Cab-Over Front-Office ::::: Paul's Junkyard ::::: October 2011

’70s-vintage Peterbilt cab-over semi-truck at Paul’s Junkyard.  This body was off the frame, sitting on the dirt.  Normally this interior would be 8 feet off the ground and virtually impossible to shoot using these techniques, but I was able to easily set up at shoulder-level in the doorway.  Red-gelled strobe inside the sleeping compartment, blue gelled LED from the top-left.  I rolled down the drivers-side window to avoid reflections and include the mountains and sky for depth.  I also used lime-gelled LED through the windshield to make the CB radio wires, air freshener (find one in every car) and vents pop out of the background and balance the volume of light throughout.  This is a sandwich of two 2-minute exposures.

Workshop availability?  Yes.

The Final Stop :::::

The subway cars at Paul’s Junkyard.  September 2011.

A spot for you just opened up for the April workshop in this amazing junkyard.  subway junkyard

No One Escapes The Claw ::::: Movie Prop Armored Car ::::: September 2011

This rusty armored car circles the drain at Paul’s Junkyard.  Shortly after this was taken it succumbed to the claw and shredder.  Yellow-gelled LED on the claw and red-gelled strobe inside the vehicle.  Lots of flashlight on the exposed engine too.  202-second exposure, long enough to get some nice movement in the clouds.

We had a cancellation for our April workshop, there’s suddenly a spot open for you to join us!  Visit the workshop page for more information.

Vacuum the Bed ::::: 1980s Chevy El Camino

Red and lime-gelled LED flashlight in the bed, red gelled strobe through the windshield.  85 second exposure.  Paul’s Junkyard, October 2011.

One Track Mind :::::

Out in a field on the Munz Ranch property, as far from the sodium vapor lights as I could get.  Is this a Snow Cat or just some kind of home-made tracked farm vehicle?  Cool and rusty, whatever it is.  LED flashlight down the side and snooted into the broken headlight, orange-gelled strobe inside the spider-filled interior.  509 second exposure.

Elizabeth Lake ::::: Munz Ranch ::::: October 2011

1930s-vintage International dump truck, out to pasture at Munz Ranch, near Lancaster California.  A strong sodium vapor light on the far side of the truck is lighting the weeds and background trees, The truck, this side in total shadow, was lit with an LED flashlight along with a couple of blue-gelled strobe pops from the far side.  There’s a lot of potential in this location, if only they could turn off that SV light . . .

Due to the extremely strong sodium vapor light shining right on the pump (reflecting on the stainless steel “National” band) this exposure had to be very short–50 seconds.  Just long enough to throw a naked strobe pop on the pump from 2 sides, a blue pop on the background from camera right, and some yellow backlight on the “Ethyl” glass from behind the pump.

Nesthyl ::::: Munz Ranch

The Temporary Roof ::::: January 2011

This overview from McDowell Road gives the site a sense of scale and placement to the temporary roof over the cemetery, which was removed in December 2011.  This 2-minute exposure has a little LED flashlight on the fence, but most of the light here was from the full moon and surrounding work-lights of the construction site.

Succulent Little Tex ::::: January 2011

The tombstone was lit with red LED flashlight, the plants with lime-gelled LED.  26-second exposure–just long enough to do the lighting.

Tibet ::::: January 2011

Deep under the roof, the site takes on an intensely gloomy and dark atmosphere.  I took advantage of it here, leaving most of the frame dark except for the LED on the fence and grave. The three-minute exposure allowed the foggy background to burn in.

Death To Smoochy ::::: January 2011

Red-gelled strobe from behind the tombstone, purple-gelled LED on the front, in the shadow area created by the red strobe.  The shutter was open just long enough to get the lighting done, in this case, 77 seconds.

Visit the first post in the Presidio Pet Cemetery series to learn more about this exciting and weird location.

Wow, you sure get a lot of new visitors when you’re featured on CNN.  I’m overwhelmed.

Welcome to all the new visitors.  Hope you enjoy my galleries of work shot in decommissioned military installations, abandoned amusement parks and aviation boneyards too.  The “Lost America” body of work is not just about cars!

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But most of all, have fun!

Doyle Drive dates back to the original construction of the bridge in the mid 1930s.  Now seismically unfit, the new “Presidio Parkway” is currently under construction to replace it.

Nestled in the dark and dank shadow of this teeming construction site is the Presidio Pet Cemetery.

Tombstone Crown ::::: January 2011

Subterranean Graveyard ::::: January 2011

Originally started in the 1950s, there are no actual military records of the site being designated as a pet cemetery, but it’s become the final resting place to hundreds of animals. It was officially closed to interments in 1963, but many have clandestinely buried their pets here over the years.

Situated directly beneath the new freeway flyover construction, the contractor temporarily built a low roof over this tiny necropolis to protect it from falling debris. This covering has created a surreally gloomy, underground graveyard.  It’s like a cemetery in a subway tunnel . . . with names like Blinky and Wiggles on the tombstones.  I’ve never experienced anything like it.

Cindy ::::: January 2011

Blinky ::::: January 2011

Quentin the Evenrude Cat ::::: January 2011

Since shooting this work, the construction has sped along and the area around this site looks quite different.  The roof over the cemetery has been removed and this Phase 1 section of roadway will open in 2012.  The entire Presidio Parkway project is scheduled to be finished in 2015.

Lots more Presidio Pet Cemetery and Parkway construction site work to come . . .