Ol' Yeller "Convertable", a photo from Washington, West

Photographer's Note

Strange that someone would find pleasure in the scene of an old, chopped school bus full of rear-ends (differentials), eh?

Not for someone who has been a school district transortation director for many years such as myself.

The fleet of late modeled $100,000 buses which I run, don't possess the weight, character or even the air-conditioning feature that this late 1950's GMC-Superior bus has.

Why, not one of my current fleet buses has, nor ever did have a "convertable" roof such as this.

I'd venture to say that the differentials that fill the passenger area of this bus are not the "rear-ends" that she once held. ;o)

There was a peculiar appeal that captivated me when I ran across this scene and I hope that at least a few of you will find some pleasure in it as well.

The "old gal" sits in the Tee-Pee Auto Wrecking yard in Outlook, Washington which is considered part of the "lower" Yakima Valley in eastern Washington State.

God's best, Tim

touristdidi, nainconnu, rabani has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

bertolucci (14052) 2004-03-11 15:03

Are you starting a series here, Tim? Please do! This is a worthy successor to your last bus pic. Good composition (you didn't forget the weeds), nice colours & nice note. Keep your busses rolling and the pictures of these old gals coming.

sulucas (229) 2004-03-11 15:06

What a stately old lady. Well seen and captured. Vibrant colours!

gadinga (626) 2004-03-12 5:37

With the green grass, the blue sky, the red lights and the yellow/orange color of the bus you have really captured a sense of primary colors. I thinks the primary colors help to reinforce the subject, a bus that brought primary students to school.
I think I would crop the sky to about a half a centimeter from the top of the bus to take the horizon off the center and but in more on the 2/3rd line. What I do is no make my browser window stretchable and then move it around a photo to see if I would look better cropped.

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nwoehnl (122) 2004-03-12 7:43

Colors are vibrant at this scene that at first glance looks desolate, but at second glance offers a lot of interesting detail to explore, much enhanced by your well-written note. Fine contrast and sharpness, agree w/ Michelle that you might try looking into losing just a bit of the sky on top. Well done, Tim - I'm adding this into my "Americana" theme.

afaust (302) 2004-03-12 21:29

Hi Tim, I've been watching your series of school bus pictures with interest. What makes me curious is he paradox these pictures present in my eye. School busses transport young, moldable, hungry minds. But here it is: old, used up, broken, discarded. Very thought provoking.

joseelias (0) 2004-03-18 9:13

Man, you've got a mine in industrial shots here! About this photo I like the strong colors an textures but I believe you could try for some more daring angles and interesting details.

Take a look at Olli work here on TE. He masters the industrial image and with such veihcles there you could do some very interesting images. More, american cars create a certain curiosity from this side of the atlantic so...

Note the letters at the side of the truck, the red lamps, the light and the bumper... Those are great details.

touristdidi (8583) 2004-03-28 10:46

well.... for 17 years I owned a farm, that i never once lived on, but always wanted to. In the weeds were an assortment of unloved vehicles......... I thought maybe this was on a farm too, as people love to let them rust away..till iread it, poor old truck..(bus)..it is interesting!!!! Is the pink toe (tow) truck still in seattle on top of a building?

Piotr (0) 2004-05-20 8:23

This theme is very interesting "yellow school busses" I like all photos from this series, waiting for a next, Regards,Piotr

Jitterbug (177) 2004-05-28 17:12

Great capture again, Tim. I've always liked old vehicles, and a special bus like this makes it even more unique. The peices behind it just add to the overall interest, and the colors are well balanced.

Thanks!

cdewet (0) 2004-07-03 12:22

Hi Tim
This was on your front page, and I love wrecks with character. A nice composition and POV. Maybe 2 things to "help" in shots like this - A wide angle is VERY affective in distorting the perspective and riviting the eyes right on the headlights, the other is DOF, you need to shoot at f11 or more to render this sharp front to tail. Note the headlight and chrome "writing" is not all sharp. Retrpspect is an exact science, but it often helps usto recompose in future. Just my opinion.

rabani (9645) 2004-10-26 3:47

We don't have big yellow school buses here. Let alone a convertible. And definitely not as strong and long lasting metal as you have photographed here Tim. Even the color is still vivid except for some rusty patches on the cabin top. Sure they don't make things liked they used to.

God's best my friend Tim.

LCannon (2798) 2005-04-24 10:24

I so much like this shot Tim, there is a guy who has something simular that he fills up with old cars and hauls off to the scrap yard. These old school buses are so interesting to see. Long before cross-over mirrors huh? I thought it was interesting it seems to have extra lights though. Well done. Cute funny note too!

clarita (654) 2005-07-01 22:57

the colors in this photo are so vibrant and real...thx for sharing!

Photo Information

Copyright: Tim Bentz (Tim) (469)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2003-06-15
Categories: Transportation
Camera: Fuji FinePix 3800
Exposure: f/8.2, 1/300 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Ghost Machines, Americana, SCHOOL BUSES Now and Then, Rusty Motors [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2004-03-11 14:47