Night Moves

Arising early and heading downtown is one of my favorite pastimes.  I go to Demen's landing to take pictures of the city skyline and then move over to get Vinoy for sunrise shots.  Today's trip was a little different than usual, however.  As I will explain a little later.    

Demen's Landing consists of a park, playground, picnic area and public marina.  Looking out over the Bay one sees distant lights, to the right the Alfred Whitted Airport, and to the left the Pier.  If one turns around, then one sees this view, which is the place boaters put their craft into the water.  This dock is just next to it.   

I don't want to be boastful, but these are beautiful pictures courtesy of my new camera.  Today, I got here a little early.  Too early, apparently for the local authorities.  It wasn't long before a truck pulled up and wanted to know what I was doing.  Since I had a camera and tripod I was tempted to say "Just trying to get a little fishing in before the sun comes up.", but, instead stated the obvious.  He said there is surveillance all over the place and that it was a residential area.  He also said the park isn't open yet.  He then wanted to know how much longer I would be and replied, 10 minutes.  He said OK, and I just took a couple more before packing up, being the law abiding person I am.  Okay, I have done this many times and I finally get busted?  If you go over to the Vinoy there are joggers all over the place, but since I have wheels and a camera, I'm asked to leave?  Hmmm.  Sounds fishy.  

I turned around and took this shot of the airport, and left.  I was a bit miffed, but I wasn't done yet.

I decided to try some other early morning shots so I headed up Central Avenue and pulled the bike over.  This  building was a good subject so i took this and another  one below.  

This is a gated (that was unlocked) opening into a foyer of shops.  It was every bit as spooky as it looked.  One must be somewhat careful down here.  I wasn't factually correct in saying the downtown is deserted.   There is a small company of homeless that live down here, some of who sleep in Williams park which is about 2 blocks away from where this shot was taken.  I have no doubt that some cracks and crevices around here are occupied by them and I have no interest in tangling with them.  

I then turned around and took my camera and tripod out to the sidewalk to test exposures, apertures and f-stops.  (OK, I'm still learning - I let "auto" do all the thinking.)  In going around a few blocks to navigate the one way streets, I was a t a red light and I'll be damned if a young guy, a kid,really, who was walking across the street turned and started walking toward me.  Mind you I'm on a motorcycle, at a red light, with a helmet and he starts trying to talk.  It is the unmistakable shakedown routine many street people have down here.  "I've got all but 50 cents for a soda."  "Can you help me so I can get a cab and go to the hospital to see my mother?"  "Can you spare your change so I can take a bus for my medical appointment?"   I'm not proud of it, but I have in the past, when I see someone approaching will get a head start and before that have a chance, I ask them for their change.  This confuses them.   For some reason I have little or no patience with panhandlers (probably because it is a debasing occupation, which provides a great living for them - many of which make more in a year than I do).  I fill my karma jar in other ways.       

I liked this stuff and plan to do more soon.  In fact since I took these I went back and took quite possibly the best shots I have ever done.  You'll just have to be patient. 

I liked the lighting on the building and a real photographer could do so much more with this.  Baby steps.

Finally I decided to leave the area but if you'll notice in the top picture above, I actually went out into the middle of the street and took a 20 second exposure.  There is no traffic down here, and I could have stayed in this spot for another 15 minutes before a car came along.

The bottom picture is from the far southern tip of Vinoy Park looking back at the city.  I tinkered with the coloring a bit for this one.  Not sure if I like it or not.

In the next couple of weeks I'll post a second set of pictures that I'm giddy about.  They really turned out well I think.   Still waiting to get that shot of the country side from the North Henderson grain elevator at night.   Hmmm.  Any BFE'ers out there wanna climb up with me?  Maybe carry my tripod?  It's on my to-do list for my summer tour.