# Montgomery



## ronlane (Jan 11, 2014)

Trying to get up on Saturday mornings and go for photowalks. Trying to make it a habit even if it is winter and the weather isn't great. Well this morning was cold but the sun came out and made for a nice walk. There is a couple of the one I liked best.

1) Montgomery




Stockyard-downtown walk-84 by Ron_Lane, on Flickr

2) Box mine up.




Stockyard-downtown walk-45 by Ron_Lane, on Flickr


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## Derrel (Jan 11, 2014)

There's just something about vintage signs that I find interesting. I have no idea why--I just find them interesting.


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## ronlane (Jan 11, 2014)

I tend you agree with you on that one.


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## Woodsman (Jan 11, 2014)

Agree completely on the sign, wonderful to see


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## pgriz (Jan 11, 2014)

Ron, I admire your determination.  I have the camera with me most of the time, but usually it is just a passenger as we drive from one appointment to another, from one assignment to another urgent task.  To have the luxury of not having to be somewhere, and to be able to stop the car and to explore a photographic opportunity, is something that I savour when it occurs.  

I love old signs.  The type-faces are different, as are the phrases and key words.  The iconography reflects a simpler time, with less doubt and less cynicism.  The pitches are less polished, more earnest.  The signs should be recorded before their disrepair condemns them to be torn down and replaced.


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## ronlane (Jan 11, 2014)

Thanks pgriz. I have decided that I'll get up on Saturday mornings before sunrise and take an hour or two and then go home and spend the day with the family. I too carry mine almost everywhere I go. Sadly, I don't always get it out either since I travel the same road 5 days a week. They are really building up some of the parts of downtown OKC, so I have been going out and walking around it the last two weekends. I figure that I can continue to go as the seasons change. Should be a fun year.


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## Bender (Jan 11, 2014)

I love old signs too.  There's a car dealer near me with a nice old neon Pontiac sign I always mean to get a shot of.

#1 has pleasing tones to it.


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## tirediron (Jan 11, 2014)

Nice, especially #2!


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## ronlane (Jan 11, 2014)

Thanks John. I just added a third picture that is growing on me.


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## pgriz (Jan 11, 2014)

Yes, there is some good material in #3 - but you'll have to figure out how to tame the halos.  Are you using Photoshop or something similar?  If so, perhaps working with masks will help you get the right blending.  I've just started to learn how to use these and they seem to greatly improve my ability to determine which parts of the pictures get which effect.


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## ronlane (Jan 11, 2014)

pgriz said:


> Yes, there is some good material in #3 - but you'll have to figure out how to tame the halos.  Are you using Photoshop or something similar?  If so, perhaps working with masks will help you get the right blending.  I've just started to learn how to use these and they seem to greatly improve my ability to determine which parts of the pictures get which effect.



You are right. I went back in to work on it and lost the halo and I think I slightly changed some of the other processing. Better?




Old or New? by Ron_Lane, on Flickr


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## ronlane (Jan 13, 2014)

One more b&w from Saturday.




Stockyards b&amp;w by Ron_Lane, on Flickr


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## timor (Jan 13, 2014)

tirediron said:


> Nice, especially #2!


Agree with that, it is more interesting photo. Nice angle and perspective, just wish the DoF behind the sign was smaller. I think more softness over there would bring the sign forward and increase the feel of space. BG is quite busy, I would attempt to dodge it a bit, just to see, how this feels.


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## charlie76 (Jan 13, 2014)

Yep...I can dig it. Very geometrical compositions. Lines, angles, patterns are where it's at brotha!! Perfect for B&W...I'd say that was a worthwhile walk.


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## ronlane (Jan 13, 2014)

timor said:


> tirediron said:
> 
> 
> > Nice, especially #2!
> ...



Thanks timor. I can see your point on the background. I wasn't really thinking about that at the time. When I have been out walking, I have been setting the camera to AV and putting the Aperture on f/8. I'll be back down there soon and will try it again with a wider aperture.



charlie76 said:


> Yep...I can dig it. Very geometrical compositions. Lines, angles, patterns are where it's at brotha!! Perfect for B&W...I'd say that was a worthwhile walk.



Thanks Charlie. Wow, don't recall seeing you around for a while. Thanks for commenting.


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## timor (Jan 13, 2014)

ronlane said:


> Thanks timor. I can see your point on the background. I wasn't really thinking about that at the time. When I have been out walking, I have been setting the camera to AV and putting the Aperture on f/8. I'll be back down there soon and will try it again with a wider aperture.


