Articles on photography, seeing, the art of photography

All the articles in this group contain some aspect of photography as it relates to seeing photographically and to the art of photography.

Passing Through Anatolia

March 28, 2019 by A. Cemal Ekin

Anatolian Landscapes is the result of a long train ride from Istanbul to Adana, going through the plains, mountains, villages, towns, and experiencing the rapid change of the scenery, photographed from the moving train with no second chance to shoot again. Consequently, each photo is close to being unique.

Take A Train To See

One can see more when not driving, even better, when riding on a train. Looking out, all the scenery and all the people you see remain anonymous. I like that. It is a last-ditch effort to separate a photograph from reality. Inextricably tied to the real world, photography and reality seem to be forever chained together. By keeping these locations and a few people anonymous, I wanted to emphasize the photographs rather than “who, what, where” issues; even the young woman who nonchalantly shakes a blanket from a second-floor balcony with no railing will remain anonymous. The large banner above a local bus that says “Welcome To The Town of Fethibey” and certainly identifies the location. Although I could have removed it from the sequence, I chose to emphasize this bond between a photograph and reality momentarily only to let it slip through the fingers once more in the following photographs. I intentionally chose a format that mimics the vista, wide and expansive. Consider the few square-format photographs as punctuation marks, and take your pick for a comma, a period, or an exclamation mark! This is Anatolia; high, low, cool, warm, rough, smooth!

Color in Unexpected Places

January 26, 2019 by A. Cemal Ekin

The title is a little misnomer because the place I refer to is a supermarket. Specifically, it is Dave’s Market where we do our grocery shopping every 7-10 days. Actually, Jan does the shopping and I either sit and enjoy a cup of Dave’s coffee or take a nap in the car. That is when I am not taking photographs inside!

I have taken photographs there several times with the permission of the store manager. The last time I tried to do that a few months ago, I was told I had to get permission from the headquarters. I did not get a chance to do that for a while but a few weeks ago I connected with the person in charge at Dave’s and she kindly sent me an e-mail allowing me to take photographs at the local branch where we shop.

Today was the first time I tried doing that since I got the permission and it was fun walking around the isles and trying to see different colors, shapes, patterns, … This collection will be about color that will tie them together. Each may have a specific catch of its own. I will put captions to give tips, but the rest is up to you! Click on the thumbnail to view the full image.

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Architectural Photography – 2

January 23, 2019 by A. Cemal Ekin

As this photograph zooms in on the details of the lead photograph in the previous one, our attention will get closer to the photographic aspects of the discussion. In the previous post, I tried to establish a backdrop for architectural photography. In this post, we will focus more on photography specific issues. It is important, however, that we keep the idea of architecture and that we are talking about architectural photography not photography of architecture. There are many photographs in the body of the post as well as a gallery that presents a large collection from five photographers. The photographers’ names are in the captions of the photographs which will appear when you click to enlarge them and all of the images are clickable. If known, the architect’s name is included before the photographer’s name.

How to Approach Architectural Photography

There are photographers whose prime subject is architecture. They know their subject, they have the right equipment, they have made enough mistakes to become experts in their field. Some even have formal education in architecture. When photographing architectural subjects, there are points to remember some of which may go against the practice in other kinds of photography. What I present here will share how I see architectural photography based on my opinion, a little experience, a fair amount of reading and looking at a lot of such work. So these are not rules, just points to remember, nor are they particularly authoritative as I am not a professional architectural photographer. Think about them, take what makes sense to you, leave the rest behind.

Remember, It is a Commissioned Project

Architectural photography should be approached as a commissioned project by an architect even when just trying to learn and experience what it is. Understanding the narrative the architect may have in mind for different purposes is of utmost importance. Never lose sight that the finished work will speak for the architect, not for the photographer. By this, I do not mean that the photographer will not bring his or her sensibilities to the final product. That is necessary and almost required. But viewers looking at the end results should primarily be impressed by the architecture, not the photograph, which becomes the messenger.

We Need to Learn to Read the Architecture Right

Trained architects and architectural photographers can extract much more information from this than us casual architectural photographers. But, this does not mean we should not try. I have written several articles here on reading photographs, now I am suggesting the same for another art form.

