Commonwealth Stadium Ligthing

Here's the second shot of the stadium lighitng; this time using the 17mm TSE lens.  This is two photos merged together in Adobe Lightroom CS4.

Commonwealth Stadium Ligthing

Recently the engineering company that designed the ligthing upgrades at Commonwealth Stadium asked me to take some photos of the completed project.  I will share some over the next few days.  This is taken with the Canon 5DII with a 15mm Fisheye Lens.

Seattle - Musuem of Flight

When Concorde was making the last of her commercial flights in late 2003 one British Airways Concorde captain was quoted as saying that for the first time in aviation history we were about to start going backwards.  Concorde was loud, expensive and accessible to only a narrow margin of  the traveling public, but it was arguably one of the most - if not the most - beautiful and technically sophisticated machines man has ever made.  Seeing this British Airways Concorde permanently parked at the Museum of Flight is quite sad in many ways.  Even though she looks like she's traveling at Mach 1 it's just not right to see her just sitting there against the grey Seattle sky.

Seattle Museum of Flight

The museum of flight covers the full range of air transport from the earliest days of heavier than air flight through wartime and the development of commercial airliners and on to space exploration.  Here in the atrium a wide variety of aircraft including the SR-71 Blackbird at the bottom and the Douglas DC-3 at the rop.  In the back there's and F4 Phantom, a F-104 Starfighter and a US Air Boeing 737.

Seattle Museum of Flight

Lurking beneath the gleaming engine cowling of commercial airliners lies the screaming gas turbine jet engine.  This is an industrial abstract photo of the mighty Pratt and Whitney JT9B high by-pass turbofan developed for use on the early Boeing 747 airliner.  This particular engine is attached to the first 747 to take to the air, N7470 'City of Everett' on display at the museum of flight.

Seattle Grunge

Well it's not really grunge I guess...this is a photo taken of some of the 'plumbing' on a 747 engine on display at the museum of flight.  The metal is discoloured from the heat; the colours have been tweaked a bit as you see it here.

Seattle Coffee

I took this photo with my selective focus lens - this is the tabletop at one of Seattle's many outdoor cafes.

Seattle Grunge

Here's a neat little study in texture and light.  This is damaged plaster and lath on a concrete substrate.

Seattle Grunge

Sometimes I come across the oddest things - well, ordinary things really but just in really off beat places.  As I walked toward this I couldn't figure out what it was exactly - this thing sticking out behind a bridge support.  Turned out to be an ironing board.  I liked the contrast of darkness and light; and the interplay between the dark concrete and airy diamond surfaces looks kind of cool too.

Seattle Grunge

Like yesterdays post, this image has been heavily manipulated in Adobe Lightroom.  The photograph is of a 'sidewalk light'; glass blocks embedded into the concrete over an occupied area before; the idea is to let a little light in.  Trouble is the glass blocks get broken which is too bad if you're underneath, but rather fortuitous for passing photographers who happen to gravitate to the weird.

Seattle Grunge

Today's posting is from the edge of weirdness file.  Under a bridge support I found a spot where somebody has been depositing their gum after the flavour has worn off.  Whoever it is clearly likes a little variety.  The gum is stuck to concrete.  The image has been edited in Adobe Lightroom where the contrast, clarity and saturation has been pushed to the limits.

Seattle Grunge

Not sure who princess is nad it doesn't matter much, I took this photo because of the contrast in texture and the overlapping areas of darkness and light.  It started out as a rather monochromatic image that I edited using Silver Efex Pro software.

Seattle Central Library

The Seattle Central Library was opened in 2004.  It ranks at number 108 on the American Institute of Architects list of 150 favourite structures in the US.  It's a bit clunky for my liking but it's a nice building to photograph and to be around.  The lacework steel structure casts some very nice shadows along this outdoor portico.

Seattle Boeing Future of Flight

This is the forward section of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner; scheduled for certification and revenue service later this year.  Over 80% by volumen of the aircraft will be composite materials - that's what most of the black stuff is in this mock-up.  For the airlines that means a ligther aircraft that is more resistant to corrosion.  For Passengers one of the benefits is bigger windows.  This mock-up is one of the first composite sections built and was used to idendify defects in the manufacturing process.  Engineers marked the problem areas in chalk and was pencil - there weren't many.

Seattle Boeing Future of Flight

Here's another example of a section of aircraft returned to Boeing for use in evaluating the effects of years of regular airline service.  This is a Boeing 727; originally delivered to Pan American World Airlines.  Pan Am eventually sold it and it was owned by several airlines prior to decommisioning.  When Boing put it on display at the Museam of Flight it was decided it should look like it did when it left the factory.  Too bad this passenger wasn't allowed to disembark before all this.

Seattle Boeing Factory

The Old and the New at the Museum of Flight

From time to time Boeing purchases aircraft back from various airlines to study the effects of years of use.  In this photo - taken at the 'Future of Flight' we can see the engine from a Korean Airlines 747 displayed against the forward fan section of Boeing 787 dreamliner.  The video display at the top explains how a jet engine generates the thrust for heavier than air flight.  The principles of jet propulsion are the same as ever; suck-compress-burn-blow-go; but the efficiency of all that and the materials used to achieve ithave advanced immeasureably over the years.

