Reflections on a Reflection

Many of my favorite photographs have been created by happenstance. Such was the case with this image of a reflection of the former Erie Railroad passenger station in Kent in a pool of the decorative dam on the Cuyahoga River.

The story behind this image begins with a walk down to the observation platform that can be seen toward the right middle of the image.

My intent was to get a close-up view of the late day sun hitting the station, which is now an Italian restaurant named Treno, which is Italian for train.

The dam used to be functional, but several years ago the river was channeled away from it and into the remnants of the Pennsylvania & Ohio Canal. What had been the river became dry land that was transformed into a park while the dam was renovated to become, in essence, a giant water fountain.

The top of the dam is quite high, about at the level of my eyes. I happened to notice the station reflecting in the pool at the top of the dam and thought it would make a nice photograph.

I made it but all you could see was the reflection in the water. I then lifted my camera above my head and held it over the railing in the foreground.

A Canon 60D has a foldout screen that can be angled up or down. That came in handy in being able to see what the lens was seeing. I then used the live view feature of the camera to make the image.

The result was, perhaps, my best image of the day. What appears to be a reflection from a flash toward the right end of the station is actually the sun reflecting off a window.

TSA to Require Screening of Camera Equipment

If you are going to be flying to your next railfan vacation, you’ll need to place your camera equipment in a bin to be screened at the security checkpoint.

The Transportation Security Administration has issued new regulations that requires cameras and other electronic devices to be placed in their own bin and screened separately.

The rule applies to camera bodies, lens, external flashes, laptop computers and tablets. The electronic items will be screened by X-ray equipment.

In a news release, the TSA said the rule is in response to increased domestic security measures due to an increased threat to aviation security.

TSA representatives say that as procedures to enforce the rule are implemented that travelers will need to remove electric devices larger than a cell phone from their carry-on bags and place them in a bin with nothing on top or below the item.

The procedures will not apply to travelers enrolled in the TSA Pre-Check program.