Think first of the function of the structure, how well does the execution convey that? Louis Sullivan coined the phrase “form ever follows function.” The architectural form may convey this function, can we capture that? What kind of spaces does the design create, how and how well are they connected? What is the context for the structure, would this design be the same at any other place? Can we, should we convey this context, this location? Is there an inspiration for the architectural design coming from its context and environment? What are the materials used and how do they contribute to the fulfillment of the intention of the architect? When I looked at the photograph by Arnaud Marthouret below, the connection between the building design and the rocky ledge on top of the hill was the first thing I noticed. Of course, I followed that thought for the photographer for choosing the vantage point to make the connection. It is quite possible that I may be reading too much into this but better too much than too little in my opinion!

Jacque Prevert High School - Atelier Metis -Arnaud Marthouret

Residence | Golden Valley, MN - Peter Sieger

All these are issues that would help the photographer to find the proper vantage points for photographing this structure. In the photograph on the right above, Peter Sieger shows us what appears to be the living quarters of a residence punctuated by an Eames chair no less. We also see the outdoor space connected through large sliding doors and the stairwell on the right implies that there is another floor below. This kind of connectivity is inherent in architecture and its photography needs to convey the same.

Time of Photograph Controls the Light

The exterior of buildings is typically photographed under daylight although dusk and night photography may be suitable for some. In general, photographers seek softer light to avoid strong shadows and use this light to define its form or shape, or texture or detail.

When photographing buildings, our main light is the sun and we can only position our tripod and time the photo session to get the best light angle. To a large extent, reflectors, secondary fill lights, and so on are out of the question although under some conditions other buildings around the subject may help reflect some light. To emphasize the form, you will need more than one side of the building showing and the light needs to hit it in such a way to convey its form. This will benefit from shadows cast by various design elements, balconies, overhangs, inset windows, windowsills, etc. The shadows cast by these elements should not interfere with other important design elements by covering them. If there is ornamentation as an integral part of the design, we must pay attention not to obscure them in full shadows. All these require different angles of light, thus different times of the day and possibly different vantage points. Look at the photograph by Peter Sieger and notice how the form of the building and its linear accents both vertical and horizontal come forward with light and shadow on the structure. Judging by the short shadow of the railing, the time seems to be mid-afternoon and the sun high.

Respect the Scale, Proportion, and Perspective

The vantage point selected, camera format and the lens choice should not distort the proportion intended by the architect. There may be a temptation to exaggerate the angle of the roof, or some protruding parts for artistic reasons but we must question whether that will respect the intended scale and proportion. In order to convey a sense of scale, we may consider including known elements like a human figure, a popular model car, a mailbox, a phone booth (what am I talking about!) These elements will help the viewer better appreciate the size and the scale of the structure we are photographing.

This brings another question to the table about the use of human figures to convey the function of the building. (Read Peter Sieger’s take on this.) Some argue favorably, some do not like the idea but do consider whether adding people will enhance the photograph. Meticulous interiors photographed equally meticulously may require professional models in order to do justice to the photographic and architectural structure. Sometimes the inclusion of people may become unavoidable when photographing exteriors or public places. In the photograph on the right, David Cardelus positioned his tripod at a slightly lower point probably to show the hill-top position of the hotel. The inclusion of the cars and a person going by provides a sense of scale. Now, imagine the same photograph from the other side of the building! It would probably look like a wedge of Swiss cheese as the shorter side would get significantly shorter yet and the tall edge would be towering. That, I believe would have seriously distorted the sense of scale, but, I may be wrong.

Do Not Ignore Detail and Decoration

Some architects like Antoni Gaudi or Louis Sullivan integrate detail and decoration into their structures, and in a very organic way. Looking at the detail and ornamentation in their work is like looking at the bark of a tree, it is very much an extension of the core structure.

Such detail deserves the same level of attention given to the structure itself. Without these elements, their work is not the same. Can you imagine La Sagrada Familia without its mesmerizing detail?

In his post, Photographing Gaudi, David Cardelus says “In the case of photographing the works of Gaudí this idea is especially important given the density of concept and detail in all of its buildings.” It is that density and that level of organic integration of the detail with the core structure that makes the photographic attention not highly deserved, but absolutely essential when photographing their work.

