Sydney Opera House

Posted by Snob on November 25, 2019
Posted in: Architecture, Cityscapes, Culture, Landscape, Travel, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Sydney Opera House from the Harbour Bridge

A World Heritage Site Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the Sydney Opera House has about a 1000 rooms going 9 floors below for production, logistics and miscellaneous operations. It took 16 years to build. The story of its making, a drama onto itself, with a bittersweet ending.

The roof is made of 2,194 pre-cast concrete sections, which weigh up to 15 tonnes each, is covered with 1 million self cleaning tiles that have never been cleaned. I always thought it was made of large vinyl/canvas sails like the the ones you see at some new airports or stadiums. An amazing feat! Have you been to Sydney? What’s your favorite part of this beautiful city?

Sydney Harbor view sunrise to sunset

Posted by Snob on November 20, 2019
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Sydney Harbor at Sunset

A few weeks ago I got to fulfill a life-long dream of visiting Sydney, Australia. I rarely make detailed plans when I travel as I like to give myself ample opportunity to be flexible, spontaneous and seize unique moments and experiences. One area where this rule does not apply however is where I stay. Wherever I stay absolutely must offer me a great view of the city. I want to wake up and see the city in all it’s glory and splendor. I want to draw my inspiration from it’s energy that day. At the end of my day I want to reflect on the day’s experiences within the broader context of the city as it’s lights shimmer and energy glows.

On this trip I stayed at the Sydney Harbour View Hotel. It offered a fairly unobstructed view of the city at a fairly reasonable rate. Even more critical to the success of my trip, there was a metro/subway and bus station literally downstairs, next door. This meant within 15-20 minutes of leaving my room, I could be virtually anywhere around the greater Sydney Harbor area. A lot of forethought goes into planning my trips and this is just one of the many thought processes I go through.

Have you been to Sydney? Do you live in Sydney? What’s your favorite view of the city? Stay tuned for many more views of this beautiful city.

These shots were taken using the Canon 5DsR and Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8 lens on a Manfrotto tripod.

San Francisco from Berkeley hills

Posted by Snob on October 18, 2019
Posted in: Cityscapes, Landscape, Travel. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

With my upcoming trip to Sydney and the subsequent holiday madness I decided to make a quick run down to the San Francisco Bay Area. Of course I have captured the city on many occasions over the years but there has been one vantage point I have always wanted to capture. I just could never find the time to plan this excursion and I didn’t have the right equipment until several years ago.

To capture the city from the Berkeley hills, here’s what you will need.

  • Time – to research and explore the Grizzly Peak area and roads around the campus and hills. There are many great vantage points to choose from.
  • Weather – you will need clear skies and good visibility. The bay area is usually hazy or foggy and not ideal for this long of a distance.
  • A long lens – you will need a fairly long lens. In this case I used the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L lens. 200mm probably won’t cut it as your subject is just too far.
  • Tripod – you will need a very sturdy, heavy duty tripod. I used a full size manfrotto with a gimbal mount. Even with that, I still had to contend with wind shake. Keep the tripod as low to the ground as possible.
  • Patience – take your time. Something is bound to test your resolve or patience.

Overall it was a good outing. I got some good shots and will likely be going back again before year end to retake a couple of the shots.

Have you captured the city? What’s your favorite vantage point?

Train hopping in Chicago

Posted by Snob on February 26, 2019
Posted in: canon 5D mark III, Cityscapes, Travel. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Since we’re on the subject of trains, I decided to go back through the archives and look for other instances I photographed trains. Here are some of my favorites from my last trip to Chicago. It was very foggy and drizzling all day so I bought a day pass for the CTA metro and spent my day jumping from one line to another. It was a great relaxing way to see the city and capture some it’s character and grit. I love this city. I also love the utilitarian look of the CTA trains.

This shot was taken with the Canon 5D Mark III. To capture the motion blur, use shutter priority mode and slow your shutter down just so you can freeze your subject. Use AI Servo AF and the center spot/zone. Set to high speed burst, acquire focus, track your subject and take your shots in bursts of 2-3 shots. Motion blur action shots are one of my favorite types of photography.

