Terror in the Tunnel
It's been several weeks since the frightening incident, but I finally feel ready to talk about it.
The day began with exciting thoughts of exploration and photography. I parked my car and hiked up to the mouth of the long, dark abandoned railroad tunnel. I could see the light at the other end, what could go wrong? As I reached deeper into the bowels of Clinton MA, what at first seemed so bright was now nearly pitch black. I kept going, heading toward the small hole of light that was now getting bigger. I made it to the other end. The view from this end was desolate, muddy and rundown. For me, this meant a great place for photos. With my tripod set up and flashes out of the bag, I got to work. Then it happened...
From the entrance I heard a noise. Yelling? Laughing? Crying? I couldn't tell. I turned around to look, but could only make out several faint silhouettes. I tried to ignore it hoping they would not be as brave as I was and enter the tunnel. I was wrong. They were getting closer and closer, louder and louder. Were they aliens who wanted to suck out my brain? Street thugs who wanted to steal my camera gear? Escaped convicts looking for a hostage? I had no idea, but I didn't want to find out. I fired off my flash toward the enemy several times to scare them off. This only made them advance with more intensity. As quick as I could I packed up all of my gear and started running toward the exit hole.
Outside the tunnel I was no better off. The mud got deeper under my feet as I looked for a place to hide. I was trapped. Rock walls on either side prevented my escape. For sure now I was completely exposed to them, but no time to stop and turn around. Who are they, what do they want with me, I kept thinking. Finally I found a spot where I could climb out of the ravine and hide behind some rocks. The echo of their voices got louder, they're almost here! From my hiding spot I saw them emerge. What came out of that tunnel was even worse than what I had imagined...
Four teenage girls with selfie sticks.
Foliage Season Is Over :(
It's too bad that the most beautiful time of year in New England is also the shortest. Next up, WINTER!
Last of the Summer Garden
Autumn is finally here, our favorite time of the year! Here's an end of summer assortment of fruits and flowers from our garden. Martina picked everything and styled these shots that will become part of our stock photo portfolio. The look of natural sunlight was created with one diffused flash placed on camera left. The kitchen table added a nice rustic feel.
One Last Photo Shoot in Kraków (Sad Face)
It's been an amazing 2 years living here in Poland, but on August 31, we move back to Sterling, MA USA. Living in Europe has led to many great photo adventures and also many great friends made along the way. Yesterday, my photographer friend Jacek and I woke up to catch the sunrise over the Old Town Market Square here in Kraków. We tried to get some cool drone footage over the square, but the batteries were not cooperating and it crashed a couple times. After those mishaps and a bloody finger, we switched to our traditional cameras and tripods.
Especially in the summer the main square, the largest medieval square in Europe, fills up with tourists pretty quick, so it was nice to get there early and make some photos without the crowds. It was really sad being in this beautiful place for the last time, but at least we will have some great memories.
See you in Sterling!
Beat the Heat
At this moment, my weather app says 95 degrees F and feels like 120. How to beat the heat? Danboard has the right idea. I caught him running through the fountain outside our apartment building. Stay cool everyone!
Save the Date Photos - Iwona & Khasha
We went in with a few ideas from the bride to be as well as some of our own, and came out with some fun "Save the Date" and engagement photos for the new couple. Natural light and a beautiful park created a great setting for the shoot. Contact us to schedule your session! www.baumgartcreativemedia.com
Cyprus - Where History Meets the Sea
Being only a short plane trip from Poland, Cyprus was an destination to cross off the list before we move back to the U.S. It was a great experience to roam around the ancient stone ruins set against the backdrop of bright turquoise water. We spent most of our time alternating time between the sea and pool at the resort and sightseeing around the historic coastal city of Paphos. About 2 hours northeast of Paphos was the interesting city of Nicosia, located on the border of the Greek and Turkish sides of the island. Immediately crossing the border, we were welcomed by the sound of the call to prayer echoing from a nearby minaret. Besides that, it was noticeably quieter and more peaceful, although a bit run-down, on the Turkish side with lots of interesting architecture.
Wedding Portraits - Tomek and Marzena
This was a fun portrait shoot that took us all over the city. Tomek and Marzena wanted some shots that were a little different than the traditional, posed wedding photos. Of course, we made some traditional shots too, but we focused more on some fun poses and situations throughout Kraków.
Sleepy Product Photography
Besides the fact that he had to wear a CPAP mask over his face for a couple hours, it was a pretty relaxing photo shoot for our model, Patrick. We were making some lifestyle product photos for the SoClean CPAP sanitizer from Better Rest Solutions. They were looking for some fresh photos for their newly launched website, Amazon store, and other marketing material. We didn't have a real bed in our studio, so we faked it with a chair, ottoman, and some pillows and blankets. Check out their new website at www.betterrestsolutions.com to see some more of our work.
1939 Falcon Miniature Vintage Camera
This Falcon Miniature is the newest addition to my vintage camera collection. It was made in 1939 by the Utility Manufacturing Company in New York. The body is made of Bakelite, and it takes 127 roll film. It came with a 50mm lens with a fixed aperture and fixed focus. The simple spring rotary shutter offers only one speed, 1/25.
It's nice to also have the original box. Can't wait to find some 127 film and test it out!
Monochro-Mountains
There's no predicting mountain weather, it can change so quickly. The Tatra Mountains near Zakopane, Poland are no exception. What to do when the weather doesn't cooperate? No need to put the camera away! There are always good shots to be found. Since the cloudy skies and fresh snow cover made the views naturally monochromatic, I decided to work with it and go for a black and white treatment. Not much beats hiking through deep snow in the mountains with a camera and tripod!
