Day 13 of Photo 101 brought Cheri’s instructions for us to dig deep to discover our individual moments of motion.
After a business meeting in downtown Syracuse, I took a moment to stand on the sidewalk of a bridge. Down I looked onto Onondaga Creek and the Syracuse Creek Walk. On this brisk almost-Spring day by the calendar, the gray water, my friend, looked angry as she rushed toward me.
My fingers were cold, but I focused down, further out, way out, changing focal points and squeezing shots on my iPhone 6. I did not try to pan with the water, per Cheri’s guidance. I did not lean, nor hold my phone out over the water. Cold fingers, increasing chill … I did not want my technology to swim with the fishes.
Instead I moved to drastically change my angle.
I don’t think that I necessarily caught the waves or splashes of movement in the water that’s I’d envisioned when I came to this spot in downtown Syracuse. But I do think that the backdrop of this urban water setting, above and beside the Syracuse Creek Walk in Armory Square, provided two interesting moments.
How might you have worked the iPhone 6 to suggest more movement? Would you have moved to a different vantage point? Which shot do you prefer, and why?
I like them both, and I think they both demonstrate the water’s movement. I don’t blame you for not risking your phone. Even now, I still use my camera strap when most other professional photographers don’t even attach it. I’m not one to take chances like that. 🙂
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Smart woman, Rachel. Caution is good!
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Hmmm,I have to say that I like the second photo best Mark. There is the spring comes… writing that adds to it plus I feel it makes the river look like a part of the city as opposed to the first one where it flows separately between its banks. The first shot is predictable – the second shows the photographer actually got down on the bank – closer to the river. Anyway, they are both great.
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Thanks, Paul. You have a great eye for photographic art. My take on the second shot is the urban graffiti seasonal poetry on the bridge. I love that.
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i prefer the first shot, much more ominous looking if that is the mood you were going for. as for the tech, mine is all trial and error and my goal is not to get things wet )
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It is ominous, Beth, with the gray and the buildings and snow on the banks. I agree. And some of us have found out about wet-tech from a friend’s unfortunate encounter. Ouch. 😦
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I can feel the motion in your pics Mark, especially the first one. And yay after rebooting my computer this post loaded quickly – YAY! ❤
Diana xo
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Hooray for fast moving computers and the feeling of motion in my photo, my friend Diana. 😉 ❤
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I don’t know a thing about photography (iPhone or other) but I’m really enjoying this series!
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I get to show off some of Syracuse to you, Barb. I like that part of this series, a lot. Thanks for looking in. (I know you miss the States some, my friend.) 🙂
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Nice! If you had captured whitecaps on a narrow urban creek, we’d all be I trouble. (And a great Costanza reference, by the way). Is it spring yet?
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I could have plucked a Titleist ouf of the spout, right? 🙂 Not spring yet, Jim.
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Nice shots! Ya dun good kid!
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Thanks you, Cate. Not bad for downtown. 🙂
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I like the first one, its so much more powerful. You certainly do get a sense of movement in the water rushing toward you, but even more than that I get a sense of real deep bone chilling steely cold, not just in terms of temperature, but the dour grey urban setting in the background which seems quite detatched and unmoving after the energy of the water. Really good pics!
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Thanks, Ali. Great observations about our Syracuse gray and the setting there along the creek. Not like your Irish countryside, I’m afraid.
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Oh it gets pretty grey here believe me lol! Especially on the days when the mist never lifts all day. But today was a lovely Spring day… probably the first and last! I’ve seen lovely pictures on your blog of your neighbourhood, lots of beautiful gardens and lovely buildings. Looks like a great place to live!
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It is very nice, Ali. I do enjoy my city. I’m glad you had a great spring day, no mist to bog you down. 🙂
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Mark would you believe we have anotber beauty today! Spring is here! 😁
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I am sittingn in my work chair recliner, looking at an 8 a.m. blue sky myself, Ali! I don’t even mind so much tht the temperature reads only 24 F. Hooray for us. Especially for you. 🙂
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Its such a lovely start to the day isnt it?
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It is. Makes it easier to work, Ali, it really does.
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It sure does! SPRING COMES and SUMMER WAITS
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Aren’t those interesting bridge sayings, PJ?
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Yes! I love them!
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Kinda poetic.
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I can see the movement of the water in the photos. Probably not as drastic as you saw it, but it’s still there. I noticed everyone likes the first photo best but I like the second photo best.
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You know what I like best about the second photo, PJ, and why I moved around to take it? The bridge with the sayings about Spring and Summer in the background. Thanks for giving it a vote, my friend.
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Yea, I did see some bright lettering but I didn’t read it. I will go read it now. LOL!
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Top photo….it’s give more of a meandering motion/path visual.
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Plus MBC got to watch the creek meander through my city! Pretty cool spot in a city, hey?
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Very cool spot MBM. I like that they didn’t straighten it, they let it keep to it’s meander. 🙂
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There’s always something about symmetry that’s pleasing to the eye which is why I’ll go with the top photo. No clue on the iPhone thing…I’m sure you’re doing way better than I ever could!
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I was thrilled not to dunk my phone into the raging river. Ah, rushing creek. Thanks, Marissa. I agree, the symmetry of the top shot is what caught me eye in the first place.
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Raging river, rushing creek, ah potato pa-tah-to
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Love those pictures!
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Thank you, Cynthia. Cold, gray day downtown precluded me from taking the wide walkaround to the Creek Walk for closer inspection of the movement portion of my assignment. You know what I mean about the brisk. These were pretty fun, though, considering!
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Lovely
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Thanks, Skye! I appreciate your praise. 🙂
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I like the first shot, as it also captures the movement from before (background) into now (foreground).
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Thanks, PP. I agree that the come-to-me perspective is a plus.
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I’d have put my iPhone 6 in video mode, taken a brief video, and then posted it…to, you know…show motion. Of the two stills you posted, though, I think the top one give me more an impression of movement!
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Thanks, Doobster. I wonder if the Photo 101 class would give me a (Jimmy) DeMerrit for turning in a video … Ba-da-boom.
I liked the feel of the water coming right at me and under the bridge. The challenge was getting that on a still shot. I wanted a blur of movement from a spash, but the preset shutter speed stopped it all. There are some limits of what our iPhone 6’s can accomplish after all. It was so cold I was not going to take the walk around the path and down to the actual creek side for closer experimentation.
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