GoDaddy’s New Tempe Call Center – January 31, 2014
View from Warner. Lots of action happening inside the walls, and some things outside. The main stairwell on this end is growing and should be complete soon.
The braces will be removed, only after the steel inside for the second floor and roof are tied to the walls.
This is also shot from Warner. This will be the main entrance. Left side may be complete, the right side grows daily.
View from by the job trailer, looking twards Warner. You can see the main stairwell from the backside, here. The braces appear to all be gone from the area where the steel is tying the first 50,000 square feet together. All of the images I shot Friday after work can be seen here. http://x.co/3lBtX
On the jobsite!! – January 28, 2013
View of the new building from INSIDE the fence, right outside of the job trailer.
I used the EF17-40 F4 L lens for every shot I took today on the site. Its my widest lens, and worked out well for as close as I was to this hugh building. 150,000 square feet once its done. The temp stairway is the quickest and safest way to the buildings roof.
Yep, thats me in the corner. Even up here on the roof, SAFETY is everyones concern. Caution tape marks areas that are out of bounds. This is the area of the roof that will house equiptment, air conditioners, etc.
Looking down towards the Ryan construction trailer. For any of you who still think this building is “not that big”, these images should give you a better “scope” of the size of the new building.
The steel is in 1/3 of the building, so approx 50,000 square feet, comprising of both floors. I zoomed in a little bit for this shot looking twards Warner, to make it look like I was closer to the edge then I was. The caution tape keeps you a good 15-20 feet from the edge. Again SAFETY. The elevator shaft is in the middle of the picture, on the right side. The openings for 2 elevators, 2 floors are clear to see. To the right of this area will be the main entrance/lobby area. To the left of the elevators will be training rooms, and the gym areas. At the far end of the building, closest to Warner will be the kitchen and restaurant areas.
Many thanks to Rene LeBlanc, GoDaddy faculities, and Vince Morrow, Ryan Companies for the tour, and answering my many questions. Thanks also to Calvin Crowder, GoDaddy for making today possible. Rene was kind enough to hold my EF24-105 lens for most of the tour of the jobsite today.
Back on the ground.
You can see lots of sub contractors getting work done. The jobsite was very organized, and extremely busy. Lots of work getting done. Block layers on top of the scaffolding. The backhoe is working in the bathrooms area of the gym.
Gym area, looking towards the main lobby area.
One of the main stairwells, and the kitchen areas.
Camera sitting on the ground, right by the kitchen area pointing back to the elevators area.
This will be seating area for the restaurant. The hugh windows, will actually be doors and will be open weather permitting, winter time, and you will be able to sit outside on a patio, or inside. I can hardly wait.
Camera on the ground by the elevator area. There is a lot of steel going into the building.
We started and ended in the job trailer. Hard hats and bright vests are required on the jobsite. Everyones number 1 responsibility is SAFETY. All of the images from todays shoot, as well as all of the images I’ve shot of the site from outside the fence are availble here. http://x.co/3lBtX
Steel on site – January 25, 2014
Shot from Warner, this shows the steel that will tie the walls together, and incorporate the second floor, and roof. Lots of work getting done.
Some serious dirt work is getting done, again the right tools for the right job! Canon 5D Mark II, EF 24-105 F4 IS L glass.
Mirror, Mirror, … January 18, 2014
Shot Saturday after work. I’ll post more images of the site later on this weekend, or click here to see all of them. Canon 5D Mark II, EF 70-200 F2.8 IS L glass. Some manulipation in Adobe LR 4.4
Same image, 100% crop from one of the above images. Yes, thats me, another self portrait!
More Walls Up!!! – January 11, 2013
View from the job trailer.
Block work tying the walls together.
View from the area by the water tower.
View from warner.
Leaving, shot out the window from Warner and the 101. All images shot with the Canon 5D Mark II, EF70-200 F2.8 IS L, or EF24-105 F4 IS L glass.
January 8, 2008 – January 8, 2014
So I do know where I was on Jan 8, 2008. We had gone to the cabin, with a promise of snow on the ground. “The Snow Place” would be open. Hwy 260 and 87 meet, between Payson, and the Mogollon Rim, and for years you could park and play in the snow. Jacob Messner is catching some air. Everyone had fun, and we were able to go back to the cabin for the rest of the weekend. Canon 30D, ISO-100, EFS 17-85 lens at 85mm, F5.6, 1/640 sec. If you look close, you can see Jacob has on really good cold weather gear…… most noticably plastic bags over his shoes…… Its a Messner thing!