Learn to Use the Right Equipment and Tools

Although some architectural photographs deliberately use low angles, looking up to make the structure soar to the sky with converging verticals, the general practice is to keep verticals vertical. This requires either a view camera with full front and back movements or a tilt-shift lens on a 35mm digital or film camera. These allow including more of the building height without tilting the camera upwards which keeps the correct perspective by eliminating the converging verticals.

Perspective correction can also be done in post-production in Photoshop or Lightroom but we must be careful so as not to distort the correct aspect ratio of the building. Simply making verticals vertical by using the Transform tool in Lightroom will most likely result in the building getting skinnier. This needs additional correction by changing the aspect ratio using the appropriate slider. Sometimes that may not be enough and careful introduction of horizontal “correction” may be applied to repair the unwanted shift in the width. Photoshop has even stronger tools for dealing with this. Its Adaptive Wide Angle filter has been my favorite since I first saw it when I was in the beta-test group of Photoshop 6 many years ago. It is still an excellent tool which can be augmented by the free transform and warp tools if necessary.

I am not even mentioning the necessity of a tripod and a remote release for serious architectural work although documentary or artistic photographs of buildings can be handled without one. I took the photograph on the right with a hand-held camera looking head on to photograph the facade of the church. Needless to say, it was distorted with converging lines. I corrected it in Lightroom using the circular windows as guides to make sure the building did not look narrower than it was.

How Much Change in Post-Processing

How much post-processing modification to apply to the images captured in the field occupies the minds and the blogs of many photographers. Architectural photographers are no exception. The dilemma is an ethical one, “is removing something from the photograph altering the meaning of the image?” I believe it depends to a large extent what is being removed from the photograph and why.

In one of his posts, Peter Sieger talks about removing some cords from the area below a desk in an office. If the photograph were to be used to promote safety procedures and measures in an office environment, that removal may alter the meaning of the image. However, I see no reason for concern in removing the same wires from a photograph that presents the architectural qualities of the office. I arbitrarily removed a lamp-post from the photograph of the Albert Monument in London which significantly alters the environment, the context. Therefore, not an appropriate level of image alteration. Yes, it was quickly and crudely done to make it somewhat obvious!

Treat Interior Lighting Carefully

Today, one of the obsessions of photographers is to “open up the shadows” to show more detail. This may be quite important in documenting something but when photographing interiors of buildings respect the shadow and let it be! Remember, shadows help create the form, texture, shape and all are important in architecture. When possible, use available light and when augmenting it with artificial light do not fight the natural or available light. A properly lit interior will look just right, with shadows not fighting in different directions. It is not unusual to have stronger light sources be inserted in the existing lighting fixtures to maintain the natural look of the surroundings. It is important to preserve the mood of the space without converting the photograph into a documentary image that records what is in the room for insurance purposes! Here are some examples of interior photographs, and I reluctantly put a couple of my works along with that of a fine professional, David Cardelus. Note how carefully he framed the photograph that uses symmetry in an ironic way; it is there but not exactly! And how the light falls off in distant parts of the room away from the windows. My photograph of the interior of Panagia Isodion Church in Istanbul serves as a reminder that interior photographs may offer a significant amount of detail to photograph, and the Melin Residence is there to remind us that the available light is OK!

Panagia Isodion Church - Istanbul - A. Cemal Ekin

Melin Residence - İstanbul - A. Cemal Ekin

Camera Height

Sometimes the camera height is determined by the subject as in the photograph of Park Güell below. By carefully adjusting the height of his camera Peter created a very interesting photograph, almost an illusion. On other occasions, keeping the camera elevated shows more of the horizontal surfaces and gives shape to tabletops, desks, and the floor as I did in the photograph of one of the floors of the Salt Lake City Public Library. Keeping it low emphasizes vertical elements, like the fronts of the desks, bookcases, columns, and the like. So, the tripod does not determine how high the camera will be set but your vision for the photograph. In his photograph, professional photographer Aaron Usher keeps the camera high enough to delineate all the elements. Aaron and Arnaud seem to follow a piece of advice from Julius Shulman who said that he would pull a couch to make room for his tripod behind it. Arnaud also shows the effect of including a person in an interior photograph. Take your pick.