In honor of President George H. W. Bush – Union Pacific 4141

Posted by Snob on February 18, 2019
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Union Pacific – UP4141

Today is Presidents Day. I just so happened to be going through my archives and thought this would make a fitting post. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to tour the Roseville Rail Yards. Unbeknownst to many in the area, the yards had been hosting a very special guest – UP4141. UP4141 or Union Pacific 4141 is an EMD SD70ACe locomotive owned by Union Pacific, commissioned in 2005 in honor of George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States. Its paint scheme is based on that of Air Force One, with lettering reading “George Bush 41” painted on the sides in honor of the George Bush Presidential Library and President Bush

The unit was removed from active service due to reduced traffic levels stemming from the financial crisis of 2007–2010 and was stored at UP’s North Little Rock shop. The locomotive was briefly removed from storage in 2012 and made a round trip from North Little Rock to Chicago, and was then immediately returned to storage. For a while, it was wrapped for long term storage, but the wrapping was later removed. During February 2018, 4141 received cosmetic touch ups to its paint and then returned to storage.

After the death of George H. W. Bush on November 30, 2018, UP 4141 was brought out of storage and was sent to Houston, Texas on December 1, 2018. The locomotive participated in the funeral train for George H. W. Bush on December 6, running from Spring, Texas to College Station, Texas. Following the funeral, the unit was sent to Omaha, Nebraska, where it was on display from December 9 to 12. UP 4141 later went on a system-wide tour, with stops in Chicago, Fort Worth, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, North Platte, Pine Bluff, North Little Rock, Ogden, Portland, Roseville, and St. Louis. (read more on Wikipedia)

UP4141 was accompanied by UP1943. Union Pacific’s Locomotive No. 1943, The Spirit, was the company’s 16th commemorative locomotive. The Spirit honors the United States’ armed forces and the men and women filling their ranks. Created in collaboration with Union Pacific veterans, the locomotive illustrates the railroad’s connection to the thousands of veterans who helped build America through the centuries. (read more at Union Pacific)

It was a beautiful day and thankfully one of the slower days at the yard. This meant I was able to spend some time chatting with staff while they performed routine maintenance procedures and general “housecleaning” at the yard. I learned a few fun facts about these trains:

  • Each locomotive needs about 3500-4000 gallons of diesel to fill its tank. They fill a locomotive’s tank about once every two weeks on average. It takes a full sized tanker truck to do the job.
  • Most locomotives are paired in twos. One is called the Mother, the other the Slug. The Mother functions as power generator for itself and the slug. The Slug has no engine, only traction motors. The Slug also carries heavy concrete blocks in place of it’s engine to help provide adequate traction. You can make out a Slug by the absence of the engine side vents at the top. They are also silent of course. 🙂
  • The square boxy nose at the front of the locomotive actually serves two purposes. It houses the loo (potty, toilet, etc) and a reservoir of sand. The locomotive can/will dispense sand onto the rails if it senses any slippage of the traction wheels.

Do you have a favorite train? Do you have any fun facts about locomotives you’d like to share? Thanks for stopping by.

Chasing Sunsets in Chicago

Posted by Snob on December 9, 2018
Posted in: Architecture, Cityscapes, Landscape, Travel. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Downtown Chicago at Sunset, South View

October was a very busy month. With two major trips planned including one from my bucket list, I was hard pressed to find a quiet moment to write about my exploits. The last time I was in Chicago was around 7 to 8 years ago. It was some time in the spring. I did quite a bit of photography on that trip with my original 7D. I had just started figuring out what my Chasing Sunsets series would look like. Unfortunately as my workflow and archival processes evolved in their infancy, I lost the RAW image files. As a matter of fact, I am unable to locate photos from that trip. Needless to say, I was extremely frustrated when a major magazine catalogue contacted me asking for high quality skyline and cityscape prints of iconic American cities, especially Chicago.

Low cloud cover over Chicago.

