Thar Be Monsters

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This is the same dragon as in Sunday's post, old Mr. Dinner Plates, this time illuminated at night. In the background we see the Climatron, the Missouri Botanical Garden's remarkable geodesic dome that contains four different climate zones. The beast sits in a reflecting pool, normally filled with water lilies, now given over to a man-made version. The wind died and the pool became like glass late in the evening, perfect to catch the moment when the dragon began to belch smoke.

Dragons

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These three dragons were part of one of the more spectacular displays at the Lantern Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The one in the middle is roaring at us. I've got a couple of pix that show the whole construction but I haven't had time to do much editing. Various signs told us that there is a hierarchy in Chinese dragon images. Only the emperor can use dragons with five claws. The nobility get four. Peons, if they get any dragons at all, are limited to three claws. 

Sorry about how few comments I've been leaving. Same reason there are many shots from Maine and this festival waiting to be edited. Just been bombed at work since I got home. And my son, Andy, is in town from Chicago for a couple of days. So many photos, so much Photoshop, so little time.

I'd Be Happy If I Were A Cartoon, Too

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Happy Chinese prince and princess, happy (but scary large) bird, happy flowers, mostly happy visitors in the background. The Garden made the wise decision to limit the number of tickets sold each evening. A lot fewer people walked into my shots than I expected. (Maybe photographers should wear orange vests on some occasions, like road workers, so people notice us and stay the %$#*% away from the front of the lens.)

Before Dark

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The Missouri Botanical Garden is a wondrous place to visit on its own but the Lantern Festival has really drawn in the crowds. You can see the lanterns - more like very creative Chinese-themed sculptures with lights - during the day but it's just not the same. The garden has closed at 5 PM this summer, re-opening for the evening spectacular at 6. By the way, the show closes on August 19. Locals, you owe it to yourself to get over there quickly.

There are worthwhile sights at twilight. The photo above is part of a dragon set in the reflecting pool in front of the Climatron, seen in yesterday's second picture. Note that the scales are made of plates. Its whiskers are formed from cups, as we shall see soon.

First below, electrified glass and plastic waterlilies replace the real thing in a still lily pond.

Bottom, Buddha keeps watch over St. Louis at sunset. The town could use that for real. Any deity. Take your pick, but watch over us.

NEWS FLASH: a new show, [context]Texture opened in the main gallery of Art St. Louis last night. It features 52 works by St. Louis area artists reflecting the theme. Two of my photographs were accepted. I FINALLY SOLD SOMETHING, the picture on the left of a woman standing on the levee watching the Mississippi on a cold day. YIPPIE! I've been in a bunch of group shows over the last five years or so and never sold a thing. About time.

Does St. Louis Have Buddha Nature?

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Mrs. C and I finally got to the Lantern Festival last night at the Missouri Botanical. It's made up of interesting sculpture by day and glowing giant lanterns on Chinese themes after dark. It's late (again) so just a couple of quick snaps. I got so much good stuff I can milk this subject for days.

Do You Prefer Claws or Legs?

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Okay, so I broke my streak yesterday. It had been a particularly long and annoying day at work. The life-force had been sucked out of me, my chakras looked like a freeway interchange in Los Angeles and my eyes were heavy, unmoving and set at about f 1.4. I began to edit more Maine pix looking for something to post but fell sound asleep over my laptop. No post.

Things are a bit better today. This is an image taken at the Maine Lobster Festival that my teacher and classmates liked. Something here is definitely not right. Do you see it?

Big photo-op tonight. Mrs. C and I are going to the amazing Chinese Lantern Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Check out a short promo video here.

The Perils Of Photography School

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As mentioned, some more stuff from Maine until I get new local material. Actually, these are photos others took of me last week.

I was disoriented at the beginning of the workshop. Days of sleep deficit and way too much new technical info to absorb. Our teaching assistant took the picture above on the central street of Camden, Maine, in imminent danger of being run over. Photographers better pay attention to more than their exposure or the f may stop then and there.

Below, me fascinated with a beer bottle. The beer brand was Andrew, my son's name, and it was made right there in Nobleboro, Maine. Below, a picture of me on the pier in the town of Belfast. It was taken by Pierre, a photographer from Montreal, who was out shooting at the same location. He took my picture, I took his.