Reflections of a Forgotten Time | New Bern, NC
There is a section of the Neuse River in New Bern that is littered with what is left of wharves, piers and pylons from industry and commerce along the river banks in the past. Standing behind them is a train drawbridge spanning the river and connecting to Bridgeton.
I’ve visited this spot several times to scout it for shooting, but each and every time I have been there some shady people show up and creep me out. This isn’t in the greatest part of town and to make matters worse, is located in a little corner between vacant homes, piles of junk and abandoned warehouses. I have more plans for shooting here, but they may require some shooting buddies…just in case :-) ‘Strength in numbers,’ as they say.
The shot: Nikon D90, Nikkor 18-105 lens @40mm. f-200, iso-200, f/20. 3 exposures, tonemapped with Photomatix and finished in Photoshop using Nik Software.
Cogs of Yesterday | New Bern, North Carolina
Note of scale: The gear lying to the rear right is at least 12 feet tall and I could put my arm through the links on that chain. Heavy, heavy stuff indeed!
Along the river is a large park complete with a boat ramp, dog run, elaborate play sets and a disc golf course. What many people don’t realize is that this park has quite a history, dating back to the 1920’s when it was local retreat featuring a dancehall and ferry to cross the wide Neuse River. Even more surprising is that during World War II, it was used as a camp to house Nazi prisoners of war- many of whom were captured after a U-boat was sunk by the Coast Guard near Cape Lookout.
When I first came upon these massive gears and chain, I really didn’t know what it was. They certainly seemed far too big to have been dumped there by someone just looking to get rid of the garbage. Upon learning of the German POW camp that was set up here and a mill that is said to have been operation at the time, I quickly thought it to be a fascinating relic of that time period. I was finally able to get in touch with a local historian, Jim White, who said that in his research he learned that it was part of the ferry that ran at the site at one point. He wasn’t sure of the exact dates, but his answer put to rest some of the questions I had about the hulking pile!
The shot: 3 bracketed exposures, tripod mounted, remote fired. Merged in Nik HDR Efex Pro, tweaked with Color Efex and Viveza. Finished with a slight Glamour Glow in Color Efex to add a little ‘dreamy’ look to the scene.
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‘From The North’
Severe weather of this type has been few and far between around here, which is good for most everyone but someone who wants to capture it in pictures. So when I was out running errands and notices some very large and ominous clouds approaching in the distance, I did what any photographer would do—I went home, got my gear and chased them down.
This particular image was shot from Union Point Park in downtown New Bern, NC. This large formation was blowing down the Neuse River from the North. Coming from the Southwest was an equally impressive looking, but very different cloud formation. Where this one was very defined with large billowing white clouds in the upper levels, the Southwest approaching formation was huge, low lying and smooth. It looked very ominous against the setting sun. I’ll share images of that at a later time. The clouds eventually converged over New Bern and created a pretty nice lightning show over the river.
The shot: 3 exposures, f11, ISO 200. Merged and tonemapped with Photomatix and finished in Photoshop CS4 with Nik Color Efex and Viveza plug-ins.
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Waterfront Strike
During the early evening yesterday, I noticed some large, billowing clouds starting to roll in. Seeing that it would more than likely develop into a pretty big storm, I rushed home to grab my gear and find a vantage point where I could get some shots. In the following few hours, the sky took on many different awe inspiring tones. The clouds made formations that I have never seen in person and things were going really well. I was set up shooting some HDRs at Union Point Park when I noticed that I couldn’t see the massive Neuse River Bridge anymore. Uh oh, here comes the rain. Before I could get my tripod folded, I was caught in a downpour. I retreated to my Jeep and suddenly there was lightning all around. I wasn’t about to get out, so I decided to head home. Just as I pulled out, the rain stopped. I took a short drive to a good vantage point just up the street and set up my gear once again. There were some really great lightning strikes, but for the most part they were either just off frame or missed completely. This strike was the first really good lighting strike that I’ve ever captured.
I’ve been following the work of Arizona-based photographer Mike Olbinski (see his lightning gallery here) for some time now and I’m always blown away by his shots. My image is nowhere near the level of his, but it’s a start. Please take a minute to check out his gallery!
The shot: 30” exposure, 25mm, f/25, iso-100. Tripod held, remote fired.
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Photo ©2011 Zach Frailey
Union Point Sunrise | New Bern, NC
I thought this image would be a fitting way to get back in the swing of things this morning. As many of you know, Hurricane Irene made landfall nearby on Saturday morning and things have been pretty crazy ever since. We finally regained power on Tuesday night and I feel waaaay out of touch with everyone and have a lot of catching up to do!
This is Union Point Park in downtown New Bern, North Carolina. The sun was rising and went behind one of the few clouds in the sky to make for some really inspiring rays of light. It certainly was a great way to start a new day. As the saying goes, “there’s always sunshine after the rain.”
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©2011 Zach Frailey
