Tag Archives: pedestrians

Black and White, Cameras, Medium Format Cameras, Photography, Washington DC

Commuter Diary Part 2

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Another installment in the commuter diary. I’m debating if they really belong in the series because there are some things (the buildings and other static structures) that are relatively sharp, and it’s just the moving objects (people and cars) that are less distinct. They are also not so much from a public transit perspective as they are a pedestrian perspective. For now, while I build the project, they’re in, but they may come out later.

Street Crossing, Rain
Street Crossing, Rain

These two definitely belong together, and they definitely feel like walking home at night in the rain. Waiting for the light to change, traffic zipping by.

Lone Pedestrian
Lone Pedestrian

Here a lone pedestrian waits for the light on the other side of the street, while the ghostly blurs of other pedestrians pass by on their way to other places and times. But even she is not clear, because she waits resonant with expectation for the changing of the signal.

Cameras, Color, Digital cameras, Night-time, Photography, Washington DC

Night Shots – Playing in Traffic

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I was coming home from class out at Glen Echo, and had the 5D in the front seat with me. I was feeling bored sitting at traffic lights, and decided to play with long time exposures.

Street Crossing - At the Light
Street Crossing – At the Light

This first one was hand-held, balanced on the steering wheel, while waiting at the light. The exposure is long enough that only the reflectors in the bike wheels, lit by my headlights, and the legs of pedestrians who passed through their beams, recorded.

Following Traffic #1
Following Traffic #1
Following Traffic #2
Following Traffic #2
Following Traffic #3 - Traffic Circle
Following Traffic #3 – Traffic Circle

I realize taking these shots was a bit insane, but I wanted to see what I could get with motion blur of the buildings and oncoming lights, while keeping the vehicle I was following sharp. The following bit didn’t work so well (for that I need some kind of brace I can clamp to the center console), but I think the results are pretty darned cool anyway.

Panning - Pedestrian Crossing #1
Panning – Pedestrian Crossing #1
Panning - Pedestrian Crossing #2
Panning – Pedestrian Crossing #2

Two more shots from stoplights, watching pedestrians cross. In these cases, though, I was aiming for following the pedestrians. These would have been good candidates for second-curtain flash, but I was in the car, driving, and I don’t have a convertible to hold the flash out the top. So more cool experiments result. And all the more justification for getting a convertible!