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Sony Forums Challenges | all galleries >> Challenge 122: Something Old (hosted by bottles) >> Challenge 122: Eligible > edit image
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18-JUL-2006 Helen Betts

5th Place (tie)
Self-service
by Helen Betts

Portland, Oregon

I was quite taken with these things sitting on a pickup, which my mother-in-law says are old oil pumps that she remembers seeing at service stations some 60 years ago.

Sony DSC-H1
1/320s f/4.5 at 36.9mm iso64 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
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mlynn 23-Jul-2006 00:51
Very interesting and colorful rusted thingies, nice find. --Melanie
Justin Miller21-Jul-2006 00:35
Fantastic color, and spot-on metering to really bring them out. Composition is just right to draw the eye around the objects, and take in the texture and color. Very nicely done.
Helen Betts19-Jul-2006 20:04
Thank you, everybody, for your comments! It was quite by chance that I found these; as we are moving from Turkey to Washington, DC, with stops at home in Portland and San Francisco, I was exhausted and suffering from a lack of caffeine so we pulled into a Starbucks so I could wake up. These were just sitting in the bed of a pickup truck in the parking lot, and I was fascinated with them. I was trying to be discreet at first, but when I realized that the owner wasn't around (or didn't care), I began snapping away from various angles and distances. I'll have to post some other views of them when I get a moment to process them. At first I understood them to be gas pumps and was going to call the picture "Gas pumps for a gas guzzler" or something to that effect but then I found out they were for oil, LOL. Helen
Katherine Stanback's Photos19-Jul-2006 15:32
That's really cool that you noticed these - I like the composition and the peeling paint and rust!
Guest 19-Jul-2006 13:30
Nice composition, lovely textures and colors on the old metal pumps. The modern car detail gives a nice touch too. I really like this picture. MCsaba
inframan 18-Jul-2006 21:24
I am so jealous. ;-)
Guest 18-Jul-2006 04:57
Oh my, what a great find and cool shot! Yeah, they look like oil pumps and there's no question about them being old. Someone, with an antique filling station, will probably pay big bucks for these. I like the blend of green, red, and brown colors too! I wonder what the owner of the pickup thought if they saw you taking a picture of this thing :-) Nice shot Helen!