I walk through this little shopping center on Fair Oaks quite often. Fedex and Starbucks are here – two necessities of modern life. The other day, the walkway was transformed by the drama of September’s changing afternoon light. Autumn always casts objects in such high contrast and draws such elegant shadows. (Show off!)
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Light play
I walk through this little shopping center on Fair Oaks quite often. Fedex and Starbucks are here – two necessities of modern life. The other day, the walkway was transformed by the drama of September’s changing afternoon light. Autumn always casts objects in such high contrast and draws such elegant shadows. (Show off!)
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27 comments:
Hey, isn't this a pic of Ojai?
Starbigbucks a necessity?? Not in my life, L.A. If that's the case, I gotta show you around some of the coffee joints in So Pasa. Ever heard of Busters & Kaldi, just to start. And, if you cross your northern border...well then!!
As far as the pic quality: great & almost unreal. All this with your Fuji pt/shoot & ask questions later cam?
Beautiful shot and so works in B and W. I agree about Starbucks! At least in America. Here we get fab coffee but now at least I know I can get a reasonable cup of espresso when I come to America. And this looks such a great place to sit and have it.
i love your shots cause they all shout "California"! so much beautiful light.
Great b&w shot. Love the shadows!
Laurie,
Great photo. Without the chairs and
hanging lights, it almost looks Grecian.
What I like about it is the value pattern.
By squinting your eyes you see the obvious
darks, mid tones and lights. Nice example.
WHAT ? You use a point and shoot? I give up. This is my all time favorite of yours to date. I am sure there will be many more.
How about...Syncopated shadows? Starting with the door in the background all the way up to the shadows in the foreground describes the rhythm I feel in this image.
I like what you express in black and white, dramatic and elegant, for sure!
Beautiful, Laurie!
And I beg to disagree about Starbucks! I love coffee — just not theirs.
To be really good at this daily photoblogger thing, one has to be able to see the extraordinary in one's everyday environs. Laurie, you've got that gift in spades. Bravo!
Why do so many of your photos feel portentous, as if the scene is on the vibrating edge of something amazing about to happen? It's as if you capture shifts in time as they occur.
Your photos are a visual feast as-is... but they also make me look beneath the surface image, and wonder...
I agree, Snapper. I may be wrong but if this is the shopping center I'm thinking of, it's quite ordinary. Until you see it in Laurie's B&W. Here it looks like a luscious vacation spot. In fact, I think I'll go there today.
Pasadena Adjacent
If you go in the evening you can drop in at Carmen's and say hello to Carlos. He tends the bar and holds the sacred post of loading the Kiln at Pasadena City College. (he's the best, he never breaks anything).
This is really jazzy - I don't know why that word bubbles up, but I think it's because of the lively shadow pattern.
Shadows are a photographer's friend.
Laurie, I love the B&W shot with all the shadows. I think doing photography in September captures more with the shadows. I love Oregon in September and we do frequent our coffee houses. We always have our Starbucks in addition to: Dutch Brothers, The Human Bean, Coffee In Motion, Coffee House, Capitol Coffee Company, Coffee Paradigm, The Coffee Wagon, Timbers Coffee House, Governor's Cup Coffee Roasters, The Beanery, .....on and on. I think the Pacific Northwest has a lock on coffee houses. Anyway, just a little information about Salem.
This is exquisite, Laurie. The shot along the walkway. The way you have framed it. The way autumn has arrayed the shadows for you. It exudes such a glow of old charm. I could sit here and sip and watch the world go by ...
Laurie,
You turned an ordinary strip mall into a walkway at some Southern mansion or plantation house. I'm waiting for some Tennesee Williams characters to enter the scene.
I like the idylic look and feel of this corridor, and the black and white photo fits this scene perfectly.
Shadows are not always a shutterbugs friend.
This is why I enjoy autumn the most, perfect atmosphere.
This is a good example of a, "Vanishing Point" says this one time artist. Ah, those black and white shadows. I'll have coffee there with you anytime.
Ok, this reminds me of one of my favorite places -- The portico of the Hotel Trinon in Versailles. Or maybe it's a fedex.
Altadenahiker: You're funny. And I did see your dog in the tea hat!
It's good
Howdy everybody,
Thanks for the nice words! I appreciate being able to indulge my absolute adoration of monochrome. Simple corridor outside Fedex in color -- magic, possibly overseas idyllic vacation spot in black and white!
As for those of you who dismiss Starbucks... while I agree that Kaldi and Busters (and all other authentic neighborhood coffee houses) are preferable, Starbucks is a tired Mom's public drinking fountain. When you are on the go with a preschooler who hardly sleeps, you live for those little cardboard To Go cups of Today's Brew. When she's in school, I can get back to lingering over latte. :-) And Colombo, it sounds like your neighborhood is the place to be for coffee lovers!
Mister Earl -- I see the character from Night of the Iguana -- I just can't remember her name.
PA, Carmines! I must do a post about Carmines...
Dixie (Mom!)I learned about vanishing points from you!
Welcome Danial!
And thanks everyone for being there and talking back. Coming back to this blog every day is such a treat because of all of you.
Late to the party. Interesting to see you wrote Autumn. We say that here and I assumed that Fall was thoughout America. As for the image, a knockout. You can indulge you mono. all the time for me, it's truly your forte.
Stunning use of leading line. Love it in black and white. Makes such a timeless feel to the whole image.
How did I miss this one? It is absolutely fabulous esp. when enlarged!
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