West Virginia: Pittsburgh PA, Lots of Waterfalls, and Terry Bradshaw (?), July and August 2012
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This road trip was a reprise, revisiting nearby Pittsburgh PA. In the morning, we drove to the Mattress Factory Art Museum, which is "a museum of contemporary art that presents art you can get into - room-sized environments, created by in-residence artists. Located in the historic Mexican War Streets of Pittsburgh's North Side since 1977, the Mattress Factory is one of few museums of its kind anywhere." Since it's always prudent to start with a butt shot, here are statues gathering for their early morning doughnut break just outside of the Mattress Factory Art Museum. |
A reflective moment inside the Mattress Factory Art Museum. |
This is only three photos in, and there's already been a butt shot and now this. You weren't expecting this smut from an ordinarily G-rated website, were you? And the title says "West Virginia" and there hasn't been one shot of West Virginia yet. But you will see, my little padawan, you will see. |
You'll perhaps notice that the camera is crooked but somehow, the photo is straight? That, my friend, is the magic of Photoshop. |
As you might guess, we had moved on from the Mattress Factory Art Museum, and were now in the nearby Carnegie Science Center, with its current exhibition of guitars. How could I not go?
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 Speaking of guitars, this is the largest playable guitar in the world. And while some of you might have thought the seven-necked guitar fits that bill, no, this one was so large it didn't come with a guitar strap. I love the fact that it was a Flying V. |
We had to throw on a basketball robot. When you have your photo blog using WVU alum Devin Ebanks as the navigation buttons, how can pass up a chance to feature a basketball robot? |
  Still no photos of West Virginia. But you no doubt feel placated because there are photos of robots. And robots are fun, yes they are. Here we have robot replicas from "The Day The Earth Stood Still" and my favorite robot as a kid, the robot from "Lost In Space". Warning, Will Robinson! Even as a small kid, I thought, "How great is it that every single planet they land on is smooth enough that the robot can roll around easily." |
So what would happen if we applied tilt-shift miniaturization techniques to, uh, miniature models? You asked, my friend, and we deliver! |
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At Morgantown, we said our goodbyes to Mary Wade and Arnold. In the morning, Lisa and I would drive to Davis and visit Blackwater Falls. |
After all, it was Sunday, so time to go to church. This particular church boasted that it was the smallest church in 48 states. And who am I to argue? It does have some stiff competition, according to Roadside America, however. Lots of other very tiny churches. |
 An interior view of "Our Lady of the Pines" in Horse Shoe Run, West Virginia. |
Title: Blackwater Falls I |
Title: Elakala Falls I Click on the Devin Ebanks Navigation Buttons. He will take you where you need to go. |
Ken's photos of Nobel Peace Prize Winner Aung
San Suu Kyi, as well as photos of Peru, Burma, India, Morocco, China, Thailand,
Ghana, Ecuador, and elsewhere, have appeared in many books, magazines,
websites, and galleries. Visit the
Ken Lee Photography Website. Some of Ken's select photos may be
purchased through his
Imagekind Store. |
West Virginia, July and August 2012
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Eleven Shadows Travel Page
Contact photographer/musician Ken Lee
28 July 2012 Friday:
Another hall-of-mirrors self-portrait. You know the kind.
This, however, isn't the magic of Photoshop. No, this guitar really has seven necks. The real magic comes from whoever can pick this monstrosity up and play it.
Upstairs at the Science Center was an exhibit on robots. Some robots do repetitive tasks, such as this one here, continually shooting baskets. We did see this one miss a basket, proving that it is possible that robots - or Steve Nash - can once in a rare while miss free throws.
Tilt-shift photography is a creative and unique type of photography in which the camera is manipulated so that a life-sized location or subject looks like a miniature-scale model, utilizing a shallow depth-of-field to accentuate this.
This is what happens! They look....well, miniature. Mission accomplished. Tilt-shift works!
Photo of fish tank through the magnifying glass. Will the photo fun never end? No, it won't. Look who was waiting for us back at our hotel? 
29 July 2012 Sunday:
If you love waterfalls, you would love West Virginia. West Virginia is chock full of these, the result of a mountainous state with lots of water.
Elakala Falls, also in Blackwater Falls State Park, was gorgeous, one of my favorite waterfalls in West Virginia. I especially like the patterns the swirls in the water create here in this photograph.
