RETURN OF THE PEOPLE'S JOY PARADE

Today marks the return of one of St. Louis' happiest, wackiest events, the People's Joy Parade, after a two year Covid absence. This is a picture from the archives showing local artist Sarah Paulsen, who founded the event and directed it for a number of years. It's now in new hands as it prepares to roll again.

It has few rules and a "hey, kids, let's put on a show!" feel. My daughter and granddaughter will be marching with our friends from Artica while I run up and down snapping. Lots of images to come.     

MORE OF SAME

Another wildflower from Forest Park in infrared. It's what I got, but you can create dramatic effects with a little work in Photoshop.         

IR FLORAL CLOSEUP

Still walking around Forest Park with my infrared-modified camera. I brought a macro or close-up lens. This flower was tiny, no more than two or three centimeters across, but the lens produced fine details. The color, light-dark tonality and contrast involved significant Photoshop tricks too complicated to describe here.             

WANDERING IN INFRARED

The blog needs feeding and my cupboard was bare. Yesterday was gray and blustery and I didn't have an idea in my head so I took my infrared camera to Forest Park to see what there was to see. I don't have all the technical aspects of this down by any means but I do like the alien look.                        

DOGWOOD IN IR

Springtime dogwood in front of my house, shot in infrared. It's a fun exercise if you have a camera that has had its sensor modified. I need to get back out on the street with the regular camera but it looks like a wet week.            

MADELEINE MONDAY

After a two year Covid suspension, this Saturday brings the return of a unique and wonderful St. Louis event, the People's Joy Parade (excessive number of pictures from past years here). Every kind of St. Louisan gathers in one of our odder neighborhoods and struts down the street in every kind of costume for the pure fun of it - no other reason.

My friends at Artica always always have something interesting. This year it's a giant abstract dragonfly mounted to the top of an old car. Those of us marching along will have oversized pinwheels to pass out to the crowd. There have been weekend sessions to get things ready. Ellie and I went on Saturday and she was given the job of painting the pinwheel sticks. As you can see, she took it very seriously. If you ask her, she will tell you that she is going to be an artist when  she grows up.        

CITY DAILY PHOTO MAY THEME DAY - SHADOWS

There is no more iconic shadow in my city. This was taken from the observation deck on top of the Arch, 630 feet / 192 meters above the ground, and therefore even farther from the Mississippi River. The horizontal bands in the center foreground are a series of large staircases leading from the Arch grounds to the street below, and it's usually farther still to the water (although the river level looks high to me in this one). 

And remember, the June theme is the road.