Apple Valley Plaza Site Survey, Part 3

Wow, being sick really sucks.  And you fall behind on so many things like these blogs.  Ok, I’m back from the dead so let me continue where I left off.

For these last four photos, I threw in a black and white layer in between my crossed processed layers and some Gaussian blur (refer to part 1 and 2 for details).  I also used the shadow/highlight effect.  The only thing I didn’t do was throw in some HDR.  Of course, this was all done in Photoshop.  I really like how these came out – abstraction and all.  Have a look.

Oh, there is no black and white layer on this particular image.  Still looks cool though.

Apple Valley Plaza Site Survey, Part 2

After doing a shadow/highlights adjusted layer, I applied a ‘cross processed’ layer to all five of these photos because I love that look/effect.  I did this just last week with Photoshop though I took these photos last summer.  And the last three shots I again went for the abstracted appearance.  Have a look.

Apple Valley Plaza Site Survey, Part 1

Moving on to June 18, 2011, I was out and about again doing site surveys (no, I don’t have a regular ‘9 to 5’ job) and exploring my new habitat.  Again, I was motoring eastbound down Bear Valley Road.  I passed through Apple Valley heading to the outskirts of that town and stopped when I got to Central.  On my left was a big strip mall that never quite became what it was supposed to be – the Apple Valley Plaza.  Ultra Star Cinema was completed and operational but the rest of the site was never completed.  It looks as though on the day someone said there was no more money to complete the work, everyone just walked away.  I can only assume that happened after the market crash of 2008.  The Victor Valley seems to have suffered more severely than other parts of California but it seems to have gone somewhat unnoticed, unless you live here.  This is another location that I’ll return to and shoot again.  This time, I shot this with my PowerShot S5 IS.  The Photoshop work done was minimal but I did that just a few days ago.  Have a look.

In this shot, I’m trying to abstract my subject with this from the bottom up angle.  I’ll do a lot more of this here.

Site Survey, Storage Place

Ok, June 5, 2011, I was at our new storage facility (we’re in an apartment so we still have too much stuff) just looking around the place with my Canon PowerShot A540 in hand.  What I saw was a lot of stuff that you had to wonder why someone would pay to store – you know storage places are a relatively new thing.  Do you remember any in the 1970’s?  Just the same, these things also made for an interesting photo or two.  And today, I decided to “cross process” them in Photoshop.  I just redid the post production this morning.  I’m getting very interested in the cross process look.  I think I will use it in my project for school this quarter.  I’m not sure yet but I’m thinking about it or a couple of other looks.  But that’s something else.  Here are some of the outside things stored at my local storage spot here in Victorville.  Have a look.

Site Survey, Victorville, Part 2

Here I am in Victorville.  This was shot on June 4, 2011, the same day as the previous entry.   And a correction on the previous entry – that’s not Victorville, its Apple Valley.  But this entry is what we’re on.  Wow, I’ve been living here for almost a year now.  I like Victorville though; the air is a lot better and I’m back in the high desert.  Plus, something is happening here, a sort of regrowth.  It’s slow in the making but things are starting to happen.  This town is in the right place for the future.  The whole of the Victor Valley is, for that matter.  And I’ve been capturing parts of it.  But these are photos from last year (remember, I’m catching up to the present).  And again, I’m laying the ground work for my “Victor Valley Project” but I’m not aware of it at this time.  I call these survey shots for future projects.  This day was my first real Victorville/Victor Valley survey.  I have done many site surveys since these.  I have done quite a few actual photo shoots and project work too since then too.  I’ll be posting some of that in this blog too but these are from last June.  I shot it with my PowerShot A540 too.  Have a look.

Site Survey, Victorville

The day is June 4, 2011, and we have settled into our new apartment in Victorville.  Among other things, I’m out and about getting to know the lay of the land and scouting places to do photo shoots.  I’m also laying the ground work for my “Victor Valley Project” though I’m not aware of that at this time.  I found this place off of Bear Valley road east of Apple Valley.  I shot this with my Canon PowerShot A540 – this camera has been my pocket camera but my phone, a BlackBerry Torch, has slowly been taking over in that department.  That is a nice “phone” though.  But this entry is about this place which was once someone’s home.  Have a look.