjoyed a refreshing glass of Guinness at their distillery in Dublin. Did you know that the harp [not the Shamrock] depicted on the glass is Ireland's official symbol? Did you know that to properly serve a glass of Guinness it takes several minutes of pouring [in two stages]; and one must wait an additional several minutes to allow the air to rise?

These are kilns at the Belleek Crystal Factory,

Granted this array is in slight disorder, I have an excuse to show these lovely lupins, which are present in abundance in Ireland.

Ireland Arrays #1

Looking through our Ireland vacation photos, a new theme has emerged; viz. arrays [others might use another term to describe a scene with repeating elements]. In any event, that is something that always catches my eye, especially if shooting it also creates some diagonal line. Here are some examples. Next week I'll post a few that lack the diagonal.

This was shot in The Merry Ploughboy Pub in Donegal.

I wish there would have been a few more tour buses in the line. Those oversize side view mirrors remind me of the antennae of some insect.

Now this is not necessarily an image that one would associate with Ireland. But, as it turned out, as we were driving past a golf club, our tour guide/driver turned in to show us where he likes to golf. This shot made the little detour worthwhile for me.

After the many pit stops along the way, I finally found one that 'spoke' to me -- yep, 'beauty' in the strangest of places.