 |
| ©2008 Paul Sumi The 70 year old Art Deco structure that is the Griffith Park Observatory during the last sunset of 2007 |
close to home ... paul sumi
I'm the only one with a tripod, but not the only one with a camera when I arrive at my hilltop destination late in the afternoon. It's December 31st and many people are starting their New Year's Eve celebrations by visiting the world-famous Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles. In less than 90 minutes the final sunset of the year will begin.
It's no coincidence that I am here on this day and at this time with a camera and tripod. I've been planning this moment for several weeks. For the fifth time in as many years I will bid farewell to the old year by photographing its final sunset. This tradition is a young one, sparked by my renewed interest in photography by the digital revolution, and my desire to record the many iconic locations in my hometown.
I walk along the western promenade of the 70 year old classic Art Deco structure, passing by people photographing their friends in front of a plaque of James Dean. His “Rebel Without a Cause” had filmed scenes here as have many movies since then. Other visitors get their pictures taken with the famed Hollywood sign in the background. I hear conversations in French, Italian, Japanese and German as well as English when I stop to record the activity as part of my photo essay of the evening.
 |
| Many enjoy the last light of 2007 from this great location! |
A few weeks earlier I decided to photograph the New Year's Eve sunset at the Griffith Park Observatory. I hadn't visited in many years and also knew that shooting casually rarely yields good results. With only one chance to get the New Year's Eve sunset I knew that I would have to do some planning.
The same kind of planning that goes into a photography trip to Death Valley or Yellowstone would also maximize my chances for success just a few miles from my home. For example, knowing the time the sun set on New Year's Eve dictated my arrival time. Weather reports would tell me what sort of sunset I could expect and how to dress for the prevailing conditions. I needed to find out what camera gear would work the best in the situation.
Some on-line research gave me the basic information I needed to know. The next step was to visit the observatory to scout the site. My first visit, a spur of the moment recon on a busy weekend afternoon, was discouraging. The place was so popular that there was no parking within walking distance of the Observatory! Would crowded conditions prevent me from shooting on New Year's Eve?
I decided to try to try again at a time when few people would be there. My second visit was early one Sunday morning and it was a success. I saw that the observatory was beautifully illuminated by artificial lighting, standing out in the dim light of dawn. There was a spectacular view all the way from the downtown skyscrapers to the beach. I shot for a couple of hours as I explored every corner of this location. By the end I knew that this was the place for New Year's Eve. Despite the crowds on the first visit, I decided to take a chance that the pre-New Year's holiday evening would find fewer visitors.
The sun dips closer to the western horizon. We had a rain storm earlier in the week, but a warm Santa Ana wind has blown in, giving us the classic temperate L.A. winter weather about which we Angelenos love to brag to our Midwest and East coast friends. The gamble paid off, I was able to find parking and I get into a rhythm, shooting steadily as I wait for the right moment.
 |
| Like something out of Jules Verne. The city of the angels bids farewell to another year. ©2008 Paul Sumi |
Earlier in the day I double-checked my camera gear. Two Canon DSLRs, in case one died unexpectedly. I learned my lesson when I didn't have a backup when one of my cameras fried a circuit board during a shoot. Camera sensors get cleaned. I also made sure the main and spare camera batteries were all fully charged - another hard-learned lesson from a time when a low battery cut short another shoot.
I was taking three lenses: a 17-40 F/4, 24-70 F/2.8 and 70-200 F/2.8. From my prior visits I knew that the 24-70 would get a workout. Its focal range is perfect for everything from architectural studies to hand-held candid's of people. I planned to use the 70-200 to pick out details in the cityscape and to shoot the downtown L.A. skyline. I would also bring a 1.4X teleconvertor if I needed the additional reach. The 17-40 zoom would be a wild card. I didn't expect to use it, but some of my most creative compositions have resulted from its use.
My Gitzo carbon fiber tripod with Acratech V2 ballhead, spare CF cards, cleaning materials, bubble level, graduated neutral density and polarizer filters rounded out the kit for the evening. All the gear was packed into a Lowepro Mini-Trekker. Filters and CF cards go into the pockets of my photo vest. The backpack would be easier to walk around with than a camera bag hanging off one shoulder, and the vest would keep everything I needed right away close at hand.
Photographing at an urban location like the Griffith Park Observatory is very different from landscape photography. In the city, people are a big part of the story and finding meaningful ways to include people in my photographs is a constant challenge. I look for interesting juxtapositions or ways that people can give a human scale to the composition. I also move around a lot, working the different areas around the building and its grounds. During most of this time I shoot hand-held (but use the tripod when I can) using fast shutter speeds to freeze motion at anywhere from F/5.6 to F/11.
It's just a few minutes to the final sunset of 2007. The shot I originally envisioned was the Observatory framed by clouds lit up by the setting sun. But the Santa Ana's put an end to that idea by blowing away the remnants of the storm that rained on L.A. a few days earlier.
I’m a little annoyed I didn’t anticipate that this shot might not pan out. But I get back on track when I remember an image I liked from my scouting visit and I scramble to set up that alternate composition: Astronomers Obelisk in the foreground and Observatory in the middle ground with the sunset glow behind. Because light levels change so quickly, shooting the sunset can be like running a pro football 2 minute drill, and I have to move fast before the light disappears.
 |
| Bringing in the new year on high! © 2008 Paul Sumi |
Proper technique is vital to maximize image quality. I shoot in RAW so I’m not locked into an 8 bit JPG file when I process the image in Photoshop. The camera is securely mounted on the tripod, and the bubble level ensures that the horizon doesn’t run downhill. I decide that the grad neutral density filters won’t be needed this time. ISO 400 will give good depth of field at a decent shutter speed. The meter yields f/16 at 2 seconds, including about 2 stops underexposure to make sure highlights and shadows are properly represented. I’ll bracket this meter reading to make sure I get the exposure I want.
Using a technique I learned from Steve’s workshops, I use the mirror lockup and 2 second timer to ensure that any camera vibration would be minimized when the shutter is released. I frame, shoot, check the histogram, and repeat as the sun sets in the west.
The last glow of the sunset is gone as I pack my gear and walk back to my car in the darkness. It’s time to move on to the next phase of the evening's festivities. Many people are leaving but others are just arriving to take in the bright city lights below. Midnight and the New Year were just a few hours away.
Paul's Griffith Park Observatory gallery
The Griffith Park Observatory website
Comment
Skills that are used are never lost! Skills that are used over and over are honed and improved. Improvement brings still more skill and heightens the passion to be part of the continuing process. The passion is everything!
Thank you Paul for making us part of your process and passion. Happy New Year to all!