Uploads from JP Benante

So Sing A Lonely Song

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:50:11 -0700

JP Benante posted a photo:

Canon 5DII | 50mm | f/2.2 | 1/100 | ISO-160 | Kenko

A springtime flower with its petals peeling back to catch some morning sunlight.

Logged on to Flickr this morning for the first time in a couple days and found myself completely lost. Wow, this is a significant overhaul.

Title borrowed from lyrics in Love Her Madly by The Doors.

Please enjoy this in the new(er) Flickr LIGHTBOX!!

It's A Long And Narrow Way

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:20:29 -0700

JP Benante posted a photo:

Hasselblad 500 C/M | Zeiss Distagon | 50mm | Kodak 400TX

An image made with the Hasselblad at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. I waited at least 10 minutes for the hall to clear of tourists before getting this lone straggler with his iPhone. Have a great weekend, everyone!!

Lyrics borrowed from the Bob Dylan song Narrow Way.

Please enjoy this in the Flickr LIGHTBOX!!

With Depths And Shallows Nobody Could Sound

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:01:53 -0700

JP Benante posted a photo:

Canon 5DII | 20mm | f/11 | 80" | ISO-50 | Lee Big Stopper

A little cooperation from the weather along the Chesapeake Bay this weekend. Wasn't much of a sunrise, but the remaining clouds from the previous days thunderstorms were just as appreciated. Enjoy the week!!

Title borrowed from lyrics in Most People by the band Dawes.

Please enjoy this in the Flickr LIGHTBOX!!

Left In The Sun Shivering

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Mon, 06 May 2013 04:02:55 -0700

JP Benante posted a photo:

Canon 5DII | 105mm | f/11 | 90" | ISO-160 | Lee Big Stopper

These are the remaining remnants of the 59th Street Pier in Ocean City, New Jersey. Though there are still these 7.1 pylons left standing alone just off the beach, Hurricane Sandy washed away a significant section of the closed pier just last year. I enjoy visiting these places and envisioning them as they were when new, probably nearing 100 years ago.

Title borrowed from lyrics in the song Heavy Feet by Local Natives.

Please enjoy this in the Flickr LIGHTBOX!!

Then You'll Begin To Make It Better

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Fri, 03 May 2013 07:06:13 -0700

JP Benante posted a photo:

Hasselblad 500 C/M | Zeiss Planar | 80mm | Kodak Ektar

A last hoorah to the cherry blossoms of Washington DC. Again, 2013 was no match photographically to the field day I had with the Hasselblad in 2012. Enjoy your weekends everyone!!

Title borrowed from lyrics in the timeless song Hey Jude by The Beatles.

Please enjoy this in the Flickr LIGHTBOX!!

Now That It's Fading It All Feels So Clear

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 04:02:11 -0700

JP Benante posted a photo:

Canon 5DII | 21mm | f/11 | 160" | ISO-640 | Lee Big Stopper | Facebook

The last time I visited this location there were some wonderfully ominous clouds racing along the shoreline creating some charismatic skies. This particular morning I found some thick, foggy air through which the sun was well inhibited. Though with not the same character as previously seen, these flat skies offered a smooth, quiet vision with the long exposure.

Title borrowed from the superb new song So Clear by Junip.

Please enjoy this in the Flickr LIGHTBOX!!

How Could I Have Known I Didn't Know Til Now

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:13:08 -0700

JP Benante posted a photo:

Canon 5DII | 21mm | f/22 | 25" | ISO-50 | Facebook

After a five image absence, color has returned to my photographs. Taken last autumn in the inspiring Ricketts Glen State Park in Pennsylvania, I'm thinking a springtime return may soon be approaching...

Title borrowed from lyrics in the Jim James song Know Til Now.

Please enjoy this in the Flickr LIGHTBOX!!

