the (fish)erman...

Another picture from my latest Seattle trip.  Took this one at night with the M8.  The closest that I will probably get to a real Seattle fisherman...

SX70 in Seattle...

Back in November I expanded my camera collection to include a few Polaroid cameras.  Since that time, my interest in shooting with the Polaroid has increased even more than my collection has grown.  Seems that I can't quit taking the pictures (or buying the film from The Impossible Project).  On this trip to Seattle, I took two Polaroid cameras (SX70 and 250 Pack Film) and my Leica M8.  The M8 was a last minute add because I chickened out on only taking Polaroid cameras.  However, most of my pictures were taken with the SX70.  Honestly, I got a few amazing shots with this camera that I never could have taken with any other camera.  The only down side is that the SX70 got me a full pat down by a TSA agent (that is a separate item to blog on later).  

I should have the Polaroids up by the end of the week on my instant film blog.  In the mean time, I used the Leica to document the travels of the SX70 (the Leica of the Polaroid world)...

not just your ordinary coffee shop...

Here is my version of an interior photo of the original Starbucks across from Pikes Market.  Stayed the night in Seattle on my last trip out to Bellingham, WA.  As always, I had to visit the downtown area to eat and have coffee.  This picture was taken with my Leica M8.  The thing that I love about rangefinders is that you can take a handheld picture, with no flash, with a shutter speed down to 1/24th of a second and get a decent picture.  Converted it to black and white, with a slight yellow filter, in Silver Efex Pro.  With all that said, my best Starbucks picture is still the original one.  You can see the post here.

the space needle...

Another Seattle photo.  This time it has nothing to do with coffee places.  One of the first times that I went to Seattle we went to the Space Needle.  Much more impressive in pictures than going up on it.  Took this picture after leaving the Space Needle on our way back to the car.  Modified it in Aperture 3.  The brushes have the same capability as layers in Photoshop, except they have the standard Apple simplicity.  Used a brush to darken (polarize) the sky and clouds.  Used another one to remove the black and white on the train.  Used yet another one to burn (darken) some of the bright areas on the sky.  Added vignette around the edges and slightly adjusted the contrast.  I am really starting to like Aperture 3...

signs...

This is one of my favorite areas of Seattle.  Look behind you and you will see the famous 'Public Market' sign (see 'Pikes Market' post in May 2009), look down the street in front of you and you will see the Post Alley Seattle's Best Coffee with the famous cup sign (see 'Seattle's Best' post in October 2009).  The signs and overall picture were a little bland and washed out.  I used Aperture to make it a little more colorful.  The signs were enhanced using the tinting brushes.  The 'edge detect' function worked perfect here.  I adjusted the luminance of the background and added black to the bricks.  I also added vingnette to the edges of the picture.

Christmas Blend

Ok, so after reading the post on quirkybee.blogspot.com, I decided to also vent on something that sorta bugs me when we get close to the Christmas season.  I attached a picture that I took, so it stays with the troybradfordphoto theme (no blogs without a picture of it).

So here I am at the airport in Seattle the other day.  I was waiting in the loooooooong line for Starbucks coffee and of course I was next to someone who wanted to talk.  She was mentioning the fact that she was surprised that Starbucks still called their holiday coffee a “Christmas Blend”.  Then she goes on to tell me how she is a “Christian”, but she doesn’t necessarily think that it matters is someone uses “holiday” or “Christmas”.  Of course, me being the introvert that I am, (especially in airports) I am thinking that maybe I didn’t want coffee after all.  I can’t believe that out of all of the people in the airport, she picked me to share her opinion with.  Well, the conversation continued and then she got me to thinking.  She was telling me how she almost lost a friend over that very thing.  The friend was insistent on boycotting a particular store because they use the phrase “Happy Holidays” in their advertisements instead of “Merry Christmas”.  When she didn’t agree with her friend, the “disagreement” began.  In reality, it turned “ugly”.  So here is the thought that is going through my head.  “Would Jesus really get upset over such a technicality?”  If they are so insistent in using “Happy Holidays”, maybe we should think of why?  We shouldn’t be so arrogant and think that just because we believe in Jesus Christ, that everyone else should (because we are right and they are wrong).  Maybe if we just appreciated the fact that some stores (or people) say “Merry Christmas” (and let them know that) and not hold it against the ones that say “Happy Holidays”, then we might be portraying the love that Jesus extends to us (and them) every day. Remember how undeserving we really are!  Do you think the world sees the boycotting or complaining as our absolute love for our Savior or do you think they see it as our arrogance that we are saying we are right and they are wrong?  I DON’T want to come across as a person that is compromising my beliefs, but I DO want to be a person that doesn’t let my personal “technicalities” get in the way of letting others see the grace that Christ provides all of us all year long.  By the way, love that “Christmas Blend” coffee!

