Shea's in the Rain Aurora Theatre Colors This and the previous posts (Aurora Theatre Colors, on the left) are not chronological. Following up on the Shea's in the Rain photograph (on the right) with a moving train I really wanted to re-shoot the location during blue hour to capture it with a different mood. Another reason to go back was the fact that Main Street had been changed compliments of the project to bring traffic back there. And the section in front of Shea's had been completed with the construction moving down south to the Fountain Plaza.

I arrived with little time to spare and the blue hour slowly fading into night. One thing I noticed immediately was the abundance of traffic signs. I guess since the traffic is now shared by the train and by cars they wanted to make sure signage is clear. While that may benefit the traffic it posed a challenge for me in looking for a vantage point without  all of that metal ugliness getting in the way. I bounced between the two sides of Main Street a few times and tried the middle too, eventually ending back across the street from Shea's.

Blue Hour Shea'sShea's Performing Arts Center The next fun challenge was working it all in. There was a beautiful crescent moon that I really wanted to keep in the photo and had to maneuver so that it would not escape the frame to the left or hide behind the roof of the theater. And ideally, I wanted to get some foreground in. The benches were in a spot that allowed for an angle unobstructed by road signs.

And finally, the marquee enclosed screen was another piece to keep an eye on. With extended exposures, its regular and rather frequent changes is something one has to keep an eye on. Expose for too long and the ads will switch and result in an unreadable composite of two different images. It has to be just right and kicked off at the right time. Oh, and of course, you get to choose what ad to keep in. Well, sort of. I did not count but there were probably around eight to twelve different ads, at about five seconds each. While waiting one minute may not seem like a big deal if you miss your show believe me, with timing the blue hour, miss it couple times and you might as well pack it up and come back next time. The natural light does not stay balanced with the leftover of light for long!

I captured several horizontal and vertical compositions and liked this one the most. While I was not too sure about the Buffalo sign down the middle, it allowed me to fit the crescent on the left side and the full theatre marquee. To get in the foreground bench in full the vertical position was needed.

A few more cycles of the screen and the blue in the sky was gone. Time to head back and think of the next photo op.

Have fun!

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Aurora Theatre ColorsEast Aurora, NY Shea's in the Rain This photograph was long coming, long overdue, long imagined. The idea was born back in 2012 when I photographed the Shea's in the Rain scene in downtown Buffalo, NY. If Shea's and its marquee could look that great in the rain with the wet sidewalks reflecting the lights, why not other theaters?

And since then, I've been trying to watch out for favorable conditions. I needed rain that would make the sidewalk reflective but not too much rain to make photography on a tripod impossible. Ideally, a heavy rainfall that would stop for me to make the photo happen. Oh, and all of this happening at dusk would not hurt either to get the nice lighting conditions when there is still color left in the sky, yet, colors of the marquee rule. Back at Shea's, I was too late for that great blue hour light but I incorporated the moving train for added intrigue. There would not be a moving train by the Aurora Theatre so blue hour light was something I really wanted. And it finally happened! The conditions were almost perfect. Why only almost? I would have preferred even more water on the ground and some puddles. However, the rainfall stopped well before sunset and the sidewalk was starting to dry up. Yes, I wanted a pause on the rain, but had it been a little delayed things would have looked even better! I guess that is another opportunity to improve upon this colorful photograph. No complaints though, I really liked how it came together.

The Aurora Theater ReflectionEast Aurora, NY

After I captured the photo, I walked around a bit and took pictures from different angles, including more or less foreground, and I also walked past the theater entrance and shot a few frames from the other side. When I was ready to call it a night since the last hints of light disappeared from the cloudy sky it started raining again. And in just a few minutes it took me to walk back to my starting spot the sidewalks were plenty wet with nice puddles forming

That is what you can see in the vertical photo on the right. Great wet sidewalk reflecting the colors of the neon marquee and puddles creating a reflection clear enough for a mirror reflection of the theater's name Aurora. However, as you can also see the sky turned pitch black by that time. I guess it is a matter of preference, each photo has something extra to offer. One has the dramatic blue backdrop adding depth and more color to the scene, the other one a nice reflection. Which one is your favorite? Maybe one day, these two will meet in a soaking wet blue hour scene from East Aurora.

Have fun no matter what weather throws at you!

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Colorado became the 38th state to join the United States on August 1, 1876. The capital city is Denver. The highest point is Mt. Elbert at 14,433 feet.

Road Trip 2013 - Day 11 - June 21 - Grand Junction, Colorado and Grand Mesa Creek (Previous 2013 Road Trip posts: Indiana Dunes, De Immigrant, Amana Colonies, Des Moines, Madison County Roads, Bridges of Madison County, White Pole Road, Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, Golden Spike Tower & Union Pacific's Bailey Rail Yard, Loveland Pass, The Resting Day at Powderhorn, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Cimarron, Colorado National Monument, Fruita Rodeo, Arches National Park)

Colors of Southwestern ArchitectureGrand Junction, Colorado As on every vacation, time was flying and before we knew it the last day of our stay in the Mesa, Colorado base was upon us. Since we were going to embark on week-long driving to drive further south into Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico before turning the wheel back towards Buffalo, NY, we took Friday really easy and spent the full day in the area.

First, we headed to Grand Junction that we only drove through a few times and spent almost a whole day there walking the streets, enjoying the architecture, and just taking it easy. As you can see in the first photograph here it was fun soaking in the architecture so different from the American Northeast. I always enjoy the abundant use of bold colors, as well as the brick used as the building material as opposed to wood. Yes, building from wood may be cheaper and quicker but I think the bricks win on durability and thermal properties. And that aside, it all simply looks different, which is a big part of travel and travel photography - to witness something different.

Secret Garden Tea Room With some buildings, I enjoyed their overall structures. With others, I really liked isolating individual elements, like the red door set in the orange wall above. Elsewhere, the whole streets provided unique looks.

As we wondered the streets, we passed by this quaint tea room with a whole-wall mural decorating its front wall. Along with the tea kettle, lamps, and business name plaque I thought it was all very fitting and inviting. I was not too sure about the glass door covering the classic red wooden door behind though.

Mesa Creek CanyonGrand Mesa Scenic Byway - Route 65 When we had enjoyed the town enough we started heading back to the base. It was unusual as it was still daylight and plenty of it. Our usual arrivals back for the night were well past sunset. That provided a wonderful opportunity to see the Mesa Creek valley that we drove through each day twice yet never really saw it. A wonderful narrow canyon with cliffs on each side, the road, the creek, and some pastures. We stopped several times to soak it in and yes, to photograph.

Light was still a bit harsh and there were big differences between light and shadows but I really enjoyed it despite the photographic challenges.  It seemed to highlight the spirit of the valley surrounded by cliffs shading the sun, with half the valley floor illuminated and the other half in the cliff's shade. I also liked how the sunshine made the vegetation sparkle and put focus on the lush greens in the middle of a mostly dry area, compliments of the creek. It reminded me of the Zion National Park valley where the Virgin River also created a seeming climatic contradiction.

Well, and then the Mesa Creek itself, reflecting the blue colors of the sky with boulders randomly scattered within!

Mesa CreekGrand Mesa Scenic Byway - Route 65

Mesa Creek - Grand Mesa Scenic Byway - Route 65

Have fun on your trips!

References: Colorado on 50states.com - Grand Mesa Scenic Byway - Architecture and Urbanism of the Southwest

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