Florida State University

The Westcott Building on the Florida State University campus in Tallahassee.

The Westcott Building on the Florida State University campus in Tallahassee.
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/40s, f/25, ISO 200, EV +0.3, 34mm focal length.

The historic collegiate gothic building was built in 1910 and served as then Florida State College’s administration building by which it was known until 1936. In that year the building was renamed the James D. Westcott, Jr. Memorial Building by then university president Edward Conradi in remembrance of the former Florida Supreme Court justice who had left a large part of his estate to the college. Today, it is the cornerstone of the Florida State University campus and is home to the Ruby Diamond Auditorium with seating for over 1,100 patrons.

The Unconquered statue in front of the Doak Campbell Stadium on the Florida State University campus in Tallahassee.

The Unconquered statue in front of the Doak Campbell Stadium on the Florida State University campus in Tallahassee.
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/60s, f/18, ISO 200, EV 0, 78mm focal length.

The mascot for Florida State University athletic teams is the Seminole Warrior beautifully shown in the statue named Unconquered which stands out in front of the Doak Campbell Stadium. The Seminole Tribe approves of the FSU mascot as it represents them with honor and respect.

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View 240: The Gateway Arch

Eero Saarinen, the architect of the Gateway Arch, wanted a simple design for a memorial to the westward expansion created by the Louisiana Purchase negotiated by President Thomas Jefferson.  After studying other iconic memorials, Eero decided none really fit and came up with an arch which later he described as a gateway to the West.

The Gateway Arch at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Gateway Arch at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri.
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/320, f/8, ISO 200, EV +0.3, 28mm focal length.

The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri is where the Gateway Arch was built along the shore of the Mississippi River. It dominates the St. Louis skyline and is a very popular tourist destination year around.

You enter the Gateway Arch from either the north or south entrances which take you underneath the Arch where you buy your tickets to go up to the top of the Arch in a Tram.  Trams are pods which can accommodate up to five people.  They are small and one better not be claustrophobic for the ride up.  The pods keep you upright as they adjust every few feet up the leg.  The trip is well worth it for the view.

The view of St. Louis, Missouri from the top of the Gateway Arch.

The view of St. Louis from the top of the 630 foot (192m) Gateway Arch.
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/100s, f/16, ISO 200, EV +0.3, 28mm focal length.

The view from the top of the 630 foot (192m) Gateway Arch of the city of St. Louis.  To the left is Busch Stadium, home to the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals Baseball team.  To the right is the Old Courthouse which is also part of the memorial.  The windows at the top are small and you have to lean up against them to get a clean view with your camera.

Tourists leaning close to the small windows at the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.

Tourists leaning close to the small windows at the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/125s, f/8, ISO 3200, EV -0.3, 28mm focal length.

As you can see there is not a lot of room at the top of the Gateway Arch.  If you plan to visit during the busy summer season, plan on going early.  I was there at 8:30am and it was not crowded.  By the time we left the Gateway Arch two hours later, there were long lines to get into the Gateway Arch and very long lines to use the Trams to the top. You can pre-pay and reserve a time on the Trams from the National Park Service website which will save you time and money as a reservation includes parking in the memorial’s garage.

A grizzly bear welcomes you to the Museum of Westward Expansion below the Gateway Arch in the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri.

A grizzly bear welcomes you to the Museum of Westward Expansion below the Gateway Arch in the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri.
Nikon D700/Tokina 11-16mm, 1/60s, f/4, ISO 2500, EV -0.3, 16mm focal length.

After taking my trip up to and down from the top of the Gateway Arch, I explored the Museum of Westward Expansion which tells the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and movement of Americans into the Western North America.  There are also two movie theaters.  I watched a documentary on the building of the Gateway Arch.  The people who did that were very brave or very crazy.  Their finished monument sheathed in stainless steel a tribute to them and the designers.

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Last Person on Earth

Have you ever been to a place that looked like you were standing at the end of the Earth? Maybe you were in a location which made you feel like you were the last person on Earth?  Such is the premise of Karma’s August Photo Hunt this month.

Lake Ontario Sunset.

