Gateway Mine

Hey there everyone! Felt this was definitely a fit for the grab shot. Last weekend my family and I were on one of our journeys exploring around. I had some fun snapping a bit around the river in the area and a few of the other local creeks. Gathering wood around mid-day gave me some fun experimenting with sun bursts that I have yet to be successful with in processing, but I’m practicing. I thought for sure one of those would be the first photo I shared. While wandering, my kiddos grandfather started telling a story about when he used to camp in the area and all these loud trucks that would break the peace, and occasionally make the fishermen curse. They were trucks loaded down with hauls from a mine further up towards the base of the mountains. It was hard to believe anything could have broken the peaceful sound of the creek burbling by and the birds having conversation. That was all it took to go see if we could catch a glimpse of what used to be the bane of those looking to get away from it all only to hear the rumble and flow of a mining operation. We found the mine up the road and I couldn’t pass up it’s rusted colors, especially in stark contrast to the rugged blues, grays, and whites of the mountains beyond, which you’ll have to imagine because this hulking abandoned beast was what held my eye at that moment. The beauty in those colors meshed so well with the sleeping giants in the area, the old blown volcanoes. It seemed to be begging for sound to erupt, but all I had to offer was the click of the shutter.

What technical feedback would you like if any?

Anything and everything. Thank you in advance.

What artistic feedback would you like if any?

I’m all ears.

Pertinent technical details or techniques:

My humble Canon T3i 600D, stock 18-55mm lens @ 18mm, ISO 100, f16, 1/100, hand-held

You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.

Like this a lot, Kori. Centred on the tall cylinder, the diagonals of the shutes make for a dynamic composition, and the rust colours are indeed splendid against the blue of the sky. Just wonder if a bit of lens correction would straighten up the grey cylinder at the L - a minor detail. So nice to see these old mine workings recorded !!

Welcome Kori! You’ve come to the right place for good photography and friendly supportive feedback.

Ian practically took the words out of my mouth. It all works. Only difference between our insights has to do with that silver tank on the left. I did a quick screen crop to remove it entirely, and those big swooping pipes on that side jump into prominence. For my eye it works better than any effort to “straighten” the tank. The pipes become major players in the comp and strengthen it even further than you’ve already accomplished.

Best part for me is not visible in the photo. You had your family out there with you, and it doesn’t get any better than that. Well done, both in front of the camera and behind it!

Hi Kori, welcome to NPN. This is a delightful look at this old structure, with the centered tallest tower and the angled chutes against the blue sky. The mid-day light lets the colors and shapes stand out strongly, which creates a fine sense of strength. While I doubt that it was(is?) possible, a look from a higher vantage point might also be interesting. There’s no reason to apologize for your equipment. When I run photo workshops, the first thing I tell the participants is, “It’s not the equipment, it’s the operator and their knowledge of their equipment that make good photos.”

Welcome, Kari. Nice old time industrial mine. I love these old spots and this one looks good. I like the suggestion about the lens correction and straightening the tank on the left. Otherwise, it looks good to my eye.

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Welcome, Kori. A very cool image of this old mine. I love all the diagonals in the composition and I think you picked the perfect place to chop off the right side of the image. I think Hank may have the best solution for that tank on the left.

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@Hank_Pennington thanks so much. I appreciate the feedback. I played with cropping the left tank out and it just seemed like I lost my centering a bit too much. When you try it, do you keep aspect ratio? Would to hear your thoughts on cropping it without losing too much. I definitely agree that those swooping pipes sure deserve more attention too. They have such great lines to them. Looking forward to your follow up.

@Ian_Wolfenden thank you so much for this call out. I’m trying on the lens corrections. I’m quite new with post processing so I’ll have to keep playing. So far I haven’t gotten the right distortion without messing things up. If you have any recommendations to try in lens correction without hurting the rest, I’m all ears. I love finding abandoned things out in nature. To me it’s such a story to see things left behind like this and one that keeps me so curious.

@Mark_Seaver Thank you for your encouraging words. I always avoiding joining too many discussions on photography and learning more because I figured my entry equipment just wouldn’t cut it, but more recently, I’ve realized, it doesn’t have to cut it for anyone but me anyhow. It’s the joy of being out there, appreciating and capturing what held me for that moment. I am SO glad to have found this site. Haven’t done much here yet but I’m thankful to see it seems a community of people who believe in growth, caring, and community. :slight_smile: Thanks again for your wisdom!