Walls UP!! – January 4, 2014
Soooooooooo….. There are some walls up at the new call center. I drove by after work Saturday, and was pleasantly surprised. The forms have been removed from the additional poured in place “moulds”. It is starting to look like a building. I’ll try to get by middle of the week and see if they have erected the rest of the poured in place walls. I’ld like permission to get into the site to take pictures…… just sayin. The rest of the images I shot on saturday are here.
Happy New Year – January 1, 2014
First Solar sits right off the freeway, across from Tempe Town Lake. Driving home the past month or so, they have used the screens that open and close to allow more or less light into the building to spell out words. PEACE – JOY – on September 11th 9-11. I was pleasantly surprised today with 2014. Canon 5D Mark II, EF 24-105 F4 IS L glass.
Goodyear Airport – January 31, 2013
One down, twelve to go…. months that is. That sounds like so much less work than 31 down, 334 to go. Estrella Mountain range in the background, beneath layers of clouds, and fog. I shot several images of the planes in the foreground and the clouds/mountains in the background, I really like the contrast between the rugged mountains and the smooth shapes of the planes. This image was shot last Sunday with the Canon 5D Mark II. ISO-100, F8, 1/2000 sec, 100 mm.
Rosalie update: She was released on the evening of the 29th, and is recovering at home. Doing very well, and enjoying Tom taking care of her.
Caterpillar – January 30, 2013
These caterpillars are normally crawling around moving dirt at the 303/I-10 interchange. Its a rainy Sunday 01/27/2013 and they seem to be getting some rest. This image is really 3 images combined to make 1, with a Higher Dynamic Range. High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDRI or HDR) is a set of methods used in imaging and photography to allow a greater dynamic range between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than current standard digital imaging methods or photographic methods. HDR images can represent more accurately the range of intensity levels found in real scenes, from direct sunlight to faint starlight, and is often captured by way of a plurality of differently exposed pictures of the same subject matter, 3 to 5 images with different exposure.
Adobe Photoshop has a “merge to HDR” function that was used on this image. Contrast, Sharpening, and Saturation are also bumped up a little bit. Canon 5D Mark II, ISO-400, F8, 1/320 sec, 75mm, tripod used.
Cardinals Stadium – January 29, 2013
My neighbor in 2004-2005 Rico Petrokowski was a pilot trainer for Luke Air Force Base. NO was the answer, almost before I asked the question. I could be put on a waiting list, but would probably not be allowed to fly in a military fighter plane. Rico had great stories about being a pilot, and I envied him his career choice. Rico and several other pilots “shared” a Cessna 172. Payments, fuel, hanger, insurance, etc. Each owned a “share”. I understand this is very common. It was a 1966 model with a lot of “miles” on it. On airplanes its logged as “hours”. Maintenance on a plane is scheduled around how many hours the plane has on it. This is not like a car, where you can ignore the “check engine” light, or go 7-10 thousand miles before you get the oil changed. Planes have logs which is a history of the hours, and the maintenance. Every so many hours, the engine has to be re-built. It was a very fun sight seeing trip. My other neighbor Glen Simmons was the other passenger. Glen got to check out the “air bags” in the plane. Shortly after this trip, Rico got stationed in Washington. We also flew over our homes, and I have some neat pictures of the neighborhood from this trip as well. This is one of my two favorite pictures of the Arizona Cardinals Stadium. Taken 4/24/2005 with my C750UZ Olympus, ISO-50, F4, 1/800 sec, 21mm.
West Valley Hospital – January 28, 2013
So Rosalie is still in the hospital, but she has been cleared to leave ICU and go back to a regular room. Slight problem, there are no rooms available, so she is still in ICU. Getting healthier each day. She goes on walks, which is really her out running everyone of us. Her doctor is amazed at her progress. Again a miracle.
Canon 5D Mark II, ISO-200, F8, 1/200 sec, 28mm. Shot 1/27/2013. Overcast and rainy day in Phoenix.
