Tag Archives: St. Augustine

St. Augustine Color

150309_St. Augustine Window by . Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 47mm, f/11, 1/40 sec, ISO 800

I need a change from the “winter white” landscape here in Bucks Co.  So here is a bright sunny day image from St. Augustine.  The color of this old building with the wood shutters caught my eye.  The tree on the left helps frame the window and lessen the distraction of the corner.

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Things That Catch My Eye

150224_LionHead_FlaglerCollege_StAugustine by Karl G. Graf. Canon 5D MarkIII, EF24-70mm f/2.8L @ 32mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec, ISO 1600

I am always searching for things that catch my eye.  I cannot classify my style as a landscape photographer, an architectural photographer, a portrait photographer, a macro photographer or other genre.  What interests me most are details … things that just pop up and catch my eye.  This image in an example.  I was looking around at the entryway and the architecture of the Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL.  I took several images of the overall entrance structure.  But what really caught my eye was this sculpture of a lion’s head on one of the entrance pillars.

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St. Augustine Lighthouse With a Little Swirl

150207_St Augustine Lighthouse by . Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 44mm, f/11, 1/320 sec, ISO 250

Does this look a little familiar?  Sometimes one gets lucky.  This image is a multiple exposure of the St. Augustine lighthouse combined with a B&W version of yesterday’s post.  I thought that that the unknown swirl image posted yesterday would make a good texture background for something.  I combined it with an image taken just a few frames earlier.  Magic happens sometimes.

Lesson Learned:  Take what each moment brings you and cherish it.

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Ponce de Leon Hall, Flagler College

150204_FolgerCollegeInterior2_StAugustine by Karl G. Graf. Ponce de Leon Hall, Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL

Canon 7D, EF10-22mm @ 10mm, f/4, 1/40 sec, ISO 1600

I could not help posting another image of this wonderful architectural work.  This image is a wide angle view of the photo posted yesterday.  Being brought up in the home-building trade and having a love of fine woodworking, places like this intrigue me.  At times I feel like I was born a couple of generations too late.

I remember taking this image a year ago.  I was pushing my hand holding capacity to the limit.  I also remember counting the lights and balancing the tile work in the corners to get a balanced, symmetric composition.  It turned out pretty good for a hand held image.

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Flagler College: Reception Foyer

150203_FolgerCollegeInterior_StAugustine by Karl G. Graf. Flagler College Reception Foyer, St. Augustine, FL

Canon 7D, EFS10-22mm @ 22mm, f/4.5, 1/100 sec, ISO 1600

Pretty fancy for a college reception foyer … impressive for a resort hotel.  This image was taken inside Flagler College’s Ponce de Leon Hall (ex. Hotel Ponce de Leon).  Late 19th century architecture and craftsmanship is hard to match.  Some day I hope to return with my tripod and a low noise camera to get a better portrayal of such a piece of history.

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Time for a Little Warmth

150202_FolgerCollege_StAugustine by Karl G. Graf. Ponce de Leon Hall, Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL

Canon 7D, EFS10-22mm @ 10mm, f/6.3, 1/8000 sec, ISO 1600

Enough for the snow and winter cold.  My memory goes back to last year when we were in St. Augustine, FL on this beautiful clear winter day with temperatures in the high 60’s.  This image of Ponce de Leon Hall at Flagler College warms by bones.

A little history:

In 1885 multi-millionaire industrialist Henry Morrison Flagler (1830-1913) initiated a grand scheme to turn Florida’s east coast into the “American Riviera” and the city of St. Augustine into the “Winter Newport.” The Hotel Ponce de Leon, which was constructed in 1885-1887, was intended as the flagship of Flagler’s resort empire. This palatial Spanish Renaissance Revival hotel, with Italian, French and Moorish influences, was the first major commission for the Carrère & Hastings architecture firm.

The Hotel Ponce de Leon opened in 1888 and was operated by Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Hotel Company. Nationally significant for both its architecture and engineering, the building is the first large cast-in-place concrete building in the U.S. The hotel was constructed using poured concrete mixed with local coquina. The design reflected the wealth and extravagance of the upper-class during the Gilded Age. Members of the design team included Louis Comfort Tiffany, Thomas Edison, Bernard Maybeck, George Willoughby Maynard, and Pottier & Stymus. The firm of McGuire & McDonald was hired to supervise construction of the Hotel.

The Hotel was operation for almost 80 years. During World War II the building was used as a Coast Guard Training Center. Hotel operations ceased in 1967, and in 1968 the hotel became part of the campus for the newly established Flagler College as Ponce de Leon Hall. The building was added to the National Register in 1975 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006.

Lessons Learned:  Notice the camera settings of this image.  They are not even close to being optimized for a good image.  I had just walked outside from taking interior images in dark rooms.  I did not adjust the camera for the outdoor light.  I just composed and took a snapshot. I really need and take my time to focus on making the best out of each image I capture.

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