Park Güell - Barcelona, Spain - Antoni Gaudi - Peter Sieger

Salt Lake City Public Library - A. Cemal Ekin

Edgar Ave House Altius Arnaud Marthouret

Palmerston Residence - Altius - Arnaud Marthouret

Camera Angle

By camera angle, I mainly refer to the horizontal angle. When photographing the exterior of buildings, the facade or its elevation may have a strong interest to keep the camera parallel to it. This yields a single-point perspective photograph which may be quite suitable for many occasions from large palaces and places of worship to modest residences. This angle emphasizes the lines, shapes, texture, the color of the structure as its form would be hidden behind the elevation view. In order to present the form of the structure, on the other hand, we need suitable lighting as mentioned above and proper camera position which will yield multi-point perspective as more than one side of the structure is shown. Showing the height, width, length of the building accompanied by proper lighting angle will create a feeling of volume or the form of the building.

Interiors of large structures may also benefit from this treatment but not all the time. In the Church of St. Anthony of Padua – Istanbul, I decided to use the single point perspective with a hand-held camera in dim light. Luck! With a little more luck (read as a tripod!) I could have lined up the tops of the pews better. Note also in Arnaud’s photographs how changing the height and the angle of the camera can provide much different information.

The Church of St. Anthony of Padua - Istanbul - A. Cemal Ekin

Trinity St. Paul's Church - ERA - Arnaud Marthouret

What Else?

There is a view that architects design “from a teaspoon to a city” coined by the Italian architect Ernesto Nathan Rogers. And, you will see the marks of their hands from the outside to the inside of the structure, its interior decoration, furniture, to the chandeliers and the decorations on the walls. So, an architectural photographer has to be willing and able to photograph them all. The bank tellers’ cages must be fitting for a Sullivan designed bank, the furniture for a house designed by the minimalist architect Mies van der Rohe must reflect the same sensibilities. Le Corbusier, the world-famous architect has a furniture line, and I even sat in a Le Corbusier chaise lounge at a friend’s house! All these are within the scope of architectural photographers with the same sensibilities that we may aim at their buildings.

Photographing ancient ruins or structures will also benefit from the same approach as if they are just built. Reading them with an eye toward understanding their function, style, space, form, etc. will help in photographing them with the same respect we show to the current buildings and artifacts. Granted, photographing in the narrow hallways of Derinkuyu may not be the easiest thing, devoid of daylight but Red Basilica in Pergamon can be fully explored, this in infrared. The ancient ruins deserve the same attention and respect we give to contemporary works.

Famous Architects and Photographers

This conversation will not be complete without mentioning the people who make all this happen, the architects and the photographers. The list is long, space is short! I will mention a few names and a few articles to get your thinking kickstarted.

Architects

The Internet is full of lists of the most important architects of the 20^th century, so I will not list them here beyond a few names I know in this article. Here are some of these lists and significant names. I strongly suggest you look at the works with an eye not to like or dislike them but to understand their design sensibilities. The list is not in any particular order.

Photographers

Architectural photographers bring us closer to the architects and their works. I have enjoyed the work of Julius Shulman since I stumbled on his Visual Acoustics movie years ago, and then acquired several of his books. Then on a PBS program, I learned about Pedro Guerrero and how he photographed Frank Lloyd Wright and his works, very interesting. I got a couple of books on him too. Around the same time, I became familiar with Ezra Stoller, another master in this field in the 20^th century. When you visit their indicated Web sites you will see their wonderful work.

Getty Research Institute offers a collection that can be used in publications such as this blog. Although not his iconic images, below is a small collection of Julius Shulman photographs. They are published here in accordance with their instructions and all images in this collection © J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10)

Case Study House 22 - Pierre Koenig - Julius Shulman

Kun House 1 - Richard Neutra - Julius Shulman

Case Study House 21 - Pierre Koenig - Julius Shulman

Nesbitt House - Richard Neutra - Julius Shulman

Koblick (Harry) House - Richard Neutra - Julius Shulman

I am delighted also to have received permission to include photographs by Pedro Guerrero, one of the icons of architectural photography in its dedicated gallery below. Thank you, Dixie Guerrero!

