Utah Railway train west of Helper, Utah

Utah Railway
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

As I have mentioned before, various forms of transportation rate as one of my favorite photography subjects. At one time I had several friends who were railfans and I would often tag along with them so I could take pictures of the trains.

However, that group of people has faded off into the sunset and over the last few years I have taken few pictures of trains except for our new Front Runner service here in Salt Lake City.

However, last May my wife and I took a trip to Durango, Colorado to celebrate our anniversary. While on the trip down to Durango we saw almost no trains, on the way back I was able to photograph two trains was they head west of Helper, Utah.

This one features 4 Utah Railway EMD units on a coal train that is heading for the Provo area and beyond.

Almost a year ago...

Moran Eye Center Research University of Utah
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

February will mark the one year since I attended the first Photowalking Utah event which was held at the Moran Eye Center Research lab at the which is on the University of Utah Complex.

This event event really re-energized my love of photography. While I never stopped taking pictures, in the last few years I really slacked off while other things took priority.

What is ironic is all that happened in attending this event. It was a day of wet snow. After the Photowalk, I had to go to work which I wasn't really looking forward to.

At this time I still had only a Kodak P&S digital camera. I took my two Nikon N75's with me but wouldn't you know that the batteries died in both camera's after just a couple of minutes!! So instead I was stuck taking pictures with the crapy Kodak P&S.

I sure felt intimidated with all these people around me with their expensive DSLR cameras but I persevered. (I need to point out that no one made me feel intimidated that was all inside me!!)

The event went well and after our tax refund came in, I too had a DSLR.

Yesterday there was another photowalk but I had to miss this one because of my work schedule but everyone I have been able to attend has been fun, informative, and a opportunity to meet others that are either in the photography field or enjoy it.

How many Libby Montana Police does it take?

How many Libby Police does it take?
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

I am presently going through some old photos that my parents gave me before they passed away finding ones to give to my siblings. They are currently mixed in with many shots I took over the years.

While going through some yesterday I came across these three photos that I took on a trip to visit my cousin Diana and her children who live in Libby, Montana.

During this one trip we went over to the baseball diamonds were one of her daughters was playing softball. After the game ended, she realized that she had locked the keys to her car inside the car.

In most places the police would not get involved in fear of lawsuits if they did the slightest damage but in small town Montana, the police officers present who knew Diana had no problem in helping a damsel in distress.

When all was said and done, they may have wished they never agreed to help. The first two officers could not get the car open so along comes officer number three in the attempt to open the door.

By this time there was several people watching the spectacle as the officers tried desperately to get one of the doors to open.

Well, in the end after a lot of frustration and about 45 minutes of attempts, one of the officers was finally able to get the door unlocked.

Just one of those things you have to look back and laugh about even though it was a frustrating situation back then.

Setting Goals for 2009 and thanking some...

Photowalking Utah Temple Square
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

This photo was taken at Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City on December 8th. I was attending the Photowalking Utah event and this was one of the pictures I took that night. Before the actual Photowalk, Rich Legg did a session on improving your night photography.

So how does this picture and that night fit in with my goals for 2009?

2008 has been a big year for me. I learned a great deal by attending the Photowalking trips and most of all, I got the slap up side the head I have need for some time. I always loved photography and now I realize it is what I want to do full time.

That means that some of my goals for 2009 will include photography.

Goals must:

1. Be specific
2. Have a specific time frame
3. Most important: be written down.

Well what better way to write down a goal than to put it out here for the world to see.

Here are some of my photo related goals for 2009:

1. Add at least 10 photos per week to my stock photography portfolio
2. Experiment with a new technique at every photo shoot.
3. Learn something new at every photography event that I am able to attend in 2009.
4. Have fun!!

I also cannot leave 2008 without thanking some people that have made an impact on me this past year.

First of all I have to thank Ann Torrence, Rich Legg, and Kenneth Linge who hosted educational sessions as part of the Photowalking events this year. While I may not have talked one on one with them much during the year I listened while you did your sessions and at other times getting soaking up all the good information I could. A big thank you also needs to go out to all those who organized the all the excellent Photowalks we had this year.

Also to all the other Photowalkers who I have come to know and enjoy events with. Everyone of them has been a wonderful experience and I look forward to enjoying more of them in the new year.

Finally I have to thank a very special co-worker of mine named Sydney. I had not done a model shoot except for one in college which was many years ago but she volunteered to take time out to play model for me and was very patient.

Finally, I have to say that I am more optimistic going into 2009 than any year I can recall. I look forward to the new year not hoping something good was going to happen, but with a genuine optimism that 2009 will be a great year personally.

