Arts et Metiers Paris Subway Station

Steampunk Subway Station

I have been to Paris a number of times. I knew about this subway station. I LOVE interesting subway stations. How have I not been here until recently? It’s a bit like Jules Verne and some Steampunk designer got together and designed this place. It’s a fun place to gawk and there are always a bunch of artists photographing, sketching, thinking…tres Parisian!

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/2.8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 27 January, 2017
  • Focal length: 16mm
  • ISO: 6400
  • Shutter speed: 1/125s
  • Title: Arts et Metiers Paris Subway Station

Trains and Jules Verne in Paris, France

Missing Jules

The month of photo experimentation continues! I have been to Paris, France a number of times and I always seem to miss the Arts et Metires station. It’s a steampunk revival seemingly dedicated to Jules Verne. I have been in a number of really cool Subway and train stations around the globe, but this one pretty much takes the cake!

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 27 January, 2017
  • Focal length: 16mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 5s
  • Title: Trains and Jules Verne in Paris, France

Waiting for a Train in Shanghai

Trainspotting

I enjoy spending time in places of transit. I know others find the airports and train stations stressful and tedious (and they can be), but almost always I find them relaxing. There is a part of me that just lets go when I enter one of these spaces. Often I have a bit better access than the general traveler. I know some inside “secrets” and tend to use then as frequently as I can, but even when I am someplace without the greater comforts, I still am able to exhale and settle in. Often I take photos, when they are allowed, as with this one waiting for our train to Hangzhou.

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/2.8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 30 June, 2015
  • Focal length: 31mm
  • ISO: 1600
  • Shutter speed: 1/250s
  • Title: Wating for a Train in Shanghai

Musée d’Orsay

Secret Cameras

I have shared my love of train stations in the past. This one is perhaps one of the oldest and coolest of the bunch I have photographed so far. It was built for the 1900 Exposition, over the years, the station because unsuitable for modern trains. It went through a number of lives, then in 1970 it was slated for demolition. WHAT!

Luckily for everyone a very smart person in the government ruled against demolition and it was decided the old train station would make a wonderful museum. I can’t image the wonderful architectural treasures we have lost…Orsay is a testament to what can happen to these treasures when they are given modern jobs.

Union Station Kansas City MO

Pop In for a Quick Photo

You never know where an interesting photo may present itself. We were in downtown KC for WordcampKC and during lunch decided to take a walk around. Who would think Union Station in Kansas City Missouri would have been so quiet. Really quiet. There were really only a handful of people and that let me capture a really empty hall with some interesting light.

Sticks (Tripod)

I was also surprised the guards didn’t seem to mind me using a mini tripod. I had left the Really Right Stuff sticks behind, but I had my new Manfrotto 709B DIGI (link to 209 legs with a different head). It’s TINY and fits nicely in your bag. Its pretty stable even for the 16-35mm lens and I can fold the legs up under the lens using the ballhead in a way most people wouldn’t notice you even had a tripod on your camera. Its like tripod stealth mode! While the ballhead is less than stellar, it is functional and this unit is a MUST for your camera bag.

Technicals

This is a 3 bracket series (-2, 0, +2) processed in Photomatix, Nik Software’s Color Efex Pro 4 (Tonal Contrast) and Sharpener Pro. The final touches were added in Adobe Lightroom 4.