Corner Market? – January 27, 2013
This sign is in old town Avondale. Its on the old State Route 85, not too far from where I live. I have no idea what the name of the market was. Its not there anymore. I like the texture, the layers of rust and paint. I’m not sure who the sign beckons anymore. Some day it will fall over, or an errand car will knock it down. I wonder how long its been here. There is a Circle K convenience store about a block away. Did the Interstate kill the market, or maybe the Circle K. Some questions will never be answered. This picture was originally taken 01/27/2007 at 8:57 AM. Shot with my Canon Rebel, ISO-200, 38mm, f22, 1/50 sec.
Rosalie update: Getting stronger every day.
The Messners – January 26, 2013
I DO believe in the power of prayer! I can give you multiple examples of God answering prayers in my life. God really and truly amazes me on a daily basis. Having said that: Rosalie woke up yesterday morning, the breathing apparatus has been removed, and she is up out of the hospital bed sitting in a chair. They want to get her up and walking later on today, or tomorrow. She had asked Sherry and Sheri Lynn to help her with her hair, and put on some makeup. Roe was asking for some Jello! These are all really good things! Some, including me would say “A Miracle”! Praise God! Rosalie, you are in our thoughts and prayers. Get Well Soon!
This picture is most of the Messners. Tom and Roe’s clan. Shot December 25, 2011. Canon 30D with a 580EXII on camera triggering 2 580EXII’s off camera, one to the left, and one to the right.
Rosalie Messner – January 25, 2013
So the title of this post could be “Everybody Loves Ray”, or “Mom & Dad”, or “Thomas and Rosalie Messner”. Why the different titles? Because Tom and Roe are my in-laws, they live across the street and down one house. Mom & Dad, that one comes from love and respect. Rosalie would do anything for you. A lot of the qualities that I love in my beautiful wife came from her mother. On February 5th, she will be 75 years young. Roe is in intensive care after surgery for a lung filled with infection from having pneumonia. The surgeon said recovery would be 2-3 days in ICU, then a couple of weeks in the hospital. Tom and Roe have 4 children, lots of grandchildren, and great grandchildren who are all praying for her speedy recovery. Get Well Soon! We Love You Mom!
Shot Christmas day 2011. Canon 30D, ISO-100, 17-40mm L lens at 40mm, F5, 1/50 sec, tripod mounted, 2 off camera 580-EXII strobes triggered by ST-2E.
BOB? – January 24, 2013
I was supposed to be shooting sky diving pictures. It was raining like cats, and dogs. OK you got me, this is downtown Phoenix, Arizona where the annual rainfall is less than 8 inches a year. Not a typo. We live in a desert! The weather was bad enough that I was not shooting sky diving pictures, and I had no place to be for several hours, …so…. I drove through downtown Phoenix, and created some pictures. The air is clean, (wet) and everything is shiny. No harsh shadows with the low cloud cover. What else would I need to take pictures? My 5D Mark II is water resistant, as is the L glass, so why not. This building is Bank One Ballpark! Or should I say it used to be BOB, its now Chase Field, home of the 2001 World Series Champion Arizona Diamondbacks. Also home to the 2 GoDaddy.com Holiday parties I’ve been to as an employee. The 2 sets of railroad tracks separate the ball park from the main parking garage, hence the overhead walkways.
Twins! – January 23, 2013
Whatever the reason, It may have been Rosalie Messner’s birthday, we ended up out at the White Tanks. We had a picnic, then hiked the “waterfall” trail. The greater Phoenix ares is a DESERT! The waterfall at the end of the trail only has water falling, if it has recently rained. I’ve seen it “trickle”, but never fall. There are petroglyphs along the trail, and some say you can see UFO’s in some of the rock drawings. I found these twins, or should I say Siamese Twins, joined at the hip, as they say along this path. If you could see beyond the cactus, you would be looking directly into downtown Phoenix. Luke Air Force Base over flys this mountain range daily. Shot with my Rebel XT.
Downtown Phoenix – January 22, 2013
At more than 16,000 acres, South Mountain Park/Preserve is the largest municipal park in the country. It boasts 51 miles of primary trails for horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking for all ability levels. From the park’s main entrance, you can drive up the Summit Road 5.5 miles to Dobbins Lookout and spectacular valley wide views or you can continue to the Gila Lookout for a view of the Gila River Valley. This scenic road is shared by bikers and hikers and there are many steep sections and blind curves, so maximum speed is 25 mph and just 15 mph on curves. From several look out points you can see downtown Phoenix. I love going into the park with my camera. With good flying weather 360+ days a year, there are almost always planes in the sky above Phoenix. This image was shot using the Canon 30D, ISO-100, EF75-300mm lens at 200mm, f8, 1/160 sec, tripod used. The big building to the right is Chase Field, home of the 2001 World Champion Diamondbacks.
