Steps to Somewhere

“I’ll build a stairway to Paradise

With a new step every day” ~ George Gershwin

Today’s Post by Mildred Alpern

If looking for an evocative theme that teases the imagination, outdoor railings and stairways may provide one. Mine are often found in parks for ascending hilly areas and steep inclines

The shapes of railings and the varied materials of steps make interesting comparisons. Concrete stairs are commonplace, but terraced steps can be found too with timbers for the treads on packed earth. The grittiness of well worn and weathered stairways enhances their surreal quality on somber days. So too does shooting at a tilted angle.

Though Paradise is the unlikely destination point of the stairway climb, many photographic opportunities exist…closeups of railings, seasonal changes, even looking down from the ascended heights. Next time…

The Terraced Stairs were shot with the Fujifilm X-T1 with Fujinon XF 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 lens at 36.6mm with an exposure of 1/55 sec at f/4.5 and ISO 200. The Curved Railing with Olympus E-M5, Olympus M. Zuiko 12mm lens with an exposure of 1/400 sec at f/2.2 and ISO 400. The Concrete Stairs with Olympus E-M5, Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 lens with an exposure of1/320 sec at f/9 and ISO 200