ronaldwebb

IMG_4085

Abandoned auto illuminated by window-light found in a barn in Shaniko, Oregon

Abandoned auto illuminated by window-light found in a barn in Shaniko, Oregon
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Feb, 2018

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574

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+62

Awards

Contest Finalist in Anything Vintage Photo Contest

Peer Award

+15

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Absolute Masterpiece

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Behind The Lens

Location

This image was shot in the charming Oregon ghost town, Shaniko. I found this visual treasure buried in a dark corner of an old barn.

Time

Typically, I shoot early morning and late day scenes. Sometimes my travels force me to shoot at less desirable hours, but I'm always looking for light that enhances the scene. Because this particular scene was found indoors, the time of day was not a critical component of the shooting. It was shot around midday.

Lighting

The primary (and most appealing) source of light was the indirect sunlight coming from an acute angle through an old open wood shuttered window. The light coming through the barn doors behind me was less significant, but did provide a very slight amount fill light on the shadowed areas.

Equipment

My tripod goes with me everywhere and this was a time I was grateful to have it with me. To keep people out of the area, it was sealed off by a large wire fence. I had to find a way to get the tripod close enough to stick the lens through the wire opening.The camera was a Canon 5D with a 24-70mm f-2.8L Canon lens. The exposure time was several seconds, because I had the lens closed down to f-22 to get a large depth of field.

Inspiration

What immediately caught my attention was the texture and mood created by the acute light angle on the dimly lit decaying vehicle. I'm a sucker for texture and long tonal range scenes.

Editing

Post processing was relatively simple for this image. I predominantly use Adobe Lightroom do develop my RAW image files. To create a more timeless feel, I converted the image to B&W. This was one of those images that needed the shadow areas lightened a little to reveal the subtle details.

In my camera bag

While I am a big fan of prime lenses, I do find a zoom gives me greater flexibility in composing many shots. Typically, I carry 2 camera bodies (1 full frame and 1 crop factor) and lenses that range from 8mm to 400mm and a 1.4x teleconverter. Bodies come and go, but I buy the best/highest quality lenses I can afford. As I mentioned before, a tripod is an essential tool for my work.

Feedback

Ghost towns and national landmarks are fun places to photograph, but crowds can destroy the quiet/abandoned feel you may be wanting to achieve. Try going to them during the mid-week and also during less popular times of the year. I have had to patient many times to wait for people to get out of the scenes. Tripods open up opportunities that are lost when the light is limited. Also, when others see a camera on a tripod, they become more aware of you and try to avoid interfering with your shot.

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ronaldwebb

ronaldwebb

IMG_4085

Abandoned auto illuminated by window-light found in a barn in Shaniko, Oregon

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow ronaldwebb

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