From time to time, I get a photo assignment that has me asking myself; are you kidding me? Am I really being paid for this? The Spring weather in June was glorious with low humidity and puffy clouds in a nice blue sky
Very much like my previous “Perfect Day” blog, there was a nautical theme. I was assigned to produce a Google virtual tour and still photos of a charter fishing boat called the C-Devil II docked on State Street in Narragansett, RI.
I have done Google virtual tours of many interesting businesses since 2013, but I never did a virtual tour aboard a vessel before. I walked up to the C-Devil II and I was granted permission to come aboard by Captain Kelly Smith.
They had just come back from a fishing trip earlier that day.
I set up the virtual tour as you walk down the dock, then board the C-Devil, and go inside the cabin.
You can take the tour here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/wQgQ65xvTQp8QoLfA
The array of electronics aboard is impressive. After taking a variety of still shots of the exterior and interior I asked Captain Smith if there was anything I missed. That is when I got some bonus photos.
“I have a new clean diesel engine if you would like to see it” the Captain said. Yes, yes, I would love to see your new engine. The next thing I knew the floorboards were removed and I got to crawl around the bottom of the vessel to photograph the new engine. I am fascinated with any kind of engine since I have removed and replaced engines on several of my own cars over the years.
The Scania engine built in Sweden has over 600 horsepower and is impressive. This photo assignment was a joy and made for another perfect day!
Tim Becker
Creative Images Photography
901 Main St.
Manchester, CT 06040
860-528-7818
tim@2cimages.com
In 2021 I was contacted by a national commercial real estate company and asked if I would be interested in photographing a large aircraft hangar that previously was a service center for corporate jet aircraft, next to Bradley Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
My answer was yes, yes! I would love handling the assignment! This would be dream job for me and I would get to experiment with a new technique that I wanted to try; placing my DSLR camera on a 16-foot-high stand and triggering it with my cell phone for an elevated view. I also was quite intrigued by the opening and closing action of the hanger doors. I got the assignment. I tested my idea of an elevated view and I must admit I was nervous about having my camera up 16 feet in the air with just a sand bag holding my light stand down.
My test shot worked out great and I was ready to try my "elevated view" on the assignment.
When I arrived for the assignment I found out that I would need a temporary pass from the Bradley Airport Authority to walk on the runway. This would take several days, so I decided to split the assignment into two days. The first day I worked on photographing the interior of the hanger from several directions on ground level and and with my 16-foot elevated camera as well as the offices, mechanical rooms, meeting rooms and the pilot’s lounge.
A few days later I returned and took the exterior photos of the building from ground level and from an elevated level.
I also took a 360-degree image of the interior of the hanger. Then I set up two video cameras; one outside and one inside the hanger to capture live action of the giant doors opening and closing. You can view the video here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/lppl1ncrxo683gn/Hanger_Doors_Opening.mp4?dl=0 It was a nice clear day with a blue sky and low humidity. This project was a joy and I got to try a new way of getting high angle photos. Recently I drove by the building and I was pleased to see that a new company had moved in. Another perfect day.
Tim Becker
Creative Images photography
901 Main St.
Manchester, CT 06040
860-528-7818
tim@2cimages.com
