The Giant Praying Hands of Webb City, Missouri in 360° Panorama

1 June 2012 Tanja Barnes

I was still cruising along Route 66 the day I shot this pano on my way to check out the Hornet Spooklight when I came upon the Giant Praying Hands in Webb City, Missouri. Weighing in at about a 100-tons, these hands were cast in concrete by Jack Dawson, who at the time was a 20 year old college student, back in 1972. Due to the lighting conditions, I attempted to pull out the shadows by exposure bracketing (+1/0/-1 EV) the photos and processing them using HDR software. In this case I went with Photomatix because it has a “de-ghosting” feature which means that the moving car on the highway below and American flag that was waving in the breeze would not render strangely in the final image. Most of the time I’m not too crazy about HDR photos. The images that are produced using this technique seem too unnatural and sickeningly sweet to my eye but for what I was going for in this shot, I think it works well enough.

Abandoned Gas Station along Route 66 in Heatonville, Missouri in 360° Panorama

30 May 2012 Tanja Barnes

D.L Morris Garage & Station is located at the corner of Co Rd 1142. It was built on the site of the old Heatonville Post Office (1872-1881). My dad told me that when he moved out to California back in his early twenties that he picked up on Route 66 passing through Chicago. I’d like to imagine that perhaps he fueled up at many a place like this one way back when.

Memorial Day 2012: Pittsburg State University Veterans Memorial in 360° Panorama

29 May 2012 Tanja Barnes

At sunset on Memorial Day, a rainstorm began to take shape when I took this pano of the Pittsburg State University Veteran’s Memorial. The setting sun caused these crazy dramatic rays to cut through the clouds and across the sky. The sound of the wind blowing through the display of the 50 state flags that are featured on the north berm of the memorial made the entire experience breathtaking.

Designed by architectural firm of Schaefer Johnson Cox Frey and Associates of Wichita the Pittsburg State University Veteran’s Memorial honors those who have served this country through military service.

The Vietnam Memorial Wall as can seen in the back is a one-half sized replica of the permanent memorial wall in Washington D.C. There is also an entry-rampart featuring U.S., state and university flags and the five seals of the uniformed military branches (not featured in this image) and an arch just behind the reflecting pool with an eternal flame.

The eternal flame appeared to be somewhat intermittent, at least to me, because at times it would disappear only to return about five minutes later. Perhaps it was on some sort of timer but I’m not sure. Just below the flame the engraved inscription reads: “Pittsburg State University honors our sons and daughters who answered the call of the nation. We are ever grateful for their many sacrifices in peace and war that freedom would prevail.”

Bowling Ball Yard Art – Nowata, OK

28 May 2012 Tanja Barnes

It’s nearly sunset on Lollipop Row, a section of Chris Barbee’s Bowling Ball Yard art in Nowata, Oklahoma. Chris, a widower, welcomed us warmly and gave us a tour of all his creations including the Bowling Ball Fence, the Bowling Ball American Flag, the Bowling Ball Rosary, the Bowling Ball Pink Ribbon (commemorated to his wife who passed from breast cancer in 2006), the Bowling Ball Cross, the Bowling Ball House and much, much more. If you’re passing through it’s definitely worth visiting. To view more panoramic photos taken this day click through here.

Coffeyville, Kansas: Where the Dalton Gang Took a Dirt Nap

28 May 2012 Tanja Barnes

The Dalton Gang dead
in Coffeyville Ks

It was in Coffeyville, Kansas where the Dalton Gang was gunned down by the well-armed citizens of the town and shot ’em dead on October 5, 1892, after the outlaws were attempting to rob not one but two local banks.

The town has since erected a self-guided walking tour that culminates with “Death Alley“, the exact spot in which the showdown occurred.

The tour then continues on to where the corpses of the Dalton Gang are immortalized in a true-to-size mural on the sidewalk outside the C.M. Condon and Co. bank. In what can only be described as “black humor” there’s a photo op there in which you can lie atop any of the gangsters and pretend to be dead.

