More Terrific Kansas Storm Video

Stephen Locke and his Stephen Locke Photography post some more fantastic video of local, Kansas storms.



Link:  Stephen Locke

Happy Birthday, Roy Inman!

Yes, indeed, wishing a very happy, happy birthday to Kansas City's own professional photographer and area history recorder, Roy Inman.

Roy Inman

Roy Inman Photographs | Facebook

Royals Rally Poster | Union Station

Photo gallery - | The Kansas City Star

Roy Inman Archives - Boelte-Hall

Roy Inman | Missouri Photojournalism 

Hall of Fame

Roy Inman - Artwork for Sale - Lenexa, KS

And then there's his blog:

Fire-Eating Press Photographer

No one has documented this city or area or region and people any more or better than you, sir. Thank you and kudos to you for your work, all these years. Terrific stuff.

For, I believe, all his working life, Roy has been photographing and documenting Kansas City, the metropolitan area and region, at least. Some of the best photos of and in the area were captured by him. It was only last Fall, Roy got on top of Union Station, for just a moment, just a shot and got what I believe most everyone in the area thinks is the best photo of the celebration there for our world champion Kansas City Royals. (Go to his Facebook page to see it, at least. It's also available for sale).

If you follow him on Facebook, you will frequently get some terrific Kansas City and local history as well as information on past trains and planes from the nation and world. It's interesting and fun, frequently.

So, again, happy birthday, Roy Inman and thank you for all the years you captured us and our city. We appreciate all you've done and all you've captured for us.

As an extra, added bonus this year, I know you are aware the President and Royals are giving you an extra special gift, too.

Champion Kansas City Royals to visit 

White House July 21

Enjoy!

Things for which I'm thankful

My daughter

Her good health

How bright, fun and nice she is

My own good health

My family

My friends, certainly

Vacations

Days off work

Terrific light--sunsets, sunrises

Photos that turn out even better than I expected

Nature

Being in nature

Cycling, camping, canoeing and kayaking

Things that work

Things I need that don't cost a lot but that still also work

Spring

Summer

Fall

Snow, especially when it's falling or I'm in the mountains and can ski

Swimming

Fresh air

Flowers (see nature, above)

Music

Peace

Love

Good food

Great restaurants

Smiles

Happy people

Kindness and kind people

Thoughtfulness and thoughtful people

Quote of the day -- on Ferguson, Missouri, Racism and Freedom of the Press in Today's America

I saw two things last evening on the awful Ferguson, Missouri situation this past week. This is the first:

'Get the F*ck Out of Here!' Riot Police Threaten to Shoot Reporter in Ferguson

Then, from Facebook, FB friend and Kansas City photographer Roy Inman wrote this, on a completely different thread:

A person can be DETAINED for up to 24 hours without charges in most jurisdictions. It is a typical law enforcement technique: Using intimidation to discourage the truth being told. In my 60 years of knocking around the news photography trails I have observed that whenever someone does not want photos taken that person has something to hide. There are no exceptions. You see, dear fb friends, The Camera is a wicked tool, a device abhorred by dictators, would-be controllers of society. It can be brutally honest, totally revealing, unflinching. It can show the grotesque, blood-dripping raw fangs of oppressors in a way that mere words never can. Although in some corners of the Earth writers are put to death or imprisoned for what comes from their pen. Let’s face it: NONE of us likes to hear the truth about ourselves. If the truth is revealed about those in power, with the most guns, things can get nasty quickly. 

Trust me. #chicagopoliceriot1968

Great story and photography of a Kansas Citian in NY Times today

Interesting article, terrific photography:

A Photographic Muse Beyond the Ruins

Seems the photographer got bewitched by Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on a drive back home. Well worth the time, on both counts, the story and photos.

Saturday night at the Uptown

Ever since I first heard it, I've marveled that parents could name their child, their son Adonis.

This was there Saturday night, anyway.

Who could but wish them well?

A truck and tractor pull like no other

Because this one was Peculiar:

Luxuries

Things that are luxuries:

My daughter's very existence

Time with my daughter

Friends, good friends

Time with those good, true friends

Quiet times and/or just simply quiet

Hot showers

Hot showers that last as long as you want

Vacation and vacations

Good health

The ability and capacity to create, especially creating art

Time to read whatever you wish

Time to spend however you wish

Travel and the ability to travel

Being free from pain (huge luxury)

Good, dependable plumbing

Cycling and the ability to cycle

Time spent in nature

Getting a really great photograph

Swimming

Connecting, really connecting, with another person--one of the greatest of luxuries

Not needing a dentist

So many things

Ansel Adams: "I know what love is"

In 1936, in the midst of an unrelenting workload and the near-demise of his marriage, legendary landscape photographer Ansel Adams suffered a nervous breakdown. After a stay in hospital, desperately in need of escape, Adams then returned with his family to the one place where he could find solace: Yosemite, California.

Some months later, as his health returned, he wrote the following beautiful letter to his best friend, Cedric Wright.

(Source: Letters of a Nation; Image: Ansel Adams in Yosemite, California, c.1942, courtesy of ck/ck.)

