Fire Hydrants, Sepia Saturday Style

in Photography Lovers4 years ago (edited)

Today was a great day weatherwise, and it was a good day to get out of the house. It would have been great to get into the Great Outdoors, so to speak, but that was not to be. Instead, my youngest and I went for a walk in the "Star Campus" on the University of Delaware campus, primarily to take photos of fire hydrants for #sepiasaturday.

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Star Campus itself used to be a Chrysler plant that manufactured Durango's. I knew people who worked there. Chrysler shut the plant down a number of years ago and put the huge plot of land up for auction. The University of Delaware bought the land and is building up to be a Stem, Technology, and Research (STAR) campus. Half of it is yet to be developed.

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The above picture looks like it might be taken in the middle of the open prairie. Immediately behind me, however, is the first picture above. Interesting how a change of view can modify perception.

And here is my son also taking a picture of the water tower. It's really a fascinating structure in and of itself. It looks like an apocalyptic wasteland.

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According to wikipedia (here), the Star Campus is 272 acres in size. A campus of that size has more than a few fire hydrants, for sure!

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With the campus still only partially developed, many of the hydrants sit between advanced buildings (these pictured here in the next photo are amongst the tallest in the city; I kid you not), yet others sit seemingly without much around.

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As I was walking around with the boy he kept asking me why I am so infatuated with fire hydrants. Honestly, I don't know, but I discovered as I was taking pictures that I grew increasingly fascinated with the water tower, too. I'm thinking that water towers might be my next infatuation.

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Fire hydrants and water towers share some similarities, notably, water. I think having pictures of them together is rather fitting.

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Here's one more of the water tower. Edited for sepia, it really reminds me emotionally of home, back on the western Canadian prairies. My dad lives in Airdrie, Alberta, and I remember when I would go to visit him, at the time, the Airdrie water tower was the tallest structure for miles around, and was easily visible from a couple miles away.

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And two final fire hydrants to close out the post. This next was nestled in a small garden. What really struck me about this particular hydrant was not it's location, but it's colour which, of course, you cannot see in sepia. I'm breaking taboo and posting the original right after, because it looks just too neat.

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And on the way out I came across little stubby here. I've never before seen a fire hydrant look like this one. Unfortunately I had to stop on the side of the road and didn't have the time to go around back to photograph the maker, but I'll go back on my bike sometime soon to do just that. In the meantime, here it is in all it's stubby glory.

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(c) All images and photographs, unless otherwise specified, are created and owned by me.
(c) Victor Wiebe


About Me

Amateur photographer. Wannabe author. Game designer. I dabble a little in a lot. General all around problem-solver and creative type.

Founder of Photo 52 weekly photography competition.

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Nice shots! The water tower shots definitely made me think of the Great Plains, although as a mountain boy that amount of flatness makes for an alien landscape :)

Haha, it really does. About half of the plot is undeveloped yet and it is barren, which makes for some really neat shots when facing the right direction.

Some sweet sepia hydrants!

like this, the water tower looks like something from War of the worlds. Keep forgetting about sepia saturday. Getting old and forgetful hahah

That water tower looks so out of place now, which is why I like to photograph it. When the old Chrysler complex was there the tower was rather hidden in the middle of a number of buildings. Now it just .. exists.

Amazing! The photos give a desolate, eerie vibe like it was in a post-apocalyptic world where all humans suddenly vanished!

Thanks! It is particularly eerie on the weekend when there is no one about!

I've got to say mate, your fire hydrants look way better than most Australian ones; Ours are sort of utilitarian and generally just a very thick white pipe with a couple of outlets at the top with red screw on caps. Yours have flair and style, in comparison. I never thought I'd say it but...Fire hydrant envy is real. Lol.

LOL! Fire hydrant envy. 😀 I've found myself, wherever I go these days, looking for the local hydrants to see how they look. There are some places that I need to go back to because I missed taking the pictures the first time!

I have images of you pestering your wife to go back around the block in the car so you can go back and see a hydrant you missed. 🤣

LOL! Well... you're not far off. 😂

It's not weird...Don't let anyone tell you it is! 🤣

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Looks like you and the little guy made a day of it! What a great idea, a real hide and seek game!

I like the water tower and the shot you caught of him. :) Great Saturday!

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