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Platform pumps
Platform pumps
Yo_Spiff


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Gas Stations (Basic Editing)
Camera: Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT
Lens: Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon
Location: Decatur, Texas
Date: Feb 16, 2009
Aperture: F5.6
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/640
Galleries: Architecture, Rural
Date Uploaded: Feb 17, 2009

 I wonder if anybody will get the shoe related title?

I think this is a filling station where delivery tankers were filled. Since the trucks are fairly high, the equipment is all on a platform. Just to the left of what you can see in the frame are some overhead pipes that I believe were used to pump fuel into the tanks. Here is a full view of the station.

The pumps in this picture would have been for fueling the delivery truck itself.

A combination of research, planning and luck led to this entry. I PM'd one of my local contacts on Flickr who has photographed a few old stations nearby. He gave me a couple of good leads. I also searched my local Flickr pool for gas station photos and found another good possibility which turned out to be only a few yards down the road from the first one (and ended up being my entry). I arrived about 4 pm to catch the good light. My original idea had been to capture the evening sun shining through the translucent top of the pump in front of a restored Texaco station, covered in petrified wood. The sun turned out to be setting directly behind the building and I did not get the shot I had in mind. This one turned out great, however. The light was wonderful, and I think it has as close to an HDR look as you can get within basic rules.

Pre-challenge notes:
I think this is pretty darn good. Hoping to nail a high score with this one, but it's hard to predict how others will perceive it. A high 5 would be nice, a low to mid 5 would not be unexpected, however.

I like to try to guess the critiques my entries will get. Offhand, the only one I can think of is my choice of crop. I expect some will say I left too much of the background with the trees to the side. I tried it cropped closer on the right, but it didn't seem to flow as well to me, as it put the pumps smack in the middle of the frame.

Post-challenge notes:
Did decently scorewise, and placed fairly high in the challenge. Composition was surely what held it back a little, but I really liked some other aspects of the shot and it was a good choice to enter.

Only 31 out of the 253 votes were less than a 5. I think that's a success.

Statistics
Place: 25 out of 135
Avg (all users): 5.6719
Avg (commenters): 6.5000
Avg (participants): 5.5690
Avg (non-participants): 5.7026
Views since voting: 1076
Views during voting: 397
Votes: 253
Comments: 6
Favorites: 1 (view)

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AuthorThread
Fujifilm x100
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
 02/25/2009 02:46:27 AM
Missed the pun the first time, love shot. I agree, it has a center composition feel, but I still I like it. Oh well. Or, maybe the score reflects the obvious shoehorn!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D700
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Nikon
 02/25/2009 02:18:02 AM

I think this is a great shot and it should have done better.
I didn't spot the shoe related title but I do now of course lol,
i will be on the lookout in the next one.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
Nikon D750
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II
 02/21/2009 09:49:57 AM
I think I would have cut the PVC pipe on the left out and still kept everything else...nice shot, like the old pumps with the old building and the stairs..just needed to do a little more "step" photography (step closer)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D70
Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED
 02/20/2009 12:15:34 PM
nice shot, love the rust
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D700
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Nikon
 02/18/2009 04:47:44 PM
I really love the rural feel to this shot.
The blue sky and the colour of the pumps works so well with the almost B&W cabin. Great crop as well.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Apple iPhone 6
Sony E 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ OSS
 02/18/2009 02:22:00 PM
I don't care for the composition here, I don't think it offers anything. I do like the subject and the colors a lot though.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
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