Crossed Cranes

@Daroru: Thanks, I guess it was the early afternoon light.

@MadScientist: I guess it was the early afternoon light. I didn't tweak anything here but white point.

@Anthony: Thank you.

@Mortola: I used to live in the Rialto area when I was a kid and I vividly remember the smog. On some days, if you did any running, it literally burned your lungs.

This is basically the second time I used the D40. I think the light on the crane and the color is partly due to the time of day --about 2 PM. It's not a favorite time of mine to shoot, but I don't have the luxury of just taking photos during the magic hour. I thought it was an interesting scene or I wouldn't have shot it, but frankly, I was surprised by how vividly cranes are rendered. This is virtually straight out of the camera too: all I did was adjust the white point.

I was worried about getting accosted by security so I briefly pulled off to the side of the road, rolled down my window, snapped two shots, and drove off. Later on though, outside a different area of the plant, I got the impression that security was pretty indifferent. However, I was also in the kind of neighborhood where I thought residents might look upon people with cameras with some hostile suspicion. In fact, they looked pretty hostile even without seeing my camera.

I got the D40 as cheap DSLR to carry around with me, so I wouldn't have so much at stake if it got ripped off. I was a little reluctant after reading a review that said you can't change things like ISO with just one button like you can on my D80; and I do miss the display on top of my D80; otherwise, I've been pretty pleased with the D40. I got a Crumpler 4 Million Dollar bag to carry it in, and the combination is very discrete (people think the camera bag is a lunch bag), and unbelievably lightweight. This past weekend I went out with a 300 mm lens mounted on the D80 and the D40 with the 18-55 mm kit lens. I found myself using the D40 most of the time, partly because it had the more appropriate lens, but mostly because it is just so lightweight and easy to pull from the bag and use. I like it enough that I'm tempted to buy another one to hold for a future spare for when they stop making them.

@Observing: Well, it was taken on a Sunday, and apparently, they had taken the day off.

@JoeB: Well, with that razor wire no one can get in. No "terrorist" would ever bring a pair of wire cutters and make a hole in that chain link fence. Or perhaps it just demonstrates our love for children. After all, what better than razor wire for keeping the kids out?