The strange thing about having both a smartphone + legit camera (5D Mark II) - it’s easier to take out your phone then stand around fiddling with camera settings.

I didn’t take that many photos during my weekend adventure, but I imagine ill have plenty of time for more photo opps. I’m thinking about find an NYC photo meetup group I can bum around with during my free time.

(When viewing non-mobile site - click the arrow button things to view ALL the photos, but I’m sure you already know that.)

Not only is the art museum in St. Louis free, but you can sit and stare at Monet’s “Water Lillies” like you’re the edgiest person in the world.

The structure was built for the 1904 World’s Fair. They used an Ohio artist to give the campus that “look”. You know, the one where if you turned off all electricity, you could light the place with candlelight and be transported to a classic era.

To add to that flavor, King Louis IX greets you on horseback. Well, he’s a statue but that’s no bother.

I guess what really tugs at my mind is that the museum is free and its home to modern art relics by Monet, Picasso and Van Gogh. Is it strange to think that I didn’t realize this city could handle those names? I thought they were reserved for Europe or maybe New York City.

Not even the art museum in Seattle or Spokane is free. Nor do they have the Roman inspiration in architecture. Somebody is getting the shaft - I wonder who?

We hastened through the museum because there was only 20 minutes until closing. A secret hope blossomed that we’d be locked inside overnight, but something tells me that would become a sensationalized news story instead of the romantic escapade I was looking for.

Apparently I’ve had elves partying on my lawn and I wasn’t invited. There’s a “fairy ring” growing in the grass and it gives me that spooky feeling.  Fairy rings also occupy a prominent place in European folklore as the location of gateways into elfin kingdoms, or places where elves gather and dance. According to the folklore, a fairy ring appears when a fairy, pixie, or elf appears. It will disappear without trace in less than five days, but if an observer waits for the elf to return to the ring, he or she may be able to capture it.
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Apparently I’ve had elves partying on my lawn and I wasn’t invited. There’s a “fairy ring” growing in the grass and it gives me that spooky feeling. 

Fairy rings also occupy a prominent place in European folklore as the location of gateways into elfin kingdoms, or places where elves gather and dance. According to the folklore, a fairy ring appears when a fairy, pixie, or elf appears. It will disappear without trace in less than five days, but if an observer waits for the elf to return to the ring, he or she may be able to capture it.

Source: Wikipedia

During every trip to the Westside, it’s easy to just cast it off as another trip and do the same old shopping runs to pick up random things at Ikea, Crate and Barrel and Whole Foods. Those are things Spokane does not have and does not mean it should have. 

One thing Spokane lacks, a beach. Mulkiteo State Park is one of many vantage points to the Puget Sound that Mike had never seen. A trip was needed toward sundown. Seattle families gathered at the park for camp fires and barbecues. We came back smelling like smoke because of that by the way. 

The park is lined with piles of drift wood where it’s easy to find a secluded log and watch the sunset. It’s also where a Seattle woman brings her cat for walks. That’s how we met the intense beach kitty. He belongs to Jacqueline Layke who is pitching a feature film: Square Heart.

I’m pretty sure Instagram was designed for the open road. It’s the perfect boredom-fixer-upper for a photographer who doesn’t want to shoot high quality photos through a car window.

From the Highway 195 interchange to Interstate 90 and the Vantage Bridge crossing the Columbia River, it’s hard not to find something to photograph. Even if it’s just a farm or irrigation device. 

“Carography” is when you truly realize that the state of Washington is beautiful no matter where you are.

Now those are some big mushrooms

I kept seeing these giant mushrooms growing in the station’s parking lot. Since I’ve been playing Diablo 3 lately, I couldn’t help but not notice them. It’s hard to miss giant black-ish mushrooms.

Some did not believe how big they were just by their photos alone. I used my 16 oz latte to show a little perspective. I then contacted the Puget Sound Mycological Society to help identify this mystery.

Turns out they belong to the GENUS coprinus. Their common name is Inky Caps. When the gills begin to welt or “deliquesce”, they leak “black ink” which is actually used by artists for art. When the gills are pure white, they’re edible.

Strangely enough, the mushrooms are also poisonous, but only when consumed with alcohol. 

