Austin - Ransom Center, The First Photograph

So who can have a photo blog without including the first photo ever taken and developed into a print?  Had to post the above first, though, because it's almost impossible to determine what it's actually a picture of:

Austin - Ransom Center Doorway

It figures that on the last day we were in Austin I find this guy and the UT campus mere blocks away from our hotel at Lavaca and 17th.  Up until now we'd spent all of our days there going in the other direction, through the Capitol complex toward downtown and (for me) beyond.  Better late than never, though, and during the last morning of Chenjean's meetings I crammed in a visit here and a little bitty corner of the UT campus.

The reason being that here they have a real Gutenberg Bible, PLUS the first photo ever taken!  Was only in there for 20 minutes or so, but captured the essence of those two items, which were located just beyond the entrance.

Austin Riverside - Last Look at The Independent

And now for a last, parting shot at my favorite building in all of downtown Austin.  This window shot was taken from the grounds of the Capitol, thus not technically a riverwalk pic, but here it is...

Next stop - the Ransom Center.

Austin Riverwalk - Graffiti Building

What downtown area doesn't have an awesome display of graffiti?  Always enjoy these...when it's done tastefully.

Austin Riverwalk - Blocky Building Cluster with Reflection

I've always thought that reflection shots were pretty cool...off of glass in a downtown building or off of water, especially in a night shot.  Though several pics of this building cluster have already been posted, in this one I wanted to focus on the reflection bouncing off of the Google building:

Austin Riverwalk - Another Kind of Rememberance

Austin Riverwalk - Tree of Rememberance

Here people who have lost their lives due to homelessness and the problems that come with it each get their own tag.  Good to have individual names out there...

Closer-in shot below with shallower depth of field:

Austin Riverwalk - Homeless Memorial, Closer Shots

A closer shot of the memorial, with just the plaque below.  I would agree that it is the essence of depression, in that by the time you're living on the streets for a week or more all dignity is gone (so I've read by those that have been there).  And it can be seen as a corruption within a society I suppose.  But not sure how they conclude that it's an "act of violence".  Nevertheless, glad to see that it's well cared for by those who seem to care.

Austin Riverwalk - Homeless Memorial / Take on Homelessness

Not surprised that this meticulously maintained memorial to the homeless occupies a prominent spot on the riverwalk in Austin, being a liberal city.  But every city should have something like this.  It does say somewhere that the poor and destitute will always be with us, and Martin Luther King once pointed to a homeless individual and said to his entourage as they passed by, "Were it not for the grace of God, there go I!"  We are all potentially much closer to such a position than we think.  Especially here in America, where few individuals live within their means and depend on a weekly paycheck to live hand-to-mouth.  Out of a job suddenly, or something else happens without a financial or social safety net, combined with the mental health issues so pervasive in this country, and it's only so long before you're on the street because there is no place to go.  While Chenjean and I were working with the Impact Houston Church of Christ in the Fourth Ward we met and befriended several on the street who were formerly prosperous, white collar workers who simply fell on hard times and did not have the wherewithal to function normally in society.  Very sad, and scary.

Guess I've always had a curiosity about this population - you see them in every city with their signs on the corners or in cardboard shacks under bridges, shuffling down the street pushing shopping carts or at strip shopping centers asking for handouts.  They all have a story, and are valued and loved by the Good Lord just as much as any of us.

Once while in New York City, back in the 1980's, I came very close to fulfilling this curiosity.  In an effort to generate empathy with the homeless I had decided to just lay down on a bench in Central Park and spend the night, like this fellow, even though I had a hotel already booked across the Hudson in Union City, NJ.  I even had a place picked out close to the Columbus Circle in the southeast corner of Central Park.  But ultimately I chickened out, in part due to safety concerns and in part due to the fact that I would have been nothing but a faker, not really living and scrapping as they do to survive.

So those of us on the more fortunate side of life settle with erecting these monuments to bring light to their plight and at least ensure that they, as individuals, are not forgotten by their fellow beings.

Austin Riverwalk - Blocky Building Cluster with Excursion Boat

The same building cluster featured in yesterday's post, but from a slightly different spot on the trail.  Saw some unique angles in the walk back to the car from the Congress Street Bridge, even of subjects already captured.  Suppose you could walk away for five minutes, then come back to the same place and see yet something else to capture.  Such is the beauty and infinite variety of art...

Austin Riverwalk - Building Block Window Shot

A nice little window shot of the blocky building cluster featured in this post from the 11th.

Austin Riverwalk - Ann Richards Memorial Plaque

Ah yes, the inimitable Ann Richards.  Really an iconic character that embodied the soul of Texas, and the entire Wild West for that matter.  Easily could have been a pioneer woman in the old days, and very much was a pioneer woman in the crucible of Texas politics.  I think I would have very much enjoyed being around someone like this.

My wife Chenjean got to hear her speak once at a CPA conference in Austin, some years after her tenure as governor.  Really left an impression, and I'm glad that this beautiful flower of the Far East got some exposure to that driven, gritty icon of the West.
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Oh, and this is the 20th - my birthday.  Up until the kids got older I never cared much for it, but in recent years they've made it a really special occasion.  However in the past one thing that attracted me to Chenjean's culture is that they generally don't celebrate birthdays, except for the 60th when a person officially crosses from the folly of youth to the wisdom of age...

