BALLARD LOCKS
To say that I am happy to be back in Seattle is an understatement! I have missed going to some of my favorite spots, one of them being the Ballard Locks. The last time that I visited the Locks, my world was quite different, first, I didn’t have a son, and second, I was still shooting on a Canon and it was a DSLR. Today was a bit tricky weather wise as the sky was overcast and it was raining for the majority of the day but I got lucky enough to get a short window of dry weather so that I could get a few shots in. As you most likely know by now, I love leading lines and this channel dock offered plenty of them. I am fairly pleased with this photo, though I think it could have been better if there was a boat present.
This one is probably my favorite photo from the day, the sky was cooperating, the water reflection even with turbulent waters , and the framing all turned out exactly as I had hoped. I have found myself becoming more and more interested in architectural photography as of late, especially when it comes to historic buildings. This is another photography style that I don’t have a ton of experience in, but I find myself exploring and getting better and better at.
I decided to mess around with some close up shots, in this case I was interested in the giant hydraulic arms that controlled the Lock’s gates. What I love about this particular photo is all of the textures in it, from the sea water growth, to the rust to the metal and paint, I tailored my editing of this photo to eventuate all of those different textures and the colors they produce.
This trip to the Locks was extra special as it was my first time visiting the Locks with my son. He had a great time watching the fish swim through the windows and especially enjoyed watching all of the boats come through the Locks. This was more of a quick snapshot than a planned photo like the rest of my work, but I am happy with it none the less.
As we walked around I noticed this set of stairs and naturally I was drawn in by the leading lines. However I am having difficulties with this one. I am happy with it, and then I am not happy with it, I like it, then I think it is boring and plain. I have reedited this image at least a dozen times and I have settled on this version, and yet after all of that editing and exploring I am still torn. Feel free to leave a comment and tell me your thoughts on it.
To wrap up the day I decided to shoot a close up of the entrance to the main building. Nothing spectacular and not a photo that I am particularly proud of, but it represents practice and growth as I work on developing my architectural photography skills. Till next time…