June 19, 1937

Dear Cedric,

A strange thing happened to me today. I saw a big thundercloud move down over Half Dome, and it was so big and clear and brilliant that it made me see many things that were drifting around inside of me; things that related to those who are loved and those who are real friends.

For the first time I know what love is; what friends are; and what art should be.

Love is a seeking for a way of life; the way that cannot be followed alone; the resonance of all spiritual and physical things. Children are not only of flesh and blood — children may be ideas, thoughts, emotions. The person of the one who is loved is a form composed of a myriad mirrors reflecting and illuminating the powers and thoughts and the emotions that are within you, and flashing another kind of light from within. No words or deeds may encompass it.

Friendship is another form of love — more passive perhaps, but full of the transmitting and acceptance of things like thunderclouds and grass and the clean granite of reality.

Art is both love and friendship, and understanding; the desire to give. It is not charity, which is the giving of Things, it is more than kindness which is the giving of self. It is both the taking and giving of beauty, the turning out to the light the inner folds of the awareness of the spirit. It is the recreation on another plane of the realities of the world; the tragic and wonderful realities of earth and men, and of all the inter-relations of these.

I wish the thundercloud had moved up over Tahoe and let loose on you; I could wish you nothing finer.

Ansel

Link to hear the letter spoken:  Going Public: Ansel Adams on Love, Friendship and Art

Kansas City and our Supermoon, featured prominently

If you hadn't heard or seen, last Saturday evening we experienced what they call a "Supermoon" effect. The moon was 13 or 14% bigger in appearance, depending on the source you read, and brighter, all because it was 16,000 miles closer to Earth, in its orbit than usual.

With that, naturally, photographers from all around the world took to their cameras. As luck would have it, a local photographer, one Charlie Riedel, shot that beautiful orb over our own Kansas City downtown and NPR, National Public Radio, picked it up on their website as one of a dozen great shots of it:

Around The Earth, That Moon Was Pretty Super

And so, here's the pic (click on it for larger, easier, better viewing):

So kudos to the photographer, Mr. Riedel, and to you, Kansas City.

You look pretty darned good.

Kansas City's slogan across the ages

"Tear that shit down"

Next up--our current Kansas City International Airport.

With direct, explicit thanks to photographer and fellow Kansas Citian Eric Bowers for the title and quote and to his friend for Nicolas Bock's photo from Facebook today.

Kansas City--you don't know what you got 'til it's gone.

 

Took paradise, put up a parking lot?

 

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

 

"Hey, everybody!  I know!  Let's all move out to 175th!"

Snow. In May. In Kansas City

From photographer/friend Roy Inman :

Last time it snowed in Kansas City in May was on the 3rd in 1907. Union Station was completed in 1914, same year that WWI started. We are talking history-making stuff here folks.

I'm so old...

I remember when there was a toll on the Broadway Bridge going into downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

THAT old.

Even as a kid I thought it a nuisance.

And no certainly no way to associate with the introduction to an otherwise fun place to visit.

Or live.

Kansas City Southern "Union Express" Train tonight at Union Station

The Holiday Express train is free and open to the public. At each stop, The KCS Charitable Fund will make a contribution of gift cards to the local Salvation Army to provide warm clothing and other necessities for children in need.

Beautiful train, great cause. Go, enjoy.

Open letter to Princess Kate

Dear Princess Kate,

Excuse me.

You're a freaking Princess of the British Royal family.

Hello?

That and you're young and beautiful and wealthy and, don't forget, have a beautiful body, let's not forget or ignore.

Do you not know that virtually ANY man wants to see your breasts, sadly, but that because you're young and beautiful and rich and yes, finally, that you're BRITISH ROYALTY, everyone wants to see you naked, if possible?

Sure, it's stupid but come on, the human being is far too puerile and there are a great deal of voyeurs out there in the world, down through history.

So if you go topless on a yacht and it's remotely close to a public space, do you not think some idiot of some kind is going to take a zoom lens and try to get a picture--or some pictures--of you? They'll try to do that, period, just for the heck of it but here's the topper--it also pays a great deal, too, to those low-class, scummy rag tabloids.

What part of any of this do you not get?

And while we're at it, please ask the rest of the Royal Family the same thing, would you, please?

Oh, and if you and the Royals want a rather "moral leg to stand on", so to speak, maybe you and the family should stop taking national, public money from the nation since you're, oh, I don't know, ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST FAMILIES ON THE PLANET? If you don't want people taking pictures of you in your private time, stop taking this public money. I know then, if you and they did, then I know I'd back your claim of a right to privacy. Until that time, however, I think the citizens of England rather own you, since they already buy and pay for you. This money could go to help the lower- and middle-classes of your country, instead.

So now the Royal family files suit against the tabloids. Wow. Apparently they have no better use of their time and money but to file suit against tabloids across Europe that are doing exactly what they've always done, as though it's a surprise somehow.

Y'all can do better than this. Go help some people instead.

