"It droned on and on and on.."
Having a mini-copter hovering overhead - with a camera pointing down - seems to be the new way to picture a scene.
I've had a varied and long career in photography but have not bought a drone copter . Yet,
Saturday was the 9th annual
Scott Kelby World Wide Photo Walk, and 20 members of my photo group in Charleston, S.Car., were among more than 1,100 participating cities all around the world
.
We always submit a group photo, and this year - for the first time - member Joseph Nienstedt brought his new drone and did a smooth flyover to take an aerial view of us standing before a local landmark in the "Holy City," so named because the view from offshore showed many, many steeples.
This fountain is shaped like a Pineapple, the symbol of hospitality, and is one of two beautiful fountains at our Waterfront Park, which overlooks Charleston harbor.
I grew up hearing that this is where the Ashley River and the Cooper River come together to form the Atlantic Ocean.
Made sense to me as a kid growing up downtown in an historic city.
As Leader of the group, I am able to submit one picture into competition with more than 1,100 of my peers.
I entered a view of a fountain's rushing water caught with a fast shutter speed as it streams past a church steeple in the background.
Two years ago, one of our members placed in the Top Ten and received about $650 in prizes.
Yes, he owns the drone and he used it to create a
clever video and submitted it. Hope Joseph wins again!
After the photo walk, we had lunch at Tommy Condon's and repeated something we have done each year - place all the cameras on the table.
What an impressive pile of money!
Of course, with ALL the cameras on display, we had to use our Smart phones to grab the moment.
(Click on the photos and links for more details.)
We also took a "traditional" ground level
group shot.
That's Doug DeLong hustling into the frame.
His camera had only a 2-second timer setting before the shutter snapped.
Yes, he made it into the picture!
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Labels: 1100 cities around the world., Doug DeLong, Kelby 2016 World Wide Photo Walk, Pineapple fountain, Smartphone cameras, Tommy Condon's, waterfront Park
Oh Boy..a Photo Scavenger Hunt.
My Photography Group decided to repeat a Scavenger Hunt we did last year.
Were they excited?
You bet.
Was the weather great?
Yes, it was Second Sunday on King Street.
We, however, worked down at the bottom of King.
Started around 2 Meeting Street.
At the gazebo in White Point Gardens.
Six teams took off with a lengthy list of objects, situations and people to capture on film.
Er, I mean, digitally.
Not that there's anything wrong with film.
One of the rules this year was each team was handed a small mascot that HAD to be included in the picture.
This way the 5-6 photographers stick together instead of darting off in all directions.
It promoted "teamwork."
The above photo was specific
"Team jumps up at the same time, with ALL feet in the air."
No problem...after a few attempts.
We found a
"Car with a parking ticket" on a Sunday afternoon.
The boot on the wheel was a bonus.
Well, for US, not so much for the car owner.
That danged Fisheye lens effect captured this odd shot of cobblestones.
The Team Leader Dee pointed out that the mascot was not included in the picture.
She also reminded me that cobblestones were NOT on the list of targets.
I ran to catch up with the team.
We were looking for a
"Car with an Iowa license tag,"
which we didn't find.
Two other teams did. as well as a Canadian plate to match "An out of the country license tag."
The Market was an easy place to snap "a stranger with a beard,"
"a pig"
and "a person eating a pecan praline."
We all took a Charleston Sweet break at this point.
We learned that quite a few teams wearing our distinctive red "Hello, my name is" name tags had found the praline paradise.
Familiar sounding, but hard to remember where, my team never did find "A yellow car in front of a yellow house."
Other teams did which starts to explain why my team did not win any prizes.
I had seen a picture of that house and car recently.
Once I had owned a 1959 Triumph TR-3 British sports car that had the same canvas "side curtains."
But my car doors had opened the normal way.
The time ran out for the searches and we gathered near the Market at Tommy Condon's Irish Pub.
They had been alerted that a hungry - and thirsty - crowd of 30-40 photographers would begin arriving around 5 pm.
We were pretty obvious, even without the name tags.
Tripods, bulging camera bags and a competitive spirit announced our arrival.
We spread out and almost filled the entire outside upper deck.
Tally sheets were turned in as groups discussed their successes and the few failures to find an object.