Hope that your 2009 will be a great one and remember to set your own goals because as Zig Ziglar says: "How can you hit a goal you cannot see?".

Utah Strobist Event December 2, 2008

Utah Strobist Event December 2, 2008
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

On December 2nd I attended a event sponsored by the Utah Strobist Flickr group.

The event was held on the top levels of the Walker Garage which is in downtown Salt Lake City. The weather was cold but there was only a couple of sprinkles so the weather held out for us.

There was several models present for us to take pictures of. This picture is of Steven one of the 5 models that I photographed that night.

Since in the past I have not taken many pictures of people and rarely used a flash, this was the first picture I ever attempted to removed red eye on and the results came out better than I expected.

This week I plan to attend a Photowalking Utah event at the downtown library and Temple Square. I would also like to attend the Utah Photo Safari trip up to the University of Utah on Wednesday but have corporate big wigs flying in at my "real" job.

I have a lot of things coming up. In late January or early February I will do a dedicated stock photo shoot with "S" my co-worker. Then in late February we have a tripped planned to Moab and a week long trip in June to visit my friend in Seattle plus attend Lumber Days in Libby, Montana.

She made it this week...

Model Shoot 1
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

Here is one of the pictures of my model/co-worker "S" taken at a local park today.

I was pretty nervous to start off with since I had not shot with a model since college but it turned out to be a lot of fund and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I was taking some pictures of her on the playground equipment when she decided to slide down the slide.

What happened to my model????

On Monday, I prepared all day for my first model shoot in many years. One of my co-workers volunteered to model for me so I could get some stock work done plus practice doing some regular portrait type shots that I have little experience doing.

Well I was pretty nervous on Monday as anyone who reads my Twitter blurbs will know. However, I didn't want to waste the nice day so I headed up to the Jordan Peace Gardens and took some shots around there before heading to where my model and co worker "S" and I agreed to meet.

So the appointed time came and went and she never showed up. I just couldn't understand why she didn't show up or even call since she is not that type of person. The next day when I was leaving work I found out what had happened.

Well it turned out she was marooned with car problems in the mountains with some friends and one of them had to walk for 24 hours to get a cell phone signal. Fortunately they were able to get help and get back home.

Well, I guess if your going to get stood up it might as well be a dozy of a reason.

We are going to try again this week and I made her promise that she would not take any long driving trips on Sunday or Monday.

Then maybe I will have a nice picture to go with the story...

What are you looking at "hew-man?"

What are you looking at "hew-man?"
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

On November 1st, the Photowalking Utah group did a trip up to Antelope Island. During this period the state parks dept is checking on the health of the Bison, picking ones to be sold and giving them shots.

This was the first picture I took that day and one of the few I really liked. The bison to the right seems to be staring at us weird humans who are taking a bunch of pictures.

A traffic signal for a Train?

Traffic signal for trains.
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

Yes.

My wife was laid off from her job of 4 years recently and decided to sign up with a temp. agency. She was immediately assigned to a three month temp job for a business in the industrial area of Salt Lake.

Just north of her temporary place of employment is a railroad industrial spur. The spur crosses Pioneer Road just south of California Avenue. What is interesting about this crossing is that instead of being controlled by crossing gates, both automobile and train traffic is controlled by traffic signals.

The trains cross California Avenue, travel behind the the convenience store that you can see in the background before crossing Pioneer after getting a green signal.

What is interesting is that Pioneer Road is only two lanes but California is four lanes but train traffic across California is only protected by cross buck signs and no signals.

The Convenience store is also interesting in that it once had a fast food restaurant with a drive through window that was taken out some time ago. However the order board is still next too the building with some of the menu still present.

You never know what interesting things you might find if you just keep your eyes open.

Miami MetroRail Ghost Platform

Miami MetroRail Ghost Platform Government Station
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

In downtown Miami the main transfer station between the MetroRail heavy rail system and the downtown people mover system called MetroMover is at Government Station.

The station is four stories however, the first one does not have any Metro activity. The second floor has the platforms for the Metromover along with Metro Dade Transit customers service and various shops and fast food places.

The MetroRail platforms are located on the fourth level.

The oddity is the third level of the station. While 99% of the people that ride the system everyday just ride the esculators pass the third level in order to reach the fourth, few venture to see this other MetroRail platform.

While the MetroRail line is generally a north-south affair with some east-west jogs, there was a plan to build a actually east-west line that would pass the airport and come into the Government station at this platform. The plans for that east-west line are long dead so it looks like this "ghost" platform may never see an actually passenger.

So if your travels every take you to Miami, be sure to check out this unusual sight.