Agua Fria Owls – January 21, 2013
My daughter Jaz attended Agua Fria High School in Avondale, Arizona. She was an honor student all 4 years, and enjoyed her time there. Agua Fria’s mascot is an owl. This image was shot across the street from the high school, if the blurry red background is the school office. When we moved to Avondale 15 years ago, these owls were a fairly common sight. I have pictures of 3 and 4 of them standing around “guarding” their burrows. I have not seen one in several years now. This image is from January 21, 2008. Canon 30D, ISO-200, F5.6, 1/1000 sec, EF 75-300 IS lens at 300mm.
Snow Bird – January 20, 2013
Jeff’s cabin has floor to ceiling windows, which are great for getting wildlife shots. With the fire crackling at my back, and a hot cup of hot chocolate within arms reach, I was able to shoot this little guy resting? If you look, his beak has snow on it, I believe he was eating ice, or drinking? The bird bath was frozen solid. The background ice on plants was taken on this same trip. If you like your snow 1-2 days at a time, Phoenix is a great place to live. Flagstaff is only a couple of hours away, and has a higher annual snow fall than Anchorage Alaska. This was shot with the Olympus January 20, 2005.
Take Off – January 19, 2013
Randy Fletcher and I decided to go out and take some pictures. We ended up at a park in his sub division which had a pond. The sun was going down, and I was setting up for a shot of a duck in the distance, when I heard some other ducks quacking, I pivoted the camera around the tripod, just as this duck took off. The water offered a good reflection of the houses, and emphasizes the water marking the ducks feet hitting the water. Shot with my Canon 30d, ISO-200, F5.6, 1/200 sec, using the EFS 17-85 IS lens at 85mm. Randy is a Nikon shooter, but I wont hold that against him in this post. (Joking).
More Fav’s – January 18, 2013
Driving home from work, I remember I felt like I was being watched. The feeling persisted several days in a row. Then I noticed the Giants that had been watching me. I drove up for a closer look. So I guess this is a follow up to yesterdays post. Above image was taken once the bill board was finished, about 2 weeks before the NBA All Star weekend. The below picture is a closer shot of the crew removing the T-Mobile billboard. The crew may have been cutting the skin into manageable strips, then rolling it up into rolls, or it may have already been in strips. This may have been the exact opposite of how it was installed, I did not witness that. I watched the crews removing the bill board for several hours. It was really quite fascinating.
T-Mobile “Favs” – January 17, 2013
So its NBA All Star weekend in Phoenix Arizona, with the Phoenix Suns playing host. This is early February 2009. T-Mobile puts a “skin” on all four sides of the Bank of America building. It becomes the biggest billboard in the “Valley of the Sun”. I count 16 floors. This image was taken from Chase Field’s parking garage, the top floor. Workers are taking the “skin” off the building. It was truly amazing to watch these dare devils remove these stickers, for lack of a better word. They would roll up a 4-6′ section at a time. I do not know how long it to put up, but it was several full days to take it down. Canon 30D, 18-55mm lens, at 20mm, F-13, 1/160 sec, ISO-100, using my Bogan tripod and ballhead.
Chihuly Wild Flowers – January 16, 2013
Chihuly Flowers in the Goodyear Arizona Wild Flower Cafe. So it was Tom and Rosalie’s anniversary. After church we took them out for lunch. This is early 2005, and I had my Olympus with me. If I really look, I may have taken 2-3 shots of my in-laws that Sunday afternoon, but I have plenty of pictures of the Chihuly Glass Flowers. The Olympus did not have “RAW”, but it did have the ability to save in tiff. That little camera would take 10-30 seconds to save a picture in tiff, but those images I took in tiff 7 years ago still have very good resolution, and clarity, and a lot more “room” when I bring them into Lightroom, or Photoshop, than jpegs from the same camera. This was originally saved as a jpeg. ISO-100, 1/25th of a second, 9mm, F3.2