Today City Daily Photo members explore the many ways to be off by yourself. When I took this photo I was standing alone on the Illinois side of Eads Bridge, looking over the Mississippi back back to St. Louis. No lights were visible downtown or on the passing barge. It felt like every living soul but me had vanished, and it scared me.
Faces in the crowd at the Mardi Gras parade. The event is a candy store for a street photographer. Nobody cares about being photographed; after all, they are out on display. In fact, since I'm walking around with a big lens, it is common for groups of people to come up to me and say, "Hey, mister, you want to take our picture?" Sure. I'll take anybody's picture.
The Mardi Gras parade returned to STL yesterday after a two year absence. I've never been to the big event in New Orleans but my impression is that their parades (they have more than one) have, um, higher esthetic values. Ours is a great opportunity for street photography, though. More to come.
Our big, somewhat unruly Mardi Gras takes place today. Since it's been offline for a couple of years I pulled an old picture that gives some of the spirit. (Pun sort of intended. There is some kind of alcohol in that fishbowl.) I'll be there as long as my increasingly-creaky back holds out.
St. Louis makes a show of a big production for Mardi Gras. Nothing like New Orleans but it's boisterous. As I have noted before, this town likes an excuse to drink in public and there will be plenty of it after the big parade steps off late Saturday morning.
I plan to be there with a couple of cameras. The weather should get a little above freezing, better than Thursday evening as I write this, after 24 hours of freezing rain, sleet, light snow and falling temperatures. The place is covered with ice but I have crampons if needed.
