Saint Louis Daily Photo In Detroit - More From Heidelberg Street

Is a picture really worth a thousand words? Then just some more images. The only place I've ever seen that approaches this is Rhyolite, Nevada.     

 

The Heidelberg Project

You can't believe it until you see it. On a couple of desolate blocks in Detroit, a local resident has developed a huge display of American culture, social criticism and whimsy. It's been evolving over 30 years. The name is from the city street, not the German city (I kept hearing Brahms' Academic Festival Overture in my head as I walked around.) Lots more of this to show and talk about but the family is on the way out for the day. For now, have a look here and here.       

Detroit Loves You

I've stayed in some unusual, interesting places over the years, like a Chinese army tent in Tibet and my great-grandfather's simple farmhouse in rural Ireland. Gotta say, though, that the Detroit Loves You Guest House is right up there.The neighborhood is called Piety Hill, a name derived from a row of magnificent churches on a local street (which, since I just got in, I have yet to locate). It epitomizes the calamitous fall and new resurgence of the Motor City. The neighborhood has homes that are just hanging in, derelict structures and beautiful rehabs. 

This guest house was the first AirBnB listing in Detroit. The dining space is a working foosball table covered by a plank of wood. Plenty of space for my granddaughters to jump and a produce market around the corner irrigating what in St. Louis we know as a food desert.

On the street with my camera in Detroit today.

Synchronized

Just a quickie thrown together at an STL airport hotel with more of the Chinese acrobats. Very early flight this morning for a family trip. We'll be in the Motor City this afternoon to meet our son, daughter-in-law and the other granddaughter. We don't know the place at all.

Demon? Bad Clown? Evil King?

Given my limited knowledge of Chinese culture (I once ran into Kobe Bryant at the Nike store in Beijing amidst a mob of young men, which was instructive), I found it hard to understand this performer. He swirled around the stage, stopping to strike these poses. The face mask changed frequently, although I cannot tell you the meanings. The overall effect was hostile. Looked pretty cool, though. You could win a Halloween costume contest dressed like this.    

 

Out Of The Question

I sat for a long time on the ground in front of the amphitheater in the botanical garden watching and shooting Chinese acrobats. Some of them, particularly this woman, were mind boggling. They must learn this from early childhood and look like they could put many a yoga master to shame. Not that I know anything about yoga. I'm about as flexible as a match stick.       

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.