Frank Lloyd Wright - Pedro Guerrero © Pedro e Guerrero Archives

Diamond Station - Pedro Guerrero © Pedro e Guerrero Archives

United Church of Rowayton - Joseph Salerno - Pedro Guerrero © Pedro e Guerrero Archives

Rose Pauson House - Frank Lloyd Wright - Pedro Guerrero © Pedro e Guerrero Archives

Yale Hockey Rink - Eero Saarinen - Pedro Guerrero © Pedro e Guerrero Archives

In the meantime, I have seen many photographs in this genre and very recently found the works of Peter Sieger, David Cardelus, and Arnaud Marthouret. I have known Aaron Usher for some years now and he is the local go-to person for this kind of work. I suggest all of them very highly for your viewing and learning pleasure. Shulman, Stoller, and Guerrero have iconic photographs you may have seen. If you can find their movies, I highly recommend them as well. Here are some links to visit:

- Julius Shulman
- Pedro Guerrero
- Ezra Stoller
- Peter Sieger
- David Cardelus
- Aaron Usher
- Arnaud Marthouret
- The Guardian: Best Architectural Photographs of 2018
- Image Building: How Photography Transforms Architecture
- Why These Striking Images of Cathedrals Take Up to a Year to Complete
- Richard Nickel Archive, an architectural photographer who died in an explosion while photographing a building being demolished

And, I have not even scratched the surface for either list! Keep looking, architecture and its photography can be very rewarding experiences.

A Few Movies

If you have it in your NetFlix, Kanopy, or other sources I highly recommend the following movies that are about architects and architectural photographers.

My Architect (about Louis Kahn, made by his son)
Louis Sullivan: The Struggle for American Architecture
Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey
Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman

Thanks

I am grateful to my friends Mete Turan, professor of architecture and Aaron Usher, architectural photographer; Peter Sieger; David Cardelus; and Arnaud Marthouret for their time, and thank the photographers for allowing me to use and enjoy their work in this post.

Here is more! A gallery of photographs, some of mine and some I selected from the large collection of the professional photographers mentioned in the thank you section above. While you look at the photographs remember what you have read above and try to connect the dots. I have selected these photographs because they illustrate some of the points I presented in this article. Do you see the form, can you see the impact of changing the camera position and angle, single-point perspective vs multi-point perspective, and so on. Some documentary and travel photographs may also be easy to spot, but don’t assume too much. Try to remember these next time you are facing similar circumstances. Enjoy!

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Don’t Forget The Seed Germ

Lest we forget that architecture is an expression of a seed idea, as Louis Sullivan called it the seed germ, I would like to close with the following Sullivan drawing and his idea that shaped his art.

Architectural Photography – 1

January 16, 2019 by A. Cemal Ekin

Architecture is an art form, it is a branch of science, it is a business, it is the architect’s personal expression as well as that of the commissioner. So, it is not surprising that I see architectural photography as overlapping various forms, kinds, branches of photography. This post will help me crystallize my ideas of architectural photography as I get ready for another round-table discussion at the Film Photographers Association. Fair warning, combined with the second part, it is a long post! But in addition to carefully worded information, there is also an excellent collection of photographs from professional architectural photographers published with their permission. The photographers’ names are in the captions of the photographs which will appear when you click to enlarge them and all of the images are clickable. If known, the architect’s name is included before the photographer’s name.

Architecture

What exactly is architecture? Architecture is a blend of art and science that creates spaces for human experiences. It defines function, form, space, detail, material, and decoration/ornamentation that collectively help create the human experiences. Each element in the above shortlist has significance and each architect expresses them differently in line with the practice of their art.

Through the millennia, architectural styles have gone through changes leaving traces of earlier experiences on the new creations until the new ones become strong enough on their own and then shed the lineage. Many decades ago, I visited the underground cities of Derinkuyu and Kaymakli in Cappadocia, Turkey. I don’t mean a small cave where a few people lived, I mean levels of living, producing, trading spaces, even underground burial grounds, and tunnels that connected the above two cities that are 4-5 miles apart. Even there, one could see the effort to contribute to the human experiences. Below left is a drawing showing 18 levels of a town that could house upwards of 20,000 people. Underground architecture?

Derinkuyu Underground City diagram (https://goo.gl/zaEtwJ)

The winery. © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro / CC-BY-SA-3.0

On one floor, for instance, was a cavity on the wall, about 5′ x 5′ and about that tall with a foot high ledge in the front. The ledge had a hole at the bottom that connected it to the outside and it was directly above a hole on the floor. Whatever for? It turned out that they would put grapes on the floor of the opening in the wall, go and stomp on it to crush the grapes to squeeze the juice which would run out of the hole and drip through the hole on the floor to the level below where they had huge amphoras to catch the juice! Above right is the winery!

