New Web Site

Hi out there. I now have a web site and am working as a photographer in the Walla Walla area now doing weddings, portraits, product photos, and more, so check out my site here: aarongrubb.com

thanks!

A Much Needed Update

So it's been a while since I've posted any pictures. Since the last post, I've gotten a new camera (not so new, but new to me) - the Nikon D90. I always wanted it, but I just had to wait until it was completely outdated to buy it :) it originally retailed for over $1000 dollars for just the body, so as you can imagine how I might not have been able to afford it. For the ~$800 or so I spent on the D60 way back when, I could have just bought what I really needed in the first place: the D90 body and a 50mm 1.8D lens (only ~$100 more). It was a small jump money-wise, but a LEAP quality-wise. The D60 served me well and is capable of taking some great pictures, but I've grown since I bought it. I've grown into something better. Unfortunately, the D90 is the best I can afford - the D700 would have been fitting, I think. Anyway, back to the real matter: pictures. I've taken some better pictures recently in comparison to my old ones. One reason is that I've been assisting a wedding/portrait/...everything photographer who does great work. I've learned a lot in just a few months. Another reason is that I've been looking at a lot of pictures and portraits on flickr, reading a lot of articles, and watching tutorials on youtube. I also got a new lens: Nikon 17-55mm 2.8G - it's probably the best lens that is made for crop sensor cameras, probably aimed at pro and semi-pro photographers using the D300 and now the D7000. The 50mm 1.8 will still be my portrait lens until I can get a 70-200mm 2.8 or an 85mm 1.8G.

Now to the pictures. The page is only showing PART of the picture, so click on it to see the full picture.

 Please excuse the vignetting. I know it is cliche, but it seemed fitting at that moment. 

I've been shooting INTO the sun a lot, which is against *common* knowledge. Shooting into the sun is "in". 

The one above isn't my favorite, but other people seem to like it, so here it is.

I also experimented with a reverse lens mount as you can see by the picture above. Yes! macros shot INTO the sun. I like it. 

turns out that portraits are often great when shooting ....towards and sometimes into the sun if you like that kind of thing. In this situation, it lights up her hair quite nicely. 

I also recently took a walk down the tracks....again. 

On this one (above), I DO plan on going back with a tripod so that I can get a shot with greater depth of field, but this is what I have until then. 

I've also been working on portraits.

There you have it. This is what I've been up to. You should be impressed because it seems like I've had ZERO time to shoot, but yet I've taken a few decent shots. I know that some aren't optimal, but I feel like I'm a concert pianist who isn't allowed to practice, but is expected to perform. I have, in fact, offered to shoot family portraits (outdoors) for a bunch of friends for FREE, but not many have taken me up on that. I need more practice, people. One couple who I'm friends with accepted my offer, and it turned out well...or fairly well - this is why we practice :) if you'd like to see their family pictures or the pictures of a wedding I did spur-of-the moment, then head over to my facebook page (until I get a real page): facebook.com/aarongrubbphotography 

until next time

The Destroyed Blue Mountain Mall

First, I apologize for the formatting issue. Google needs to fix it or I need to learn more HTML.....

So after I shot and posted the previous post about the train, my friend Andrew told me about his favorite podcast: Stuff You Should Know from HowStuffWorks.com with Josh & Chuck. I gave them a listen and at first wasn't sure if I wanted to keep listening, but after a couple episodes, I started to really like the show hosts and the topics they reviewed. I had probably listened to about 10 episodes when I came across their episode "What are Urban Explorers". Obviously, it's about urban exploration, which is exploring old buildings, underground tunnels, etcetera, that are generally off limits to the public. It’s Funny how things work out since I just did it a week earlier. Josh & Chuck got me thinking about what places in my city would be good candidates for exploration. Unfortunately, there aren't many places in Walla Walla to explore, but it suddenly occurred to me that I have been wondering what it was like inside the old Blue Mountain Mall site that has been just sitting there for so long. I had a day free, so I walked down to the mall and walked along the fence until I saw a “no trespassing” sign. I then decided that I didn’t want to be a true urban explorer if I were to get fined or arrested, so I pulled out the camera and started taking pictures from behind the fence. I came around a corner where the “go zone” ended where it became off-limits. Suddenly, I heard a voice yell, “HEY!” from a distance, but originating from inside the mall. He was a construction guy of some kind and seemed like he must be in charge. The sudden loud voice could only logically be followed by my own internal monologue largely consisting of scared profanity – then I had to decide whether to walk slowly away around the corner or to face the guy and claim I was doing nothing wrong…I was, after all, behind the fence! He had started from 100 or more yards away and was closing in now. My mind was now calculating and simulating every possible negative scenario when out of the silence came, “are you Brett?” I nearly laughed in relief. I briefly explained to the guy about what I was doing there and he instantly invited me in and basically told me to shoot to my heart’s content. “Phew” I thought. “This couldn’t have turned out better.” So I trudged through the rubble and continued to shoot for a while, excited to be in this disaster, and also relieved that I got to be here with authorization. There are a few shots here that are from similar angles, but I included them anyway because I couldn’t decide which ones I liked better.  Please click on the pictures to view the high resolution images.

 I was driving around town the other day and noticed that the railroad around town was completely filled with freight cars, but they were mostly the ones used for hauling lumber. I didn't find them to be too interesting, but then I came across a section of tracks that had about five passenger cars parked on it. I had asked my friend Doug to come with me the first time I went there, but he couldn't make it. I was a little creeped out when I was taking the first round of pictures, but then things got worse when I started hearing noises from the train. I was alone with two cameras in the middle of nowhere in the perfect place for people to be hiding out. Needless to say, I got out of there as soon as I got some quick pics from the outside of the train.
The next week, Doug came with me. He turned out to be many orders braver than me. He climbed into the train and checked the area for stowaways before we took the pictures that we so badly wanted to take. These pictures are only from the first three cars. The last two cars had the windows welded shut with sheet metal over them...plus the door leading to them was only slightly ajar and even gave Doug the feeling that he should stay out. We got through taking pics just as we started consistently hearing suspicious noises from the back end of the train. We promptly exited the train and walked back to my car, glancing nervously over our shoulders the whole way. I've never been so glad to get away from a "photo shoot". Hope you like them.

New Photos from Pullman, WA

Today, I decided to actually go out and take pictures, I found a neat spot near an old bridge.

I also converted some of them to black & white.