chuckography

Caught in the act!

Thirty photographer joined me on a walk through the Historic District Saturday.

Half a dozen were from out of town but the rest were locals.

It was the 7th annual Scott Kelby World Wide Photo Walk and globally, involved more than 20,014 photographers in
1,052 cities, according to the WWPW website.

My photo group has done this before and, years past, staged four walks on the one day: Downtown, North Charleston, Mt. Pleasant and Summerville.

A man from Georgia tried to do all four!

This year we concentrated again on the Historic District.

Wandered from Waterfront Park, down the Battery and back up Meeting and side streets, and ended with lunch at Tommy Condon's.

The crowd quickly strung out as individuals stopped to concentrate on certain sights that caught the eye.

At times, I felt like I was herding cats!

Sometimes it meant getting down among the cobbles to get the angle you wanted.

Something about "no stone unturned" ran through my mind.

Enthusiasm ran high on this perfect weather day. A printed map indicated the general area and streets we would take but freedom to just roam around was the reality.

 All of the pictures taken will be uploaded and ONE will be selected as best of the day in Charleston.

It will be submitted to the Kelby folks to compete internationally for some pretty fabulous prizes.

 Canon cameras is one of the major sponsors this year.

It was a fun day and, because I would be one of the judges, my photos would not be in the composition.

I just stepped back to show what the others were doing and snapped a few whimsical scenes that caught my eye.

There is no "wrong" way to contort yourself to compose a photo.

 I saw a lot of variations on ways of getting the perfect shot.

I only saw one other person with a small, compact Point & Shoot digital camera.

Large, expensive DSLRs (Digital Single Lens Reflexes) were the order of the day.

That meant accessory bags and backpacks for additional lens and filters.

Saw a few tripods carried by some who wanted to explore 15-30 second long exposure shots, using Neutral Density filters, to create unusual effects.

I had made a decision 12-13 years ago when I put aside my bulky 35mm film cameras to embrace this new - much lighter - use of P/S cameras.

The aged door that takes you up to the belfry of the 1761 St. Michael's Episcopal Church had a splendid, weathered look that I liked.

No, I have never been up inside the steeple but have gone through the ground floor church and adjacent cemetery.

I didn't twist the knob but assume it was locked to keep out curious passers-by.

Several weeks ago I had toured high observation decks of old churches in 5 Central European countries.

Best views around!

I might look into getting a inside for a peek over my lovely hometown.

If it works overseas, it could work here.

 I suggested to a few they might want to go up to the rooftop of any of several downtown parking garages for spectacular viewpoints, and something different from street level.

Even with your feet flat on the ground, if you look around, and choose different angles, you can create something unusual.

I immediately saw that Charleston possessed possibly the world's largest water taxi.

Well, that's what the sign seemed to say...

in my carefully-planned view from Waterfront Park.

(Has everyone noticed the fountains have legal-looking signs warning there are no lifeguards on duty?)

Maybe another should warn against diving?

I suspect lawyers and insurance carriers are involved here.

As in years past, the group gathered at Tommy Condon's Irish pub and seafood for a refreshing lunch and beverage on the cool outside deck.

Despite all of the fancy cameras gathered, I got everyone's attention and snapped a group shot with my phone camera.

Not sure all saw the irony of that!

Then I asked everyone to place their cameras "in a pile" on the table to note the presence of DSLRs.

That is a LOT of equipment!

I hope YOU will join the 8th annual World Wide Photo Walk next year.

It's an excellent way to get out with fellow photographers and explore your own hometown.

As I used to say in ads when I promoted Southern California in my long-ago tourism days: "Millions of people come thousands of miles to see what we have in our own backyard."

(Click on the photo for more details).

Oh, and that shot of some tourists apparently "stealing" a cannon ball from White Point Garden, it is a fake picture.

I doctored it by moving objects around.
No police were involved.

No crime, no foul.

But, I noticed, there is no sign saying you CAN'T take one?


Would be quite a souvenir.

Enjoy living in the "Holy City"...or just visiting.

Always keep a camera handy. 

Labels: . 13" mortar, 7th annual WWPW, Canon vs Nikon, huge water taxi, Kelbyone, shrimp & grits at Tommy Condons, stealing a cannon ball, tablet vs phone

posted by chuckography @ 1:51 PM