House
by Walker Pickering
Sure is hard to frame things up on a focusing screen in the dark. 6.5 minute exposure. Took three tries, and it freaked the owners out… a big white guy with a funky mustache across the street with a view camera for 15 minutes.
Love it! Nice contrast between bright foreground and dark blue sky. Were you facing north? Is that Jupiter behind the trees?
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Anyway, I found the SUV a little bit distracting, maybe you should have asked the owners to move it, as a big white guy
I love taking photos at night, so I usually carry a bright flashlight for focusing and framing purposes. One night, I lost it and used the numbers on a big LED alarm clock instead that I put on a branch for focusing. Worked out well
Funny thing about that SUV… I believe it was a guest, and they just happened to arrive as I was framing up the image. Originally the dining room in the front left corner of the house was lit up, which is why I was drawn to the house in the first place. Apparently the guest alerted the owner of my presence, and then they turned the lights off. Every once in awhile I would see a lady’s silhouette in the doorway, and then she would vanish. I suppose I might be a little freaked out too.
I’ve considered the flashlight thing before too… especially a bright halogen lamp. Obviously it wasn’t an option in this case, but the alarm clock might’ve been.
Also, about 20 cars drove by during this exposure, and I covered the lens each time. But somehow I managed to miss one… or at least a good part of it.
Oh, and I don’t know which direction I was facing. I still don’t have my bearings when I’m in the city. I want to say it was nearly North, but I can’t be totally sure.
Reminds me when i took pictures on a street were prostitutes work. It was raining and all the prostitutes were gone. I took 15 minutes exposure time and while my shutter was open about 10 people drove by, looking for hookers and probably were afraid i send the pictures to there wifes, i was more afraid one would stop.
House on the left is a bit disturbing i think. was that planned or was that the difficulty framing in the dark you were talking about? Best part of this picture is: the question who wold live there. Good we don’t she them.
Yeah, that’s one of the framing issues. I think I’d like to reshoot this if the opportunity arises. I’m pretty sure I could find it again.
Sometimes it’s even hard to frame things up during a regular old sunny day on a focusing screen, so this shot seems particularly difficult to me. Don’t you hate it when people mess up your shot…so what if they live there, right!? I agree with the above comments for the most part, I do think the house on the left and the SUV are a bit distracting, but I can see what you saw in the little house and the wonderful tree line behind it.
The cool thing is that I now will have to go by this house every time I need to get color film processed. I found this little lab that is roughly 6 or so blocks from here. And my school is only another 6 or so in the opposite direction.