Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L, 17mm, F 16, ISO 100, HDR, 9 Exposures

Sometimes, a bit of patience, a dusting of luck and a drop or two of kindness can get you access to places that you normally wouldn’t have access to.  Take this cell block at the Eastern State Penitentiary.  What you don’t see is the massive gate right behind that is normally locked shut, preventing people from walking down this path.  I scouted this shot for almost 20 minutes and caught the eye of one of the employees there who let me in after a massive group of tourists moved onto another section.  She told me to be quick and I did my best to oblige.  In the end, I came away with this set of brackets and was most pleased.

Did you notice the little cat statue?  Apparently there are a bunch of them randomly placed throughout the facility.  Cool/creepy.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L, 17mm, F 4, ISO 100, HDR, 9 Exposures

This is the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia.  To say that the architecture and interior design is amazing would be an understatement.  It is jaw-dropping.  Unfortunately, the Masons do not feel that you should be able to use tripods in their facility even if you pay the tour admission.  So, I had to coax the security guard to let me set my tripod up right in the lobby area and grab a few quick brackets.

I decided to go for a more skewed perspective in this shot.  I like the way the staircase leads your eyes up to the dominant leading line of the image.  I also went for a bit of a cross-processed look here because I wanted to sort of give the impression that you are entering an area where you probably shouldn’t be entering. 

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L, 17mm, F 4, ISO 100, HDR, 9 Exposures

This shot is a perfect example of why it’s always a great practice to do an about-face wherever you find yourself shooting. This was taken at the waterfront in Philly. The scene in front of me was beautiful and picturesque but as I turned around while waiting for a bracket to expose, I saw this scene and knew that I had inadvertently found something better (granted that ‘better’ is totally subjective). So, next time you are grabbing some sweet brackets, remember to do a quick 180. You might just stumble onto something sweeter.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L, 17mm, F 11, ISO 100, HDR, 9 Exposures

Al Capone had it made.  Well, I suppose he had it made as much as anyone could have it made if they were holed up at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philly.  This was his cell while he was a guest here.  In the coming weeks, I’ll post shots from other cells that were available to shoot just so you can juxtapose the difference in… shall we say, ‘room quality’.  I guess infamy has its privileges, even if it’s with incarceration.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L, 17mm, F 16, ISO 100, HDR, 9 Exposures

Back to the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philly.  There were a lot of these photo ops to get the long stretch of each cell block that you were allows to walk through.  I think this was my favorite of them but the verdict is still out.  I just love how the sun comes busting through the open door at the end of the hall, along with the bright light coming through the ceiling.  I like the contrast of that against all of the evil that, at one point, was contained within these doors that now remain ajar.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L, 40mm, F 8, ISO 100, HDR, 9 Exposures

A while back, my friend Chris, put the idea in my head to visit a Philadelphia prison that was closed down and converted into a tourist destination.  I researched the Eastern State Penitentiary and knew pretty much immediately that I needed to visit this place.  What I learned was that the best time to visit would be shortly after their regular season begins (March 15th).  This brings self-guided tours into the mix, along with allowing tripods (for a $10 fee on top of the $12 admissions fee).  It just so happened that I was going to visit the in-laws in northeastern Pennsylvania so I worked to sandwich in a day where I would swing down to Philly and check this place out.

And this place did not disappoint.  In all, I spent about 6 hours exploring the prison, right up to the point where they kicked me out because the facility was closing for the night.  If you are into this sort of scene, that the ESP is a must-see.  When I walked past this particular cell, I immediately thought of my friend, Jacques and a particular shot that he took.  I really do enjoy it when I come upon a scene and can be inspired by my friends.  I’m lucky to have such talented friends.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L, 17 mm, F 4, ISO 100, HDR, 9 Exposures

Suffice it to say that I have a thing for beaten up junkyard vehicles.  This shot was taken at the yard located a few blocks away from my mother-in-law’s place in Wilkes-Barre Twp, PA.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L, 17 mm, F 4, ISO 100, HDR, 9 Exposures

During a recent visit to Philadelphia, I had hopes to tour the Masonic Temple as the architecture of its thematic rooms looked pretty amazing in the brochure. Alas, tripods and self-guidance during tours were both prohibited. The security guard was nice enough to allow me to set up for a few shoots in the main corridor, which you see above.