Out For A Walk ...around the world.
The 6th annual Scott Kelby
World Wide Photo Walk was Saturday, October 5.
Here and in about 1,238 other places around the world.
More than 28,000 photographers and wannabes toted their cameras and tried to capture a moment.
Anyone driving over the
Shem Creek Bridge around 5pm must have wondered what was going on.
(I never realized how narrow the sidewalk is on the bridge.)
We had been warned by Walk Leader Kevin Harp to not step back to get a better angle while on the bridge. Yikes.
The beauty of these walks is to slow down and enjoy the view.
Kevin led us along an area I had never walked before.
The mural on the side of the
Vet Pet held our attention for a while.
Looks like everything was included: cats and dogs of course, but also snakes and turtles and birds...oh my.
We walked past the
Montessori School of Mt. Pleasant and snapped pictures of the various swings and slides arrayed in a yard by the side.
Lucky kids.
I knew Mt. Pleasant was, well, pleasant.
This day I was walking along, late in the day, and the sun angled in through masses of moss.
Side-lighting or, back-lighting, often makes for satisfying photographs. Today was no exception.
As we ambled we came to Pitt Street and it was fun watching strangers with cameras enter the Pharmacy.
As they looked around this family-owned treasure from the past, I asked the young "soda jerk" to make me a cone of strawberry ice cream.
My day had started early at Waterfront Park.
I was leading a Downtown Tour that was to start at 9:00am and end around 11:30 at Tommy Condon Irish Pub near the Market.
I was there early enough that the last of a morning fog was burning off and I hustled to get a few shots before the scene cleared.
These would NOT be allowed in the international competition because they were taken before the official start time of my walk.
But it was a scene I wanted to capture for my own satisfaction.
Watching an early morning fog clearing on the waterfront of the Charleston harbor was part of being born and raised here.
This was hardly my first visit to the Pineapple Fountain*.
But, as I waited for participants to arrive to start the walk, I wandered around and saw several different views.
These angles had always been there of course, but now I had a zoom on my camera and was able to "pull in" the other one.
They aren't quite this close together but it is another view I like.
We had 43 photographers - members and non-members - sign up for the Downtown 6th annual Kelby Walk.
Another 20 turned out in the afternoon for the Shem Creek one.
Saw many new faces during the walks and invited each one to join our local
Photography Group.
These annual events are cool but we try to do multiple walks and outings on a regular basis.
We have so many enticing views!
In June, members put together 5 separate trips, ranging down to Beaufort and Port Royal and including Summerville and downtown's 2nd Sunday.
But the Historic District continues to be the main draw.
I was able to introduce many of the Walkers to their first view of
Washington Park.
It's that shady green park next to City Hall at the
Four Corners of Law, Broad and Meeting Streets.
I had not noticed the small bronze statue of the dancing children tucked away in a corner.
I looked it up and the official name is
"Do-Si-Do,"1981, by Willard Hirsch a noted Charleston sculptor.
(Click on the photos for more details.)
I learn new things on every photo walking tour.
*The pineapple is a symbol of tourism and hospitality.
Labels: Do-Si-Do bronze statue., Kelby WWPW 2013, Montessori School of Mt. Pleasant, Pineapple is symbol of tourism, Pitt Street Pharmacy, Port Royal, Shem Creek Bridge, soda jerking
On a happier note .....
OK, the water is back on so let's move on to more cheerful blog items.
I was late coming to this meme but
Cat Beard gave me something to share with my cat.
They like it when you take their picture.
Even when they are used to simulate a fuzzy beard.
Her tiny nose became mine.
Please notice her curled "Taco Tongue." That was a bonus for the picture.
She likes to please.
My brother Dennis got two fast shots before she squirmed her way outta my hands.
Members of my Photography Group had a busy weekend.
A bunch of us caravaned to Port Royal for a full day down in Beaufort County.
First stop was St. Helena's Island at the
Penn Center.
History, beautiful moss-covered oaks and a nearby church ruin.
Does a weekend start any better than this?
one of the members - Rick Coakley - had the "biggest gun" on this jaunt.
He was prepared for a stop in the Wetlands egret rookery in Port Royal.
Talk about intrusive!
These birds were gathered to nurture their young'uns.
A handy boardwalk brought us close enough to the hundreds of white and tri-colored birds to observe aviary activity with our eyes and cameras.
Even my small P/S was active, using my 20x zoom.
Like most small digital cameras, the viewing screen on the back is difficult to see in bright light.
Larger DSLRs have a nice viewfinder and they can track fast action which was not likely with my Canon SX 260HS.
I had planned ahead though and now had a
viewfinder loupe I hold over the screen.
It has an adjustable lens so I could take off my glasses and concentrate on following the birds in flight.
Also was able to experiment with shooting in "bursts" of 5-6 shots per second as they flapped around.
Our goal for the day was to wander the shrimping boats dock area of Port Royal.
We were fortunate to have
"Phil", a local resident and photographer, join us and help us find areas and interesting targets for shots.
We also had printed out a walking tour for the town.
There was a boardwalk area I missed but members walked up stairs of a 4-story structure for a fantastic view from above.
My GPS was starting to be tired of my lack of knowledge of local geography. I could hear it in the recorded voice.
Many restaurants had signs boasting "Local Shrimp" and I could believe it. I had some later.
Tide was low when we arrived, but by the time we were were seated at
11th Street Dockside restaurant, the boats were bobbing at the piers.
We wandered around and snapped local history and many residents were pleased to pose for our curious cameras.
The restaurant filled quickly with locals and out-of-towners.
I chose to start with steamed peel & eat shrimp.
How could I resist?
Perfectly seasoned and good sized.
A visiting Charleston diner looks at shrimp differently than, say, someone who lives in the Midwest.
When I lived in Kansas City, Missouri, many years ago, there was a local restaurant that featured fresh, live Maine lobsters.
They were flown in daily we were told.
Kansas City also featured "Operas In English."
The planned sunset shoot was thwarted by low clouds that didn't break up. In fact, a storm was approaching Savannah but we did not get any rain, just some short sprinkles.
I drove back to catch a music show at the Pour House. It was to start at 11pm. I stopped for a coffee.
St. Paul and the Broken Bones was touted as having the moves and sounds of Otis Redding.
He and the band grabbed the audience right away.
After just a few bars into his first song, the crowd surged forward and enjoyed every bit of the 75-minute show.
Paul announced, after coming back for an encore, "
That's all the original material we have so we'll do some covers I think you'll enjoy."
He did and we did.
It was his first time ever in Charleston and he had caught a Saturday night starring spot at the PoHo.
I look forward to his next visit.
They'll have more songs then than their initial 4-track EP disk.
Labels: Beaufort, Parris Island, Penn Center, Port Royal, Sea Islands, St. Helena Island, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Wetlands Rookery.