Since then I have been meaning to get back out to Chicago just to photograph it at Sunset for my limited edition collection. Early October presented my only opportunity to accomplish this before winter and the end of the year. I searched extensively for a hotel, apartment, condo, and property with a decent view of the skyline. My main plan was to capture the city from the Observatory which extends out into the lake and offers a clear unobstructed panoramic view of the city. However as always with the weather in Chicago, it was severely overcast all day Saturday, my only full day in Chicago for this trip. This was especially frustrating. I was prepared to weather the rain for my shot but the low cloud deck covered half of the skyline all day.

Waiting and hoping for the rain and clouds to reveal the Chicago.

So after exploring he city up close via the CTA metro system, I resigned to my hotel room and hoped the cloud deck would lift just enough to clear the sears tower around sunset so I can get my shot of the skyline. Finally just before the sun set, Chicago revealed herself. At this point I had already had a couple glasses of wine to calm my nerves and ease my frustrations at the prospect of making the trip to Chicago from Sacramento and still not being able to capture the skyline.

Waiting…

The hotel room offered unobstructed views through glass walls floor-to-ceiling. It was the perfect backup scenario. I immediately went to work, sorting through the various obstacles and challenges, such as water droplets on the hotel room window, ghosting, reflections and distortions. I shot primarily with the Canon 5DsR and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. My trusty Manfrotto travel tripod handled the task with ease. All’s well that ends well. I shot through the sunset keeping the room as dark as possible to avoid reflections. I tracked down every light source inside the room and masked it with dark socks, towels, scarves, and garments. You’d be surprised just how many point light sources you can find in a dark hotel room.

My view upon arrival. Terrible weather.

After the sunset I went down to the bar in the lobby for a some dinner and a celebratory drink. I eventually ran into an engineer from Apple who had just landed from China. He happened to have his camera with him and really wanted to capture the skyline as well. So after a few more drinks, and with clear skies, we teamed up and headed out to the Observatory at midnight…

…to be continued.

Table of the Fallen Soldier

Posted by Snob on November 7, 2018
Posted in: Art, Culture, Limited. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Table of The Fallen

In photography the greatest reward is the journey. Countless times I have set out to capture ‘that shot’ and come home with something completely unexpected but more importantly and more valuable – a new experience.

Fallen Soldier

Permit me to share one of the highlights of this year with you. This summer while planning my annual under water fashion photography shoot I felt like I wanted to do more than just fashion under water. I wanted to capture characters that we would otherwise never expect to see under water. The thought process led me to the theme of everyday people in uniform. I thought of the cousin, friend, brother, sister who was a nurse, surgeon, police officer, sheriff, delivery man/woman, people who touched our life and community in some way. Little did I know where this train of thought would lead me.

It was challenging finding a uniformed person wiling to step out of their comfort zone and take a plunge in the pool with all their gear. Enter ‘The Sarge‘, a friend. After explaining my challenges with planning my under water series theme, he immediately volunteered without hesitation. The Sarge is a Sergeant with the US Army as you probably figured out by now. He was willing to take his full complement or gear into the unknown – a swimming pool in an unsuspecting suburban Sacramento neighborhood – LOL. He figured his gear is expected to be in some of the most hostile environments and a pool was the least of his concerns.

Fallen Soldier

The next step was to develop the creative concept for our shoot. Sure I could merely photograph him floating in the sublime medium that water is, but I wanted more. I felt like we should honor this unique opportunity with more creative effort. In another brainstorming session, I explained a completely unrelated scene I wanted to create with a bistro scene under water. He immediately started telling me about the ‘Table of the Fallen‘. My heart sunk as he explained.

The Table of the Fallen
The Table of the Fallen is a table for one, fully set, in every cafeteria, refectory, dining hall or formal ceremony, often times inconspicuously in the corner. The Table of the Fallen is set out for those who did not make it back for dinner that day. This is an unsanctioned, unofficial tradition among service men and women and really only familiar to whose who have served or are close to those who served. There are no military guidelines, mandates, or rules regarding this. A table is simply made with whatever they have and quietly observed by those who made it back in honor of those who didn’t. More often than not, those who didn’t make it back were close friends and family. In further researching I found photos from submarine mess halls to tents, makeshift dinning tables to ceremonial galas. All quietly set in the corner.