Austin Riverwalk - The Capitol from the Congress Street Bridge

After having crossed under the Congress Street Bridge, I took the steps up and saw an opportunity to capture a view of the Capitol building as part of the cityscape with the downtown buildings in the foreground.  Progressively closer-in shots below, made possible by the Bigger Cahoona's awesome vacation lens, which zooms from 28-300mm:

Proud to say that I once gave a talk in this building - or rather in the basement complex adjacent, still considered part of the Capitol.  It was about community planning, back in my criminal justice days, to a bunch of other planners from across the state.  Not more than about fifteen minutes...

Austin Riverwalk - Cloud Reflections in Cityscape

Had this post from Nashville in mind when I snapped this photo.

Suppose that in every endeavor one goes through the dry times.  This periodically happens with me and this blog...wondering if there's real value in these posts.  But just when that happens someone makes a comment - usually one of the kids - and that keeps the flow going.

Thanks kids!

Austin Riverwalk - Tall and Thin

Was very careful here to position the builings so they were exactly centered.  Surprising what a difference a few inches can make if you're not paying attention.

Naturally, with this perspective these guys are destined for my expanding bookmark repertoire (300 so far and counting).

Austin Riverwalk - Two More Cityscapes

Same building from yesterday's post seen on the left of this cityscape.  Larger view in the 3-shot panorama below.  Since it was captured with the Bigger Cahoona, this guy could easily print more than 12 feet wide and still look sharp and crisp:

Getting a little better at these panoramas.  After my experiences with shooting them on cruises, learned how important it is to use manual mode on the camera.  Even in manual I still bracket, which gives more choice on which exposure looks best in post-capture.

Austin Riverwalk - Focus-Shifted Condo Building

A window shot of this building through the trees.  Focus-shifted below:

Austin Riverwalk - Cityscape from Excursion Pier

...and we have this cityscape captured just off to the side of the excursion pier.

Austin Riverwalk - Focus Shift from Excursion Boat Facility

Next to the gate afforded this opportunity to create a focus-shifted pair of photos.

Austin Riverwalk - Excursion Boat Facility

A place where you could rent a small boat or join a large group on a big one.  Seeing the protected gate at the pier reminded me of this shot captured in Italy.

Closer-in shot with downtown buildings below:

Austin Riverwalk - Around the Blocks

Austin Riverwalk - Keeping Good Company

Sometimes Chenjean worries about me as I wonder about the city streets while she's at meetings.  I take pictures like this to reassure her that I'm very careful, and that I only associate with the finest of citizens...

Austin Riverwalk - Congress Street (pedestrian) Bridge

Been across this bridge a hundred times and never noticed they had a pedestrian walkway down here.  Good for running also, I suppose, in light of the speck that is headed our way...

Austin Riverwalk - Cityscape from the Congress Street Bridge

...and downtown arises out of the vegetation from the foot of the Congress Street Bridge.

I was just about played out by the time I got here, as it was a long slog and plenty hot.  Worth getting this shot, though.

Austin Riverwalk - Houseboats

Saw a lot of interesting things along this riverwalk...things to do that I'd never been exposed to in Austin.  Guess it was because, of the hundreds of times I've done business in or passed through this city, I never was a tourist.  Now that I'm older and a little more settled down, wouldn't mind taking advantage of these opportunities.

Austin Riverwalk - The Austonian and Stevie Ray Vaughn

Peeking from behind the trees here are the Austonian Hotel (the taller building to the left) next to the Ashton condominium complex.

Same buildings below with Stevie Ray Vaughn in the foreground, then rising from the riverside trees:

Austin Riverwalk - Another Cityscape

Another cityscape along the way...best appreciated if clicked to enlarge on a larger desktop monitor.

Austin Riverwalk - The Independent Condo Complex

Now this is what I was out to capture from the riverwalk.  Turns out it's a condominium complex called The Independent.  Surely destined to be a bookmark someday...

Though it looks like it's right on the river, it's actually a couple of blocks away.  Full-on shot below:

Austin Riverwalk - Cityscape Through Trees

The abundance of vegetation along the riverbank provided lots of opportunities to take a picture of the cityscape through the trees.

Austin Riverwalk - Two Kayakers and a Paddle Boarder

This business of paddle boarding is relatively new to me, and I imagine it must be a tricky business.  Seems that the center of gravity would be much too high to enjoy a quiet time on the water, but I didn't see any mishaps and the stuff they carried along seemed to be dry.

View down the length of the river below shows that most prefer the kayaking experience (as would I):

Austin Riverwalk - Paddle Boarder with Dog

Yes, this is definitely a college town.  The river was populated with lots of paddle boarders, canoeists, and kayakers, but this one caught my eye for obvious reasons. (the dog, by the way)  I had to borrow from another, darker frame to clone over the blown-out white hair of the pooch.  Fortunately it was available since virtually every pic snapped was bracketed for exposure.