Seattle Boeing Factory

In the modern post 911 era security at the Boeing factory is very tight.  No personal articles of any kind are allowed - no cell phones, no ipods and certainly no cameras.  However, I was at the factory in 1979 when there were no such rules.  This photo is a scan from a slide made during my 1979 visit and shows the assembly of a Boeing 747 aircraft.  The paint work on the rudder identifies this as a Qantas airliner; the rudder is so finely balanced that it is painted seperately from the rest of the aircraft.  Hard to believe that this aircraft has likely long since been retired.  Today Boeing assembles the 747,767,777 and 787 airliners here in the world's largest - by volume - building.

Seattle Museum of Flight

Seattle is a huge avaition town.  Boeing assembles their 747, 767, 777 and 787 Commerial Airliners in the neighbouring city of Everett.   Boeing also has a major role in the Museum of Flight and for those with even a casual interest in aviation it is more than worthwhile.  If you happen to be an airplane junky (like me) you will be overwelmed.  Boeing has recreated their original wood frame factory at the museum and filled it with real and recreated artifacts.  Here's a sample drawing from the days of wood frame airplanes.

Seattle Pike Place Market

The look of this fresh garlic still warm and damp from the earth was quite irresistable - hard to bring home though so I settled for this photograph.

Seattle Pike Place Market

Hope you like carrots.  Or pictures of 'em at least.

Seattle Coffee

The people of Seattle are a little bonkers when it comes to coffee.  There seems to be coffee shops everywhere and Starbucks rules that day with the number of outlets.  This is Starbucks store number one opened in 1971 in Pike Place Market.  Although we did hear one guide tell his group that this not actually true; the original store wasn't that charming and this store - just steps away was thought to have a little more character.  So the company line is that this is the flagship store; a brass plaque just inside the door stated this.  There's always a line up it seems...just look at this place.  There are 3 things that distinguish this store from every other Starbucks; the logo is a bit different, they sell a Pike Place Reserve blend of coffee available only in this store and you can pre-load a gift card that is not available elsewhere.  Reportedly Starbucks employees around the world are told to watch for these gift cards as a sign that the bearer has been to hallowed ground.  Or something like that.

Seattle Signs

Seattle isn't all about fish it seems.

Seattle Signs

Not much to say about this sign; it hung over the entrance to '94 Stewart'; a lovely little restaurant.

Seattle Signs

Somebody told us that dining at Ivar's Fish Bar was a very 'Seattle' thing to do so we did.  Pretty great spot along the waterfront.  You can eat in the dining room, along the wharf or get your order to go.  The oysters and salmon strips were pretty amazing.

Seattle - Olympic Sculpture Park

The Olympic Sculpture Park in downtown Seattle is operated by the Seattle Art Museum.  It's a great place to hang out to a few hours.  There's a series of zig-zag pathways the lead to the various sculpture gardens.  This is the Bill and Melinda Gates amphitheatre - this sculpture lies at the north end of the actual amphitheatre and is entitled 'Wave'.  Red chair in foreground tactfully placed by your photographer to balance the photo.

Seattle - Pike Place Market

There are street performers everywhere in the market - and beggars too it should be noted.  This chap was neither really, just a guy who showed up with his bird to show everyone the tricks it could do.  In this instance he has 'shot' the bird - with his finger you see - and the bird has flopped to it's back playing dead.  They had a full reportoire of tricks and a big crowd had gathered.  When his demonstration was over he just thanked everyone and to those who offered money he just waved and said 'give it to the poor'.  Very refreshing.

Seattle - Pike Place Market

If you get to the Pike Place Market early many of the vendors are still taking deliveries and sorting out the goods for the days trade.  I liked  the look of these colourful containers emptied and piled on the sidewalk.

Seattle City Hall

At the moment I'm ranking Seattle City Hall as -architecturally speaking - one of the best buildings I've ever been in.  I spent an hour there trying to find some defect (I did find one but it was so minor it's hardly worth mentioning).  The detailing and execution is superb and the flow from exterior to interior feels very comfortable.  The building is welcoming, bright and appropriate to its purpose and sea-side location in every way.  This photo depicts one of the many functional art installations within; the glass and steel bridge connecting the upper floors.  The blue surface is structural glass.  The wood guardrail is intended to encourage people to stop and linger - the view to the right looks over the entrance plaza and out to the water front and ocean beyond.  A very stunning building in every way.

Seattle - Counting all the Possibilities

Our friend Cindy gave me a photo assignment before our trip to Seattle.  She has a friend with a small business, the business name has a reference to '8 Steps' in it.  She wanted a photo to give him for his office.  We decided on this one because there are 8 steps in the frame and it implies ascent from bottom left to top right.  The upper right step is just barely in the frame inferring that there is something beyond.  I like to give my 'serious' photos names and settled on 'Counting All the Possibilities' for this one.

Seattle - Pike Place Market

Incoming!  The order has been placed and hte fish flies to the prep area at the Pike Place Fish Market.