:thumbup: 
Walking around with the camera and taking shots is a good practice of scouting. If, off course, one can come back to this places. That enhances "photographic eye".


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## ronlane (Jan 13, 2014)

I live about 25 minutes from there and have been there the last two Saturday mornings walking different areas. The area there is big enough that you could walk different areas in different seasons and conditions and get lots of good stuff.

I have been going in the mornings before most people are up and around, I need to go back in the evening and stay into the night and bring a tripod.


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## timor (Jan 13, 2014)

Have a fun and good "hunting".


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## Rick58 (Jan 13, 2014)

Nicely done Ron. I wish I could get back that drive. Digital has made me lazy


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## ronlane (Jan 13, 2014)

Rick, I'm just about to reach the two year mark of my photography. So there is still tons to learn.


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## timor (Jan 13, 2014)

Rick58 said:


> I wish I could get back that drive. Digital has made me lazy


^^^^This this, that that.^^
 Only one way to go - back to film !


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## Rick58 (Jan 13, 2014)

I was 12 (55 now) when I setup my first "darkroom". It was a corner of our basement closed off by some hanging tarps. Leaked light like a sieve...LOL  All I could do was make 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 contact prints because I didn't have an enlarger. I could have used my dads permanent darkroom, but I wanted my own with my own equipment. Which came out of the permanent darkroom, of course 
Enjoy it Ron. It can be a life long obsession


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## Rick58 (Jan 13, 2014)

timor said:


> Rick58 said:
> 
> 
> > I wish I could get back that drive. Digital has made me lazy
> ...



 ya know... Before I went on my WOW Chew shoot, I warmed up a roll of the 120 BN400CN and found my new seal kit for my RB. I thought, meh, this is too much work, I'll just grab to ETRS. Dragged out the Bronica, blew off the dust and put in a fresh battery from my last lapse of sanity. All systems go. Lets go shoot some film.... I grabbed the Df and out the door I went


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## timor (Jan 13, 2014)

Rick58 said:


> timor said:
> 
> 
> > Rick58 said:
> ...


:thumbup:


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## pgriz (Jan 13, 2014)

Rick, "sanity" is over-rated.    The so-called "crazies" have a much richer life.


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## ronlane (Jan 13, 2014)

timor said:


> tirediron said:
> 
> 
> > Nice, especially #2!
> ...



timor, how about this? I see exactly what you mean and I will be going back to reshoot this one. I added Gaussian blur to it and then masked it off.


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## timor (Jan 14, 2014)

Aha ! The sign popped out nicely. But TBH this is a bit too much, especially on the fore plan. I think the building to which the sign belong to should be still sharp as they are together. If you get to reshooting it maybe try to find such a hyperfocal distance to render front plan in acceptable sharpness and just the background creamy. That will keep the viewer still in reality but will add tremendous 3D feel. Right now it is very dreamy. I am not using digital enhancements, but I am using filters. one of them is giving sharp center and the rest is blurred in exactly same way. Filter (cokin) came from the arsenal of ex wedding photographer.  Something like this:
Filters for Photographic Lenses - Creative FIlters - www.cokin.co,.k


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## ronlane (Jan 14, 2014)

Thanks timor. I struggled with how much of the building to show in focus and with how much blur to put in there. I'm not going to mess with it any more, I'm just going to go reshoot it soon.


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## timor (Jan 14, 2014)

:thumbup: This particular frame is really promising. Can you make also one more general shot of the whole area ? Just to see the whole settings. Another question, what is your shortest lens ? I have to confess, I am ultrawide sucker (19-24 on FF,) and I would try to get as close to this sign as possible (I guess from bellow ) and shoot it with a max aperture. Plus (I duno if possible with digital) I would try to put the BG in zone 7 keeping the sign lower, ideally 2 zones. But it not always works well, ultrawide, red filter and pleasing perspective is not easy to coordinate.  Sorry for talking too much, it is really good find with potential for a pleasing photograph, a wall hanger.


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## ronlane (Jan 14, 2014)

28mm is as wide as I currently have. I'm starting to see the uses for some ultrawide lenses but haven't found the one I want to get just yet. (I want to upgrade that 28-135mm first, the 24-105 L.)


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## timor (Jan 14, 2014)

ronlane said:


> 28mm is as wide as I currently have. I'm starting to see the uses for some ultrawide lenses but haven't found the one I want to get just yet. (I want to upgrade that 28-135mm first, the 24-105 L.)


I have a little easier life with that, lenses with SR, FD and M42 mounts are not plentiful, but relatively cheap. I am still hunting for K-mount 20mm, can't find any.


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