Goodbye! I'm moving!

I will no longer be adding material to this blog. To follow my photos and thoughts on Cincinnati, please visit my project at Curious Cincinnati. For everything else, visit me at Rob Amend Photography.

Carew Tower--Week 3

This week, I spent some more time inside the Netherland Plaza, trying to get some better shots with a different lens. I initially came in with a Canon 28/2.8 but I wasn't too happy with the results. I really wasn't getting enough of the room I wanted to shoot, and the sharpness wasn't that great, to boot. I decided that I would need to use a tripod, so I opted to bring in my 14-45. It's not very fast, but the should offset that problem.

Orchids at Palm Court

Apollo Room

Continental Room

Hall of Mirrors

Entrance to Hall of Mirrors Balcony

Importance of "The Ask"

I have reached a ceiling in my photographic progress. It's not an artistic ceiling, or a technical one. It's not about money for new gear, either.

It's a relational ceiling.

I have a difficult time asking people for things. I had always thought of it as shyness, but I've come to see that it's really a form of pride. I don't want to be seen as lacking or incomplete in any way. I want to be self-sufficient. Self-made. Self-reliant. This inability to include others in my narrative, to have additional names in the credit reel of my life, is pride.

I have goals for my photography beyond taking "pretty pictures". There are things that I want to capture and preserve. There are things I want to illustrate and draw attention to. There are concepts I want to convey. I can only do so much of that with what I have.

I need to be able to ask people for access to buildings and properties. I need to ask strangers for their photographs. I need to ask friends for the chance to take their portraits. I need to ask people to let me into their lives to show what they are going through. I need to ask for help on photo shoots. I need to ask if I can help with a photo shoot. I need to ask people to pay for my photos. Until I do, these are all obstacles to my progress as a photographer.

In order to overcome this reticence, I must create the habit of asking.

Carew Tower--Week 2

This week, I spent some time with a longer lens, grabbing closer shots of the building, and focusing on detail inside and outside.

The detail inside the building is incredible. There is some interesting ornamentation on the outside, but really the emphasis there is on vertical growth and modern materials. Inside the building, you can see the extravagant foray into 20th century modernity.

The lighting in the arcade area is amazing. You can see some of the detail on the perimeter lighting--the stylized golden leaf themes above the fixtures, and the mixtures of gold, reds and browns. The center of the arcade ceiling has a silver colored ceiling with crossing, metallic strips, bouncing light off of the ceiling.

Along the "skywalk" portion of the arcade, there are a number of art deco reliefs, showing stylized figures in classic poses. The accompanying technological elements reveal the art deco merging of art with machine.

As you exit the arcade are towards the west entrance, you pass through a large doorway, outlined with a large swath of Rookwood tile--an element you find in a number of Cincinnati buildings, and a welcome addition to such an art deco masterpiece.


Finally, as you glance at the shop entrances on the west corridor of that arcade, you will see these stylish light fixtures on warm wood panels. Keep in mind that all of this detail is just in the arcade area where the shops are in the plaza. I hope to show you some of the detail in the Hilton itself in a few days!

Carew Tower--Week 1

For my first week, I used My Lumix G5 and the 14-45mm kit lens that came with my G1. I took a few shots up close, but most of my shots came from a couple of blocks out, as I tried to situate the building in its own neighborhood.

I did manage to take a couple of shots inside the Tower Place Mall, emphasizing the layout from one of the walkways where you can see some of the Rookwood tiling on the walls. I also tried to vary the foreground of the exterior shots, looking for architectural elements to frame the building. 

You'll note that I also experimented with treatments and processing, varying black and white with color, and using different filters and processing options.

The building was completed in 1930, and is one of many art deco treasures found in Cincinnati. Some of this will become more evident as I begin to post detail shots of the interior and exterior next week. Until then, enjoy this collection of photos from last week's walks.

Challenged Already by Shooting One Subject!

Carew Tower Framed by Contemporary Arts Center

Today was only my third day of shooting the Carew Tower, and I'm already challenged. This is okay, though, because that was one of my goals with this project. In order to really complete this project, I will have to move beyond the low hanging fruit. I will have to stretch myself to do some things I'm not comfortable doing.

My first efforts have been pretty typical for me. I have been trying to walk around the tower to find different perspectives. I will be using different lenses to gain some different perspectives, as well.

There are other ways to change my shooting perspective. One option, using a wide lens, is to go further from the tower and grab glimpses of it in its urban setting. I could also find an elevated spot to shoot from--like a garage, or a neighboring building. Approaching managers and owners of these neighboring buildings would stretch me a bit, too.

Apart from using other lenses and changing my shooting perspective, there are a few things I can do to change things up a bit: shoot at different times of day; find people to get in the shots (that would stretch me a bit); get in close and focus on detail; shoot the interior; try for some silhouettes in the morning or evening.

Other variables will just happen naturally. The weather will be one factor that can add some interest. Changes in access patterns downtown will also impact shooting opportunities. A festival or two could make things interesting, as well. 

Carew Tower in Black and White

Carew Tower in Black and White, a photo by Referenceace--Switching Gears on Flickr.

I've begun a new project!

For the next few months, I will be taking daily photos of Cincinnati's Carew Tower during my work week. I will try different lenses, add other tools, focus on wide shots of the skyline, shots of just the tower, details, interiors, and people, if I get the shot. There will be many midday shots, and a smattering of evening an morning shots, as well as shots from the observation deck.

This is really just a way to get adjusted to my new camera, and to learn a bit about the different approaches I can take on a single subject.

I will post as many of these shots as I can on my Pinterest page, as well as on Flickr.

The Numbers Game

The "Numbers Game" is a losing game. I spend way too much time looking for a virtual pat on the head, and not as much time as I need to improve my photos. I want to share my photos, but why? Is it some competitive streak in me to be better without really working harder?

I put a photo up, hoping for numbers--some kind of positive feedback. Then, disappointed with my results, I post another photo that requires the same effort, hoping for different results. When the results are the same, I try a different social network--or perhaps more social networks.

If I spent more time making my photos better and less time posting them and checking the stats, I would progress more quickly. I know that.

I think that I don't feel that my photos have any worth unless they're recognized. If I felt more secure about my photography, I would probably just quietly go about with improving, and let the chips fall where they may.

Here is a video by Matthew Coughlin that sums it up quite nicely: