Earlier this summer, I entered a photo in the Metro Parks “There’s a Park for That” contest. It was a pic from a shoot in May 2009 with my daughter and two of her friends, in front of the fountain at Lakeview Park at night. I found out it won when I drove by Lakeview one evening after work and saw it displayed on a banner in front of the park. A few weeks later, I was contacted and asked if the girls in the shot would be able to appear in a commercial for the MetroParks system. Needless to say, the girls were excited, as was I. (I think I was more tickled than the girls!!) Recently, the commercial editing was completed, and it was uploaded to YouTube, as well as getting airtime on Animal Planet and a few TimeWarner channels. I thought I’d share it here where it first appeared.
Category: Fountain
Neutral Density Filter: 400x
I found a great deal on a 400x neutral density filter. I bought an ND filter a year ago and demonstrated it here, which was rated an ND8. After that shoot, and seeing some other photos from other photographers, I knew I needed something else for the things I wanted to do. I was up at Lakeview a few weeks ago, and had the chance to give it a test drive.
This is what a regular shot of the water from the fountain looks like:
Using the new filter, an exposure of 3.2 seconds looks like this:
Note the individual points where the water falls into the basin. More interesting shots to follow soon.
New Views at the Fountain
I rented a lens with a larger aperture from BorrowLenses to see if it was worth buying. Ran up to Lakeview to try it on the fountain, and was hoping for a cloudless sky for some star shots. Struck out on the stars.
Summer’s Last Hurrah: Lakeview Park
The last stop on my “Last Hurrah – Get Outta the Funk” tour was Lakeview Park. So many different photo ops, and I hadn’t spent a lot of time there this summer. Definitely the place to wrap things up. And it did not disappoint.
A Different View of the Fountain
There are times that working a rotating shift is inconvenient, and there are times that it pays off. I was on my way home from work one morning, and as I was passing Lakeview Park, there was a strange glow I’d never seen before. When I realized what it was, I may have broken a traffic law or two pulling over and parking.
The fountain’s spray cycle was off, but the lights were still on. And with the warmer water and the cooler air, the effect was quite beautiful.
Zoomin’ at the Fountain
A few Sundays ago, at the Fountain at Lakeview, my daughter Kristen, and her two friends Miranda and Sydney posed for the silhouette shots I posted on May 26th. While they laughed and brainstormed for other things they could do ‘in silhouette,’ I started zooming in on the fountain, and realized that most of what I’d shot in the past were whole fountain shots, and the different sprays. I’d never taken a close-up look at the water as it was coming down.
Funnin’ at the Fountain
Peace, Love and Rock-n-Roll
Thanks to Miranda, Kristen and Sydney!! (Respectively)
The Fountain at Lakeview Park
Visited by thousands each year, Lakeview Park’s fountain is a huge draw in the summer months, especially in the evenings. With its changing sprays, and multi-colored lighting, the fountain makes a great subject for every photographer.
On July 15th, 1935, monies were alotted from the War Chest Fund for the construction of a lighted fountain at Lakeview Park. Work began by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) on September 16th of that same year, at a cost of $12, 450. The following February, on the 14th, found the War Chest Committee denying funding for the fountain. Superintendent of Parks George Crehore obtained permission to purchase scrap stone from the Quarries in Amherst.
Mayor Albert Matusch was to provide information on the fountain’s design, and City Council instructed Mr. Crehore not to spend more than $8000 on stone; money for labor, materials and other expenses would come from another source. As work progressed, Council reversed itself, leaving Mr. Crehore, Cleveland Stone, and the project up in the air.
Crehore, through his many business acquaintances in the county, obtained cuttings from an abandoned quarry in Amherst and had them hauled to the site. Cleveland Stone then reclaimed its plans, so the job was finished without them, using just rough sketches. General Electric provided the electrical plans and the Water Department the connections. The final cost of the construction of the fountain was $21,000.
Work was completed by the WPA and park workers on June 28th, 1936. Three days later, the fountain was dedicated to the veterans of World War I, during an elaborate ceremony featuring a military parade. In May of the following year, two 3″ field guns were received and dedicated on Decoration Day, and were placed south of the fountain.
In June of 1984, Mayor Joseph Zahorec’s budget cuts hurt the Parks and Recreation Department, putting the operation of the fountain in jeopardy. Then 7th Ward Councilwoman Mary Jo Cook said, “The fountain is a symbol of Lorain,” and through the help of volunteers, the fountain was was running once again.
A year later, the fountain was sandblasted in preparation for a silicone coating to protect it from the elements. In May of 1999, Express Marine installed a fiberglass liner inside the fountain.
Final dimensions and makeup of the fountain were as follows:
Pool diameter is 70 feet
Depth at the center is 30 inches
Height of the center spray is 65 feet
The fountain used 100 yards of cement, at a final cost of $2000
Final cost of the stone was $300
General Electric was owed $3750 for its work
Special thanks to Joe Trifiletti and Bryan Goldthorpe for their time and information, and to Black River Historical Society for the photos. A hat tip to the anonymous searcher who found this blog in November when looking for the “history of the Lakeview Fountain.”
THE FOUNTAIN WAS TURNED ON LAST NIGHT. (Earlier than originally planned…)
Greatest Hits
Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve had something new. I’ve tried to keep to a schedule of 2-3 posts per week. Once in a while, I get into my work rotation where I don’t have a chance to photograph anything. The most recent shoot was the Art Museum outing, and that was a few weeks ago.
So, in order to prevent folks fromt thinking I fell off the planet, I went to my Flickr account, and pulled the photos with the greatest number of hits. Hope you enjoy. And I promise some new shots soon.
This is an old one. The following is the caption I’d posted beneath it.
“My almost-11-year-old daughter came with me to the beach tonight, to see why Dad is always running down there with the camera. She took one look at this sky, and instantly knew why…..
This one’s for her.”
The Lighthouse is always popular with the folks on Flickr. I can’t tell you how many Lorain photogs have countless Lighthouse pics in their accounts. And they always draw the comments.
The first fountain silhouette I shot. It’s on display at the Lorain County Visitor’s Bureau in the lobby. And spawned A TON of copycat photos right after.
One of my favorites.
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