The Rain Came At The Break Of Day

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:12:03 -0700

JP Benante posted a photo:

Canon 5DII | 20mm | f/11 | 180" | ISO-160 | Lee Big Stopper | Facebook

I set out to this location hoping for a colorfully cloudy sunrise after a Friday full of thunderstorms and wind. While I wasn't treated to any color, there were still some quick moving clouds racing across the skies. Making the best of a relatively unexpected situation, monotone long-exposures were the way to go.

Title borrowed from appropriate lyrics in the song Victory from the band Trampled By Turtles.

Please enjoy this in the LIGHTBOX!!

Ain't No Worry Cause The Time's My Friend

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:08:02 -0700

JP Benante posted a photo:

Canon 5DII | 40mm | f/9 | 1/80 | ISO-640

How quickly two weeks can pass when life gets busy (moreso). So many things happening and it's unfortunate that photography hasn't been one of them. In fact, probably the singlemost anticipated photographic in the DC area, our national cherry blossoms, I was only able to make it down for a few uninspiring hours. I mentioned in my last post that I would not upload a color image until the well-delayed blossoms arrived, but alas. They came and went without much excitement and for that I have this b&w cherry blossom compromise.

Wow...I've got a bit of catching up to do :)

Title borrowed from lyrics in the song Minute By Minute by The James Hunter Six.

Always better On Black!!

Where The View Is A Little Hazy

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 07:20:27 -0700

JP Benante posted a photo:

Canon 5DII | 21mm | f/14 | 75" | ISO-160 | Lee Big Stopper

Okay, I think I'm on a color-strike until the cherry blossoms emerge here in Washington DC. According to historical records this is an "average" blooming year, but it certainly doesn't seem that way as it's already at least two weeks later than 2012 and recent years past. While so many other parts of the US have already seen their blossoms come and go, DC still waits with inpatient anticipation. Mother Nature has really thrown us for a loop this year!!

Title borrowed from lyrics in the new song Side Effects by Dawes.

Always better on black!!

Nights We Hide Between The Walls

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 08:37:49 -0700

JP Benante posted a photo:

Hasselblad 500 C/M | Zeiss Distagon | 50mm | Kodak TMAX

Living near Washington DC it's inevitable to at some point find yourself surrounded by living postcards of buildings, monuments and museums, by which you instantly turn into a tourist the moment you power-on your camera. Honestly, this has never been photographically interesting to me. However, during the persistent gloom of our extended winter I set off on several occasions with a film-only mission. And I gotta say, the urban landscapes were much more enjoyable when viewed through an analog system with only one button. It's also been an immense lesson in patience; hopefully also to benefit my digital life. We'll see.

Title borrowed from lyrics in the song Epic by Calexico.

Much better on black!!

These Days Go By As You Turn Around

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 04:02:22 -0700

JP Benante posted a photo:

Canon 5DII | 22mm | f/11 | 119" | ISO-50 | Lee Big Stopper

Persistent mist, flat skies and dying light lead directly into a monotone processing workflow. Lined these guys up dead on while standing from the boardwalk...a bit more conventional of a composition than my previous image from this great location in Solomons, Maryland. A big "Thank You" to the gull for staying still for 2-minutes :)

Title borrowed from lyrics in Other People by Beach House.

Enjoy LARGER!!

Will There Be Time To Harvest Rivers

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 06:54:51 -0700

JP Benante posted a photo:

Canon 5DII | 17mm | f/22 | 8" | ISO-160

An autumn image from Ricketts Glen, Pennsylvania. Though these colors have long since faded into the winter, a new year of color is slowly beginning to emerge. It's time to charge those camera batteries and once again enjoy a seasonal display from Mother Nature.

Title borrowed from lyrics in the song There's No Leaving Now by The Tallest Man On Earth...currently obsessed with this album.

Less "Flickr-sharp" in Lightbox

You're Just The Same As All The Rest

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 06:49:58 -0700

JP Benante posted a photo:

Canon 5DII | 32mm | f/11 | 111" | ISO-160 | Lee Big Stopper

So I'm still way behind on processing images...so much so that I really had nothing to post today if not for this image that I worked on late last night. And because of this half-conscious effort, I'm not completely confident that I like the end result. I've never removed a photo from Flickr before, and I don't plan on that here, but I may come back to this image later on with a re-processing of sorts that I'm more confident with. We'll see.