Scores were being recorded.
People handed cameras around with images glowing on the back.
The wonder of digital photography.
We all had stories of talking uniformed Citadel cadets into cooperating
.
They were cool with that.
One even held the small doll-like mascot.
Strangers smile easily while munching a praline.
Several teams - including mine - found "A stranger who looks like a member of your team." Sort of eerie actually.
Dee announced
the 3rd
Place winner. Smiling faces at one long table.
The 2nd Place team gave themselves a round of applause. We all joined in.
The 1st Place team won by many points. More clapping and back-slapping.
Most had heard of Scavenger Hunts but very few had ever actually done one.
"Hey, let's do this every year," was a comment I heard around the room.
The food started arriving and that caught our attention. As well it should.
Did you know that the menu there lists Guinness as an appetizer?
I had seen an Irish bar in New York that labeled Guinness as "Soup of the Day."
Our Group meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at the Carolina Ice Palace in North Charleston.
Go to this link to see the pictures uploaded from the Sunday Quest.
(Click on the pictures for more detail.)
Yes, the Fisheye loomed again.
Better get used to it.
I have given up. Sigh.Labels: appetizer, Citadel cadets, cobblestones, fisheye lens effect, Guinness as Soup of the Day, Makin' Bacon statues, pecan pralines, photo teams, scavenger hunt, Tommy Condon's, toy mascots
A Warm Wintery Project....
Years ago - before I retired from The Post and Courier newspaper - I had a restaurant story idea. Obviously it would include photos.
But I never did anything with it.
Now I have a blog and remember what I wanted to feature about local dining spots.
An enticing haven during harsh winter weather. (Oh yeah...to cope with our low, low temperatures.)
Cozy fireplaces and the "warmth" they add to the dining ambiance.
Poe's Tavern on Sullivan's Island is a good example of what I have in mind.
Last night I stopped for a Guinness at
Tommy Condon's and I glanced at the fireplace there.
It was a busy Saturday and the place was packed. I thought I'd probably have to come back later.
But, as I was leaving, a large group that had filled a long table to celebrate a birthday or anniversary also was heading out. The fireplace now was in plain view.
(Hmmm. Do I see a pattern here? Fireplaces seem to come with paintings above them?)
In Dublin last year I sat next to one glowing with peat at
Duke's Pub. Peat burns for a long time I was told.
So far I have not seen one like that here in Charleston. Nor coal or thick logs. Mainly I see either gas or electric.
Please give me your suggestions where I should look.
"Home is where the hearth is" should be added to this collection.
(Click twice on the pictures for more detail. Oddly enough, in Dublin I was ALSO drinking a
Guinness. What are the chances of that?! Thanks for reading my stuff.)
Labels: Coal, fireplaces, Guinness, Home is where the hearth is, kindling, peat fire, Poe's, Tommy Condon's
Worldwide Photo Walk
When two local people plan all the details for group participation in an international
Photo Walk, they deserve to arrive in a private car.
Hard work deserves perks.
Eugene Mah, co-organizer for the
21st Century Photography Group, and I, the founder, encouraged and promoted the members - and others - to sign up for the
2nd annual Scott Kelby walk on Saturday July 18.
Around the world, more than 900 cities were included and involved more than 30,000 photographers.
NO, no, we didn't REALLY come in a limousine.
That stretch just happened to be parked along the route and had its picture taken by the 45 Charleston area photographers who ambled by, following a suggested 2 mile scenic route through the Historic District.
As you can see, Nature is respected in the
Holy City and this wall obviously was built to accommodate the tree.
Even though I am a native Charlestonian, I was amazed to see so many cobble stone streets just off East Bay and around the foot of Broad St.
I'm sure they have always been there but I have not been riding a bike in that area for many, many years.
A bike reminds you of such streets.
We ended the 9am-12am morning at
Tommy Condon's where more than half the crowd stuck around to enjoy the air conditioning, frosty beverages and excellent pub grub.
A special
Flickr account has been set up by the Photography Group so the combined pictures of all those clicking cameras can be uploaded and viewed by a large audience. Please take a look.
I saw a few shooting film. Yikes.
Labels: limousine, Scott Kelby, Tommy Condon's, Worldwide Photowalk