Standing on the shore of Lake Ontario after sunset can give you the feeling of being the last person on Earth.
CLICK PHOTO FOR MORE INFORMATION ON KARMA’S PHOTO HUNT

Karma realizes not everyone can find an ends of the Earth photo so she is looking for your most extreme types of photos either new or old.  Extremes could be a photo from the lowest, highest, northernmost, southernmost, westernmost, easternmost or any Most or Est you have photographed. Click the photo above to learn more about this very creative, fun and inspirational photo hunt.

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Assignment 20 Recap

I knew this Assignment on Motion Photography was going to be challenging. As usual, everyone blew me away with their talent and creativity.  You all took to photographing motion in a still photograph to heart.  I get a few each week on Google+, where I run a weekly photography theme called #InMotionThursday, who insist on sharing photos taken with very fast shutter speeds which freeze the motion.

I was very happy to see some newcomers to this month’s assignment starting with a fellow Disney fan photographer.  Scott Sanders is a local to Walt Disney World and gets to photograph in the parks without having to worry about being on vacation. Scott created a series of abstract photographs using the motion of ride vehicles and very long exposures.  The results are outstanding.

Kieth LeLievre got a successful panning photo of a racing stock car from the stands.  Having done this myself, it is not an easy task to keep the camera focused on the cars and not latching onto the safety netting and wires. I did suggest a tighter crop but otherwise a very nice motion photograph.

Back with a reverse pan as I like to call them, Laurie Cybulak photographed a countryside with a barn from a moving vehicle. Kind of like Scott’s idea above but with a much shorter shutter speed keeping the subjects sharp enough to identify but blurred to show motion.

Natalie Bell is a west coast Disney photographer who went and enjoyed the new Carsland area which opened in late June.  Her panned photo of one of the cars on the Radiator Spring Racers course is made that much better taken during the Golden Hour.

Moving wings of birds is the subject of Nye’s contribution.  She photographed a Goldfinch and a hummingbird flying away into a sea of greenish bokehed backgrounds.

Karen found her own winged beauties in the form of insects, raptors and ducks. The hummingbird moth was very interesting and she did a good job of photographing them. Nature is a big copycat and if it works for birds, it sure well works for insects, too.

Barbara did various kinds of motion photography (not sure about the implied one though) using her talent and photographic spirit.  Really like the zoom burst of the Cornell University campus.

Barbara’s neighbor, Debbie, visited some gardens where she found all sorts of natural and man-made kinds of color in motion.  Those water fountains at night are just stunning.

Up next was yours truly.  I found horsepower was a good way to put things in motion both figuratively and quite literally.  Anyone want a ride in that orange coupe?

I have to applaud Carsten for putting together is motion slideshow.  Very creative and an excellent way to show motion…just not in one still image.  Though he did post a photo below it which fit the assignment perfectly.

I had to remind another upstate New York blogger to post his beautiful HDR image of Chittenango Falls.  The soft flow of the water is perfectly shown using this technique. Michael, we need to do a waterfall run out your way this fall.

Thank you all for participating.  It was not the easiest assignment but one well worth trying.  You never know when a motion photography opportunity will arise and it is a photographic skill well worth having.  Enjoy the rest of your summer everyone!

Come back on Friday to see another way to stretch your photographic talents.

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On The Road Again

Scott behind the wheel of the red Hero car backstage at the Lights, Motors, Action Extreme Stunt Show in Disney's Hollywood Studios.

The blog author getting ready for another Great American Road Trip.

While I will not be driving the red Hero car from the Lights, Motors, Action Extreme Stunt Show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios next week.  I will be helping my daughter, Krystal, drive from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Tallahassee, Florida as she relocates for her new job.  Unlike when I drove her out to North Dakota in January of 2010, her stuff is being moved by her new employer.  I only have to help drive the 1,882 miles of road and chip in for hotels and meals. What are Dads for, right?

Don’t worry, the recap for the Motion Assignment is done and will post tomorrow.

If you wish to follow our adventure, I will be posting comments and photos on my @sthomasphotos Twitter  and Google+ feeds (click links) starting tonight.

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