Thursday, June 11, 2009

Thursday Arch Series

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There's something new on the St. Louis scene, Malcolm Martin Memorial Park and Overlook. It is a four-story structure in East St. Louis, Illinois, that provides a commanding view of the Arch and Mississippi. The photo above is my first shot from the edge. The one below shows the whole structure.

Malcolm Martin was a prominent lawyer. He never married and lived frugally but was devoted to the improvement of the St. Louis area. He knew that the best view of the Arch, the river and downtown was from the Illinois side. Martin started a foundation to create this overlook and preserve the vista for the public. It opened last Saturday and I attended the ceremony.

If you would like to know more about the project, check the article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch here. Come back tomorrow for more pictures about the park complex and (yes!) the Gateway Geyser. It is at the back of the park and shoots water over 190 meters in the air, as high as the Arch itself.

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17 comments:

  1. Leif HagenJune 11, 2009 at 6:40 AM

    GREAT arch photos today! Especially love the top one! Bravo! Is it legal for you to take that picture?

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  2. OlivierJune 11, 2009 at 7:03 AM

    on dirait des peintures, superbe travail.
    they would say painting, superb job.

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  3. DJune 11, 2009 at 8:07 AM

    That top one should be a postcard!
    It's perfect.

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  4. SharonJune 11, 2009 at 9:04 AM

    Wow, what a gorgeous view. I will have to check this out the next time I find myself in St. Louis. These two photos are just stunning.

    My sister (Prescott Area Daily Photo) was just there last week and went up in the arch for the very first time. I can't wait to see her photos.

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  5. Nathalie H.D.June 11, 2009 at 9:51 AM

    Aaaaaah, great!

    I'm not a huge fan of the structure though. I find this long wheelchair-friendly mild slope climb boring as can be. Bring on a flight of steps and let's be done with the climb!

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  6. Nathalie H.D.June 11, 2009 at 9:53 AM

    There's something so picture-perfect about both photos they look almost like artist's impressions before a building is completed. Know what I mean? Even the people and cars in the photo look like they've been drawn. Eerie !

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  7. MaggidJune 11, 2009 at 11:34 AM

    WOW!!!! THAT is one beautiful photo.
    Through your lens - this place gets lovelier by the day.

    thanks,
    g

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  8. cieldequimperJune 11, 2009 at 11:46 AM

    This is exciting! I love Thursdays!

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  9. Bob CroweJune 11, 2009 at 11:51 AM

    Thank you all for your comments. The reason that these photos look like paintings or drawings is that they are both HDRs, a combination of three quick snaps at normal exposure, +2 stops and -2 stops. It makes for a dramatic result. If anybody is interested, you can go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobcrowe/sets/72157606806531381/ for a set of just HDRs, quite a few of them by now.

    Nathalie, I, too, wish there had been a grander design but money is always an issue. No public funds were used on the project. A lot of the expense was buying up the 37 acres/15 hectares of land. And of course modern designers always consider the needs of the disabled. There were quite a few wheelchairs there on Saturday.

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  10. U "R" Us AKA Captain CroweJune 11, 2009 at 1:44 PM

    Hmm. Yeah, they coulda done something a little more interesting with the structure, eh? Looks like a highway overpass.

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  11. valeriaJune 11, 2009 at 2:37 PM

    Both photos are stunning! I can't choose... The first one is a perfect postcard - and it's just perfect. But the second one has something more real in it, what with the people and that structure standing a bit on the way, and the flag on the high pole. Yes, I chose this one!

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  12. valeriaJune 11, 2009 at 2:38 PM

    OH, I was forgetting... thank you for your comment on my blog. Sure, I often almost lie down for a good pic!

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  13. EricJune 12, 2009 at 12:11 AM

    I love these shots. A few years back when i passed through Saint Louis on my way home from D.C. I stopped and shot a few sunrise shots at the arch.
    There was a reflection pool to one side and I nearly had a complete ring.
    I was half asleep so the shots were over exposed and on film so i could not fix it before i moved on.
    I have been trying to get back there to try again.
    This autumn will be my best chance in quite some time. I will be passing through SL on my way to Narrows, Virginia.
    I will have to check out some of the angles i have seen on your blogs. Great stuff Bob. Thanks.

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  14. roentareJune 12, 2009 at 4:13 AM

    This is an incredibly beautiful

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  15. VirginiaJune 12, 2009 at 4:16 AM

    Wow, that's what you needed Bob, a new place to shoot from. You'll have some big fun with this thing. I have to agree, it's like the parking ramp to nowhere! ha
    V

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  16. Timothy K. HamiltonJuly 1, 2009 at 10:25 AM

    I see you are using HDR. do you have a flickr account?
    I'm a pretty popular photographer at flickr with over 125 currently in the top 500 for a given day.
    My flickr url:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/
    Thanks for the tip on a location for taking shots of downtown St. Louis !!
    Much appreciated.
    Great shooting, too.

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  17. peachgirlSeptember 18, 2009 at 5:59 AM

    love the pictures! was wondering.. did you ever find out what was up with the clouds?

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