Landmarks: national, local, personal...a new FD photo thread

<p>Hello forum,</p>

<p>Last March my family made a hectic three-day, five state trip which included one whole afternoon of good light. So in the couple of hours we were in St. Louis, we visited the Gateway Arch. Scanning these slides put me in mind to launch a photo thread of landmarks. Please post any image you may have that represents a landmark to you or to everyone.</p>

<p>I've been lying in wait for this opportunity to try the 15mm full-frame fisheye and the 14mm f/2.8L on the arch. I remember going there as a kid and being able to shoot only the topmost portion with a 50mm lens. The wide lenses add an odd sort of distortion to the parabola, and I was surprised to see that the fisheye had really no more radical effect on the shape than the 14mm did.</p>

<p>A couple of stories, too...when we were there in the 70s, my most enduring memory was that the ground was absolutely covered in used flashbulbs, as if there had been a hailstorm. Good thing for all those people that the stainless steel is reflective! And on the last trip, we were sitting perhaps 100 feet from one of the legs when a fellow walked up and raised his point & shoot to his eye. One look, and he began to walk backwards. About every 50 feet he'd have another look. He finally disappeared into the trees, still walking backwards. I hope he eventually got far enough away to get his shot.</p><div></div>

<p>Another...T90, FD 14mm f/2.8L, Velvia 50.</p><div></div>

<p>And last, the stupendous depth of field of the 14mm. The girls are perhaps 3-4 feet in front of me, the arch more like 200-300 feet. Note the moon.</p>

<p>The arch provides automatic fill light. The sun reflection is so bright it hurts the eyes. It in turn reflected off the buildings behind us, lighting our backs.</p>

<p>Let's see some photos!</p><div></div>

<p>I should add two things. The little bag in the last photo contains an assortment of "cheap" FD lenses from 24mm to 300mm for my wife to use. That makes this a doubly-qualified FD shot, twice as on-topic. And out of courtesy to the subjects, I remind everyone that wide angle lenses exaggerate the apparent size of objects nearest them . . . I was kneeling quite close "behind" them with a 14mm. . . OK, now I'm off the hook.</p>

<p>Eastern Europe landmark</p>

<p>Here is the picture</p><div></div>

<p>Looking down. Both photos Canon F1N, 28/2 at f/5.6, Superia 400</p><div></div>

<p>This is a local landmark in Elbert County Ga. Here is the story that goes with the "Georgia Guidestones". <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones</a>. These were shot with EF and 35-105 F/3.5 lens and T-Max 400, deved in D-76.</p><div></div>

<p>Next:</p><div></div>

<p>One more view:</p><div></div>

<p>Tom, I went through Elberton about a year ago, fascinating area esp all the natural areas water and such (I grew up in SC but didnt explore the region too much as a kid). Too bad about the graffiti.</p>

<p>Alan, every time I see pics of the arch it reminds me of a slide show I saw when I was a young teenager in the mid-70's, a neighbor's trip to the midwest, he must have had 30 slides of the arch....but they were taken from <em>inside of a bus</em> on a nearby highway, you could see the little drivers fan and windshield wipers in lots of the pics, "oh 100 yards down the road...another picture"....my dad walked out (and got a lot of grief from my mom later for being rude). i was going to say it was the worst slide show ever, but then I remember one more recently, similar concept as shooting landmarks from a bus...an ice breaker going to antarctica, 100's of pics from the bow..."have we moved yet" .... lol</p>

<p>your stuff is good, ive thought about the 14s and 15s for fd and eos, but so far satisfy my really wide jones with a nikon p&s Fc-e8 fisheye lens once or twice a year</p>

<p>Tom, do you know what the sprayed Russian words mean on your second photograph? ;)</p>

<p>No Igor, I have no idea. I didn't even know they were Russian. It would be interesting to know. I can only assume that it isn't anything good.</p>

<p>Igor - My Russian is very rust, but I believe the writing on the right stone says, "F*** you, we want to live."</p>

<p>Thanks, WT. I have a friend who was coerced into a Caribbean cruise with his mother. His view was out the stern. Your story reminds me of his comments about the second through "nth" days: "more pretty blue water." And at the risk of wearing it too thin, my dad used to tell a story about a customer's 8mm home movie that a camera shop owner screened for him. It was a three minute reel of nothing but the horizon on the open ocean. I think they laughed themselves silly over that one.</p>

<p>Wow, very jealous of that 14mm 2.8. Don't know if this is a landmark, probably a watermark...Eden harbour near my place.</p><div></div>

<p>You are right Kelly!<br>

I like the peaceful sunset...</p>

<p>Here is the Sears Tower, It has a new name, but I still call it the Sears.</p><div></div>

<p>Tony,</p>

<p>The harbor is lovely, and I have a soft spot for sunsets. Very nice.</p>

<p>When I was once admiring a couple's new home and wishing I had one of my own, the owner replied, "Nothing that a little debt won't cure!" I guess it's the same with the 14mm. I got mine for a lot less than the then-going rate because it has a tiny flaw in the coating on the front element. I probably wouldn't have it otherwise. It does do some neat things. And some strange ones, too.</p>

<p>Thanks, <strong>everyone</strong>, for your contributions so far. I'm enjoying seeing so much more photography on the forum.</p>