Love.

I’ve had the opportunity to assist at a couple of weddings recently and it has been a great experience. The first wedding was on the calm and formal side of the spectrum, the second more wild and crazy. But common to both was that the couple was interested in creative poses and lighting. What that means for me the assistant is that I will be carrying around lights and heavy batteries. But I can’t complain, it’s a valuable learning opportunity, it’s a good time doing something I enjoy, and the bridal party, families, bride and groom are all there to have a good time. Plus, when I am not needed with lighting, dress fluffing, or other hands on tasks, I get to turn on a camera and take my own shots. Weddings are a ton of work, and I don’t know how my friend ever used to do it alone. But, they are also a lot of fun.

The last reception hall was dimly lit and most of my shots were taken at high ISO to compensate. Thus most of the images, even if well composed, are very noisy. However, the bride and groom had a fancy holder for their toasting glasses that I was able to get close up on. Macro photography is something I hope to explore this summer. I need to investigate the capabilities of my new lens. So, if all goes well, look forward to posts related to the theme “What is it?” because often I should be able to get so close, you may not be sure.

Anyway, I digress. I want to leave you with this shot, a heart, the symbol of love. And hope perhaps you think back (or look forward) to your wedding, that special day, what many would describe as the happiest day of their lives.

Downtown Cincinnati

Sunday was photography fun day and one of the things I wanted to do was take pictures of Cincinnati. My sister-in-law lives there and was gracious enough to be my guide. We went to Mt. Adams and to the top of Carew Tower. I took panoramic sequences from Mt. Adams, but I have not yet been able to try and assemble those so that will have to wait for another post. In Mt. Adams, I found a building that had a patio on the side next to a door that was barely big enough for my tripod. Here is downtown Cincinnati seen from that spot.

The top of Carew Tower is an amazing spot. And apparently not well known. At least not to people outside of Cincinnati. I've lived in Dayton my whole life and not heard of it. It has an observation deck 50 stories up. It's high enough without feeling crazy high like the Handcock building in Chicago for comparison. The whole deck is open air with a wall and railing. You are not caged in. You can bend over and look straight down. Here are some of the views.

To the West (The tangle of concrete that is our interstate highways):
To the West (again):
To the NE (These old buildings are my favorite):
To the SE: ( Leeeeeeeannnning over the edge :-) - Don't look down! )