The State House Odyssey

I’m new at this blogging thing.  I understand they are generally timely and topical and a new post usually relates to current events or something the writer has just experienced.  In that spirit, I will note that I just returned from high plains country.  Beck had a job in Denver and I tagged along so I could add two more state capitols to the collection. 

Wyoming Capitol in Cheyenne (22 August 2011)

When I introduced the Dead Presidents Quest last month, it was to encourage photographers to find those places and things that hold great appeal and build a collection of images to include with the memories.  It was also a way to keep the blog going while I dawdled and avoided learning new things to discuss.  Hey…I’m old and have as many stories to tell as there are new things to learn.

I suspect most pictures are taken to simply document people, places and events.  While I do that, I have to realize that I like photography for other reasons.  We all take vacations and have birthday parties and anniversaries that bring out the camera.  It is also a great way to record one’s interests and try to show them well.  Some people collect baseball parks, waterfalls, national parks or zoos.  For me, it’s about doing something more with a personal interest…and show off my collections.  Plus, after the recent run of cemetery-related topics, it’s nice to discuss something else.

While my education was in science and the career was in industry, the work related to government.  As an ‘environmental issues manager’, I had to understand laws, regulations and court cases…who was responsible for them and where they were happening.  Government centers are often very impressive places where significant things happen.  I do not share the current anti-government sentiment that is gaining popularity nowadays.  I believe the Founding Fathers set up a pretty good system and we need government for more things than too many folks will understand or admit.

But I digress.  I like grand spaces, whether they are natural or man-made.  State houses are the kinds of structures we don’t build anymore.  Many of them have classic designs.  They incorporate wonderful stone, wood and artwork…materials we don’t use anymore. 

Pennsylvania House of Representatives in Harrisburg (15 May 2008)

This image was made by ‘pasting’ together 8 shots taken from the House gallery

Plus, these places are historic.  Important people have worked there.  Significant events occurred there.

Alabama Capitol in Montgomery (18 October 2008)

Jefferson Davis took the Oath of Office as President of the Confederate
States of America on the front steps here on 18 February 1861

This collection started in earnest about five years ago.  I was always drawn to historic buildings.  However, when I visited, the usual process was to take in what there was to see, shoot a couple of exterior views to show I was there and move on. 

In 2008, I had to figure out how to get the last two presidents’ graves – Eisenhower in Kansas and LBJ in Texas so I could complete the Quest.  Flying and renting cars doesn’t have the freedom of packing a car with anything you might need and hitting the road.  Not to rub it in but being retired means you don’t have to be back at the desk on Monday.  On this trip the Capitol Odyssey became serious as I visited eleven state houses on the way. 

At each place, I make the time to circle the grounds to find monuments and angles to view the state house.  I wander the halls, poke around the legislative chambers and cruise the stairways and corridors to find design features and materials. 

Texas Capitol in Austin (19 June 2008)

It is often a challenge to get decent shots indoors.  Fortunately, digital cameras can be much more helpful at times like this.  Where films have one set speed and are suited to one type of light (e.g. sun, fluorescent, tungsten), the new cameras have settings that adjust to the available light.  Also, in darker places, you can increase the ISO setting to make the “film” faster.  This is helpful because most public buildings do not allow the tripod you would need to make the necessary longer exposure. 

If all the room light is from incandescent chandeliers or fluorescent banks, the white balance control has a setting for that.  I have found that the big chambers often have open windows that let in a lot of outside light.  This mix of light sources can produce an image that looks ‘off’ when taken with a specific white balance setting.  Since I am color blind, take the following with a grain of salt.  You can experiment and take the same shot with different white balance settings.  You’ve heard this before…the ‘film’ is free.  Shoot away.  See what setting works best.  Delete the losers and go forth.  I should skip to the chase – I have found that the AUTO setting is quite good at getting most indoor scenes recorded well. 

So, between the architecture, materials, history and grandeur, I hope you understand why I am drawn to these places…and why I am committed to visiting and photographing all fifty of them.  I’ve been to thirty five now and no two are alike.  As with the Dead Presidents Quest, stories and images from these adventures will be posted here in lieu of actual, new, photography learning until I get my lazy ass in gear.