Wind Turbines - Tehachapi Pass, CA

[NER]

This is BPF 200 in PMK on Ilford MG Classic with Ansco 103. I used this film for a short time after AgfaPan 100 was discontinued, but gave it up in favor of FP4 due to frequent and frustrating irregularities in emulsion coating. People often ask me how I obtained the effect of movement seen here. I reply that I used a Schneider Claron-G at 1/2 second and hasten to add that these facts are irrelevant because the effect obtained depends as much on the speed at which the turbine blades turn as it does the speed of the shutter. Had the blades been moving faster, a faster shutter speed would have been required to obtain the same effect. Conversely, had they been moving slower, a slower shutter would have have been required to obtain this result. It was a matter of luck that the blades were moving at a speed that allowed me to capture this effect with the shutter set at 1/2 second. The result would have been completely different had I elected to go with 1 second or 1/4 second in this instance. I think it turned out rather nicely. It is certainly unusual.

N. Riley
http://normanrileyphotography.com
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[Jeff15]

Nice shot......

 

[stapo49]

Fantastic!

 

[Warhorse]

Beautiful!

 

[PJM]

Nice shot! I do like that effect. You can see how some are turning a bit faster or slower than others by the different gaps in the motion blur.

 

[terri]

Beautiful result! I agree you had a unique challenge with so many of them in motion. Your composition is terrific, I love the bit of winding road through the scene.

The whole effect is quite surreal. Great job.

 

[K9Kirk]

Nice shot, good job.

 

[OldManJim]

Nice capture! It seems to me that attempting to duplicate this effect is problematic using film because of the factors you mentioned. I think if I were trying to produce a similar photo, I'd use digital so I could get instant feedback and vary that taking parameters as needed.

The fact that you used film is a tribute to your skill [- and some luck! Great work!

 

[NER]

Thank you very much all for your compliments. There was some planning involved in getting the values just so, and having shot turbines many times before, I knew from experience that an exposure of 1 second under the conditions prevailing that morning would give a full circle effect, but I did not visualize that this "radioactive symbol effect" would result from an exposure of 1/2 second, so yes, there absolutely was an element of luck at work here and I am not the least bit ashamed to admit it!

N. Riley
http://normanrileyphotography.com