Palm Springs Windfarm

**GB1** · 03-11-2008, 10:40 PM

Taken on the same trip to Joshua Tree, I find this spot having incredible potential, but I've never been able to get really good shots there either. Maybe sunrise/sunset might be best, but the mountains there are very high and might block the sun during those times.

Anyways - Kodachrome 64 film.

G

DrRoebuck · 03-11-2008, 10:46 PM

As far as I'm concerned, you nailed it.

agtaylor · 03-11-2008, 11:10 PM

I actually really like it. Sunrise or sunset could be cool but think this works quite well. Forwarded a link to my brother who might start working in renewable energy.

AgingEyes · 03-11-2008, 11:11 PM

I'm not sure about the positioning of the turbines though.

**GB1** · 03-12-2008, 10:20 AM

Thks for commenting fellows. What about the actual image quality? Looks very 'dulled' out to me. Maybe I should have used my GND filter and gotten some of the foreground detail?

AG, so do you think there's simply better positions for them in the picture, or .?

Gb

DrRoebuck · 03-12-2008, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GB1

Thks for commenting fellows. What about the actual image quality? Looks very 'dulled' out to me. Maybe I should have used my GND filter and gotten some of the foreground detail?

AG, so do you think there's simply better positions for them in the picture, or .?

Gb

You're shooting into the sun so I don't know what else you could expect. But the effect works for me, especially since we can still see the mountains in the background.

jorger101 · 03-12-2008, 01:22 PM

I like your image very much. Don't change a thing. I had seen those windmills from the freeway before and they look quite impressive. I think that your composition is perfect and your image quality is more than adequate for a backlit photograph.

Ptax · 03-12-2008, 03:17 PM

Tasty shot. I like the way it highlights two of our renewable resources- wind and solar.

"No place is boring, if you've had a good night's sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film." - Robert Adams, Darkroom & Creative Camera Techniques , Page: 37
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**GB1** · 03-12-2008, 10:44 PM

Thanks everyone - for taking a look and providing feedback!

DrRoebuck, yeah I guess a silhouette will almost always have very high contrast. It sure seems frozen to me, which isn't bad. But I'm getting more ideas: maybe next time I'll bring some ND filters and slow down the shutter enough to get a little rotation blur on the blades.

Thanks jorger101 and Ptax. Did you know they're adding more of these things all over the place? There's a number of them east of San Diego now, and I've heard Oregon has a bunch.

Here's a few more shots,

AgingEyes · 03-12-2008, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GB1

Here's a few more shots,

I like the second one better. Not perfect (blades clipped and the windmill is leaning) but has a bigger impact than the other does. The sun behind it and the ring don't hurt either. Guess Robert Capa was right

Oh, colors kind of dull though, as you said

**Greg McCary** · 03-13-2008, 02:58 AM

Nice work GB. I really like the first one. I am sure it would make a great print. Awesome colors and lighting. Do you do your own scans?

**GB1** · 03-13-2008, 09:13 AM

AG - So what did Robert Capa say (between dodging bullets and crying while looking at the burnt b&w d-day shots)?

Greg - Thanks and yeah I do my own scanning using a nikon coolscan 9000. Decided awhile ago that if I was going to get them the way I wanted them I'd have to buy a high-quality scanner. The 9000 is very exp due to its medium format capability but since I use that film, didn't have much choice :/

AgingEyes · 03-13-2008, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GB1

AG - So what did Robert Capa say (between dodging bullets and crying while looking at the burnt b&w d-day shots)?

"If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough"

The original pic you posted, I found two of the windmills too close to the frame of the photo. Not sure what you could do when you were there.

**GB1** · 03-13-2008, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AgingEyes

"If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough"

The original pic you posted, I found two of the windmills too close to the frame of the photo. Not sure what you could do when you were there.

I agree: the windmills are pretty close to the frame. I was waiting for someone to mention that..

Yeah, but Capa's pix were photo-journalistic. Thinking about that, I would think you would want to be in close to show a lots of facial expressions, mood, action,.. bullets exiting people's heads... stuff like that. I guess there's different approaches with different areas of photography. I sort of find Tuna's shots more like Capa's - a fair amt of humanism, and something I need to work on, to inject into my scenes.

