PORTRAIT :: High Steel

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High Steel Construction Workers by Chip Bunnell Photography

Click to Enlarge – See the Details

It has been said that if you want to hide something, simply hang it above people as they never look up. The typical human world is viewed by looking straight ahead. Occasionally we look down to make sure we don’t trip. Maybe we look left or right when called, but our field of vision is focused at eye level. With a camera in hand, my goal is to find the sights and angles others do not see. It feels as though this opens a new world of sights and surprises that many others never know is happening. A walk through downtown Miami afforded me a chance to once again prove this fact.

Miami is again in a cycle of revitalization and growth. Old buildings are getting a good old fashion South Florida facelift while others are being born right before our eyes. On the ground, ugly barricades and dark mess securing the area are the normal scene. High above, well that’s where the real action is happening! Add a long lens and you almost feel like you are part of another world. Tiny details become real as you are teleported from the ground to a new level high above the street.

This particular building is in the early stages of its long life. Tons of rebar are connected to form the rigid skeleton of the new high-rise. Like yellow spiders, these workers scurried up and down, side to side as they performed tasks that are critical to the future building’s success. Small wires tie together steel bars. Bunches of steel bars are attached to larger frames of wire panels. Layers of panels are connected to even more steel as they slowly and meticulously  build their towering creation.

Soon, the spiders will have moved on. Concrete will have covered their grid masterpiece. What they spent weeks or months completing will never be seen again. Years later, the city will welcome the newest addition to the skyline. Only they, and the lucky few that looked up on that sunny Saturday afternoon, will remember how the yellow spiders’ skills in weaving their high steel web made it possible for many others to have freshly painted offices, the smell of new carpets and a wonderful view.

Single Image, Processed in LR and Topaz Clarity

www.ChipBunnell.com

LOCATION :: The Olds on Ocean

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Oldsmobile on Miami Beach by Chip Bunnell PhotographySoBe (South Beach) is an area with a seriously split personality. The nights are filled with thumping music, adult beverages and toned people wearing the most trendy threads you could find in any fashion magazine. Sunrise, well, that’s a whole different vibe. The streets are quiet and those same fit people are on the beach for a run or early morning yoga. What a difference just a few hours can make.

Regardless of the time, the one constant is the sighting of seriously flashy cars. At night, Ocean Drive is lined with Ferraris, Lamborghinis and the like.  Here, Porches are as common as Chevys. Even in the early morning you will find pretty much the same assortment. While I have always fancied myself a Ferrari man, the classics are equally appealing…especially one completed restored and detailed to perfection.

Enter the owner of the Avalon Hotel. Few things get attention like a shiny, 4 wheeled classic proudly displayed in front of a swanky boutique hotel. Knowing this, he purchased and parked just a such ride just outside the front door. The hotel was white, trimmed in a very south Florida yellow. The Oldsmobile…a matching white trimmed in a similar pastel yellow. Eye catching? It caught mine, especially on this particular morning.

The sidewalks had just been cleaned which left a wonderful wetness to the street. I used a distant headlight to pull the viewer’s eye further into the frame. The passenger headlight was intentionally cropped off to focus on the flowing lines of the hood and the rich, glossy paint of the side panels as you move down the street. A slight reflection can be seen in the wet pavement below. Majestic palm trees flowing in the background complete the scene. The Olds on Ocean Drive marks the spot!

3 Frame HDR, Processed in LR, PS and Topaz Clarity

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www.ChipBunnell.com