Well, we have come a long way from Derinkuyu, but the idea of creating space for human experience remains at the heart of architecture as I see it. When I say “space” I do not limit it to just the volume but the material, shape, form, function, detail, and ornamentation all combined.

Photography of Architecture or
Architectural Photography

I see a symbiotic relationship between architecture and photography. Architecture is location-bound and needs visibility. Photography provides “mobility” to architecture and also uses it as a subject for its own purposes. We mostly appreciate and enjoy architecture thanks to photography. There is a rich selection of architectural beauty that most of us will not get a chance to see if it were not for photography. That said, not every photograph that depicts a building or other kinds of architecture qualifies to be called architectural photography. This is not unique to architecture as we do not call any photograph of an individual a portrait. The intention of the photographer and her/his ability to embed that into their photography makes the difference. As photographers, they “read” their subject, the architecture, and interpret the work for us to appreciate it fully.

The architecture may be the subject of different kinds of photography like travel, documentary, art, product. or architecture photography. In this day of photographs flooding the Internet, one can imagine millions of selfies taken in front of almost that many architectural works. They essentially serve as a record and give bragging rights to the taker “I was in front of …” My main interest in this article lies in the last instance where the photograph is taken for architectural purposes. Clearly, this kind of work features a “product” and certainly qualifies as product photography but the sheer magnitude of the subject differentiates it from a bottle of soft drink or a fancy watch. There is, however, a good deal of overlap between the product photography and architectural photography aspects as they both try to convey a message to the viewer about the architecture and its architect.

The distinguishing factor between this kind and the art photography in architecture lies in what will come forward, the photograph or the architecture; the photographer or the architect. Now, I am not suggesting that a superb architectural photograph may not be a fine art photograph. But, successful architectural photography requires that the architecture be primarily admired. This may depend, to a large extent, on how the viewer approaches the photograph. Famous architectural photographer Julius Shulman cites an instance when a viewer exclaimed “what a beautiful photograph” after looking at one of his works. That, he says, made him embarrassed and aware that he and his work need to fade behind the architecture and the architect. The opening photograph that I took in Panagia Isodion church in Istanbul, for instance, will be seen as an architectural photograph as it presents the architecture, its structure, detail, materials, etc. A different view I photographed in the same place is below. It is more of an art photograph because the viewer first sees the unusual treatment of the subject. And, even the frame is not rectangular! Hard to focus on the architecture.

In part two of this two-part series, I focus specifically on photography related matters with ample examples from experts in this field.

Stay tuned!

As We Leave 2018 Behind

January 1, 2019 by A. Cemal Ekin

As I write this post, some of the readers might have already entered the new year, welcoming 2019. Happy New Year to you all as I share a photographic summary of 2018, the faces and places we have seen, the experiences we have had, and the people we have lost.

The photographs are in chronological order and show the moments from each month. Some months have more photographs than others based on what we might be doing.

We would like to dedicate this post to all family and friends we have lost in 2018. Kristine Williams and David Williams, Jan’s cousins. Linda and Steve Mecca, George Vacca, Alan French, Gunes Ariktal, our good friends. And, Binnaz Melin, our sister.

The photographs have their titles that correspond to their dates with no further description or explanation. Many have appeared in previous posts in the past year.

Have a great new year.
May 2019 bring
joy and happiness to you all.

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Mt. Nebo and Fall Colors in Utah

November 10, 2018 by A. Cemal Ekin

Yellow is unique in the color spectrum. It is naturally luminous, almost up there with white. Most colors have lighter and darker tints and shades, but not yellow. The dark yellow sounds odd since it becomes brownish! The fall color in Utah, at least in the parts I have seen, is yellow unlike in New England where colors are a mix of reds, oranges, yellows all mixed in. Fall in Utah is an intense, vibrant, almost light emitting yellow. Yes, there are other colors but all are dominated by the intense yellow. This was even more pronounced on Mt. Nebo near Nephi aided by the gorgeous weather. The Mt. Nebo Scenic Trail is a recommended attraction, especially in the fall.

