Tag Archives: Brent Osborne

‘Lover’s Leap’ – Rock City, Georgia 2025

by Brent Osborne

My father moved to upstate Georgia back in 2023 and wanted me to come out for a visit. It’s an interesting part of Georgia, with lots of historical Civil War battlefields, southern cuisine, and of course, Rock City. Rock City, which houses Lover’s Leap, is by far the most obnoxiously advertised amusements in the country. It’s ‘See Rock City’ slogan was painted by 1969 on more than 900 sides of homes, rooftops, billboards, etc. It’s slogan is especially noticeable within a 20 mile radius of the actual park. It’s actually a pretty interesting place to visit, despite it’s annoying slogan (in which my father fell victim to, hence our visit). From the top of Lover’s Leap, one is said to be able to see 7 states from one viewpoint on a clear day. This includes Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, North & South Carolina, Kentucky and of course, Georgia.

Lover’s Leap refers to the act of two lovers jumping to one’s demise to avoid conflict and/or separation of said lovers rather than deal with any issues at hand. Sounds romantic, no?

Rock City was built on top of Lookout Mountain, back in 1935. A gentleman named Garnet Carter and his wife started monetizing the visit to the park in which they built over 4100 feet of walking trails over 700 acres. That trail ends at Lover’s Leap. We managed to clamber over most of the place, but found it to be a bit exhausting. All in all, it was a good place to shoot 3D. If you’re aware of it’s slogan, you may have already been there with it’s enticing ‘See Rock City’ slogan etched in your brain. Shot with my Sputnik, 60th/sec. at f.22. Provia 100f Fujifilm.

Coronado Historic Site, New Mexico 2025

by Brent Osborne

My wife and I visited her sister in Albuquerque last year. We had always been curious to see that part of the country. We liked it, but still love the fresh green trees of the Pacific Northwest more. After visiting, we do understand some of it’s magnetizing aspects. Native American art and heritage, unique architecture, and it’s quirky and fascinating history. All in all, I was not totally happy with most of the shots I took there, and I only shot about 2 rolls while I was visiting. So, needless to say, I didn’t have a lot of shots to share. This is a shot of a maintenance building that was built using the same methods as what the original buildings would have been built with back in 600AD. Except for maybe the added window frame of course. The balls you see there are called ‘armas de la tierra’ or ‘weapons of the earth’. This was a Tiwa people’s ancient adobe construction technique. They would use the balls to build walls while they were pliable, thus becoming hardened and sturdy after being dried in the sun.

Coronado is located near Albuquerque and the mighty Rio Grande River, and has been around since at least 1000BC.  Everything was fine and dandy until 1540 when a group of European colonists visited and fought with the populace in trying to find gold and silver in the region. None was found, and the expedition was ended in 1542. It was colonized from 1542 onward. Conflict and disease led to a downfall after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 and the town was abandoned. It was later designated as New Mexico’s first State Monument site in 1535. Not much is left of the site, hence the picture of the work shed instead of the ruins left behind of the village. I found the work shed to be more interesting to photograph. Shot with my Sputnik, 100th sec., f.22, Bright sun! Provia 100f Fujifilm.

Barichara, Colombia 2023

by Brent Osborne

Barichara is a small colonial village town in central Colombia. Surrounded by rolling hills and mountains, it has cobble stone streets, tiled roofed colonial buildings, a nice climate, good cheap food, history, etc. Its an amazing place in the world! It’s also a photographers paradise. Only downside were the hills I had to climb to get anywhere. Besides that, an amazing place to stay. The lighting there was nice, and there were many opportunities to get a good photo. However, in my excitement, I missed a couple good shots due to overexposure metering, missed focus, etc. We’ve all been there. This particular shot in the folio was one of my favorites, showing the simple architecture and the beauty of a sunset there. Such a great place to visit if you’re ever in Colombia!

Built after 1702 when a peasant from the region saw the face of the Virgin Mary in a stone there. A church was placed there in it’s honor. Thus the town formed around this church, and was officially founded in 1705. It doesn’t seem to have changed much since then. It is a Columbian National Monument, and has had status protection since 1978. Shot this on my Sputnik handheld at 100th/sec. at f.16, on Provia 100f Fujifilm.

Fontana di Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune) Florence, Italy 2023

by Brent Osborne

While visiting Florence back in 2023, I wanted to make a conscious effort to walk around Florence and photograph at night. Being a safe city and very ‘lit-up’ at a lot of the landmarks, it’s a great place to ‘plant a tripod’. As we all know, water in motion is a great way to share the 3D experience, so I had to get a shot of the infamous Fountain of Neptune. Located in the Piazza della Signoria, it’s steps away from the Uffizi Gallery, which houses some of the most famous artwork in the world. The best part of shooting Florence at night are the options. Tons to photograph and lots of historical spots to aim your lens at.

