This mill complex, built by Samuel Slater in 1793, marks the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in America. The Old Slater Mill, that pale yellow building in the center, began operation in 1793 and was continuously operated until 1921. The stone building to the left is the Wilkinson Mill, built in 1810, and the reddish building barely visible between the two is the Sylvanus Brown House, built in 1748. The Old Slater Mill is now a museum and has been restored to its circa 1835 appearance. The beautiful river in the foreground is the Blackstone River. It was the source of the mill's power through the years, but thanks to this and countless other mills upstream, it became one of the most polluted rivers in the Northeast. A major restoration project and the designation of the river as a National Heritage Corridor have combined to accomplish one of the most impressive river cleanups in the nation. The river, from Providence to Worcester, is now a major recreation center.
My original intent was to shoot a black and white scene today, however, the color version was simply too good to pass up. This photo was taken at f/16, ISO 100, 15 seconds using a 10-stop Neutral Density filter. The motion in the clouds, I thought, complimented the silky motion of the water. For those that are interested, you may view the black and white version here: http://kannafoot.smugmug.com/Miscellaneous/Assorted-Photos/i-Q3w7CM6/0/XL/2012-10-200022-2-copy-XL.jpg
Post processing started with a brilliant cold filter in Topaz Adjust. I then applied slight adjustments to the adaptive exposure, adaptive saturation, and contrast sliders. A very slight levels adjustment was made in PSE.