It’s sick, weird and ridiculously funny all at the same time. It reminds me of the line from “Harold and Maude” where Maude goes: “A lot of people enjoy being dead. But they are not dead, really. They’re just backing away from life.”

Winganon Cement Mixer Space Capsule in 360° Panorama

26 May 2012 Tanja Barnes

On the roadside near East 300 Road and South 4130 Road just off of Highway 169 in Rogers County, Oklahoma, lays what appears to be an old NASA space capsule.

The Facebook page of the Winganon Space Capsule elucidates: “The mixer wrecked when the Winganon bridge was being built in 1959. The cement hardened and the truck was hauled away while the mixer was abandoned due to weight. It has become a local landmark and roadside attraction. Over the years it has been painted many times and the current theme is as a NASA escape pod / nose cone. The current theme was done on 9/25/11 to celebrate the 5th wedding anniversary of a local couple.”

“Spirit Tree” Joplin’s Tornado Landmark in 360° Panorama

23 May 201227 June 2018 Tanja Barnes

A year ago a deadly EF-5 tornado ripped through the city of Joplin, Missouri, killing 161 people and damaging or destroying about 7,500 homes and 500 other buildings.

Despite it all, the city is well into a significant recovery mode but there is still work to be done. Along the tornado’s path at the intersection of East 20th Street and the Kansas City Southern Railway tracks, where Dillon’s grocery store used to be, now stands the colorfully painted “Spirit Tree” — a new landmark for the city of Joplin.

Bottle Tree Ranch in 360°

11 April 201229 June 2018 Tanja Barnes

Bottle Tree Ranch is a quirky, on-going outsider art installation/domicile located on National Trails Highway (formerly and more famously known as Route 66) in a town called Oro Grande just outside of Victorville. Similar to Hulaville, a defunct roadside attraction that at one time could also be found on Route 66, Bottle Tree Ranch is a collection of junkyard treasures including old bottles, typewriters, Lionel train sets, sewing machines, buffalo nickels, the kitchen sink and much more that have all been transformed into a dense forest of mixed media sculptures. Experience Bottle Tree Ranch on Google Maps Street View here.

360° Panorama at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa

26 March 2012 Tanja Barnes

This past weekend I enjoyed a marvelous getaway at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa. At about a half hour before dusk I set out to capture photos of the famous “pink moment” a phenomenon that occurs when the setting sun casts a brilliant shade of pink for several minutes on the nearby Topatopa Bluffs. Alas, due to inclement weather the pink moment was elusive but my visit to the inn was fabulous just the same. For more splendid panoramic views, click on the images below.

Update: Oops, sorry folks. Looks like there’s an issue in displaying the images below so I’m featuring the direct link here just in case.

Above: The courtyard of the Spa Ojai Village features a Morrocan style fountain,
a 50’ bell tower and outdoor fireplace.

Above: The Artist’s Cottage & Apothecary

Above: Steps leading to the Shangrila Pavillion, named after Frank Capra’s film “Lost Horizon”.
It is believed that the film was lensed in the Ojai valley.

Above: Rosemary, basil, and lavender are harvested from the the Herb Garden at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa.

Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation

22 January 2012 Tanja Barnes

A year ago I posted my first 360 panoramic image to my blog featuring the interior to the Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation which is very similar to the image posted above. Some improvements between the one from this year and last year:

Portal of the Folded Wings (exterior)
“Little Planet” projection

Use of a nadir shot (to hide the tripod) using a fantastic tutorial by Florian Knorn.
Use of PhotoShop to post-process the image.
Use of KRPano projection instead of QuickTime. I really like this method because it’s viewable on a mobile device such as an iPhone.
Position of camera within the shrine (more centered within the space).

On this particular image, the use of PhotoShop is probably the most dramatic improvement overall because previously throughout 2011 all of my panoramic images were edited using Aperture. Since I began using PhotoShop I’ve quickly come to realize what an injustice using solely Aperture was to all my in-camera work and preparation.

Moving forward for 2012, I’ll be developing my skills with PhotoShop to obtain better quality shots. I hope you will join me in my travels and adventures.