Breakers wine cellar
DMC-G85
Aperture 50/10 ISO 3200 Shutter 10/100 Focal Length 310/10 
Newport, Rhode Island, US
May, 2018Views
147
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Awards
People's Choice in Wine Cellar Photo Challenge
People's Choice in Adult Beverages Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Top Choice
Superb Composition
All Star
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the wine cellar at the Breakers, the Cornelius Vanderbilt mansion in Newport, Rhode Island.Time
This was the last stop on our "Under the Breakers" tour of the basement areas of the mansion, so it would have been late morning.Lighting
There was a surprising amount of light for a wine cellar. In the upper left corner of the photo you can see a window, evidence that this wine cellar was never intended for long term storage of a wine collection, but was used for short term storage of wine for consumption during the summer party season. In addition to the ample natural light from the window, there were also electric lights along the ceiling of the room, providing a mixed illumination that helped prevent strong shadows.Equipment
I shot this photo using my Lumix G-85 mirrorless camera with an Olympus 14-150 mm zoom lens mounted. This is a handheld shot and the camera's built in image stabilization provided the clear shot, even with the 1/10 second exposure.Inspiration
During our "Under the Breakers" tour, I was looking for interesting elements of the building's infrastructure to photograph. The tour focused on the heating and electrical infrastructures, as well as the use of these basement spaces by the servants. The final stop on the tour was the wine cellar, which had only recently been opened for the first time since the last summer season the mansion was used by the Vanderbilts, in the 1930s. The cellar had apparently been stocked with champagne for the final season, but the parties were canceled and the champagne never consumed. When the room was opened again, the corks had shrunk and most of the champagne had leaked out, so that bottles were set upright on the shelves for display. It was an interesting story, and I was trying to capture a good view of these abandoned bottles, which provide a physical connection back to the gilded age parties that once characterized this town. My angles were limited by the barrier at the doorway, so I framed the shot as well as I could using the display on the camera and took several shots.Editing
While this photo was taken using a digital filter built into the camera, no subsequent post-processing was performed after the photo was taken.In my camera bag
When I travel, I carry my camera (these days, the Lumix G-85) and a small selection of lenses. On this trip I had the Olympus 14-150 mm zoom lens, a 35 mm prime lens and a 87 mm macro lens. I also make sure to carry an extra battery or two, after having had the bad luck of having the battery die just before we took off on a hot air balloon ride.Feedback
When touring a historic location, listen to the stories the guides share. Sometimes the stories can suggest interesting photo ideas, identify otherwise easily overlooked items, or otherwise inspire shots. This particular shot would not have been possible only months earlier, before the wine cellar had finally been re-opened.
