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Ice Painting 3

Copyright Jeff Ball 2008
Copyright Jeff Ball 2008

Ice paintings are one of my favorite rainy afternoon photography project. It’s easy to accomplish. First, freeze a container of water into ice. A disposable food container works great. Then, set up some lights or use natural light if it’s available. Slowly add your favorite colors of food coloring or acrylic paints and take macro shots of the results. You can also change the affect by using salt to create more texture.

Ice Escape

Copyright Jeff Ball 2010

This morning I got up nice and early to start shooting here in Detroit. It was very chilly and I came across this fire escape covered in ice. I loved the texture and feel if the scene but the images I was taking just didn’t do much for me. Then I got out the fisheye lens and I suddenly loved the image. I hope you like it too!

This could be a dangerous way out of a burning building. Luckily, the building was already burned out so there was no danger.

1956

What was happening in the U.S. when this penny was made?

President: Dwight D. Eisenhower
Vice President: Richard M. Nixon
Population: 168,903,031
Life expectancy: 69.7 years
Homicide Rate (per 100,000): 4.6

US GDP (1998 dollars): $438 billion
Federal spending: $70.64 billion
Federal debt: $272.7 billion
Consumer Price Index: 27.2
Unemployment: 4.4%
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.03

  • Autherine Lucy, the first black student at the University of Alabama, is suspended after riots (March 1).
  • U.S. tests the first aerial hydrogen bomb over Namu islet, Bikini Atoll with the force of 10 million tons TNT (May 21). Background: nuclear weapons

Failed State?

Copyright Jeff Ball 2010

Yesterday my brother and I shot our first day in Detroit. Although I knew that times were bad in Detroit, I really had no idea how bad it really was. We found our selves saying “Oh my God” over and over. It looks like a war zone in so many places. There isn’t going to be any shortage of failed business, buildings and family homes to shoot.

This shot shows an industrial building with my brother, Joshua on the right hand side of the image. We’ll be returning to Detroit later this week and weekend to look for more imagery. Although it’s very sad to see so much failure, I look forward to taking the photos.

High-Level Bridge

Copyright Jeff Ball 2010

The Anthony Wayne Bridge, a 3,215-foot suspension bridge crossing the Maumee River, has been a staple of Toledo’s skyline for more than 70 years. It is locally known as the “High-Level Bridge.” This bridge is an iconic image in Toledo.

This shot was taken today at sunset with my brother Joshua. We’ve been shooting together all weekend and plan to do the same next weekend.

warehouse#1

Copyright Jeff Ball 2010

Buildings like this are scattered throughout the Toledo, Oh area. Once a great industrial city filled with manufacturers of glass, autos, bearings and other objects is now filled with abandoned shells slowly decaying. In other parts of the country, buildings like this one are coveted as urban Loft projects, but in Toledo they are just a reminder of better times.