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Kauffman Center

Finally did a photo safari to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts today as it was lovely out.... decided black and white was the way to go. All taken with the Nikon D3 and 14-24mm lens. ASA 200... F22 throughout. Multiple exposures for each shot.



The east side looking west. I'll be heading back when things green up.

Harold's Truck, August, 1990

Tmax 400. Nikon F4 with 50mm lens. Never really cared for T-Max when it came out... particularly when Kodak discontinued Panatomic X which I LOVED. My displeasure was the beginning of the end for Kodak.

Incoming

Helen, Dorothy and Princess 1990

A Northeast scene. Two wonderful neighbors who sat in front of the garage each evening into the fall... Toyo View Camera, 180mm lens, t-max 400, exposure unrecorded. Taken September 15th, 1990. All have passed on now.

Thanksgiving Is All About Family.. Even Mine

The House that Coors built somewhere in Metropolitan Independence.
What you always get when you ask for a "Bud."
Above and below.... mini galleries of art created by Taylor and Justin.

Above, children come second to Black Friday Planning. Below, Uncle Igor carved the turkey before cooking this year.

Above Erica still isn't sure she's with the right family. Below, Turkey Table with FAKE CANDLES.

Above, the children were calm and well behaved for a change.... below, not so much the kitchen help.
Below, it's a tradition in our family to dress all young children as Slavic Bag Ladies.

Above, Rachel and Trevor discussing the meaning of the latest Pee Wee Herman episode. Below, ask Grandma which child she likes best.

Rachel, above, memorizing the ads for later ( we finally told her she could take them with her )

Above and below, Justin gets to practice his touchdown dance since the Chiefs aren't playing.

Above, I have no idea. Below, the word "poop" is eternally funny amongst critters.

Above, Hudson stands out from the crowd, below, Taylor close up.

Above, "Okay, everyone look at the camera."
Above, Madison demonstrates her ballet pose, below, David demonstrates his Photoshop ability.

Above, Madison's father explains why he's only 2.5 feet tall and below...., finishing the day with a cookie and a Grandma.

New and Old

Crown Center new, Our Lady of Sorrows old....

Filigree Intent

Bond Bridge, afternoon sun.
Nikon D3, 70-200 F2.8 zoom, five exposures, base exposure 1/500th at f11, ASA 200. Processed in Photoshop and Lucis.

Snojourn

A wet snow is a photographer's friend outlining the trees with soft white. Went down to Indian Mound and the Museum to capture what I HOPE is the last snow of the season. Above and below, Indian Mound.

Above, Kansas City Museum, below, Kessler Park. All shots taken with Nikon D3 and 24-70mm lens. F11 at 1/500th basic exposure with HDR intervals at 1 stop for 5 shots. ASA 200.

Sunday Train of Thought

If you listen closely with your eyes an image or series of images will tell you whether black and white or color is best. In this case, with the largest operational steam locomotive in the world, the shots screamed black and white. Nothing captures the strength, the grime and the power of even a motionless machine like the immediately abstract nature of the colorless image. While my Nikon D3 has a setting for B&W only... I prefer to shoot in color and then convert the images in Photoshop. There is just more information to work with when you have the color data too... even if the image is primarily black and gray.

The Challenger 3985 was visiting Union Station this weekend... it leaves Monday morning... and lots of folks went to see it. The engine weighs in at 627 thousand pounds. It can take on 25,000 gallons of water and filling it up at 7-11 would take 6, 445 gallons.

There was a good crowd on hand to see the beast.... the kids, older ones, loved it... but were more interested in the moving diesels that kept coming by horns blasting.....
Top speed is 70 miles per hour and the engine is actually hinged to allow it to go around corners. The 3985 was built in 1943 by the American Locomotive Company. During peak operation 105 of these were in use throughout the US. This one was retired in 1962 but lovingly restored by a group of Union Pacific employee volunteers to running condition in 1981.


Originally designed to burn coal it was converted to burn fuel oil in 1990.






All shots taken with the Nikon D3 and either the 105mm lens or the 14-24mm zoom. ASA 200, aperture priority at F11 on the 14-24 or F16 on the 105. All images converted to black in white in Photoshop's Camera Raw.

The name Challenger was given to steam locomotives with a 4-6-6-4 wheel arrangement.... four wheels up front to guide it, followed by two sets of "driving" wheels and four "trailing" wheels which support the rear of the engine and its massive firebox.


When the engine did burn coal it pulled a tender with a 32-ton capacity.








There is a gift shop aboard too in one of the old passenger cars.