HDR or High Dynamic Range photography will be crazy big in the next year.
Photographs have long lagged behind the human eye in recording a scene. When you stand on my deck and look at the sky, your eye adjusts for the brightness of the sky and you see the wonderful blue. When you look at the buildings, your eyes adjust to let in more light and you see the wonderful details of the bricks.
When you take a photograph, if the image is exposed for the buildings, the sky will end up too bright. If you set it to get the sky right then the buildings will be way too dark. The trick is to take DIFFERENT pictures, exposing once for the sky and once for the buildings and then combine them. This picture is a compilation of five images put together using the best exposed parts of each photograph. The merged image is a photo that hits the right exposure for every part of the scene.
I do think that circumstances can come together in some rather odd ways though. About a week ago one of my partners at work was talking about a band that I should listen to, he lives in Cedar Rapids and I work there in the emergency room with him. He described the band Devotchka and said that they were sort of mellow and very good. I listened to a few you tube videos of them and thought they sounded good as well. At the same time one of our PA’s said that she had seen them four or five times live and they were excellent.
Fast forward ten days. I am wandering around downtown Des Moines on the day after St Patricks day and it is dead.
I am basically slouching towards home when I notice there are a lot of people in the third floor of a building with a trio of bars. I went upstairs to check it out, it was packed in there. “How much?” I asked and the said, “20”. Now I liked live bands, but this seemed a little expensive for cover. Then I asked, “who was playing?”, “Devotchka” ok so I shelled out $20!
Their music was surrealistically good
They played guitar, accordion, viola, tuba, and a theremin. The melodies were hauntingly beautiful and produced goosebumps many times during the concert. They whistled, played and plucked their violin, they hit the accordion like it was the newest instrument to make the musical scene.
Devotchka formed in 1997
They originally played as the background music for a burlesque show. Their breakout out CD was “SuperMelodrama” in 2000 and they have released five CD’s since. They also did the soundtrack for “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Everything is Illuminated”. They are currently on the road promoting their 2008 release “A mad and faithful telling”.
If you get a chance to see Devotchka, do it.
You will walk out of the show a different person.
I was faced with the choice going back to Cedar Rapids to celebrate St Patrick’s day with my friends, or staying in Des Moines and going out by myself.
I chose the latter in an attempt to learn a little bit more about my new city. Armed with a healthy scotch buzz and my trusty camera I took to the streets looking for a fun day.
Johnny’s Hall of Fame is a bar with a history dating back to 1962. It is definately a Court Ave landmark. This was a great spot with a huge window to watch the crazy people on the street. If you ever tire of watching the crazy people in the bar, there is always the window! (they also have Glenlivet!).
El Bait Shop has 107 beers on tap and is usually packed with people. I had a Northern Porter, yummy. It’s sister bar is the High Life Lounge (they are connected by a common entrance). The High Life Lounge is one of my favorites and has to be seen to be believed. It looks like a trashy neighborhood bar from the late 60’s early 70’s, with authentic signage, shag carpet, wood paneling, rotary dial pay phone, and small black and white tv that you would expect from the era. This place was filled with citizens as always. High Life is also a great place to go for cheap and tasty bar food.
I slid from this pair of fine establishments to Liar’s Club.
This place was crazy busy and had a live band that was fantastic. (Liar’s club also has the coolest website of the bars here.) (The song for their site is also in the movie Clay Pidgeons which is a dark comedy that you have never seen.)
St Pat’s Des Moines style was drunktastic.
I am sure that the folks in Cedar Rapids were doing it right too (they always do). If St Pats were tomorrow I would do it again!
Mark
See a larger collection of the pictures that I took on St Patrick’s day HERE.
Every year on Fat Tuesday at midnight, Mardi Gras season in New Orleans comes to an abrupt end. The police come down Bourbon Street with lights and sirens, followed by mounted police and clean up crew. It is a very visible and agressive signal that the party is over until next year 🙁
