Lock Machinery, C & O Canal

This device is mounted next to Lock 10 on the old Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, near Cabin John, Maryland.  I think it opened & closed a sluice gate that would flood the lock to raise the canal boats up, as they travelled up the Potomac from Washington.  Unfortunately, the canal fell into disrepair & stopped being used in the early 20th century.  But it was made into a national park, and some of the locks & aqueducts are maintained as historic tourist attractions.

I took this photo with my Sputnik on Provia 100F, around sunset under a cloudy sky.  I think my exposure was 2 seconds.  I carried a digital SLR with me to serve as my exposure meter (and to take a few 2D photos & cha-chas.)

–Paul Gillis

Ring in the Rock

In August I was trying to take some pictures near the Chain Bridge, which crosses the Potomac from Arlington to D.C.  It’s a fairly standard steel girder bridge, but a much earlier bridge at the same spot was a chain suspension bridge, and the name apparently stuck.  I spotted this iron ring embedded in the rock near the western abutment; perhaps it was a part of the old suspension bridge.

Taken with my Sputnik on Provia 100.

–Paul Gillis

Fairview Lake at Dusk

A small lake near my home in Falls Church.  I took this with one of several Sputniks I have, the only one that has had internal flocking & light seals added.  Unfortunately, its lenses don’t seemed to be closely matched, or maybe they just need their relative focus and their shutters adjusted.  This was taken after sunset with a ten second exposure (or maybe longer).  Luckily there wasn’t much wind.

–Paul Gillis

Fountain of Faith

This is just a small part of an amazing sculptural group in the National Memorial Park, a cemetery near my home in Falls Church, Virginia.  It was made by the Swedish sculptor Carl Milles in the early 1950’s.  Unfortunately the water works were out of commission when I took this picture.

I shot it in 1999 with two Mamiya C-330’s on a tripod.  That was a massive rig!  I can’t remember what lenses I used, but I think they were short telephotos, maybe 135’s.  After a couple of outings with that setup, I basically gave up on medium format stereo, until my interest was rekindled last year.

–Paul Gillis

Jaguar

Jaguar

Jaguar

 

While walking into the center of town to visit the local museum my younger daughter and I came across this very nice Jaguar parked in the middle of the town square. Unfortunately it was not parked in a way that would allow me to get the town fountain and the museum in the background. Later, when we got out of the museum, the car was gone.

This was taken with a handheld (string monopod) Sputnik on Fuji Provia 100F (aka RDP III). The film was developed and scanned by TheDarkroom.

University Housing

University Housing

University Housing

 

Based on Google translate, this building is apparently student housing for a fraternity associated with the university in Heidelberg. It is right next to Heidleberg Castle, where I was standing when I took this photo. I guess I went to the wrong university.

Taken with a Sputnik on Fujifilm Provia 100F (aka RPD III). The film was developed and scanned by TheDarkroom.

Schloss Schramberg Ruins

Schloss Schramberg Ruins

Schloss Schramberg Ruins

 

These are the ruins of the castle on the hill above the town of Schramberg, Germany. My wife’s maternal Grandfather was from Schramberg, and we have a photo of him from almost 100 years ago sitting on the edge of the ruins with the town down below in the background.

This was taken with a handheld (string monopod) Sputnik on Fuji Provia 100F (aka RDP III).  The film was developed and scanned by TheDarkroom.

Three Sisters – Australia

This is an area not far from Sydney Australia. When I visited Australia in 2002 the only medium format cameras I owned were two Sputniks. I shot a number of successful hypers with the two cameras, covering one lens on each and advancing the film one exposure at a time. I think I had the two cameras four feet apart on separate tripods here. Velvia 100F.