That problem was solved recently when I discovered that the Port of Long Beach offers weekly boat tours. Instead of shooting from land, I was able to capture my images from the water, out of range of the trucks and with the blessing of law enforcement.

I love shooting big industrial landscapes. What they lack in conventional beauty, they often make up for in aesthetically pleasing geometry and symmetry. I also like being witness to the innovative ways we solve big problems. How do we efficiently transport as many cars as we can from one continent to another? How do we reduce the cost of launching a rocket into space? How do we efficiently load and unload a ship the size of four football fields?

Here, for example, is a group of gantry cranes used to load and unload container ships:

Gantry Cranes – Port of Long Beach, California

Because the Earth is nearest to space at the middle of the planet, rockets are occasionally launched from floating platforms at the equator in order to reduce costs. Long Beach is home to one such  platform, called the Sea Launch, which is towed by a ship called the Sea Launch Commander. Here they are:

The Sea Launch and Sea Launch Commander – Port of Long Beach, California

Electricity is produced at the port by the Harbor Cogeneration Facility, which is a 100 megawatt natural gas-fired electrical generation plant.

Harbor Cogeneration Facility – Port of Long Beach, California

In addition to all of this 21st century technology, the Port also has some throwbacks to the past, including the Queen Mary…

Queen Mary – Long Beach, California

…and some Art Deco warehouse facilities, dating from the mid 1950s:

Pier D – Port of Long Beach

Girl in Cowboy Boots - SFO

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Stetson and Cell Phone - SFO

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Sleeping Soldier - SFO

It was a great experience, both personally and professionally. I was impressed by the caliber of the campaign staff, touched by the kindness and generosity of the many Iowans I met along the way, and amazed by the stamina and discipline required of anyone who runs for the Presidency.

Here are a handful of images from the tour:

Newt and Callista Gingrich in Mason City, IA

Spencer, IA

Le Mars, IA

Televised town hall in Des Moines, IA

A campaign supporter attends a meet and greet

Taking questions from the national press

Independence, IA

Walford, IA

Davenport, IA

Muscatine, IA

Greeting supporters in Muscatine, IA

Campaign bus in Burlington, IA

Iowa Caucus in Cedar Falls, IA

Cedar Falls, IA

Filed under: candids, celebrities, events, photography, politics Tagged: campaign, christopher halloran, christopherhalloran.com, events, Iowa, Newt Gingrich, photographer, photography, politicians, politics, President, republican ]]> http://halloranphoto.com/2012/01/11/newt-gingrich-iowa-campaign-tour/feed/ 0 Chris H. Mason City, IA Spencer, IA Le Mars, IA Des Moines, IA Campaign supporter National Press Indepence, IA Walford, IA Davenport, IA Muscatine, IA Muscatine Burlington, IA Iowa Caucus Cedar Falls, IA http://halloranphoto.com/2011/12/20/jmh-at-the-beach/ http://halloranphoto.com/2011/12/20/jmh-at-the-beach/#comments Tue, 20 Dec 2011 04:27:21 +0000 Chris H. http://halloranphoto.com/?p=1570 ]]> I love this portrait of my wife, taken at sunset near the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach a couple of days ago.

JMH - Newport Beach

Because of the number of celebrities who showed up and the high profile of New Year’s Eve, last night was particularly wild. The insanity notwithstanding, I love shooting these events. It’s absorbing, like rock climbing or hang-gliding. There is a lot of standing around at the beginning, but once the action starts, time disappears. Despite the volatility of the environment, it’s an almost Zen-like experience.

Here are a few of the glamorati who were there:

Premiere of "New Year's Eve"