Tag Archives: USA

Abstract Arch

Posted on May 14th, 2012 by

An Abstract Gateway

We recently took a trip to St Louis, Missouri where we visited the downtown area and Gateway Arch or as some say, The Gateway to the West. I chuckled as I straddled the mid-point stepping back and forth saying to my wife…I am in the west, no the east, no the west. I took a good deal of photos of the arch, many of them abstract. There are so many people milling around the arch at sunset that most of my full scope shots ended up feeling cluttered. It was however good to see so many photographers down there near sunset trying to get some interesting shots. I think perhaps the best shot may have been across the river, but as Chimney Man says to Jelly (see Jelly’s Last Jam):

Ever hear of East St. Louis? Piss me off again n’ you gonna be giggin’ in ole West Hell. Even the devil doesn’t go there after dark.

HDR Photography
Abstract Arch by W. Brian Duncan

Crystal Bridges

Posted on May 7th, 2012 by

Art in Arkansas

Sometimes people and places can surprise you. The recently opened Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville Arkansas is one of those. It is a sprawling complex with immaculate landscaping and some amazing architecture. We started roaming around the grounds just after dawn and spent all morning walking the trails and touring the museum.

Photographer’s Troubles

I initially had a bit of trouble convincing the security guards that I should be there. The kept trying to shoo me away. The grounds are open from sunrise to sunset, but I found with security personal this can be somewhat open to interpretation. We arrived Saturday night around 6:45 and were told the grounds were closed. Once the sun is below those trees, I close up for the night, one guard told us. I should have issued a challenge (but but but my pictures look better at sunset), but we decided to come back at dawn. This time I argued, nicely of course as these guys are just doing their job. After a short discussion we were allowed on the grounds early Sunday morning.

So Much to See

I will probably be processing several of these shots from the exterior of the museum over the next few months. I have a good number of photos from the trip that could use some work. The new tripod has made a HUGE difference to my workflow. No more aligning brackets, everything is seamless. Further rock solid stability of my Really Right Stuff tripod means I can shoot at ISO 100 making noise less prevalent.

HDR Photography
Crystal Bridges by W. Brian Duncan

Palmer House

Posted on April 30th, 2012 by

Walking the Streets of Chicago

On my last trip to Chicago, I got a bit of time just to roam the streets downtown. It was a great day for a photowalk and I had a great time just meandering. Often carrying a camera makes you a target for all sorts of harassment. The police these days seem to be overly suspicious of why anyone would want to take a picture of anything. People get mad if you get in their way or stop on the sidewalk for a look around (stupid tourists). On this trip I was yelled at by a guy asking for a bus fare. He repeatedly told me, “I’m not a bum!”. To which I said I was sorry I didn’t have any cash. He cursed at me and stormed off muttering something about my wallet full of cash. Obviously he doesn’t know about the airline mile earning credit cards I used to get to Chicago in the first place. Really sir…I don’t carry any cash.

Palmer

I took this shot of the Historic Palmer House Marquee. Little did I realize at the time I missed an awesome photo opportunity inside as the lobby is apparently gorgeous.

HDR Photography
Palmer House by W. Brian Duncan

A Barn in a Brewing Storm

Posted on March 26th, 2012 by

A Barn

I was driving down the road in rural Indiana when I saw this faded red barn. I actually drove right past it and decided to turn around (this actually took longer than I expected as there were very limited places to pull over). It has been raining most of the day with really dull grey skies. When I got back to the barn, the sky in the distance opened up and a bit more light came into the scene. It was as thought the skies opened up to shed some light just for my photograph. Right after I finished taking the photo it started to pour once again. I quickly gathered my camera gear and headed back to the rental car. It’s interesting how photos happen sometimes if you just look.

HDR Photography
A Barn in a Brewing Storm by W. Brian Duncan

The Texas Capitol

Posted on March 19th, 2012 by

A Funny Thing Happened

Pamela and I experienced our second SXSW Interactive festival this year. One of the un-official events, but very high up on my list, was the photowalk put on by Google+ and Trey Ratcliff. I had never been to a photowalk before and honestly it was sort of miserable weather. It rained the whole time, it was cold and the walk was mercifully over before I even knew what happened. I didn’t get many great shots, but I know a secret. A secret I am going to share with you…I stick around after events (often fun things happen).

The After Party

I am always quiet around new people, but I wanted to meet some new photographers. I made several new friends and spent a very interesting evening hanging out with some very fun people. One of the interesting things about hanging out with a bunch of photographers is (and I think I have Karen to think for this quote) you never feel like you need to apologize for talking time to get a picture. Most people just don’t get the joy of spending 45 minutes trying to get just the right angle. Photographers understand this completely.

A Walk to the Forum

We walked to the Texas Capitol Building where I got the shot below. I ended up hand-holding this bracket at 1600 ISO…my slowest frame was 1/8th of a second. Usually I cant hand-hold at this speed, but I was using my trusty knowledge dispensed to me by the incomparable Joe McNally (via YouTube of course). Yet another reason why I need to buy Joe a beer. The other great thing is I was voted the best photograph in the “Everything’s Bigger in Texas” category. Another first for me…it was my first photo walk, my first photo-contest entry AND my first win! Not bad for a beginner!

HDR Photography
The Texas Capitol by W. Brian Duncan

Indispensable Advice from Joe

The Windy Skyline from Millennium Park

Posted on January 22nd, 2012 by

Skyline

I was in Chicago, IL recently for a frequent flyer conference (I know…I know) and had a great time at the event. The first day I had a few hours so I took the Blue Line from O’Hare to downtown Chicago and spent a few hours roaming around Millennium Park. I took this from the foot bridge pointed back to the city with my back to the lake. It was a cool October day and I am not sure I was really prepared. After a few hours I was back on the train to O’Hare, only to come back into the city later that night (see Holy Cow!). For some reason this photo really reminds me of SimCity.

Site Updates

I have been working on the site at a furious pace. The major design elements are in place and I feel better about this site and its design that any of my previous works. I really want to make BatteredLuggage a great place for people to come for HDR travel photography. Plus, it’s just a really fun place to show some of the work I have been doing. Thanks for coming and I hope you will follow us in the future!

HDR Photo
The Windy Skyline from Millennium Park by W. Brian Duncan

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Posted on December 24th, 2011 by

Munchkins in the Fields of Indiana

On a business trip to Indiana, I was driving around the rural landscape and happened on this field that reminded me of the Yellow Brick Roads of Oz. In truth it was a soybean fields, but something in the lay of the land caused this bean farmer to have a wonderful flow to his planting patterns.

Happy Christmas

I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! In the next year I will be getting Battered Luggage’s design up and running and will be continuing to post new pictures of my travels. I hope to see you back in 2012!

HDR Photo
Follow the Yellow Brick Road by W. Brian Duncan