A little history on the fountain. It was commissioned in 1559 by Cossimo l de’ Medici, the Duke of Florence, in celebration of bringing new water to the city after a new aqueduct was built nearby. Almost immediately after being officially completed in 1574, people damaged the fountain. Some used it as a wash basin for laundry and caused discoloration. Other instances included breaking off Neptune’s hand, painting Neptune’s shoulders after Italy winning the World Cup, and most recently, a woman climbing on one of the horses for a ‘selfie’. The photo was taken with my Sputnik, shot at about 15 seconds at f. 16 with Provia 100F Fujifilm. I noticed there’s a blue crescent in the fountain water in the left eye shot, but overall I figured that it was a decent image regardless.

Great Mosque of Sousse, Tunisia 2023

by Brent Osborne

The Great Mosque of Sousse is a great place to check out in Tunisia. Located near the Medina of Sousse, it was built in 851, and is now the oldest mosque in the city as well as the oldest prayer hall in North Africa. I wanted to get some night shots while in Tunisia, and chose the mosque as a great backdrop along with the moon. Not far from the main part of the old section of Sousse, it was only steps away from our hotel and a really fun place to smoke at a hookah lounge. Sousse is on the coast of Tunisia, and unfortunately is known as the place that had terrorist attacks in 2015 that damaged the tourism in Tunisia. Although still trying to recover from those days, Sousse is a good place to visit and Tunisia as a whole. The city is rich with history and was definitely noticeable all around you at every turn. This was shot with my Sputnik, on Provia 100f.

Duomo di Orvieto, Orvieto, Italy 2022

by Brent Osborne

Duomo di Orvieto, is a gorgeous church in the heart of Orvieto, located in the Umbria region of Italy. My wife and I explored Umbria and Tuscany in 2022 by car, and in doing so, got to visit many different little towns off the beaten path. Built between 1290 and 1591, it is an amazing place to visit. Similar to the church in Milan with it’s black and white stonework throughout, it is a sight to see. Personally, I recognize myself as agnostic, but I am still always fascinated by religious structures throughout the world. This one was no exception. As to getting the shot, I managed to have a tiny tabletop tripod that is maybe 3 inches long, and has a quick release system. I slap that on my Sputnik and then find some railing that I can ‘pinch’ it on as I take the shot. I tried the string to foot method in the past, with little success. So, by not being able to use a proper tripod in churches, this is the best I could come up with. Shot on Provia 100f.

Khoa San Road, Bangkok, Thailand 2024

by Brent Osborne

Khoa San Road is a very popular area of Bangkok. Those who have visited may have stayed near there, or are at least ‘in the know’ as to it’s existence. It was once, and still is, a backpacker’s hub (since the 1970’s) with tons of little shops, eateries, street food, and chaos. We happened to stay in this area of Bangkok for the first time, because it is known to be loud, crowded, etc. However, we managed to find a great hotel nearby that was on a much more quiet backstreet and was steps away from everything. Great experience! We happened to be there during Halloween last year and I wanted to get some night shots. As you can see in the photo, there are red streaks of light about head height in the image. Those are lit up red devil horns that people were wearing all night. Glad I captured at least part of that. This exposure I believe was about 20 seconds long. Shot at f16. Shot on (the now hard to get) Provia 100f with a Sputnik.

Georgetown Steam Plant, Seattle, Washington 2024

by Brent Osborne

The Georgetown Steam Plant, owned by Puget Sound Energy, was built back in 1906 to power Seattle’s Streetcars and the small area of Georgetown. It ran until 1953, and then decommissioned in 1972. I was invited by a local camera club (through my coworker Sarah) to come by on a Saturday afternoon to visit. It reminded me of the abandoned hospitals and factories that I used to urban explore back on the East Coast. The only difference was that this was very clean, had lights on, was safe and most of all ‘legal’. This had been my first outing with my TL-120 in a long time. I had a ton of fun using it! I tend to use the Sputnik more often, thanks to it’s size and manageability. I was, and always have been, impressed by the sharpness and quality of the TL-120. Maybe I’ll become brave and take it internationally someday. Shot on Kodak E-100 Ektachrome.

Barber Shop – Syracuse, Sicily 2022

by Brent Osborne

As we walked through the main palazzo in Syracuse, I noticed a barber shop and knew that I had to take a 3D shot of it. The barber was in the middle of shaving someone, so the composition with the mirrors and lighting was amazing. We were headed to another location and I took note of the shop as we passed by to come back to it later. Upon my return, it was of course closed, the barber was gone, and the lights were shut off. Regardless, I put my Sputnik up to the window and as you can see me in the shot, I took the photo. Still a fun shot to take but having the barber there working would have been much better. Shot with my Sputnik on Fuji Provia 100f.