Seattle's Best

These are pictures that I took on one of my trips to Seattle earlier this year. Despite what most people assume (because I like coffee), Starbucks is not my favorite coffee shop. In Texas, it is just the easiest to find. When I am in Seattle, I always take the opportunity to visit a Seattle's Best Coffee Shop. This shop is right around the corner from the Original Starbucks. Both within walking distance of each other. Not exactly the same in Texas...

Mecca (for a coffee drinker anyway)...

So this is where it all began... Most of you probably know the story about Starbucks. When I started going to Seattle, I photographed the store many times. After all, I reaaaaalllllly like Starbucks coffee. And I really liked the different coffee cups that you could only get at the original Pikes Place store. Every time there was something about the picture where the mood didn't seem right (too many people, too dark, cars, too modern). Well, last summer we were down in the Pikes Place Market after dark and things were closing down. Most of the cars were gone and for some reason this one car was left in front of Starbucks. Talk about the perfect photo op! Unfortunately, the only camera that I had with me was a small point and shoot camera (one step above a cell phone camera). In case you don't know much about cameras, small point and shoot cameras don't do very well in dark conditions when you don't want to use the flash. The pictures tend to be blurry. Well all of that money that I spent on all of those expensive lenses and cameras didn't help a bit here. They were all at home and here I was with the perfect photo chance. A friend of mine once told me that the best camera in the world is the one that you have with you. This photo proves that. Probably the best photo that I will ever be able to take of this store... No matter how many times that I go to Seattle.

The Wall...

This is a portion of a wall leading down to an alley below the Farmer's Market area of Pikes Market in downtown Seattle.  Every time that I have been to downtown Seattle I take several pictures of this wall.  Honestly, I can't say that I ever read the actual posters/advertisements/artwork.  I just think that when you put it all together, it has an appeal for a picture.  Some day I will compare all of the pictures to see how it changed (or stayed the same) over a long period of time.  I will be back in Seattle next week...

Snoqualmie Falls - Seattle

Yet another visit to Seattle.  Scheduled a late night flight out after two long days of work (trying to get sympathy here) so that I could have time to go and do something different.  According to the propoganda, Snoqualmie Falls cascades 270 feet (100 feet higher than Niagra Falls) through a rock gorge.  It is one of Washington state's most popular scenic attractions.  You can view the falls from an observation area at the top.  Then you can go down a half-mile trail through the trees and open slopes to get to the base of the falls.  I have pictures from both the top and at the base.  At the bottom, it is a matter of perspective.  The falls are ENORMOUS, but one of the pictures with me in it makes me look massive with a small waterfall backdrop.  This was just proof that I was there...  On my way down I passed a man and a lady that caught my eye.  The man had an interesting walking stick (or maybe it was to fend off the bears).  As you can see, they were happy to let me take their picture.  Also on my way down the trail I passed an older guy that was huffing, puffing and struggling to get up the steep trail.  I thought to myself how easy this was and how I hope to never be as out of shape as the old guy.  Well, on my way back up the trail, I passed many a younger guy that had the same look on their face while they were looking at me pouring sweat with every slow step.  Man it stinks getting older.  Well at least my pictures are better than theirs...

Pikes Market

Seattle is one of my favorite places to visit.  Lots of strange things to photograph.  I have photographed this sign several times (in color, b&w and sepia).  This one was taken at dusk on a partly cloudy night.  I converted it to sepia because the sky was so grayish/blue.