Episode 2: Music in the Park
Posted by Red | Filed under Challenge, Everyday, Music
Attend a free concert at Peavey Plaza. Play in the fountains, people-watch, enjoy the music. Take photographs of yourself at this location. Describe the music being played – including which group/musician you saw. Would you consider purchasing music by the artist? What about other music in the same genre?
The Minnesota Orchestra hosts an annual event known as Sommerfest. These concerts span every genre of music (or close to it) and focus on an easy-breezy, light, intro to certain types of music. Three solid weeks of music smashed into Peavey Plaza and Orchestra Hall.
This episode in life focuses on trying out music… something new to do. After scanning the artists available to view I settled on Halloween Alaska as the artist for me to see. (Yes I will probably go see Ticket to Brasil too because who can resist bossa nova, whatever, posting about this one first)
Halloween, Alaska is not a new band to me. I’ve heard their stuff, enjoy the beats, all that. Yet I’d not heard them live nor had I gone to concert completely alone in a very long time. Yes alone – me, my camera, and a library book hanging out in the plaza at sunset.
As the band warmed up, the plaza filled with couples and groups – grabbing snacks from the vendors around the area, settling into plastic chairs and the concrete risers. Patrons from the concert inside Orchestra Hall streamed out to be greeted by these guys from around town and their indie rock goodness. The smooth melodies and eccentric beat filled the air – it’s a sound I really don’t tire of.
Sitting alone at a concert allows you to envelope yourself in the sound, no worries to what your companion is doing or thinking. I found myself focused on the drummer most of the night and how his joy of his art radiated under the white canopy. I could feel his energy from my concrete seat. I found myself smiling along through the entire set. For this reason alone I think I will pick up their newest album the next time I’m at the Electric Fetus. I could use more chill music in my collection.
I did spend the time playing with the new camera reminding myself how little I know about aperature and focus and megapixels and shooting at night. As such, the photos of me at the venue were horrific (if not just shots of blurry darkness). The four photos in this post are truly the only that turned out of the 89 photos I shot that night. Less than 5% success rate. Eh, I’m learning right?
So I leave you with my final shot of downtown – 12th St & Nicollet Ave around 10:30p on a gorgeous Friday night.
Significant Upgrade
Posted by Red | Filed under Everyday
An artists tools are important – an extension of self, a way to express, well, you know, the stuff. Am I an artist? No. Nor do I pretend to be. I continue to claim to be just a girl who’s living.
With that, however, I must say that the tools I’ve been using for the last howevermanyyears have died. My handy Canon A series I received as a gift so many years ago died last year. I was rocking out with a hand-me-down from my sister after that even though the camera never felt right. My mother-in-law gifted us a beautiful SLR with lenses though its film and hard to lug around. The right tools for me? Not at all.
Last week I purchased this baby. It arrived in the mail today – brand new FujiFilm Finepix S1800. The best camera? Nope – just a huge upgrade (mostly because it works when you hit the buttons). I’ve wanted to replace my tools for over a year… just took me a while to do it.
After screwing around with it a bit – I declare this to be the first real photo taken with the camera:
She really is a good dog, eh?
And with that – I am off to photograph yet another adventure!
