A quick, but fun evening photo shoot with my photography club, Digital Dimensions and Beyond at The Scout statue in Kansas City’s Penn Valley Park overlooking downtown. I forgot my tripod at home (in the garage where I practically had to walk over it to get to my car), so I left before it got completely dark. And I spent a lot of time having a wonderful conversation with my friends, Anne Kostrevic Smith and Dara Russell. Be sure to check out their photography, too! Still, I managed to take a few shots.
This was my last shot of the night… I’m not sure that I like that The Scout isn’t looking at downtown from this vantage point, but then, again, I kind of like that he’s looking to the west.
Here’s a little background about The Scout from the KC Parks & Rec website:
Artist/Designer: Cyrus E. Dallin
Dates: Installed in 1921, dedicated in 1922
Description:
Dedicated in 1922 as a memorial to local Indian tribes, The Scout depicts a Sioux scout on horseback. Originally cast for the Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco in 1915, it arrived in Kansas City for a temporary exhibit on the way back to the sculptor on the east coast. Cyrus E. Dallin, of Boston and Paris, sculpted The Scout for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco where it won a Gold Medal. Citizens were so delighted with the statue that they raised $15,000 to purchase it. Its prominent position on a hill in Penn Valley Park overlooks the city. This larger than life-size equestrian statue has become a symbol and a mascot of the city.
Oh wait! I CAN have him looking at downtown if I just shift my position. (Elementary.)
I’ve put all of the pics in reverse order from when I shot them… so as you work you way through, each image the comes up was actually shot PRIOR to the one before it. (I also like to read magazines from back to front. I seriously think it must be something from my Japanese heritage… to work from right to left.)
Basic downtown skyline, without the KC Scout. Hmmm. Not really quite as interesting. And a bit dark. I like the KC Skyline, but I’ve gotta say. It’s not very big.
A little closer, and a little lighter. Not much new here – but couldn’t decide which one I like better. Truth be told, I’m not sure that I like either that much, but I guess they both have a little something to say.
I really like this trio of houses tucked away with the sunlight falling through the trees and the shadow on the clover. And tucked away in the right corner, possibly KCK or the stockyards. I think I’m going to sketch this scene as part of my “Urban Sketchers” practice. More on that another day.
Initially, I was concentrating a bit more on the houses, rather than the sunlight. There’s still a nice backlit feeling, but I prefer when I included more of the landscape.
And speaking of backlit. A backlit field of flowers. Well, not really a field, but getting down close to the ground makes it seem like they go on forever.
The same spot, with a little different processing. Not quite as golden. But I think it’s nice in a different way. The one little flower stem near the middle seems to pop out.
Three little “cones” – I’m not sure if there was once a flower attached to them or not. Or maybe they’re complete just as they are.
I think this is a better image than the skylines above because of the clover. And the light. I wasn’t actually looking through the viewfinder when I shot this. I was too much of a weenie to lay down on the damp ground, so I would hold the camera close to the ground and shoot, then adjust for my next shot after I checked it out in the viewfinder. It’s a bit soft, because I wasn’t holding the camera as steady as I needed to.
This is my favorite clover shot. The tree in the background mimics the flower shapes, yet you know it’s a normal-sized tree and not a gigantic dandelion.
An early shot, with a little less golden light, and not back or side lit… but I think it lets you really see what the ground below us looks like when you stop, bend down and get up close and personal.
One of my first shots of the evening…. I have a feeling I decided to add some golden tones in processing, especially since the next shot (above) was much cooler. Although, this was shot with side lighting as opposed to shooting directly down. So, maybe not! But, probably.
And there you have it. An hour or so of being outside on a beautiful, windy June evening with my friends and photo club.
Oh – and it was my Dad’s birthday. June, 2. Let’s see. He would have been 93 years old! Happy Birthday, Dad – I love you and miss you every day! And thank you for the Ansel Adams books you bought me for Christmas all those years ago… I know I learned a few things from them!
