Interpretations of the Everyday

The escalator at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, Colorado abstracted to a small degree by a long shutter speed of 4 seconds. Photo taken July 16th, 2011.

One of the tricks I try to employ when I’m out with the camera is trying to find unique ways to show the subjects I photograph in a more non-traditional way. By doing so, sometimes the ordinary can be the extraordinary. While this escalator at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver is certainly a beautiful element of the hotel, I would guess that few riders give more than a passing thought to it when they use it. I was captivated by the lines and tones of it when I visited in 2011, though. I decided to use a wide angle lens to let me get close and a long shutter speed to show the flowing motion of the steps. Both abstracted the escalator to a small degree and gives the viewer a chance to see something ordinary in a new way.

The pianist for Saturday Tea at the Brown Palace Hotel as seen from the 7th floor of the historic landmark in Denver, Colorado. Photo taken July 16th, 2011.

Or take this image of the pianist playing for the Saturday Tea attendees. I have more shots of him from a more traditional vantage point but the pictures are dull and lack visual interest. This photo, taken from the 7th level of the hotel looking down gives a new perspective to something we’ve seen before. (This is one reason that I find drone photography fascinating, though I have yet to try it for myself).

Going through my Lightroom catalog has given me one insight about all of this. I used to take a lot more chances with my photographs. These days, I think I’m far more likely to settle into making traditional images. They may be composed well with good light and my “hit rate” is a lot higher these days than it was back then. Still, I find that when I was experimenting more (and admittedly, failing more, too) I came away with more shots that I think were fun and unique. Something to remember next time I go out with the camera.

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