Southeastern Crawl

[Caivman]

Morning all, New member here looking to get out and break in the 4x5... problem is, i've got no idea where to go locally. I'm situated around the Greater Birmingham area in Alabama, and i'm looking for places to go with a tripod friendly atmosphere that won't be overly crowded... also... places with photogenic potential would be a plus :rolleyes: .

any ideas / suggestions or other LFPF members live close by with any good locations for a green horn to go and shoot?

Thanks ahead of time!

-D

[Ben Hopson]

Welcome Caivman. I am originally from Alabama and still get back there as often as I can. As to where to photograph, unless you have something specific in mind, I would suggest just getting out with the camera and keeping your senses open to whatever is around you. Subject matter for beautiful photographs can find you anywhere.

Good luck,
Ben

[Bruce Watson]

You don't say what kind of photography you are into. Rocks and trees? People? Architecture?

If you are into rocks, trees, and water then perhaps the "ultimate" destination for LFers in the SE is Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Fairly easy to get to the TN side (which is often thought of as the more photogenic side) from where you are.

But for starting out and learning the ropes, take a good look at your local state parks. And beaches. And your own backyard.

[Brian Ellis]

Never been to Birmingham or even Alabama other than to drive through it and I have no idea what types of photography interest you. I also assume you're asking about local subject matter, not things like the Grand Canyon that anyone can travel to. But FWIW, when I'm in an area I don't know I sometimes go to the local Chamber of Commerce and pick up whatever brochures they have that look interesting. Even when you think you know an area, it can be surprising the things you forget about or never thought of as subjects for photographs. Motels also often have information about local attractions, sights, tours, etc. Or architecture - doesn't Birmingham have some photographically interesting buildings, either historic or new? Or closed factories and stores, if that sort of thing interests you? Freeways - Ray McSavaney and others have made some great photographs underneath freeways. City parks? State or national parks near by? It's mostly a matter of identifying your own personal interests and then seeking out that type of subject matter.

[tmastran]

Almost all of my recent work has been done within driving distance of Birmingham. Take a look at the locations of the photos in my recent gallery for some places to visit. My email is on the main page also, if you would like more info:

http://www.tedmastrandonas.com


Ted
Just south of BHM.

[Caivman]

Thanks for all the ideas! i guess i shouldn't be so vague about what i'm looking to do. I've recently come across a pristine Speed Graphic and i'm trying to get my film skills back up to par with what they were in highschool. As to what i'm interested in shooting, pretty much anything. For now, if i had to pick, i'd like to start off with landscapes, architecture, and still life studio work. working for an architectural firm gives me a pretty good idea about what to look for in architecture as far as design goes... but being drowned in the stuff all day, i'd much rather shoot landscapes.

Oak Mountain is great, especially this time of year, Moss Rock preserve in Hoover is equally filled with subject matter, Botanical gardens is a must, and i'm not opposed to a weekend drive out to the country for some more rural shooting.

In short, i guess i've answered my own questions as to where to go. As far as what to shoot, i'll keep an open eye to everything like several of you have suggested.

Thanks again!

(great shooting Ted! Got any pointers for an amature LF shooter? Also, is it sad i can name pretty much every location you've shot at just by looking at it? Good to find there's more LF shooters in Alabama than i'd originally thought.)

[Toyon]

"Photogenic Potential."?

The only thing that doesn't have photographic "potential" is darkness.

[keith english]

Almost all of my recent work has been done within driving distance of Birmingham. Take a look at the locations of the photos in my recent gallery for some places to visit. My email is on the main page also, if you would like more info:

http://www.tedmastrandonas.com


Ted
Just south of BHM.

Great black-and-white Ted! I', working on a series from the Georgia state parks. That's always a good place to start.

[Caivman]

""Photogenic Potential."?

The only thing that doesn't have photographic "potential" is darkness."

True true, but keep in mind, i'm looking for basic yet challenging shoots that'll make me use all of my old film skills again so i can get used to the science of shooting again. Too abstract or too obscure of a shot, and i may remember why digital is so loved these days in the first place.
"ohh pretty!" *click* "ahh, so nice"

This is still a hobby for me, and i want it to stay fun and interesting without having to devote TOO much effort into it at the moment. Lol... wow that makes me sound really lazy as a photographer... I guess what i mean is that i'm looking for a fresh subject that i've not shot before. All of the places that everyone's said above (with the exeption of the Smokey Mountains) has been something that i've seen all too often. Looking back on all of the post, i'm starting to get back to the basics i learned in School. "Photography is the ability to take an everyday something, and capture it in an essence that someone might not have seen it otherwise."

I guess i'll be making a trip to the Botanical Gardens this weekend afterall.

[cdholden]

Oak Mountain is great, especially this time of year...

I recall a nice waterfall about 1/2 mile down a hiking trail when I was there in 2002.
Photogenic indeed, but I do recall it being a tight shot from up on the ridge. Open access is easier from down by the water.

[Caivman]

I recall a nice waterfall about 1/2 mile down a hiking trail when I was there in 2002.
Photogenic indeed, but I do recall it being a tight shot from up on the ridge. Open access is easier from down by the water.

Peavine falls, yeah. It's a nice shoot, but a pain to get to carrying any amount of camera gear with you.

[tmastran]

Keith -- Thanks! I may head over there and check out some parks again this summer. I went over to Providence Canyon last year and really enjoyed it, although I didn't come back with any shots I liked.

Caviman -- No real pointers other than just shoot and stop messing with all the variables. For every shot I keep, there's another fifty or so that don't even make it out of the fixer.

If y'all do go down to the Peavine Falls, watch out! It's straight down a slippery slope, which is no fun with a 4x5 setup on your back.

[Gary Beasley]

Have you tried the Sloss Furnaces yet? Great place to shoot and the occasionally have iron pours in the far end of the plant.
Providence Canyon is not too far from you over the line in Georgia and up in the northwest corner of Al you have the Dismals to shoot.

[Caivman]

Gary - Didn't have my 4x5 the last time i was at sloss, and had to donate my memory card to a friend i was with while she shot a project for school.
I might give Sloss another shot though, come to think about it, i've never been out there durring the summer. I've always wanted to go watch them do the iron pour thing out there. If i'm not mistaken, they also do a bronze casting class out there occasionally too. That might make for an interesting shoot.

Ted- Yeah yeah, i get tied up in variables all the time... a bad habit i'm trying to break. I need to get back into the grove of taking pictures again, and just let it happen instead of thinking about it so much. Hard habit to break when my job demands it from me. :-/

Providence Canyon... that sounds familiar. I'll have to look that up.

[Steve M Hostetter]

Rabun County GA

Sylvia North Carolina, along mill street