The Stuff of Legends — Legend has it this couch has been passed around from one Spokane journalist to another. Now the cushy green couch has made its new home at @SpoCats HQ. It’s the new hang out for the moonlighting newsies notoriously known to crash neighborhood meetings with their kitteh shenanigans. We don’t know how they do it, but they tweet too. Weird, right? According to our sources, the couch was passed down from a Spokesman Review reporter to a former web producer. It was then handed off to a SR web developer and now it belongs to cats. I guess that’s the nature of things. App: Instagram Filter: Rise Contrast: Increased
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The Stuff of Legends —

Legend has it this couch has been passed around from one Spokane journalist to another. Now the cushy green couch has made its new home at @SpoCats HQ.

It’s the new hang out for the moonlighting newsies notoriously known to crash neighborhood meetings with their kitteh shenanigans. We don’t know how they do it, but they tweet too. Weird, right?

According to our sources, the couch was passed down from a Spokesman Review reporter to a former web producer. It was then handed off to a SR web developer and now it belongs to cats.

I guess that’s the nature of things.

App: Instagram

Filter: Rise

Contrast: Increased

While on the scene of a story, it’s not possible for me to send back photos on my 5D. That’s where the iPhone comes in handy. It’s becoming a regular habit for me to take an Instagrammed shot of my favorite photo as a preview. The tweets also start by saying “photo of a photo…”.  Someone told me it makes the photo look realistically old from the 70s. With the added coloring of the Instagram filters, I can see that. The above shot is from Thursday’s Milk Bottle soft opening.  North Spokane | KXLY Seven months after a destructive fire ripped through the Garland District restaurant, burgers are grilling and ice cream is shaking to the tune of thank you to the firefighters of Spokane Fire Department who responded on September 25th. I crossed the street in the nick of time (without jaywalking) to photograph two fire trucks approaching the same intersection at the same time. I was stoked about the shot. Which is why I was eager to show some aspect of it - hence the photo of a photo. I’m not sure if it’s a decent portfolio shot, but I’m very pleased with the content of the photo. Two fire trucks, one milk bottle and a random television photog hanging out behind the street sign. It doesn’t get much better than that.
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While on the scene of a story, it’s not possible for me to send back photos on my 5D. That’s where the iPhone comes in handy. It’s becoming a regular habit for me to take an Instagrammed shot of my favorite photo as a preview. The tweets also start by saying “photo of a photo…”. 

Someone told me it makes the photo look realistically old from the 70s. With the added coloring of the Instagram filters, I can see that. The above shot is from Thursday’s Milk Bottle soft opening. 

North Spokane | KXLY

Seven months after a destructive fire ripped through the Garland District restaurant, burgers are grilling and ice cream is shaking to the tune of thank you to the firefighters of Spokane Fire Department who responded on September 25th.

I crossed the street in the nick of time (without jaywalking) to photograph two fire trucks approaching the same intersection at the same time. I was stoked about the shot. Which is why I was eager to show some aspect of it - hence the photo of a photo.

I’m not sure if it’s a decent portfolio shot, but I’m very pleased with the content of the photo. Two fire trucks, one milk bottle and a random television photog hanging out behind the street sign. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Post sushi wine. We sat at Nectar Tasting Room listening to a guitarist. We tried to determine the very moment he would switch over to the loop. The light came in just right at a 7:30 p.m. angle near the couches. While swirling the wine, ambient lights captured nicely in the liquid vibrations of a Hiney red blend.  To capture a similar effect, swirl your wine like you would any red. Let go of the glass and immediately snap a photo while it’s still circling around the glass. Smokey effect that captures any reflections in the room. App: Instagram Filter: Kelvin
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Post sushi wine.

We sat at Nectar Tasting Room listening to a guitarist. We tried to determine the very moment he would switch over to the loop. The light came in just right at a 7:30 p.m. angle near the couches. While swirling the wine, ambient lights captured nicely in the liquid vibrations of a Hiney red blend. 

To capture a similar effect, swirl your wine like you would any red. Let go of the glass and immediately snap a photo while it’s still circling around the glass. Smokey effect that captures any reflections in the room.

App: Instagram

Filter: Kelvin

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