The Simple Things
I was certain this would be the focus of this year’s under water series. I then set out to recreate the Table of the Fallen under water. Little did I know how challenging it would be. My first challenge was finding simple props like a classic plate set. Every department store I went to had fancy modern plates. In a last ditch effort, the day of the shoot, I went to a big flea market called Denios. After searching for hours I finally found some simple classic plates. Two older, cheerful, upbeat gentlemen approached me. One of them asked “Can I help you with anything?”. looking at a stack of plates, I asked “Would it be possible to buy just one plate set?”. He replied “I will sell you whatever you want but I just have to ask, why would someone want to buy just one plate set?”.

I hesitated because I realized the purpose may sound outlandish to most. So I told him it was for the recreation of an under water scene in honor of fallen soldiers. His smile immediately vanished. He took a stepped back and said “In that case there’s no charge and thank you.” . As it turns out the two gentlemen are veterans. I left wondering what the odds were that their store was the only place I could find what I was looking for. I made a note to stop by again and deliver signed copies of the final shot of the Table of the Fallen. I was able to track them down this past weekend and say thank you for the help and for their service.

Veterans Day Weekend Exhibit
The shot above, Table of the Fallen will be on exhibit at the Hindman Fine Arts Gallery in downtown Sacramento. Like most of my work, it will be available in very limited edition signed canvas print. However unlike most of my work, they will also be available in smaller more affordable signed prints. All proceeds will be donated to non profits benefiting wounded veterans. We are in the process of looking for non-profits to work with and welcome any/all suggestions. If you would like to purchase prints, please feel free to contact Hindman Fine Arts Gallery directly.

Behind the scenes
Here are more behind the scenes shots. Thank you to all who made the 2018 Underwater Series possible. Thank you for stopping by. Please let me know if you have any thoughts, questions or ideas in the comment section below or via the contact page above.

 

The Sarge getting ready to take the plunge
Table of the Fallen
Setting the table
Reviewing shots
Reviewing shots
One plate set
Personalized prints
Thank you for your service!

2018 Underwater Series

Posted by Snob on August 15, 2018
Posted in: Art, canon 5D mark III, Canon 7D Mark II, Fashion, models. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Teaser shot from Dinah’s first time under water

About once a year, I organize an underwater photo shoot to bring together some of the awesome creative passionate people in my world. It is an honor to share in such energy and creative collaboration.

Our first shoot was on Saturday July 28th and went from about 5pm-11pm. We did a smaller shoot this past Friday August 10th, to re-shoot some of the scenes we couldn’t quite get right on the first go around.

We had a great team this year. I would like to extend special thanks and gratitude to the entire 2018 team.

  • Nick (model) – Nick is a professional associate of mine and Sgt. with the US Army reserve. We focused on US Army themed shots featuring some great concepts I’m very excited about and look forward to sharing with you later this fall.
  • Dinah (model) – Dinah is a globetrotting, Ducati Monster riding, passionate, creative girl originally from Turkey. She has a great sense of style, fashion and serious work ethic.
  • Charis (model) – Charis is an awesome model, beautiful person, and cool spirit. I have had the pleasure of collaborating with her on several creative shoots. This was definitely not her first under water shoot.
  • April (model & production) – April has a background in video and media production. Her sense of humor and great energy is infectious. She instrumental in helping the production go as smooth as possible. She was my hands, eyes and ears above while I was underwater.
  • Sophie (makeup artist) – Sophie is a very creative soul with lots of awesome work in CosPlay and costume design. She brought a great energy to the project and I look forward to working with her on future projects.
  • Jason and Chrissy (hosts) – These two have been good friends for as long as I can remember. On our last shoot this weekend, we convinced Chrissy to put on her old wedding dress and go for a swim. What ensued was some unexpected magic I look forward to sharing with you.

For me one of the biggest rewards for all the hard work, time and effort that goes into these projects is the chance to give some amazing people an experience they have never had before. I love sharing the magic. Here are a few behind the scenes shots.

