Tom and I want to celebrate the great images being created on our workshops by posting a photograph each month from one of our workshops that best captures the environment or people of that location.
Congratulations to September’s photographer – Joe Campbell
The Story:
“We were doing the iconic shots of the Blue Swallow Motel – the larger view of everything. I had the 1951 Pontiac, the office, the sign, storm clouds, the painting of Route 66 on the driveway. I was very happy with that.
I decided to focus on something simple,. My parents had a Pontiac with Chief Pontiac on the front, which lit up when the head lights were turned on. I took some photos with reflections of the neon lights on the car. Then I turned the other way and used the black mailbox to create the dark background. With the 70-300, I just crouched down a bit and the mailbox was like a black curtain. It provided good separation from the bigger scene.”
The Location:
The Blue Swallow Motel is great! I loved the atmosphere at night….sitting around the neon and having a relaxing drink.
They had the Hudson and the 51 Pontiac. It was great that they changed them out for photographic purposes.
The Data: Nikon D850, 70-300mm lens 1/125 at f8 ISO 800
Photo Tip from the Photographer:
Get the big picture first. Then move in and focus on single things. Look for neon reflections in the windows and rain puddles. I shot Chief Pontiac several different ways. The black background was my favorite.
On the Horizon:
- Back to the Chilkat Eagle Preserve in Haines, Alaska
- Northern Lights in Fairbanks
- Costa Rica (for the third time)
How much do you know about Route 66? Check out the following from the History Channel: 8 Things You May Not Know About Route 66