Night photography: SS Solon Turman in dry dock for dismantling at Mare Island
Seven consecutive photos of 3 minutes at f/8 ISO 200 were combined for a 21 minute cumulative exposure. My portfolio site has a larger version of this image, and more Mare Island night photography. Mare Island is always changing, and has an interesting mix of lighting that makes for a fun shooting challenge. Last Saturday night's shoot was a Nocturnes alumni event -- great to see some old friends and meet some new ones. Shooting at an official event makes interactions with security guards and the police much more pleasant, too. There will be a number of notable events in 2011 celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Nocturnes, including the big night photography festival at Mono Lake in June.
Here's a little bit more information about the ship in the image above:
The Solon Turman was a breakbulk cargo vessel and steam freighter built in 1961 by Bethlehem Steel in San Francisco. The ship was constructed for the Lykes Brothers Steamship Co. of New Orleans. It served in commercial trade for 27 years until it was traded by the company to MARAD for a new ship in 1988. Initially the ship was listed as a Ready Reserve Fleet vessel until 2003, when it was downgraded to inactive reserve status and ultimately declared a nonretention vessel. -- Benicia Herald