The Wasatch Range & Mt. Nebo

I prefer mountain views to ocean views. There is a far more visible variation in the mountains whereas the exciting part of the ocean lies beneath the surface. The Wasatch Range stretches about 160 miles and dominates the settled areas of the state of Utah. Apparently, about 85% of Utah’s population lives within a short distance from the range on the western side. And, Mt. Nebo is the tallest one in the range on the southern edge of it. Named after the Biblical Mount Nebo overlooking Israel, it is the centerpiece of the Uinta National Forest. Its peaks are a hair under 12,000 feet and they seem to be covered with snow probably much of the time. (Thanks to Wikipedia for much of this information.)

The Mt. Nebo Scenic Byway

I enclosed a small segment of the map from the Lightroom Map module. It shows the spots where I took photographs. Elif drove us to the north edge of the trail so that we could drive over Mt. Nebo to reach the south edge and stop at the Devil’s Kitchen. We drove on the trail for a while, stopping to take a few photographs until we came to the closed gate. The two orange rectangles on the top right mark that spot. The trail was closed due to forest fires from that point forward. So, we spent some time at that location, took photographs of the golden yellow foliage all around, on the trees, on the ground, even on the stream running with the water.

Elif decided that we could try the south end of the trail to reach the Devil’s Kitchen and we started the drive back on the freeway. A little while later we were climbing on the trail from the south end. The climb was steep and I could feel the thinning air. The marker on the road showed 11,000 feet! The orange rectangles going down on the left to make a hook show our path to and from the Devil’s Kitchen.

The Devil’s Kitchen

The park at the Devil’s Kitchen was accessible from a short walk on a path. At the end of the path was an overlook to enjoy the rock formations along the hillside. We enjoyed the view, took quite a few photographs and headed back to the car stopping here and there for more photographs of Mt. Nebo with its snowy tops. During this trip, we saw Mt. Nebo from both sides!

After a few more photographs, it was time to head back since the rest of the trail was closed. But even this much was quite a treat for the eyes. The bright yellow created a great experience for us and allowed us to capture its luminous qualities. Even the photographs I took from the car on the way back show the everpresent yellow on the fading grass near the road. We returned to Salt Lake City in mid-afternoon and stopped to have a late lunch/early supper at a nice burger joint. A nice way to end a good day on the hills of Mt. Nebo.

Now, put on your sunglasses and enjoy a trip to Mt. Nebo!

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The Marina and The Golden Spike

November 8, 2018 by A. Cemal Ekin

This post is dedicated to the memory of our good friend Alan French who passed away yesterday. He loved trains, I wish he could have seen some of the photographs. Rest in peace Alan.

The delayed trip to the Great Salt Lake Marina happened one afternoon with great weather still prevailing. It was an easy drive and we passed by the Saltair and proceeded to the marina. The gates were open this time. The Great Salt Lake Marina is located on the south shore of the lake and has 340 slips according to their Web site.

The Great Salt Lake Marina

Although there were some visitors, the marina was generally quiet. A few people went to the observation deck but I managed to find an empty period to photograph it against the vast lake. There was a lone sailboat moving quietly across the calm waters. Elif, Jan, and Mina went down to the beach but the path was a bit too challenging for me and I stayed at the parking level.

Utah has the bluest skies I have seen anywhere. It may have something to do with its generally dry weather and the high altitudes around the Salt Lake area. That rich blue reflected on the water giving both of them an amazing color quality. The girls, including Josephine the dog, enjoyed walking up and down the beach, dipping their feet in the waters of the Great Salt Lake and eventually returned to the parking level.

The following day, on Sunday we spent some time at home. Elif completed carving a pumpkin for Mina to display for the Holloween at the doorsteps. After the Jack-O-Lantern was ready to shine at night we got in the car and Elif drove us to the Golden Spike National Historic Site. It was a little past Ogden and the road was not too crowded.

The Golden Spike National Historic Site

On May 10, 1869, the two railroad companies, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific connected their respective tracks that tied the continent coast to coast. That happened at the Promontory Summit where the current historic site has its guest facilities are located. We arrived there a little before their closing time, and I showed my senior pass to all the national parks and we quickly went to the storage where the replicas of the two locomotives were on display.

The replicas were quite convincing and were built around the 1970’s. During the summer months, they have daily runs, demonstrations, and reenactments of driving the last spike that created the first transcontinental railway in America. Jupiter was the more colorful with the Union Pacific 119 displaying a painting of Johnny Appleseed on one of its stacks. The park ranger offered some narrative and answered questions. It was almost their closing time and we got back in the car.