Title borrowed from lyrics in Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World by U2.

Flickr Lightbox

I'll Be The Best When The Silence Comes

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 07:00:11 -0800

JP Benante posted a photo:

Canon 5DII | 29mm | f/11 | 100" | ISO-160 | Lee Big Stopper

I was hesitant to post this image so soon following a much similar one from the same location. However, I'm behind in my processing and this one was all ready to go, so oh well. Again, I like the square crop here (I reduced the sky), but I don't like how I cut off the very left edge near the foreground post. This was an in-camera composition mistake that I didn't realize until I returned home of course, but I guess it's all part of the continual learning process. This structure was set deeper into the sand than the previous one resulting in less detail along the weathered wood as it erodes under the constant surf.

Title borrowed from lyrics in the song Wind and Walls by The Tallest Man on Earth.

The weekend approaches...ENJOY!!

All Ya Can Do Is Do What You Must

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:40:25 -0800

JP Benante posted a photo:

Hasselblad 500 C/M | Zeiss Planar | 80mm | Kodak Ektar

DC is less than a month away from the start of its annual display of colorful cherry blossoms. I had a blast there last year when I decided to shoot an entire day only with film. Time to check the produce bin in my fridge to see how many rolls I have left :)

Title borrowed from lyrics in the Bob Dylan song Buckets of Rain.

Enjoy LARGE!!

To See Me Through The Daytime

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:14:01 -0800

JP Benante posted a photo:

Canon 5DII | 50mm | f/2.2 | 1/100" | ISO-320 | Kenko tubes

After two consecutive black and white images, here is a shot of color for the upcoming weekend.

Title borrowed from lyrics in If I Ever Needed Someone by Van Morrison.

ENJOY!!

Yet Again We're The Only Ones

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 07:00:03 -0800

JP Benante posted a photo:

Canon 5DII | 23mm | f/11 | 150" | ISO-160 | Lee Big Stopper

I owe this location to a killer sunset image posted a while back by Flickr buddy Jeff Smallwood (go check out his work). I've shot a photogenic bridge before only 5 minutes away from here, but had no idea of these guys just off a popular strip in Solomons, Maryland. I arrived here at midday only to have the most annoying mist prevent me from shooting...that mist so fine the slightest breeze blows it in all possible directions, especially from the direction I'm aiming my camera. After visiting a couple other locations, which I hope to post some images from, I returned here to much more favorable weather conditions. Patience...Patience...Patience!!

Title borrowed from lyrics in the song Yet Again by Grizzly Bear.

Check this out on Facebook for less-than-Flickr image quality :/

And Know That Danger Finally Goes Away

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 06:00:58 -0800

JP Benante posted a photo:

Canon 5DII | 25mm | f/11 | 150" | ISO-320 | Lee Big Stopper

So this image has been sitting in my "to post" queue for a couple months as I have never been completely satisfied with my multiple iterations of processing. Color?- b&w?- square?- vertical?- brighter?- darker?- and all the other plethora of decisions in between. I find it interesting how I can look into my recently processed images, or even through my already posted images, and not really agree or feel satisfied with what I once did...from small edits here and there to nearly complete overhauls. However, it also feels like an evolution of sorts. Not to say that there are better or correct ways to view art that one develops, but simply more diverse.

Title borrowed from lyrics in the song There's No Leaving Now by The Tallest Man On Earth.

The weekend is within reach!!

There's Much More Stardust When You're Near

nobody@flickr.com (JP Benante) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 10:42:34 -0800

JP Benante posted a photo:

Canon 5DII | 50mm | f/2.2 | 1/160 | ISO-320 | Kenko

Another dose of springtime warmth here in the cold winter.

Lyrics borrowed from the new song A New Life by Jim James.

Always much nicer when viewed LARGER