Home Town

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Shot from the plane during final approach into La Guardia. Did somebody say something about turning off electronic devices?

I've lived is St. Louis for a long time but I love the big city. For my taste, there couldn't have been a better place to grow up. It's just so stimulating. I love to go back. I'm just glad I don't have to pay to live there.

The towers of midtown are in the center (interpret the shadow of the cloud anyway you like). The East River is in front, Brooklyn and Queens at the bottom, separated by Newtown Creek. You can see a sliver of the Hudson River in the middle background. The dark stripe at the right center is Central Park.

Below, the financial district and the southern tip of Manhattan, followed by a view of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.

Sorry if there were not many comments yesterday. When this post goes up the Crowes, Wilsons, Marks and associated hangers-on may still be swilling my sister's planters punch. You know how that goes.

Flying

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That's what we're doing today. We fly from St. Louis to New York's La Guardia airport, pick up a car, drive across a bit of Queens, a bit of the Bronx, through upper Manhattan, across the George Washington Bridge and into New Jersey. The Crowes get together at my sister's big home in the suburbs almost every Fourth of July.

I was frantically cleaning my desk yesterday afternoon when I heard a lot of noise outside. Pilots were practicing for the air show this weekend at Fair St. Louis (which I'm never home to see). The aerobats were tracing more parabolas around the Arch. I whipped out my point-n-shoot and got this. Good enough.

I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles

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Another street portrait from Pridefest. Looks like an appropriate thing to do at this event.

Thursday Arch Series

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Most of my Arch shots try to look at the monument in some new way. Here I just added a prop, a big helicopter from the recent Marine Week.

Downtown St. Louis 365 wishes you peace and cool feet.

Pridefest: Portraits

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People on the street at Pridefest. I ask permission to photograph individual people in public. Most say yes, a few decline, but at Pridefest nobody has a problem with it. Just be polite and friendly.

I'm thinking of Bobbi Lane, my portraits teacher at the Maine Media Workshops, as I write this. I could never have made these pictures without her instruction and inspiration. Best teacher I ever had in my life for anything.

Downtown St. Lois 365 observes, sits, sips and mends.

Pridefest

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Last Sunday brought one of St. Louis' best photo-ops of the year, the Pridefest Parade. It's late Monday as I write this and I don't have time to tell the tale, but there are a lot more good images to come.

Downtown St. Louis 365 is neither Freudian or Jungian.

Much Better Than The Marines

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If you had to be under attack, which would you prefer, the Marines pictured over the last few days or these gentle warriors? Someone organized a public water balloon fight down on Cherokee Street Saturday afternoon. Honestly, it wasn't very well publicized (but I got the word). Ten people turned up, plus me. What it lacked in size it made up for in enthusiasm. Bigger and better next year.

You have to pass the bar exam to be in the picture on Downtown St. Louis 365.