There are two auto tours, the East Auto Tour and the West Auto Tour. We decided to take the East Auto Tour because we were told it was more like driving on the old tracks, and they were right! As Elif drove, the vista was one from a western movie, a vast expanse of land with a few scattered clusters of buildings. We approached a cut on a small hill for the train to go through although it was turned into a road for the cars. I could almost visualize bandits perched on the small hills ready to pounce on the passing train. When you see the photographs these words will make more sense! For a detailed pace of laying the rail track with interesting historic photographs visit the Union Pacific special page. The Promontory Summit is towards the end, and as you scroll down you will see the steps leading to the connection. There are photographs pretty much at all the stops.

Zucca Italian Restaurant and The Speakeasy

After the tour was complete, Elif drove to Ogden where she had made reservations for dinner at Zucca Italian Restaurant. Its lower level was converted to simulate an old-fashioned speakeasy with padded doors and walls decorated with period imagery. As we parked the car outside Zucca, we saw a lot of people in Holloween costumes, and I don’t mean just children. In Utah, adults seem to be more into the Holloween at least as much as the kids, maybe even more. On the streets, we saw some children in costumes but the adults stole the show.

We went downstairs a little before the reservation time but the place was empty anyway. The food was good but Mina’s pasta bolognese was not to her liking, a little too much pork in the sauce. But we enjoyed the meal as a whole. When we got out, both sides of the street was getting filled with people apparently waiting for a parade. Before it started, we got in the car and returned home. Another enjoyable day.

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An Outing in Salt Lake City

November 1, 2018 by A. Cemal Ekin

It was good to see Elif at the airport waiting for us. The weather was very nice and it would remain so for the rest of our stay. We arrived at Elif’s house and settled in our bedroom Elif fixed for our arrival. Mina had gone on a trip with her father and was to return home after her dance practice. We were very pleased to see her arrive and decided to go out to eat at one of the local restaurants.

Our next major outing would be to pick up Mina from her school, Salt Lake Arts Academy, and go to a local period costume store called Decades. After that, a trip to the Salt Lake Marina would allow us to see the sunset from a nice vantage point. The used clothing store was quite interesting, well organized, and filled with clothing from to 50’s and maybe even earlier. Unfortunately, their policies did not allow picture taking in the store. There will be a few windows I photographed from outside as well as their Art Deco style logo hanging over the entry door. Mina was able to find the poodle skirt from the 50’s; after purchasing it we got back in the car. Elif said since we have time before the sunset, we could stop over at the Salt Lake City Public Library with an interesting architecture.

The library was indeed quite interesting with a slanting curved glass facade and the leaning support legs of the walkway descending from the roof garden. I stayed out a little, took some photographs of the building and walked into the lobby which is called the Urban Room. There were some small shops, tables, and chairs for enjoying a cup of coffee and relax. The main lighting of the library is the over 176,000 square feet of glass on one side and the ceiling. The Urban Room roamed upwards for five stories and glass enclosed elevators carried people up and down. Elif suggested that we tried going to the roof and asked for directions. Elif and I took the elevator to the fifth floor and found the door to the roof garden. The view was quite impressive and with a little extra effort, I was able to walk up the ramp to the topmost level with an even better view!

After taking quite a few photographs from the roof, I suggested to Elif to call Jan so that she could enjoy the vista and take some photographs. In a few minutes, Jan and Mina were upstairs enjoying the scenery, mountains on one side and the sprawling city on the other. Elif and Mina walked down the stairway perched on top of the slanted supports. A few minutes later she called and told us that I could easily do it. So, Jan and I started heading down. At the end of the stepped walkway were stairs that took us to the plaza where we started.

We found the car in the parking garage and headed to the marina. As we approached the replica of an old salt bath, Saltair, Elif noticed that the gate to go to the marina was closed. Apparently, in the fall and winter months, they close it at 5 pm. Oh, well, we still stayed there. The girls, including Josephine the dog, ventured out to the salt flat but I stayed behind taking photographs of the impending sunset and changing colors. Of course, I made sure I captured the girls on the salt flat as well.

After we saw the sunset, we got back to the car and headed home. The marina would wait for another day.

We are returning home to Rhode Island tomorrow. I will resume posting after a few days.