The Wandering Photographer

Photo Friday: Catch the Detail

You know how sometimes a scene or an object catches your eye, but when you see the photo it doesn't look as good as you remember? Me too. Last week, while on a Photowalk in Royal Oak, MI, I came upon a mural on the side of a building. It was a piece of art as well as a sign for the store.

The Colors really caught my eye but the photo just didn't do it justice. Too cluttered with the pole, tree and parking meter. Fortunately I made some detail shots of the mural.

First I zoomed in on the "Devil." Better but still not so great.

 

Then I went for the Skull. Much better! Let's see what else I got.

 

Zooming in even more I isolated some graphic elements of the poster. Yep I like this one.

 

And here is the one I like the best. I think the graphic elements and the bright colors make the shots. So there you have it five different views of the same subject. What do you think?

Thanks to Debbie at Delicious Baby for hosting Photo Friday.

© 2009 Tim Marks all rights reserved

Photo Friday: Cruisin' Woodward

When the Detroit boys returned from WW II they had a real desire to show off their cars.  Auto production resumed full speed ahead with the 1946 model year and Americans hit the road.  From the late 1940s until the mid 70s Detroit teenagers made a weekly habit of cruising up and down metro Detroit's main drag, Woodward Ave.  Starting at Teds Drive-in near McNichols the cruisers ran all the way to Ted's Drive-in at Square Lake (yup "Ted's to Ted's") 18 miles up the road.  They made regular stops along the way at restaurants and drive-ins like the Wigwam, Suzy Q’s, the Totem Pole, and Peabody’s showing off their rides and looking to impress the girls.  The drive-ins are long gone but the love of cars still lives.

Today we recreate those storied weekends by celebrating the largest single day classic car event in the world, the Woodward Dream Cruise.  In excess of one million people will line Woodward for 12 hours on Saturday to watch the stream of Mustangs, GTOs, Firebirds, Corvettes and the occasional souped up ’39 Ford, over 30,000 classic cars in all.  Needless to say it is a great event for photography.

Nikon D1x, Tamron 24-135mm @ 75mm, ISO 125, 1/320 @ f/5.6

This image was made  from the passenger seat (shot into the side view mirror) of a 2002 Ford Thunderbird and we cruised the strip. 

Nikon D1x, Tamron 24-135mm @ 55mm, ISO 125, 1/640 @ f/5.6

Brightly painted classic hotrods can be seen along the route.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-70mm @ 70mm, ISO 200, 1/800 @ f/9

Enthusiasts trick out the interior as well as the exterior of their “babies”.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-70mm @ 70mm, ISO 200, 1/2500 @ f/4.5

Reds, yellows, oranges and other bright colors predominate as the point is to draw attention to your car.

As far as I’m concerned, the Dream Cruise is a fine excuse for a party and an even better excuse to get the camera out and shoot away.

Thanks to Debbie of Delicious Baby for organizing Photo Friday and spreading such wonderful images across the Web.

© Tim Marks all rights reserved

Detroit Photo Exhibition at Bean & Leaf Café

flyer design by Rebecca_Mich (flickr)

The local photography group Exposure.Detroit is presenting an exhibition of member photographs at the Bean and Leaf Café on Main Street in Downtown Royal Oak.  I am honored to have one of my images included in the show.

The exhibition, entitled "Detroit, Let Us Show You Around," is meant to highlight the character and value of the city of Detroit.  Each picture will be accompanied by a narrative that will showcase something about Detroit that is worthwhile and worth seeing.  Hopefully the show will inspire people to head into the city and enjoy its amenities.

The opening party is this Friday, August 7^th from 7:00pm – 10:00pm and the show will run for about 3 months.

All are welcome to the party to help to celebrate the D!

© Tim Marks all right reserved

Favorite Metro Detroit Blogs

Last week I wrote about some of my favorite photography related blogs, I hope the list was helpful to everyone.  Photography is not my only interest, so, this week, I thought I would note some of the blogs I regularly read that are not photo related (though they often include some very nice images). 

Today I’ll talk about blogs from some great writers from metro Detroit.

I enjoy cooking but I am not terribly creative at the stove so I need ideas and recipes.  One great source is The Cultured Cook.  Lisa concentrates on healthy and affordable meals with an emphasis on taste and flair.  She presents recipes, book reviews and articles about any food related theme.  This is a great place to get a recipe or just read about the importance of natural and locally grown foods.  Go here to get ideas for your next meal.

Get Lisa’s advice at The Cultured Cook

What to do, where to go.  A great place for suggestions is the Urbane Life Blog.  Started as an attempt to create an on-line community for a group of apartment building, the blog has become a source for information and entertainment for a wider community.  Written by a group of talented and diverse contributors Urbane Life covers events, restaurants, life in the D and occasionally, political issues. 

Find out what to do at Urbane Life Blog

Do you travel in the Midwest?  If so, Midwest Guest is a must read.  Dominique writes about places to go, things to do and music to hear.  Whether it’s Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio or other points in the Midwest, this is the place to check it out.  Here you can get great ideas for B&Bs, hiking trails, lighthouses and music festivals.  Before taking a trip to the Midwest be sure to check out Midwest Guest. 

Get Dominique’s insight at Midwest Guest

Last but not least is  Detroit Moxie, a blog about Detroit written with such love and enthusiasm that you will want to come back time after time.  Becks grew up in metro Detroit and has recently returned after a stint living in England.  Becks writes about events and places but the best articles are about her deep love of Detroit and its people.  She presents the metro area as vibrant, exciting and cool.  All of us who live here thank Becks for reminding us how great this town is.

Read Becks’ thoughts on the D at  Detroit Moxie

Ok that’s it for today.  Wednesday I’ll write about my favorite history relates blogs.  See ya then!

© Tim Marks all rights reserved