I took a couple days off last week to catch up on some things at home and to clear my head. I did the catching up first, and then the head clearing. One of my favorite places for the latter is Holliday Park.
Of course I took a camera along. Despite my love of old film cameras, I’m actually an equal-opportunity photographer – I shot digital. I remembered how well my old Kodak EasyShare Z730 represented color in landscapes, so I dug it out and took it along. It was made in 2005, which is positively ancient for a digicam. But it’s still a good shooter, with a fine 33 mm (equivalent) f/2.8 Schneider-Kreuznach lens.
With my dog Gracie along on her leash, we parked near The Ruins and made our way through the park. I can seldom pass this statue by without stopping to photograph it.
I moved in close to photograph the lady’s leg. (I’m normally not that kind of guy, I swear.) Just dig the texture that lens captured. The black-and-white conversion is courtesy Photoshop Elements.
My everyday camera is a Canon PowerShot S95, a truly outstanding point-and-shoot. It outclasses this Kodak in so many ways. But the Kodak edges it in color rendition. It loves blues, rendering them deep and true. It is also the only digital camera I’ve ever owned that does justice to purple.
A small trail system lurks at the back of Holliday Park. If you came just to let your kids play on the extensive playground, you might never know it was there. You might also never know just how close you are to the White River. The terrain becomes rugged as it descends toward the water; some areas are so steep that long wooden catwalks were built to provide even footing.
Aren’t fences just one of the most cliched things to photograph? Oh, I’m not above cliches.
It took me until middle age to appreciate autumn’s colors.
The Meridian Street bridge, built in 1933, is visible when you reach the river. It’s currently being renovated.
Compositionally, this isn’t much of a photo. But dang, doesn’t this Kodak just deliver on the color? I gather that color rendition like this was a signature of the entire Kodak digital line. It’s a shame Kodak has quit the camera business.
Color is why I went to the park. I wanted to be out in it while it lasts. I work too much; I’m busy raising teenagers. Sometimes the changing seasons pass me by. I hate it when I let that happen. I’m so glad I got a couple days off. Mr. Wright, your words are so true.
The last time I visited Holliday Park, I did it with my Minolta 110 Zoom SLR in hand.
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