Poor Capa, though... risked his life to land with the combat troops at Normandy, then a lab tech fries most of his film. Arrgg. The few that came out were good though.

Gb

AgingEyes · 03-13-2008, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GB1

I agree: the windmills are pretty close to the frame. I was waiting for someone to mention that..

The Emperor's New Clothes

Quote:

Yeah, but Capa's pix were photo-journalistic...

On page 196 of the fifth edition of the book Photojournalism by Kenneth Kobre, it mentions a Joe Elbert, an assistant managing editor for photography at the Washington Post and his dividing of photographs into four hierarchical categories:

1. Informational
2. graphically appealing
3. emotional
4. intimate

With purely informational pictures fall into the lowest category.

Perhaps something to think about.

**GB1** · 03-14-2008, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AgingEyes

The Emperor's New Clothes

On page 196 of the fifth edition of the book Photojournalism by Kenneth Kobre, it mentions a Joe Elbert, an assistant managing editor for photography at the Washington Post and his dividing of photographs into four hierarchical categories:

1. Informational
2. graphically appealing
3. emotional
4. intimate

With purely informational pictures fall into the lowest category.

Perhaps something to think about.

I might have to pick up that book. I'm guessing that 75% of my shots are graphically appealing and 24% are informational.

But I'm always looking for something new.

**gahspidy** · 03-15-2008, 02:06 PM

Love the original image posted, GB1. Perhaps a bit more frame on the left side could improve but for me this is fine. Looks to be a great stock photo as well as something to frame. I like the subtle color and tones and would not change a thing.
The second vertical shot you posted is also very good. Clipped blades and all, it works for me. the colors is moody as well as the exposure. Looks like you nailed it well.
good work here.

Herriot · 03-15-2008, 08:19 PM

Fantastic, really like this and I think you have nailed it on your first shot, it is a very ominous scene, love the colours of the hills and the sky and the small windmills in the distance, great stuff, congratulations on the sticky.

PrevailingConditions · 03-15-2008, 09:29 PM

Hi GB - Man, I wander off and get busy and you post a great shot and get a sticky too! Congratulations.

I really like the shot. It has a lot of nice layers and tones. I also like how you've positioned the windmills like flowers with a bunch of "little" ones along the bottom. I also like the sun behind the main windmill - it gives it a sense of power which the windmill ultimately provides. Well done.

PC

freedom1500 · 03-16-2008, 03:52 PM

The first one you posted is excellent. The gradated tones in the background are so smooth they almost look airbrushed. Beautiful composition. I wouldn't change anything. Good stuff. Congratulations on the Sticky.

**GB1** · 03-16-2008, 07:14 PM

Thks everyone. The Sticky was a big surprise.

Glad you liked it Gary, I think it retrospect that I would add a little more space on the left and right sides, though if I remember I couldn't do that because I was at the widest focal length on the zoom (stepping back farther and I would have lost the sun position). To me it still seems a bit dulled but I guess that's compensated somewhat by the sun and geometry.

Herriot, thanks, the little ones look like blades of grass, eh? Do they have any in Singapore? Might look good against a very blue sky and/ or the water.

Thks PC and Freedom. Took awhile, maybe about 1/2 dozen separate shootings, before I finally thought of framing the windmill head against the sun.

Gb

**Greg McCary** · 03-16-2008, 07:29 PM

Nice work GB, enjoy your time at the top.

drewphotograph · 03-17-2008, 07:56 PM

uh i like the third photo, it's so great, turbin with rounded glare.
the first image i think not enough contrast, it look plain.

Coastal Flyer · 03-18-2008, 07:44 PM

GB:

Congrats on a really nice photo. I think you captured this unique subject with a special feel. Might be worth a print and frame job. Congrats on the sticky. Most deserving.

CF

**GB1** · 03-19-2008, 11:01 AM

Greg - thks, I'm lovin' it

Drew - yeah, I agree, it is sort of plain which is normally bad. But I guess part of the shot is its plainness.. (if that makes any sense). I wish I could have gotten the two side windmills farther into the middle, seems kind of vacant like it is...

CF - I might print it. I want to work on it some more first though.. somehow inject more impact. Not sure how, yet..

G

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