Sloss Furnaces Outing

[YEKCIM]

Sloss Furnaces are left-over relics of the Birmingham (AL) steel industry of days gone by. Sloss has been preserved as an historic site, and is open to the public daily. I spent about an hour there, this afternoon, and got a few keepers:

All were shot with the D50/18-135mm combo. I'm planning to go back soon, with the 70-300VR.

~YEKCIM

 

[dburg30]

Ohhh I would love a place like that. I'm into model railroading, and I could see putting something like that on my layout..


Oh yea, nice pics too!

 

[Groucho]

Very cool! Industrial photography can be really interesting, especially after the ravages of time have had their effect. The resulting patina is really fun to photograph.

I posted some shots from the "Pageant of Steam" that I went to recently in another thread, but here's a couple pieces of old industrial machinery that are still in working order...

If you have any more that you're happy with, please post 'em. (Especially because I don't want to hijack your thread but probably won't get around to starting a new thread for my shots. )

 

[YEKCIM]

Thank you both for the kind words. Groucho, you have some very nice shots, as well, and I really like the motion blur of the flywheels turning. Very nice. The rest of my Sloss "keepers" are here if you'd like to check them out.

~Ed

 

[gcoxua]

Great shots yekcim! I love sloss and have been there a few times myself. I didn't know if you live in the Birmingham area. If so howdy neighbor.

gcoxua

 

[YEKCIM]

I didn't know if you live in the Birmingham area. If so howdy neighbor. gcoxua

I do! Hoover, to be specific, but I'm in sales and all over the metro area on a regular basis. I had not been to Sloss in quite a few years and since I "just happened" to have my D50 with me, I spent an hour over there. The whole place was mostly deserted, except for one tour group, which I managed to avoid. I'm planning on going back soon, now that the temps are back in the double digits. I really needed a tripod for some of the shots, and could've used my long zoom as well.

~YEKCIM

 

[Gdad]

Very nice series Ed- I especially like the 2nd one and a few other wide shots in the galley. Looks like a good excuse to use the Sigma 10-20 when you go back.

 

[gcoxua]

Wow, I live in trussville,(insert really annoying music from MK boat ride here) Love the shots. I look forward to posting some pics after the first MNSSHP in Sept. I have a Canon Rebel XT. Great camera need a new lens though. I have the stock 18-55mm and it works but I would love to have more options to play with that a larger lens affords.

 

[YEKCIM]

Very nice series Ed- I especially like the 2nd one and a few other wide shots in the galley. Looks like a good excuse to use the Sigma 10-20 when you go back.

Actually, I did use the 10-20 some, but wasn't happy with most of them. The only one that made it to Photobucket was this one:

I really need to go back when I have time and proper equipment, including tripod, and am not dressed in a business suit. The place is HUGE and literally stuffed to the gills with interesting photo op's. It's also very dirty in spots, as you can imagine, which limited me somewhat, inappropriately dressed as I was.

Thanks for the kind words, though; next "round" should be an improvement.

~Ed

 

[steery1]

Very nice photos YECKIM. Like no. 2 + 3 above best

 

[handicap18]

Nice shots Ed. Looks like you've certainly got the D50 down pat. 1st 2 in this thread are great. DOF on opposite ends. Excellent. Keep up the great work!!!

gcoxua,
Get yourself the 50mm f/1.8 for MNSSHP, the wide aperture will serve you well for the night parade.

 

[Metallicat]

Great shots yekcim! I love sloss and have been there a few times myself. I didn't know if you live in the Birmingham area. If so howdy neighbor.

gcoxua

I live in the Gadsden area. so hey y'all!
Have you ever been to the Sloss furnace halloween event? it is so creepy to walk through that place in the dark. (shudder!)

 

[Geoff_M]

Grocho's photo of the "hit-n-miss" engine reminded me... Not too far from my home town, one of the largest antique engine shows in the US is held... The Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Show. A few years ago I took my kids and met my parents there. On the way there rains of Biblical proportions fell and flooded the place. The light was pretty flat, but I managed to get some keeper shots:

The first couple of photos is of a classic Fairbanks-Morse Diesel engine that the organizing club rescued from an old factory and restored. In it's prime in the 1920's this engine drove the belts that ran the whole factory. Now, it's kept on a flatbed and trucked into the fairgrounds, and other shows, and operated for the attendees. The "starter" used the torch to heat the cylinder heads (the discolored areas at the top) to facilitate the engine's "firing":

The rain didn't dampen the spirits of the kids there...

Closeup of one of the engine's governors...

Gauges on one of the vendor tables in the swap area...

 

[Groucho]

YEKCIM, you need to get yourself a fisheye lens, I think your 10mm shot might be more interesting with some distortion. At 10mm rectilinear, it is almost distractingly wide - still very cool, but it seems like it could use just a little bit more something, and fishiness might be that something. Thanks for the gallery link, that looks like a great place to take photos. (I mean the factory, not the gallery!)

Geoff, very cool pics too! Too bad photos can't capture the smell of those old engines...