HDR Photography
Waaay off in the distance, beyond the un-grid of this subdivision, is downtown Denver. Beyond that are the Rocky Mountains. That sense of being sort-of-near spectacular sights while still being trapped within cul-de-sacs is one that I expect is pretty common to people who spent some amount of their childhood living within such developments.
Decaseconds may have begun as a photo-a-day website, but I occasionally like to break our rules and bring a mega-set of images for full immersion in a surreal event.
In this case, that event is the 2022 Devon Horse Show—a folded-together hyperspace of top-tier English riding and county fair inside an otherwise-upscale residential neighborhood outside Philadelphia. That overstuffed experience is best captured in this image of riders warming up in front of a Ferris wheel.
“Devon blue” is a lovely, light-blue shade that’s covering almost every surface at the show.
The small amount of space means the spectators are close to the action.
The warm-up ring and storage areas are likewise squeezed in amongst the barns and area homes.
In spite of the odd setting, the same special moments of human-horse connection still remain.
The maroon barns seem an… odd choice… in combination with Devon blue.
This rider got the same color-choice memo the seats did.
The warm-up ring is a place for more than just warm-ups; a lot of conversations seem to fit well into its edges.
Though the show occurred over Memorial Day, unseasonably cool weather kept many riders in winter jackets.
When I say that the horse show is taking place in a residential area, I’m not kidding: the gray house just behind the bands in this shot is a private home, outside the horse show. Everything is happening in a tiny space.
This shot doesn’t have anything profound to say beyond a bright explosion of the importance of water to horse shows: from the drinks in riders hands to the water used to keep rings from becoming dusty nightmares.
A moment of rising energy in the warm-up ring.
Jumper divisions produce some dramatic images, whether in profile…
Or three-quarter view.
This view again highlights how close the stands are to the action. Off in the distance, the concession area is also visible beyond the fence.
Dramatic jump shots are most easily obtained when the photographer is practically under the jump.
The high rise of the stands also opens new opportunities to capture horses from above, as in this shot of warm-up ring traffic.
Riders waiting to compete (or recently finished) relax in the stands.
Another view of the warm-up ring and the local homes and businesses just beyond.
Jumping must be different with such a large and visible audience.
Grays match well with bright orange jumps.
None of this would be possible without the hard work of the jump crew.
A happy face after a solid round.
Before an under saddle, many riders crowd the in gate.
Another member of the jump crew, enjoying the weather and company.
The under saddle appears chaotic to an outside observer…
But those riding are focused.
Bombay Beach has all manner of contextless structures; why shouldn’t that include a disembodied front porch?
Dune’s naturally occurring “Shield Wall” always seemed a bit fictional to me—until I saw Denver’s metropolitan area from above. Look at that sharp divide between mountains and the valley floor!
A full-scale fireworks display is usually “far away”—over a park or a body of water, perhaps. When St. Lawrence University puts on a fireworks show for graduation, however, the fireworks are right on campus. Imagine watching that show from your dorm-room window!
I posit that, from a certain point of view, life gets no better than hanging out on a sailboat on a Friday afternoon in the June sunshine. Not in reality, of course—there are lots of ways to enjoy life—but the version of the experience in my mind is just unbeatable.
This school bus, parked at Bombay Beach by the edge of the Salton Sea, seems to be focused on some not-school-appropriate activities.
The Devon Horse Show in Pennsylvania is currently happening, and what a happening it is: the nation’s most prestigious horse show, sandwiched together with a county fair, all folded up into a posh Philadelphia suburb. I’ll be posting more from the show in coming days, but figured I would warm up figuratively with this literal warm-up ring shot from the first morning of the show.
Before riding off to the environs of Bombay Beach on the shores of the Salton Sea, this fellow prepared his ATV. The upside-down American flag in front of the semi-abandoned landscape make for an appropriate pairing.
Big, dramatic American landscapes, red filters, and square aspect ratios might be a cliché combination, but while Ansel Adams shot with a tiny aperture for deep and pin-sharp focus, I feel like this wide-open approach and its soft bokeh provide a new twist.
Congratulations to St. Lawrence University’s Class of 2022, who graduated yesterday. Celebrations on campus included this fireworks display. Huge arcs of chemical light across the sky look particularly appropriate over Johnson Hall—the chemistry (and biology) building.
A wide-open aperture captures the desert dust storms and provides some soft bokeh to a prickly American landscape. I like the sense of depth and space it creates.
Dream-logic usually stays confined to dreams, but this swing in the Salton Sea appears fully isolated and separated from reality (while still existing within it); I’m reminded of an extremely low-rent version of Itsukushima Shrine.
On the one hand, from the perspective of a young boy, I can see why exploring Bombay Beach would be just about the coolest thing ever. On the other hand, from the perspective of an adult, the view of a father smoking while his kids play in the post-apocalyptic hellscape of the Salton Sea is hilarious.
I’ve developed some odd tradition for epic landscape photography at the end of major holidays (as in this Christmas image)—perhaps it’s something about wanting the day to last forever.
Decaseconds 