I'm curious what this is? Is it simply art, or does it serve some function?
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Excellent question! An acquaintance of mine, Steph Berg clued me in on them some months back. (Immediately before I took the picture, in fact. Which is probably why I took it.) It's a bee house intended for a variety of small wild bee called the Mason bee. You can buy them at your favorite internet retailer or (hopefully) your more hip and with it local retailer. Mason bees have some significant advantages. They're not susceptible to varroa mites, and I believe they're also not suffering from the colony collapse phenomenon. If nothing else, they certainly help to increase the diversity of urban bees, which is good. Commercial beekeeping has, apparently, been a little too much of a single cultivar kind of operation, and there's a lot of amateurs in it now that don't treat, so herd immunity is . . . gone. Mason bees help with that.framer wrote: I'm curious what this is? Is it simply art, or does it serve some function?
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Anyway . . . it serves a function, though it was apparently unoccupied at the time. (And I saw no sign describing it, which surprises me.)
I don't know that this is exactly the right place to put it, but it's local (cinema)tography. And it's mine. So . . . yeah. My thread. My (moving) pictures. Heck, quite a few of the pictures are my stinking house. Which is a decent enough example of the local vernacular, I think. (And there are a few landmarks in the thing.) A word of warning first: this is classical music, since that's what I do. (I bill myself a composer, poet, and roustabout. Thus the "symphonicpoet" moniker.) You have been warned. It's my "classical" music, but that's the bin I belong in. (There's no place like home.)
(And either way, I'm curious what you think of my new hobby. I've always liked photography and I've worked in theatre for a long stinking time. But cell phone cinematography is a new thing. Hopefully well lit, composed, and edited cell phone movie making, but . . . it was a cell phone. Seriously. Honest to god. Top to bottom. Only recording device used. Only one owned in the Empty Pocket Studios.)
I give you "Slate Grey Skies" by D. . . . or, um, symphonicpoet.
(And either way, I'm curious what you think of my new hobby. I've always liked photography and I've worked in theatre for a long stinking time. But cell phone cinematography is a new thing. Hopefully well lit, composed, and edited cell phone movie making, but . . . it was a cell phone. Seriously. Honest to god. Top to bottom. Only recording device used. Only one owned in the Empty Pocket Studios.)
I give you "Slate Grey Skies" by D. . . . or, um, symphonicpoet.
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Again, thank you. It was a lot of work, but it was also quite a bit of fun. It's always pleasant to make something you feel is pretty. And I do like grey days. 
A few more additions:
I keep trying to make a new version of this one, to correct some of the flaws, but no matter how much I try, I still like the original better. The rain just hasn't worked out the same way since, lighting wise.
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Not quite the same without the rain
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Rock Church - St. Alphonsus Liguori
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The Fabulous Fox
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Pope St. Pius V
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The Tivoli
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Pin Up Bowl
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The Cemetery Gate at Tower Grove
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The fork in the road a little ways from there. (Little bit of trivia for you: Trivium means three roads. Goddesses at crossroads had a tricksy habit of asking hard questions.)
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I keep trying to make a new version of this one, to correct some of the flaws, but no matter how much I try, I still like the original better. The rain just hasn't worked out the same way since, lighting wise.
Not quite the same without the rain
Rock Church - St. Alphonsus Liguori
The Fabulous Fox
Pope St. Pius V
The Tivoli
Pin Up Bowl
The Cemetery Gate at Tower Grove
The fork in the road a little ways from there. (Little bit of trivia for you: Trivium means three roads. Goddesses at crossroads had a tricksy habit of asking hard questions.)
And I suppose I might as well toss in a couple of videos . . .
Here's a piece called "Something Jazzy." Very short. One minute. Lots of neon signs.
And this is a poem called "Walking." Also short. Tower Grove shots. Music free.
Here's a piece called "Something Jazzy." Very short. One minute. Lots of neon signs.
And this is a poem called "Walking." Also short. Tower Grove shots. Music free.
symphonicpoet wrote: ↑Oct 26, 2017
I keep trying to make a new version of this one, to correct some of the flaws, but no matter how much I try, I still like the original better. The rain just hasn't worked out the same way since, lighting wise.
- 6,118
Yeah, that's what I want. But on the first night I didn't have an umbrella, so I'd have just gotten my camera soaked. Even that cruddy through the windshield shot is still the best I can do. But I'll keep trying. That is a classic view. And it looks almost as good now as ever. They need to put some good signage on the Angad. Something bright and flashy that would have been thought of as tasteless back in the day. Some showbiz.
Anyway . . . my wife is doing the SLU business thing at the moment, so I'm up there most nights again. More shots of the neighborhood will doubtless follow. (Always liked it up there anyway.)
A few from the recent trip to New Jersey. (Don't worry. I'm only posting the St. Louis pictures here . . . )
Started my journey on the No. 70 bus, but ended up on Metrolink soon enough.
