Archive for August 21st, 2023
Artsy Fartsy at Carrie Furnace
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Finally, after getting soaked for a couple of hours at Pittsburgh’s Carrie Furnace, it stopped raining just after dusk. The other good news was that somebody is staging a play there, with lights and sound and the whole professional theatrical deal. The production had their stage lights on for the rehearsal, so I took advantage of some of the cast light they weren’t using for the shot above.
We were told, explicitly, by the Carrie Furnace people that we couldn’t shoot the stage or actors, nor record any of the score they were playing. Didn’t say anything about their light.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned in prior posts, I was participating in a ‘Photo Safari’ at Carrie Furnace in Pittsburgh’s Swissvale section. The ruination of a 20th century steel plant, it was quite dark there. I was using a powerful LED flashlight I carry, to burst light out in the manner of a flash, which allowed me the illumination without the harsh shadows.
The camera was sitting atop a tripod, and longish exposures were indicated by the conditions.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The atmosphere actually got worse after it rained, as a ground fog began lifting out of the soil. It wasn’t terribly ‘visible,’ but you definitely know that you were walking around in a cloud of 95% humidity. While driving home, the fog got pea soup thick. Driving home was… challenging.
The shots in today’s post are from the final hour I was at Carrie, and as previously stated: my intention was on using every single second second that I was on the property in a productive manner.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Carefully picking my way along in the darkness, on rain slicked metal staircases and a muddy field, I worked a generally clockwise path back towards the entranceway as time grew short.
Most of the other photographers, and there were originally about 25 of us, had packed up their gear and left already. Maybe 5-7 of us stayed for the whole interval. To be fair, rain.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A couple of last shots from my way out, which saw me change out the lens I’d been using for most of the day and replace it with one of my ‘night lens’ primes. I found a spot where I could put my bag down for a minute, and securely packed up all the gear.
I was pretty moist by this point, from the driving rain and the subsequent high humidity which triggered a full body shvitz. Wet socks, wet back, and I was still wearing the hard hat which you’re required to install upon yourself when on site. Feh!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The last thing I saw there was the full moon rising in the distance. I will strive to find my way back to Carrie Furnace in the future. Super interesting spot, and a LOT of fun to photograph.
Pittsburgh is just so damn cool, yo.
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