The View from East St. Louis

Old Courthouse
Photograph by Tom Atwood

Accidents happen. Like this photograph for example. I was in East St. Louis to shoot long exposures of the St. Louis skyline. Suddenly, during this shot, fireworks erupted behind the Old Courthouse. A brief, small display. It was November 20th, not the 4th of July. I never did find out what the celebration was about!

Shutter: 15 secs; Aperture: f/20; ISO: 100; Focal Length: 55 mm

Frozen

East St. Louis Relays
Photograph by Tom Atwood

Sometimes, more than helping you see, a photograph can help you feel. In this case, the feeling is tension. High school runners at an invitational track meet wait anxiously for the baton to be passed to them in the 1600-meter relay. Their nerves are part of the image. 

Shutter: 1/500; Aperture: f/6.3; ISO: 400; Focal Length: 18 mm