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And I got to Terminal 2 more than a little on the early side. (On purpose. Just so I could take pictures.)
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My return brought me back to E-38. I should have been seeing TWA red. Oh well. That moving walkway? It serves a purpose. Not just there for my entertainment. Also for the folks that had to connect to PHI at E-29. (Yes. WN was using E-29. Seriously. They're using every gate over there at least periodically. I much suspect they could really use more.)
Started my journey on the No. 70 bus, but ended up on Metrolink soon enough.
And I got to Terminal 2 more than a little on the early side. (On purpose. Just so I could take pictures.)
My return brought me back to E-38. I should have been seeing TWA red. Oh well. That moving walkway? It serves a purpose. Not just there for my entertainment. Also for the folks that had to connect to PHI at E-29. (Yes. WN was using E-29. Seriously. They're using every gate over there at least periodically. I much suspect they could really use more.)
A couple small additions. First, while dropping off my partner in crime at SLU the other night I took the opportunity to duck into St. Frank Xavier:
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On the way home I was running some errand or other and took a detour down Shaw to look at Wild Carrot's new digs. (Which I posted to Cinema Treasures.):
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http://photos.cinematreasures.org/produ ... 1517547288
Had some mailing to do tonight, so I took the opportunity to try to correct the deficiencies of my last visit to the post office:
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(I don't know why, but that brass door really fascinates me.)
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On the way home I was running some errand or other and took a detour down Shaw to look at Wild Carrot's new digs. (Which I posted to Cinema Treasures.):
http://photos.cinematreasures.org/produ ... 1517547288
Had some mailing to do tonight, so I took the opportunity to try to correct the deficiencies of my last visit to the post office:
(I don't know why, but that brass door really fascinates me.)
- 6,118
^ Thank you Ken. There's a lot to like around here. The place needs some work, but there's a lot of lovely and whimsy to be found.
On that note: a few new ones from a trip to the airport to drop off my partner in crime, who flew overseas to help her family out. (I'm incredibly jealous right now, as she's doing perpetual summer, delicious food, and soon beaches. But . . . I will survive. This is the first time I didn't go, so I'll get to go back soon enough, I expect. Nice to have family in paradise.)
So this isn't paradise, just the airport. But if you squint right, it's the gateway to paradise.
A little bit of Southwest Terminal 2
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A little bit of Metrolink for you.
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A little bit of tile to make your day.
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Nucleic Life Formation by Amy Cheng.
A really awesome wall to point your way.
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Black Americans in Flight by Spencer Taylor and Solomon Thurman.
A little bit of T 1 in the sun.
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(Sort of. It was early.)
A little bit of . . . Yeah, it's the same thing, but from the other side.
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I keep searching for the right way to photograph this. I've been enamored of this place ever since I can remember, of standing by the windows in the main terminal and watching planes. The place felt like glory. It feels smaller now, but it is still the gateway to paradise so . . .
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So anyway . . . There you go. Depending on what piece of paradise you want there will be layovers, but hey, that's true from anywhere to somewhere. And somewhere to anywhere. Made my little contribution to O&D to Asia, anyway. Pushed the number up by one. It will be two next time. I swear. I am not staying home willingly twice in a row.
(And hey, I have a heck of a lot more lifetime miles. She's entitled to some catch-up.)
There's a lot to like around here. The place needs some work, but there's a lot of lovely and whimsy to be found.On that note: a few new ones from a trip to the airport to drop off my partner in crime, who flew overseas to help her family out. (I'm incredibly jealous right now, as she's doing perpetual summer, delicious food, and soon beaches. But . . . I will survive. This is the first time I didn't go, so I'll get to go back soon enough, I expect. Nice to have family in paradise.)
So this isn't paradise, just the airport. But if you squint right, it's the gateway to paradise.
A little bit of Southwest Terminal 2
A little bit of Metrolink for you.
A little bit of tile to make your day.
Nucleic Life Formation by Amy Cheng.
A really awesome wall to point your way.
Black Americans in Flight by Spencer Taylor and Solomon Thurman.
A little bit of T 1 in the sun.
(Sort of. It was early.)
A little bit of . . . Yeah, it's the same thing, but from the other side.
I keep searching for the right way to photograph this. I've been enamored of this place ever since I can remember, of standing by the windows in the main terminal and watching planes. The place felt like glory. It feels smaller now, but it is still the gateway to paradise so . . .
So anyway . . . There you go. Depending on what piece of paradise you want there will be layovers, but hey, that's true from anywhere to somewhere. And somewhere to anywhere. Made my little contribution to O&D to Asia, anyway. Pushed the number up by one. It will be two next time. I swear. I am not staying home willingly twice in a row.
(And hey, I have a heck of a lot more lifetime miles. She's entitled to some catch-up.)Are the Reinhardt murals still out there, and are they anywhere near the Taylor/Thurman piece?
