Worldwide Photowalk 2017

Before getting to Worldwide Photowalk day, I have to mention that the opening play at the Fox Theatre this year is The Bodyguard. As much as I enjoyed the film version starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, I had a hard time thinking that a theater performance could come close to replicating the movie. I was so wrong. This production is magical, with phenomenal dancing, singing and acting. I think I summed it up best in my tweet, "The Bodyguard is a concert within a play!"

Saturday was Worldwide Photowalk day. This was the tenth year in a row that professional photographer Scott Kelby from Florida has encouraged photographers from around the world to get together to walk, shoot photos and have fun with other photographers. I had never heard of it before, but one of the gals in our Women in Focus group signed up to be a group leader in St. Louis, and set up a walk at the National Museum of Transportation.

Jim decided to come with me since it would be a mixed group of photographers and not just women from my group. There were 15 of us at the museum, shown in the picture which was taken by a passing stranger. While I knew a few of them, many I met for the first time. What a nice group of people!

At the museum, we all kind of went our own ways to take pictures. I had not been to the museum in years, and was surprised by how much more has been added since the last time I was there. For the $8 admission fee, you certainly get to see a lot of cars, trains, bicycles, a couple boats and even a plane. Twelve of us met again at the entrance at noon and headed out to eat. Amazingly, we found a restaurant that could seat us, despite the fact that it was lunchtime on a Saturday. Jim and I hope to do more meetups with these photographers in the future.

National Museum of Transportation

Circus Flora - Under the Big Top

Circus Flora

Based in St. Louis since 1987, Circus Flora is a one-ring circus styled on the old Eastern European circuses. Set to live music, there are acrobatics, animal shows, jugglers, tumblers, magicians and clowns. The performances in St. Louis generally run from late May through the month of June. On Saturday, June 13th the circus opened its morning rehearsals to "Artists Under the Big Top". For the small fee of $10, visual artists could watch rehearsals and walk around the back lot of the circus. It was part fund-raiser for the circus, and an opportunity to spread the word about Circus Flora. I believe attendance was limited to 50 people, and I saw perhaps ten or twelve people who were drawing and/or painting. The rest of the group were photographers. Seven of us (plus one spouse) from the Women in Focus St. Louis (WIF) group took part in the event, and there was a large contingency from the St. Louis Camera Club as well. They were easy to detect with their tripods, huge lenses and multiple cameras. The tent was filled with the sounds of motor drives as the jugglers and tumblers rehearsed!

It was quite an experience, I must say. First of all, it was just interesting to be inside the big top with so few people around. It was fun to see a few of the acts rehearse, but to be able to step behind the big red tent was fascinating. I don't think many of us can understand what it is like to eat, sleep, breathe and live our jobs. But many of the performers do just that, setting up in small campers on the circus parking lot. It is like a small community there. And finally, I just enjoy being around other photographers. We all look at things differently, and I can learn so much from them. The WIF group went out to lunch afterwards, and it was nice to get to know the ladies a little better. Good times - both inside and outside - the big top!

standard horse

living quarters

        

jugglers

miniature pony

Circus Flora clown