THE LONELINESS OF THE CARNEY

The people who work the carnivals must have a lonely existence. Rootless, traveling from town to town, probably without family. They can’t make much money and it’s seasonal work. If there are no customers at the game they are running, there is little to do but stare through the night at the bright colored lights. Or maybe notice a photographer.                         

PINK SNEAKERS

When I was a kid (50s-60s), sneakers were Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars in black or white. That’s it. By 1989, my then 9 year-old son became the fashion sensation of Paris by wearing Chucks in mismatched colors, one red, one green. (Yes, we were there on the bicentennial, and it was really weird watching the festivities on TV in our hotel). Now, anything goes. When I go to the gym the footwear has more colors than the spectrum of The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine.                   

CRICKET SKILLS

There was a group of young South Asian men at one of the arcade games at the carnival. Off to the right of the frame were shelves of empty glass beer bottles, spaced somewhat apart. Players got three baseballs for their money and were awarded a prize if they could break one or more bottles. This contestant broke one. I showed him this picture and told him he was the best fast bowler in Webster Groves.             

I WANTED TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE

Brassy color, harsh lights and dark skies made me wonder what one of the carnival images would look like in black and white. I think it’s interesting.                  

CARNIVAL

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, Independence Day, the American national holiday. Although there is much to mourn this year, celebrations take place across the country. I live in Webster Groves, one of St. Louis’ older (by our standards), inner suburbs. It is a vibrant community with a big holiday carnival. Not in the New Orleans / Rio sense, but more like what they call a fun fair in Britain and Ireland. It opened last night, a don’t-miss for our granddaughter. 

There are lots more pictures from the Pride Fest parade at https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobcrowe/albums/72177720327261352, and I’ll probably have more still in the album.                 

SILLY SEASON

 

Lent begins Wednesday in the Christian world. Some parts of it have a blowout of excess leading up to the period of fasting and penance, called Carnival in most places but often Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) in the U.S. New Orleans is justly famous for its days of wild celebrations. St. Louis claims to have the second biggest. This is something like comparing the height of the Washington Monument with the Burj Khalifa, but everyone has a good time. Our parade is held on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday and I always stop by with my camera. No one has ever declined my request for a photo.

Lots more good shots from the orchid show, which I may return to.                    

City Daily Photo Theme Day - Laugh

There was a small carnival last Saturday on the parking lot outside Ballpark Village. That's the restaurant and entertainment complex across the street from the baseball stadium. Ellie  loved it but it got insufferably crowded after a while. I did get some good shots, though.

I've been shooting full-size Canon cameras for years. The weight got to be a burden on my old shoulders and neck. A few months ago I switched to something much smaller, a Fujifilm X-T2. It's mirrorless and has an APS-C sensor. The color accuracy and clarity is better than on my full-frame Canon 5D Mark III. This is the direction high-end digital cameras are going. 

Along The Midway

Another late post and stretching the July 4 material a bit. Too much on my plate. I got nothing new so I'll see what I can scrounge up over the weekend.