capwell

2011 Year In Review!

Lou Capwell — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:53:20 +0000

2011 was a hell of a year for me – I was published more this year than any year previously, I expanded my commercial business exponentially, and enjoyed some great trips with some great friends in between all that boring business stuff. I also spent a LOT of time shooting film, something I plan on doing even more of in 2012. Hope this was as great a year for you as it was here at louiscapwell.com! Here are some pictures:

New Photos in BizNS Magazine

Lou Capwell — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:33:45 +0000

Commercial photography is a large part of what makes me such a versatile shooter. Some of that work was recently showcased in this month’s issue of BizNS, Norfolk Southern’s company magazine. In October, Alex Lang and I shot extensively inside NS’s Juniata Shops in scenic Altoona, PA. His shooting, and my lighting, made many of our portrait subjects come alive, and the photos picked to go along with the article are testament not just to the hard work being put in at Juniata day in and day out, but to the fact that railroads are a living, breathing thing, and a vital part of what keeps America moving into the 21st century.

To see the full issue, check out this PDF link:

http://www.nscorp.com/nscorphtml/bizns/bzns1211/NovDecBizNS_WEB.pdf

2011-2012 Indiana University Hockey Team Photo

Lou Capwell — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:11:49 +0000

For the past…. many years, I’ve been involved with the IU hockey team. This year’s team photo shoot was yesterday, and I’ve uploaded a few of the photos here.

For the full-size, printable images, check out this convenient link to the .zip file on http://www.mediafire.com/?0200v4pj5oqx50q

Film

Lou Capwell — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:14:20 +0000

I love to shoot film, anyone who knows me knows this. From the grainy perfection of processing a roll of black and white in Rodinal at my kitchen sink, to the lovely saturation of slide film run through a fifty year old camera, there’s nothing more fun (for me, at least) than having a photograph that I can hold in my hands after it’s taken. Sure, digital is great, and professionally, it’s probably 99% of what I shoot, but for me, when I’m just taking pictures for myself, it’s usually going to be on film. Lately, I’ve been scanning a lot of film, both old and new, because I just got a new (and much, much better) scanner, so I thought I’d post a few shots to the website, and share some of what I’ve been up to. Enjoy.

What I Did On My CRPA Vacation

Lou Capwell — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:26:36 +0000

A wonderful benefit of going to the Center for Railroad Photography and Art’s yearly conference is that it’s a great excuse to go to Chicago, meet up with some friends, and shoot trains. This year, I met up with Mike Johannessen (known for his excellent nighttime pans) and later in the week, Alex Lang, for some travel, excessive Dunkin Donuts consumption, and overall fun.

Every year, Alex and I endeavor to concentrate on one of the many aspects of Chicago railroading – in 2009 we shot extensively in northwestern Indiana, last year we shot one of the two remaining EJ&E “J Ball” units in Joliet, and explored that area’s many great spots. The focus this year was on documenting some of the disappearing searchlight signals on the former CB&Q and ATSF mainlines that point westward from Chicago, and to that end, we were very successful. Signal bridges still stand on both lines, and the trains (at least on the Santa Fe) were plentiful.

This was also the first year that I made an effort to shoot the CTA in downtown Chicago. Mike’s current passions lie very much in the transit-at-night realm of railroading, and it was fun to be swept up into his world for a few days, as we spent two very late nights shooting the L from many vantage points throughout the city.

Here are some photos from my week in Chicago. Enjoy!

IRM 50th Ann’y / ARM / TRAIN Photos – Click Here!

Lou Capwell — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:15:19 +0000

View photos from the IRM 50th Anniversary banquet, as well as photos from the weekend's ARM/TRAIN Spring Meeting!

Racing

Lou Capwell — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 03:21:25 +0000

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I am obsessed with auto racing. My tastes don’t run in the typical-American-race-fan vein of NASCAR or nothin’, but on either end of the automotive spectrum – I love the technology (and personality) of Formula One, and sometimes even more so, I am awestruck by anything that runs on a short track, sideways, on dirt.

Having seen my fair share of both (and many other) varieties of racing, there are some distinct differences – for instance, at an F1 race, you can’t pay an extra ten bucks to be able to walk through the pits with a camera, meet the drivers, and almost get run over by push trucks (most open wheel cars [sprints, midgets, etc.] have compression-start engines, and need to be pushed to turn over) between heat races.

Conversely, at a dirt track race, you’re not going to see cars employing the highest technology in the world to propel them around the track. An F1 car’s engine is capable of reaching 19,000 rpm, an almost incomprehensible number to anyone who has ever looked at the tachometer in their own car. To slow down, how about a pair of air-cooled carbon fiber brakes, that get so hot under rapid deceleration that they actually glow red?

All of this talk is nice, and all, but how about some pictures? This gallery is a mix of the intimate, up-close-and-personal world of dirt track sprint car racing, and the flashy, high-speed universe that Formula One cars populate. There are also a few other random racing photos that I figured you’d like to see, to complete your experience. Enjoy.

Saturday Night Lights

Lou Capwell — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 03:53:25 +0000

I had the opportunity to shoot some high school football while back east in Pennsylvania. Two undefeated teams, Allentown Central Catholic, and Whitehall battled it out at J. Bernie Crum Stadium in Allentown. Here are some of the photos.

The Graduates

Lou Capwell — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 06:38:20 +0000

Bloomington band The Graduates, in action at the Bluebird on Sept 10th, 2010

Here, Chad and Kevin perform at the Rehab Bar and Grill on Indianapolis’s south side, on April 23, 2011:

Lately

Lou Capwell — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 19:30:24 +0000

Very sorry for the lack of posts here, as wedding season is certainly upon us. To satiate your desire to see something new here, please enjoy some photos from the last few months. Some are trains, some aren’t.