 

On Exhibit: Sacramento Sunset

Posted by Snob on April 10, 2018
Posted in: Architecture, Art, Cityscapes, Landscape, Limited. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Sacramento Sunset

I wanted to post a little about the prints that we selected for the SMUD Exhibit: Through the Lens as part of the first inaugural annual photography month in Sacramento. I went back through my archives to find out when I took this shot and realized it’s been over 4 years ago. It was shortly after I visited Folsom Lake. California was approaching the height of a long drought. As a result the Folsom lake level was so low, it exposed an old gold mining camp/settlement that was otherwise buried under over a hundred feet of water. It was a profound experience walking among the old settlement from the gold rush days. It was also alarming as it underscored the dire situation Californians were facing. I posted about that excursion here: The California Drought – Folsom Lake.

As I walked the lake bed, it suddenly occurred to me that the river by Old Sacramento must have been at it’s lowest level in a very long time. The next thought that came to mind was that the low levels on the river would make for calmer waters and receded banks. This meant that I would be able to get a more dramatic shot at sunset. I was pretty much right on the money. The levels were so low no boats or water crafts didn’t dare disturb the water. It was as beautiful as it was spooky. I also captured a time lapse of the sunset in which you could see this thin ghost-like wispy clouds creeping up the river.

This image took 60 shots – 20 frames (two rows of 10 HDR) each consisting of 3 brackets. I shot it with the Canon 5D Mark III and the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II at 200mm. Composing, stitching and editing this shot took weeks as I would frequently exceed the limits of editing software and memory. Single layers were easily over 1.5GB in size had to be committed to separate files. Opening one layer quickly used up 8-10GB of system RAM, often resulting in data corruption. Producing this shot was a veritable test of patience, well worth the time and aggravation.

This shot like much of my photography is only available in a very limited edition of 10 signed and numbered copies. At the time of this post, only 4 copies remain in the edition. This is a large format print, while it is available in custom sizes, the smallest recommended size is 6.5 feet in length. It can be printed to the scale of a mural without any compromise in fine detail. You can make out wine glasses hanging over the bar inside the Delta King as well as every nut and bolt on the Tower Bridge. You can also make out art hanging on the walls in the office buildings. I am actively looking for opportunities to place at least one of the limited copies as a large format art installation.

Exhibit: Through the Lens

Posted by Snob on April 4, 2018
Posted in: Art, Cityscapes, Culture, Events, Landscape, Limited, Nature, News, Travel, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Sacramento Sunset

It is with distinct honor and privilege that I share this with you. Several of my photographic works were selected for the SMUD art exhibition featuring local photographers. For those not familiar with the Sacramento region SMUD stands for Sacramento Municipal Utilities District. While my audience and collectors over the years have spanned the globe, there is something very special about getting a nod from from my adopted home town.

This exhibit is organized by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and led by Viewpoint Photographic Art Center, a non-profit organization located in Midtown Sacramento, and in collaboration with many partners including SMUD and the City of Sacramento, the community’s first-ever Photography Month Sacramento will take place in several venues throughout April 2018.

“Born and raised in Cameroon, West Africa, photographer Bryan Allo studied his craft in Madrid, Spain. A longtime resident of Sacramento, Allo continues his love of world travel and photography. This exhibition features three of Allo’s very large iconic urban and rural images. His shooting style is more of a realist expression. He shoots what he sees and only retouches his photos to the extent that they better express the beauty of his subject. He believes if a photo is worth taking and is well taken, it is better off left alone. “I take my camera and lenses with me everywhere I go including the bottom of the pool. My carry-on bag is always full of lenses. Clothes are an afterthought. I am obsessed with capturing beauty in all its fleeting forms in the greatest possible detail”.

Three of my mega prints are on display at this exhibit. I will be posting more details on each limited edition print soon. They are as follows.

  • Sacramento Sunset (Old Sacramento, Delta King, Tower Bridge)
  • Eagle Falls Sunrise (Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe)
  • Bassi Falls Sunset (Eldorado Hills)

If you are in or around the Sacramento area or just visiting, definitely take some time time to stop by the SMUD gallery. Don’t forget to get in touch with me so I can meet up with you and walk you through the exhibit for a personal touch.