A New Point of View......
Stopped by The
Charleston Harbor Fish House restaurant the other night.
Looks like it's going to make it.
Good crowd, good food and a great new view of the ships on display.
The different viewing angle puts the
USS Laffey in the foreground, in front of the Yorktown.
That's important to remember at twilight because there are TWO masts sticking up in the air.
Not something you would normally see on an aircraft carrier.
Looking across the marsh on a slightly foggy evening is a delight.
Trying to have your dinner in focus too is a challenge.
The cedar plank salmon was delicious, along with seasoned mashed potatoes and sliced grilled veggies.
Well, and a beer as well.
Our hostess said the restaurant opened almost a year ago and, despite a light rain, I went up a flight of stairs to check out the closed deck and patio.
Must be a good place to gather after a
Party At The Point Friday afternoon/evening.
I have attended those Friday events as well as Blues artists performances out behind the Marina Hotel.
Always wondered if they would ever open a restaurant.
The attention to detail is obvious and the well-appointed rooms are open and airy as a harbor view place should be.
When I am in a seafood restaurant here in the Lowcountry, I always look over the menu to see what other options are offered.
"Hey, how's the spaghetti?"
I usually come back to meals from the sea.
Years ago I lived in Kansas City, Missouri and a treat was to go to a noted downtown seafood place.
It proudly proclaimed its lobsters were flown in fresh daily.
I assume from Maine.
The Kansas City strip steaks were fine too.
(Click on the photos for more details.)
When visitors ask what I would reccomend they try, I often suggest Shrimp & Grits.
Charleston comfort food.
Mmmmm.
Labels: cedar plank salmon, Charleston Harbor Fish House restaurant, Fresh lobsters in Missouri, Harbor Marina Hotel, Patriot's Point, USS Laffey destroyer
Small is beautiful....
So, the whole idea of having a digital Point and Shoot camera is it's small.
My Canon S90 is tiny enough that I usually have it with me.
Not left behind in a hotel room in Las Vegas because "it's too heavy to lug around."
Or strapping on a bulky back pack for camera lenses and accessories when you're at the Grand Canyon.
Sometimes though, you DO miss having a tripod. Say, at twilight. Or dusk. Or, after it's really really dark.
Gorilla Tripods sure
had me in mind when they designed this handy device.
A "tripod" that's always attached to your P/S camera.
One that folds out and and, when your through, fits - along with your camera - in the little pouch on your belt loop.
The sounds had attracted me to these egrets nesting for the night.
I plan to come back when there's a little more light. I mean, it was getting inky dark.
But I caught the movement and activity as the graceful long-necked white birds flew in for the night and settled in the trees at Patriot's Point.
I was leaving after a delightful visit with friends I used to work with at the Post and Courier and members of their families.
The view over the lighted Yorktown aircraft carrier and the Ravenel bridge made me stop to take some twilight pictures. I then heard the birds rustling in the trees.
A great way to end a Charleston evening on the harbor.
(Click on the pictures for more long-exposure details.)
Labels: egrets nesting in the trees, Gorilla tripods, Patriot's Point, The Cottages
Do you know "Tilt-Shift?"
Someone told me about an effect you can create with your photo called
"Tilt-Shift."Wow. It really does make objects look like toys or miniature models of everyday sights.
Well, an every day scene if you happen to be flying at 1,200 feet over the
Yorktown aircraft carrier at Patriot's Point.
You make the focus very "soft" above and below the area you want to appear model-like. Then you crank up the color saturation to almost cartoon level.
Hey, this actually works.
I am sure there are phone apps by now that do this automatically with pictures.
I experimented and did it "by hand" on my computer.
The
"round house" on Isle Of Palms is a good example of this visual manipulation.
A picture of the
Brugge, Belgium town square taken from a tall bell tower became a collection of tiny objects.
Little itty-bitty horses and carriages.
Wee restaurants with small tables and chairs and umbrellas.
Not-so-haughty waiters in this view.
Here's how it looks when you apply this effect to an actual miniature model town of a railroad setting in Atlanta in the former Underground.
Size does not always matter.
(Click on the photos for detail. Some taken with my
Canon S90. The rest with earlier Point and Shoot cameras. The BEST camera is the one you have with you. Thanks for viewing my blog.)
Labels: Atlanta's former Underground, Belgium, Brugges, Isle Of Palms, Patriot's Point, Round House, Tilt-shift effect, Yorktown aircraft carrier
Our Town's Great "Backyard!"
My blog usually shies away from talking about past performances by musicians - ha ha, look what you missed - but here's something you can plan ahead for NEXT January.
The Chamber found the quietest tourism month was chilly January so it created
"Be A Tourist In Your Own Town" to stir up some activity by locals during that quiet period.
For $20, a person gains free access to 35 attraction and discounts at 11 good restaurants.
Most offer "buy one, get one free" meals and several include each of their eateries so you can enjoy their seafood specials several times.
On the day I visited (for my first time) the
Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, everyone in the group was a local, taking advantage of free admission.
One of the tour guides liked my hat so we swapped head coverings.
I have bought and used the "In Your Own Town" pass for several years and have taken free tours of Patriot's Point, Boone Hall Plantation and Fort Sumter. It doesn't take long to get your $20 worth of value.
The whole idea - in addition to generating business during a slow month - is to get locals excited and informed on where to take their visitors to The Holy City. Sort of like a New Yorker going to see the Statue of Liberty or riding to the top of the Empire State building.
You know these things are there and this gives you a sound reason to check it out.
Labels: Boone Hall Plantation, Crab House, Drayton Hall, Fort Sumter, Holy City, Patriot's Point, Southend Brewery, Tommy Condon'sOld Exchange and Provost Dungeon, tourism