Most sincerely,

Kevin Evans
Kansas City, Missouri

Links: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/09/14/royal-family-considers-legal-action-after-magazine-publishes-topless-pictures/

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/15/us-britain-royals-kate-italy-idUSBRE88E0AU20120915

The Nelson has a new exhibit of photography

A thought for a great story for the Star

It occurred to me last evening.

A great story for The Star.

They should at least do a story on local talent, photographer Eric Bowers and his work.

So much of it is so sharp, crisp, unique and wonderful. (He has his detractors but let's not quibble. That's a style issue).

This shot of downtown, above, for instance. It's just one of his latest pieces.

It would be great the paper, great for Eric and great for people who, if not on Facebook, have no idea, maybe, that he's out there doing great stuff.

Here's another of his latest work:


Clearly, he does stunning, creative, wonderful work.

Here's an extension of that thought for The Star:

Go beyond this one person and his blog. Cover other bloggers in the area--there are lots--and see what they do and why and maybe even where. There should be some great stories out there. Great, local stories. There are more photographers and attorneys and restaurant critics, etc. (And for the sarcastic out there, no, hell no, I absolutely don't mean me. Don't even start).

Yes, there may be the problem that it gets people away from newspapers, if that's the way they think down there (at The Star) but for the most part, the people who don't know of these people already, wouldn't and won't know of them otherwise. It's a natural link for the paper and its faithful readers.

Link: http://www.ericbowersphoto.com/

Huge arts weekend coming up

Yes sir, this should be a big arts weekend here in town this week.

For starters, it should be one of the biggest, if not the biggest First Fridays in the Crossroads District downtown for a few reasons.

The weather is supposed to be perfect or near-perfect with temperatures in the 70's. That alone will get a lot of people out.

Then, there's the fact that this is Pride weekend and there is a block party planned. That will be on the streets on McGee in between 10th and 12th Street. You can find out more about that here: http://www.gaypridekc.com/index_main.php.

Additionally, as if that isn't enough, there is a Zombie Walk For Hunger fundraiser through the District that same evening, just to add some fun to it all, along with a good cause.

Next up for the weekend is the annual Prairie Village Art Fair.

Again, great weather, open streets, lots of art and friends mingling. It should be very successful.

Then, Friday and Saturday there's something called Dancefestopia going on down at the Richard L. Berkeley Riverfront Park.

You can get tickets for it here: http://www.myticketspot.com/ResultsGeneral.aspx?stype=0&kwds=Dancefestopia

As if that isn't enough, Saturday, there is a grand opening of the Arts Asylum, a 32,000 square foot performing and visual arts center containing 22 studio spaces and a performance hall sanctuary. It's a former church at 9th and Harrison Streets (exact address: 1000 E. 9th). It begins at 7:30 pm. For more information, go here: www.theartsasylum.org.

There is a Festa Italiana at Zona Rosa that runs all 3 days, up North. For events, to to www.unicokc.org.

Finally, at least here--as if that isn't enough--there is the Ric Rac Roundup Craft Fair this Sunday in Westport in the parking lot of 300 Westport. That is just East of the old Corner Restaurant, right on the corner of Broadway and Westport. There are to be 27 vendors with arts, crafts and, of course, food.

So there you are, at least a small bit of what's going on this weekend in Kansas City on what promises to be a very comfortable, beautiful one, to boot.

Go, enjoy!

Have a great weekend, y'all.

The day of the weird possible photos

Today has to be the day--the day of the weird, possible photos. First, I drive by the JC Nichols fountain at the Country Club Plaza in Mill Creek Park and there's a guy walking around down there with a protest sign. Sure, I know, not that weird, yet. The thing is, he's wearing nothing but an American flag, diaper-like and footwear (shoes, socks). That's it. The sign says "DISHONOR!" so I assume he's protesting the new photos that were released today by the Los Angeles Times, showing American soldiers desecrating Afghan war kills. Yikes. The 2nd really odd photo opportunity that made itself available to me today was in Midtown (of course) when I saw a very large man riding in a motorized chair in the street, no less, and he was carrying two big pink boxes of Lamar's donuts (their spelling, not mine). I mean, come on. It just doesn't get any better than this. And me with no camera. Ugh.

Like beautiful photography?

Who doesn't, right? Or just nature? Or things of beauty. The presentation Monday, April 23 may be for you. It's the second National Geographic photographer to come to town--Mattias Klum.

From the Kauffman Center's site: "Take an awe-inspiring journey around the world, featuring unique perspectives on some of Earth’s natural wonders—the Okavango Delta, Iceland’s glaciers, and the rainforests of Southeast Asia. Your guide? One of the most important natural history photographers of our time—and one of National Geographic Live’s most highly acclaimed speakers. Through Klum’s camera lens, you’ll get an up-to-date report on the state of our planet. And, you’ll marvel at the beauty of the natural world captured in striking new photographs and high-definition video from his most recent expeditions to the world’s last wild places." Tickets start as low as $18.00 each. For information and tickets: http://tickets.kauffmancenter.org/single/EventDetail.aspx?p=3808&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Thisweek4.3&sourceNumber=11753