Ben Sussman Photography: Blog https://www.bensphotodesign.com/blog en-us (C) Ben Sussman Photography (Ben Sussman Photography) Mon, 16 Mar 2020 07:03:00 GMT Mon, 16 Mar 2020 07:03:00 GMT https://www.bensphotodesign.com/img/s/v-12/u790191056-o579412242-50.jpg Ben Sussman Photography: Blog https://www.bensphotodesign.com/blog 80 120 The Eastern State Penitentiary - a Marvelous Photo Opportunity https://www.bensphotodesign.com/blog/2016/11/the-eastern-state-penitentiary---a-marvelous-photo-opportunity I went back to my home town, Philly, recently to visit my favorite prison, which also happens to be the first of its kind in the nation. This fortress-style structure covers 4 square blocks and was built in 1805 to house incorrigibles in solitary confinement. the system of buildings is designed in a hub-and-spoke style for easy monitoring. It opened to the public only recently, having been dormant and shuttered for about 30 years after the last prisoner was moved, in 1971. 

The prison is a truly a magnificent, authentic structure, with very little museum-style curation or rehabilitation. I photographed mostly in black-and-white, in order to emphasize the bleakness of the place. 

A-Wing

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(Ben Sussman Photography) https://www.bensphotodesign.com/blog/2016/11/the-eastern-state-penitentiary---a-marvelous-photo-opportunity Sat, 26 Nov 2016 21:15:23 GMT
I am an Illustrator too! https://www.bensphotodesign.com/blog/2016/11/i-am-an-illustrator-too TP_Covers_AlLL7My "Day" Job I designed our cover for our annual Tactical Plan at my Agency. Actually, I designed 7, and the winner is...the bottom-right (the one with the Jefferson Memorial) I was asked to develop several versions of a cover page for an Agency of the U.S. Treasury Department. The 7 that I created are shown above. And the winner was...the bottom right - with the Jefferson Memorial picture. All of the photos and graphic elements were created by me. 

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(Ben Sussman Photography) design illustration https://www.bensphotodesign.com/blog/2016/11/i-am-an-illustrator-too Sun, 20 Nov 2016 03:43:41 GMT
First ice, then fire... https://www.bensphotodesign.com/blog/2016/9/first-ice-then-fire This is a photo I took of the Providence, Rhode Island Waterfire event recently, which the City sponsors on summer weekends. It's a fascinating event and a must-see if you are in the area. The fires are lit by boaters from their gondolas using a large torch. There is also music accompanying the spectacle.

It's always tricky photographing at night with glowing flames. I generally focus my lens on an obstacle that is in-between too dark and too light, so that neither the dark nor the light areas become under/over exposed, bearing in mind that much post-processing work in Photoshop would need to be done no matter what the outcome. I primarily used the dodge & burn tools to emphasize key parts of the photo, such as the buildings, bridge, the water, and the crowds. 

Enjoy the scene and keep taking photos!

 

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(Ben Sussman Photography) night waterfire https://www.bensphotodesign.com/blog/2016/9/first-ice-then-fire Wed, 07 Sep 2016 22:16:14 GMT
Welcome to my Blog https://www.bensphotodesign.com/blog/2015/3/welcome-to-my-blog Welcome to my photography blog. How does my blog differ from all the thousands of other photo blogs out in cyberspace? It really doesn't!  I want to show-off some of my professional & travel work, provide some photo advice to amateurs based on questions I receive, and show some of the humor expressed in photos.

My first post, is titled, appropriately, Breaking the Ice

(This is my nephew stomping on the iced-over pond in Grafton, Mass. The ice didn't budge, thankfully)

 

Breaking the IceMy nephew trying (unsuccessfully) to break the ice on a frozen pond in Grafton, Mass

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(Ben Sussman Photography) ice https://www.bensphotodesign.com/blog/2015/3/welcome-to-my-blog Thu, 05 Mar 2015 13:58:36 GMT