Schlessman Seed Co.

[Dennis Bishop]

When I posted the ice & snow image after being out of touch all summer, I explained that I tend to do my images pretty much in chronological order. Well, I didn't keep my camera hidden between last March and the current image, which was taken near the end of August. There are a few images that are connected in some way to some people I've known or just met, and I wanted to finish them so they wouldn't have to wait forever to see them.

We were heading down a highway that goes through Milan, Ohio, (the birthplace of Thomas Edison) when I saw the opposite side of the red building in this image. Immediately, there was an uncontrollable itch in my shutter finger. As soon as possible, I went to the company's website and found a general email address -- probably one of those info@ ones. Very quickly after sending a message, I got a reply saying I'd be welcome to photograph the exteriors of the buildings. Coincidentally, this is their 100th year in business.





Nikon D3s, ISO 200, zoom lens at 14mm, f/22, nine-exposure HDR at 1 EV increments

processing highlights

• I wanted the elevators leaning in. Unfortunately, the red building in the background ended up being badly distorted, and that wasn't a good thing. It was corrected by Warping in Free Transform.
• The logo was scanned from the business card of the employee who was my very gracious and helpful contact at the facility.
• Most of the processing was done with Topaz Simplify, Alien Skin Snap Art, Fractalius, and a Belle Fleur texture. The pile of black, red, and white seeds started out with three airbrush layers but mushroomed to a total of fourteen before the pile was done.
• The vignette and edge treatment were done in Alien Skin Exposure.
• I kept debating the use of the adornment in the upper right. Actually, I still am. It was one of many elements that was part of a program that no longer is available and doesn't work with the newer versions of Photoshop. I was able to use it, however, by changing the extension to make it a tif file. It's two slightly offset layers of different colors.

[gary ellwein]

Dennis, I particularly like the treatment and perspective of the grain bins. I'm not sure about the created pile of grain. My eye wants to follow the line of the bins to the red grain elevator. To pay tribute to the Schlessmans, try putting the red shield on a grain bin. I like the border. The right upper corner adornment does not fit IMHO. It's good to have you back.

[Hazel Grant]

I like Gary's idea about putting th red shield elsewhere. If you can warp it to fit on the grain bin, then good place. sort of distracts my eye from seeing the "heart" of the place, the buildings.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Hi, Dennis, I like the concept but I think the pile of grain is a little too perfect to look real. I don't mind the adornment in the upper corner but I'd like it better if it were more gray to match the grays in the clouds and sky.