Thirty Days of Thanksgiving | Day 3

This photo of the Fremont Theatre in San Luis Obispo, CA was taken during a Farmers’ Market photowalk class with Rick Sammon during the California Photo Festival. The Fremont is a landmark in my hometown, built in 1942 by S. Charles Lee in the Streamline Moderne (also known as Art Moderne, a late type of Art Deco) style. During the theatre’s early years it served for both moving pictures and live theater. It is still a working movie theater today.

I captured this shot using an Induro AKB1 Tripod mounted Canon EOS 7D with a Sigma 8-16mm Ultra Wide Angle Lens set at 16mm, ISO 100, 4 sec at f/29. One of the coolest things about the California Photo Festival are the venders who allow the festival attendees to borrow lenses at no charge! (Thank you Canon & Sigma!) I had a blast with this ultra-wide and would love to add one to my personal kit.

A quick note about my settings: I was intentionally trying to get a slow enough shutter speed to achieve the light streaking by from passing cars. It was still light enough outside that it was difficult to get a long enough shutter speed which is why my aperture was set at f/29 – letting the least amount of light possible into the camera.  Ideally I would have used my Kenko 72mm ND8 Neutral Density Filter (possibly stacked with my HOYA 72mm Circular Polarizing Filter, but since I was borrowing this lens I didn’t have a filter in the right size so I had to modify my settings to capture my vision.

Today I am thankful for:

• My hubbie who, coming off of duty (a 24 hour shift) stopped and Starbucks and brought me home a Latte and set it on my nightstand as I was waking up.
• Being able to attend the California Photo Festival last month – For five days I was able to eat, breathe, sleep photography. I shot hundreds of photos and learned from some of the best instructors in the country. I’m so grateful that I was able to have the experience two years in a row! (I hope to do it again next year, too.)
• A mellow Saturday with no pressing commitments to just relax and get a few things done around the house.

What are you thankful for today?