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^^SP - That last one is excellent. I don't think I've ever seen a shot of the main terminal look so good.
- 6,118
I did not notice them, now that you mention it. The Flight mural might have been moved to SLU in 2010. I'm having a hard time finding any recent news of it at all. It wouldn't be the first time significant airport art was moved elsewhere for better display, but this one would be extremely sad. Was it not originally all along the south wall of the baggage claim area? That's all lightboxes, information signs, and temporary displays now. It could be airside, but . . . I cannot find any record of it. I think I've been conflating childhood memories of that with the Black Americans in Flight mural, now that you mention it, since I'd thought the latter was much older than it was. And the two would have been especially fitting together. I'll ask around.
I . . . uh . . . *gulp* . . . Thank you!San Luis Native wrote: ^^SP - That last one is excellent. I don't think I've ever seen a shot of the main terminal look so good.
Update for Framer:
In the course of all this I spoke to one of the airports representatives. Apparently the Reinhardt murals never belonged to the airport. They must have been on long term loan. They were apparently given to SLU in 2010. It wasn't clear to me if that was another loan or a gift, so I'm not at all sure of who actually owns them now, or whether they are on display, but they are sadly not at the airport. Might be worth contacting someone over at SLU's art museum and enquiring. They're such enormous pieces I'm not completely sure where SLU would put them. Ah well.framer wrote: Are the Reinhardt murals still out there, and are they anywhere near the Taylor/Thurman piece?
New day. New photos. New camera, even, this time.
(Which . . . could make phone calls? If I put a sim card in and paid for a contract? But I like it better as just a camera anyway.)
But first, one old pic with the camera I actually use to make phone calls:
(Just to get things in one place.)
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And now for the new: This is officially a phone. But . . it's a frigging 40 megapixel phone. That really IS better than my SLR.
A few test shots around the Coronado
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Somewhere nearby . . .
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Was blundering around downtown after lunch with a bunch of chemists who had worked in a nearby brownfield. This is a subject I've shot many times before. And the light wasn't great. But hey, it's still a top notch spot . . .
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As proof that our love affair with all things automotive is bone-fide and goes back a long way . . .
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And back to the DSLR for a sec, just for comparison. The phone is spectacular, but sometimes a longer lens is a darn nice thing. Gives you a flatter perspective, among other things.
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Yeah yeah, I keep shooting that stupid street over and over and over again. But . . . it's pretty. I'm getting closer.
(Which . . . could make phone calls? If I put a sim card in and paid for a contract? But I like it better as just a camera anyway.)
But first, one old pic with the camera I actually use to make phone calls:
(Just to get things in one place.)
And now for the new: This is officially a phone. But . . it's a frigging 40 megapixel phone. That really IS better than my SLR.
A few test shots around the Coronado
Somewhere nearby . . .
Was blundering around downtown after lunch with a bunch of chemists who had worked in a nearby brownfield. This is a subject I've shot many times before. And the light wasn't great. But hey, it's still a top notch spot . . .
As proof that our love affair with all things automotive is bone-fide and goes back a long way . . .
And back to the DSLR for a sec, just for comparison. The phone is spectacular, but sometimes a longer lens is a darn nice thing. Gives you a flatter perspective, among other things.
Yeah yeah, I keep shooting that stupid street over and over and over again. But . . . it's pretty. I'm getting closer.
One small addition:
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Nothing quite like a nice glass of Stammtisch.
Nothing quite like a nice glass of Stammtisch.
A few more . . .
This was a week or so back, but I failed to include it:
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What with all the Lambert shots now I really do feel like I'm "up in the air." Just need to go shoot some pictures of Mansion House and we'll be good. Well, that and actually fly a little more.
But yesterday. Had a task downtown. Made the most of it:
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Don't let the direction of the pilot fool you. The darn thing was backing up. I missed a better shot by a matter of thirty seconds or so.
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This was a week or so back, but I failed to include it:
What with all the Lambert shots now I really do feel like I'm "up in the air." Just need to go shoot some pictures of Mansion House and we'll be good. Well, that and actually fly a little more.
But yesterday. Had a task downtown. Made the most of it:
Don't let the direction of the pilot fool you. The darn thing was backing up. I missed a better shot by a matter of thirty seconds or so.
- 6,118
^Thank you Shadrach. I'm definitely feeling like I haven't taken enough rail pics of late. Needs correcting. There's a whole new generation of motive power out there now. Somehow I'm going to get the holy trinity of planes, trains, and great buildings. Working on the logistics.
When I was freelancing downtown last summer, I'd drive in on 18th street getting a good view of the station.
Every morning the River Runner was there with the new Charger loco and two baggage cars at the end, the last in the Phase III scheme—head and tail from two different eras. Always wanted to get a shot of that.
Every morning the River Runner was there with the new Charger loco and two baggage cars at the end, the last in the Phase III scheme—head and tail from two different eras. Always wanted to get a shot of that.