No More Funnel Cake

Along the promenade under the Arch by the Mississippi. The snack stand that mostly sells things that are bad for you is closed for the day. Funnel cakes are a variation on doughnuts and really bad for you. Sorry if you wanted one. Too late. (But not for the light.)       

Impressionism By Windshield

In the old, run-down industrial area south of the Arch during last weekend's downpour.  I was in my car, water streaming across the windshield. Auto focus was out of the question and manual focus was approximate. If Monet painted modern ruins... Well, he did lots of train stations. Not too different.        

Everyone's A Critic

Everyone and everything that walks by an art display becomes a reviewer in one way or another. You might measure the degree of interest by the amount of time spent before each work. 

As with many similar photos, this is on the Mississippi flood wall south of downtown. The display constantly changes and evolves.                  

Could Have Been 10

When starting to plan the tenth anniversary post, I drove around looking for something with that number. (Damn, It just occurred to me. I should have gone to a bowling alley.)  Roman numerals would work but where could I find a large, isolated X? These are the iron girders of the old railroad bridge across the Mississippi just south of downtown.     

Kat's Kloset

You see lots of food trucks around the US these days and I suppose many other countries as well. Now there is something new, mobile clothing stores in a truck. There were a couple of them at the Swap Meet on the riverfront. Nothing catering to men, though. Wonder why.

I'm not getting anything written on my friends blogs this week and I apologize. Bad week at work for a few reasons. I will spare you the details.   

Urban Chestnut

Representatives of a popular local microbrewery at the riverfront flea market. I was out late last night shooting an event that may give me some great opportunities. Maybe I can write a bit more in the morning our time.

              

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Shadow and Highlight

I've been cruising around looking for high contrast images. (Well, Photoshop helps, too.) This one is my favorite. Taken from the riverfront in East St. Louis, Illinois, looking back at the Arch. The concrete structure in the bottom foreground is a floodwall, holding back the highest levels of the Mississippi. Note the angled support posts. I bet there is steel inside.

The dark structure is the Eads Bridge, often seen in these pages before. (For example, here.)

Have a look at the submissions from CDP members around the world here.

There are a number of other high contrast B and W shots I took around the same time. More pix from Kansas first but then I think I'll roll with this set for a few days.                   

Black Helicopters

It's part of a wacko paranoid fantasy system in the United States: the federal government or the United nations or the Trilateral Commission or something will sweep the country, arrest freedom-loving citizens, confiscate their firearms and impose a new world order. It is well-known that they will arrive in black helicopters. This one, however, takes tourists for rides around the St. Louis riverfront.

Long travel day today, reaching our destination by an absurdly indirect route. I'll bend over backwards, though, for free frequent flyer air tickets, especially with an upgrade. Very late tonight we will lay down our heads in a city where ships may safely come to rest.

Shall We Gather At The River?

Well, not a good idea today. Note the sign for 1st Street in the background. That means the Mississippi is not far beyond and it's in flood again.                                 

Girl Rising

In 2013, and every year.

Something new found on the graffiti-permitted section of the Mississippi River floodwall.        

Back To Color

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Okay, yesterday's stark monochrome photo went over like the proverbial lead balloon. Let's turn back to color, and for a reason. By noon tomorrow I'll be in a much more colorful place than St. Louis. Details in Sunday morning's post.

These shots were taken a few steps from the location of yesterday's picture. That's the railroad bridge across the Mississippi I mentioned. Then I just turned around to take the other photo. Leonor K. Sullivan was a member of Congress from here a ways back. I like the name Wharf Street. It's solid, hard-working and simple. Gorgeous light.

By the way, Jarred Gastreich, the new local photoblogger I introduced on Tuesday, had me on his blog on Friday. Click here. We're getting him into CDP.

On Cherokee Street

Funky Cherokee, home to our small Hispanic community and a bunch of edgy art galleries. More interesting wall art has been popping up. This one got my attention. The patterns and design are so complex it is hard to interpret. The costumes look nearly Japanese. It kind of looks like a woman enveloping and perhaps strangling a smaller person. Then there is addition: crude, destructive, but also a bit witty.

Downtown St. Louis 365 advises you not to cross the barrier.

Brad, Servant Of The Lord

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I was cruising the riverfront late yesterday afternoon looking for images when my eyes were grabbed by a most unusual sight. A man stood on the stage under the Arch and just above the Mississippi, clad in pure white winter clothing, as if wearing arctic camouflage. He was standing in a posture similar to military parade rest, holding a mostly white flag. I had to meet him.

What was his name and why was he there? He said I should call him Brad, Servant of the Lord, and that he was standing there for the Lord Jesus Christ, available to pray with anyone who requested prayer. The Lord had spoken to him and he would be there, under the great monument along the mighty river, on Sundays from 10 to 4 until the Lord told him otherwise. And winter is coming.

He gave me a copy of a letter he had folded into his pocket, telling a touching story of how he came to his faith through the recovery from cancer of someone close to him. Inside the paper was a crisp dollar bill. The note contains the words In God We Trust and they were circled with a pink highlighter. I'll put in in one of the Salvation Army fund-raising kettles that are found in front of all our big stores at this time of year.

Willis

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I met Willis when I was wandering around the bleak area north of the Arch as sunset approached. He struck up a conversation, asking me about my heavy photo equipment and what I was doing. He told me that he sleeps in a cardboard lean-to between garages in the nearby entertainment area, Laclede's Landing. I asked him if the cops hassled him and he said, no, they know he doesn't cause any trouble. Not surprisingly, he asked if I could help him out to get something to eat. I did, knowing that such donations do not always turn into solid nourishment.

My intent was to shoot this entrance to the riverfront bike and walking trail in front of an old power plant. Willis asked if I would like to take his picture and of course I said sure, if I could use it on the web. He seemed flattered by this but a little confused about what he should do. A short time later I drove home. He walked.

Big Cheezy

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As introduced on Monday, this is Big Cheezy, head man of Mo Chedda Records and the hip hop group Big Throwed Muzic. I caught them taping a video at the graffiti-ok part of the floodwall along the Mississippi.

Big Cheezy is an imposing man. I'd guess he is 6 feet, 7 or 8 inches tall (200-203 cm) and at least 300 pounds / 135 kg., maybe more He's got some gold-capped teeth with star-pattern cut-outs. The other people in the group obviously treated him with respect. Despite his size, the guy sure can move, like here when he came out from the group to do a solo.

TOMORROW: Thursday Arch Series.

Big Throwed Muzic

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Some times the photography gods are cruel and sometimes they shower us with gifts. I spent some time at the office yesterday and then decided to see what there was to shoot on a dreary late afternoon. I had no ideas. When that happens I sometimes just drive around the riverfront around the Arch. What luck yesterday.

There were a bunch of people hanging out in front of the graffiti-permitted part of the floodwall with video equipment and lights. Skreeech over to the curb, grab camera from trunk and walk over to say howdy. Turns out it's the local hip hop group Big Throwed Muzic, led by Big Cheezy of Mo Chedda Records. They were out shooting a video with producer Da Fly Lady. These guys had it down. Big Cheezy, in the white tee shirt, is an imposing presence. More about him soon.