September 11, 2001 - Never Forget Day 347 of my 365 photo a day project. Copyright 2016 Scott Norris Photography scottnorrisphotography.com
I had a nice conversation with the fine folks of Station 27 from the Milwaukee Fire Department today at a neighborhood block party. They were showing off Engine 27 and giving kids of all ages a chance to see a real fire truck up close and personal. My 2 1/2 year old son was enthralled. And I'll admit, I was too! It's hard not to like a panel like this full of gauges, knobs, nozzles and buttons. Not to mention the flashing lights and all of the brushed metal and chrome. Standing next to one of these makes this 48 year old feel like a kid again - just like my son, full of awe and wonder. To the Milwaukee Fire Department and firefighters across the country, thank you for your service. Day 346 of my 365 photo a day project. Copyright 2016 Scott Norris Photography scottnorrisphotography.com
I wanted to capture something "summer-y" and minimalist to commemorate the impending end of summer and the slow downhill slide to the dead of winter. What better way than with a nice sandy beach and a seashell or two? The only problem with that is I'm in Milwaukee and nowhere near the ocean. Oh sure, we have Lake Michigan. And with the right light and conditions, the lake water can look just like a Caribbean beach in a photograph. But that wasn't today. What to do? My solution involved a white foam core backdrop, natural light from a window, and a pen light. I was planning on creating the blue sky and sandy beach colors in Photoshop, but as luck would have it, the blended colors of the natural and artifical lights worked together well to create the two-toned look in camera. All I had to do was enhance what was there. The light from the window camera left acted as a large warm softbox. With just that natural light, the window just barely lit the scene at a 20 second exposure. So I used the pen light to "light paint" the shell and fill in the rest of the lighting. Finally in Photoshop, along with my normal color-correction and contrast adjustments, I added just a slight bit of texture.