Roman Amphitheater – Syracuse, Sicily 2022

by Brent Osborne

Just outside of Syracuse is a collection of Roman ruins within the Neapolis Archeological Park. Within the park there are many sites to check out, including this Amphitheater built around 212 BC. It is the 3rd largest Amphitheater in Italy. It was in much disrepair and had been used as a quarry at some point by the Spaniards. It was just a shell of what it used to be. I tried to get the best viewpoint to show it’s size from the upper level. Having shot it in 3D, this does give it some of that ‘depth’ that it requires to show it’s true size. Shot with my Sputnik on Fuji Provia 100f.

Hanging Medallions – Pompeii, Italy 2022

by Brent Osborne

Pompeii is an incredible place to visit. Not only do you feel like you have stepped back in time when you are there, but you are also essentially walking through a gravesite. It’s eeriness combined with the story of that fateful day in 79 AD, makes it all the more profound. One could spend hours walking it’s long narrow streets, peering into the empty shells of homes, and imagining the horror that would have flowed through the town that day. It really sends chills down your spine. This shot was one of my favorites that I took on this trip, however the only personal ‘beef’ that I have with this shot is that it’s a little underexposed. The medallions, I’m sure are ‘new’ and were placed there not long ago. However, I don’t know for sure, since there were no markers to say otherwise. There are many hidden gems in Pompeii, from tiny scribbles on the walls by children, hidden brothels, and splendid mosaics in hallways or doorways. Worth a visit if you are ever in the neighborhood. Shot with my Sputnik, on you guessed it, Fuji Provia 100f.

The Tourists – Palatine Hill, Rome, Italy 2022

by Brent Osborne

Just outside of the main Roman Forum and Colosseum is Palatine Hill. This is where alot of the senators and statesman lived, amongst some of the most prestigious and wealthy Roman citizens. The views of the surrounding area, and it’s natural beauty made it an ideal spot for such folks. Walking around it’s remnants of the past, I noticed a couple sitting not far from us, trying to shield themselves from the afternoon sun. I knelt down and captured their ‘break’ from the heat. Shot with my Sputnik spy camera, on (the now coveted) Fuji Provia 100f.

Temple Mount, Jerusalem, Israel 2018

by Brent Osborne

Temple Mount is a very important site for Muslims, Jews, and Christians. It is a beautiful courtyard in East Jerusalem and is defined to be one of the holiest sites in the world. The al-Asqa Mosque is a sight to see, and since it was a beautiful day when I was there, I went nuts trying to capture it’s beauty shooting from all angles. This shot was one of my favorites of what I captured. The walled arch in the picture is called the scales of judgement, believed to be the place where people would be judged before entering the gates of heaven. Note the sundial on the arch.  Israel is filled with religious history and a must see for anyone interested in the subject. Shot with my Sputnik, on Fuji Provia 100f. 

Cormorant Fisherman, Guilin, Guangxi Province, China 2018

by Brent Osborne

In a gorgeous area of China, on the Li River in Guilin, there is an old form of river fishing. The fishermen use cormorant birds to catch fish. The way it works, is that the fishermen would raise the birds from chicks and the birds would then trust the fishermen. Once old enough, the birds would start fishing by instinct by diving to get the river fish. The birds would dive into the river, and come up with the fish in their mouth, which would be snatched from them by the fishermen. The birds would eventually be rewarded, albeit with smaller fish. This practice of fishing is actually not really used much anymore, and has become more of a novelty for tourists, like myself. I wanted to get an iconic image of the fisherman while I was there, but unfortunately the opportunity did not present itself. However, an easy going fisherman let me do a snapshot of him while we were walking down the riverbank. Shot on my Sputnik, with Fuji Provia 100f.

Kathmandu Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal 2016

by Brent Osborne

Kathmandu Durbar Square is an incredible area of Kathmandu, filled with old temples originally built and rebuilt from around the third century. We arrived one year after a major earthquake damaged many buildings in this square. It still held up it’s integrity and prestige even after most of the damage. Sadly some of the temples were reduced to rubble and were only recognizable by placards set up by the tourist government. Due to the damage to Nepal and to it’s infrastructure, there seemed to be less tourists than we had anticipated while we were there, and allowed us to explore most areas in less crowded situations. This shot was taken in the early morning, while locals were out feeding the pigeons. Shot on my Sputnik, on Provia 100f film.