We rolled into Pittsburgh on a rainy Saturday morning having boarded the bus 2 ½ hours ago at the break of dawn. Nothing binds nearly 40 photographers tighter than the prospect of exploring a strange new city all day long.
Well, the Steel city was actually quite familiar to me, having spent a couple of enjoyable years there in my pre-photographic days.
Thanks to Ron Wilson, we had a complete itinerary of activities for the day with food and drink at that. First up was a stop on Mount Washington so that we could get a bird’s eye view of the Point – that spot where the 3 rivers merge and the heart of the city begins.
One small problem though, the skies were pouring rain and nobody on the bus felt like jumping out for a snapshot. Hi-tech electronic cameras and water just don’t mix well unless you’re independently wealthy or using someone else’s camera.
I settled for a drive by shot through the thick bus windows. Even though there was an ‘open in emergency’ label with directions in bold yellow print beneath the windowsill, I didn’t think the bus driver would appreciate my idea of an emergency.
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Through the rain, inside the bus
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However, a little tinting in Photoshop and the image looks like an old-fashioned cyanotype.
These were quite the rage some decades back when toxic chemicals in plastic trays ruled print photography. Today, I managed to get that old school effect with a color layer and a little darkening of the corners (vignetting).
A few minutes later, the skies began to clear and I was able to capture this sepia toned shot.
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Just add a little tinting and toning
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Next up, the famous cable cars or as the locals call it ‘the incline.’ Stay tuned
[Excerpted from Photography Insights, Volume 1, by Scott Ober, MD Copyright © 2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED]