Snapshots and photographs

When you take 753 of them in 6.5 hours, I don't think you can call them snapshots any more. Hundreds may well be "utter crap/focus didn't work/reflection far worse than expected/light is not your friend/just how many pictures of the chess set did you think anyone could possibly need/if only I had a good DSLR" and a multitude of other responses to sub-optimal photos. Hundreds may look like snapshots. But more than 100 pictures/hour is evidence that not only do I have a 2 gig memory card in a 3.2 meg camera, but that I was actually trying to do something there. Something in the way of photography, within the limitations of my equipment, and, more importantly, too many years of a snapshot approach to a field that I occasionally have an eye and flair for.

The bottom line: The Corning Museum of Glass is fabulous, and my first visit there was, too.

The 4-part harmony: later. 'Cause if I start now, I'll spend the next 5-8 hours writing and editing photos rather than sleeping.

Fabulous. Utterly, marvelously fabulous. And just when you think you've seen, stared at, and adored or dismissed all of the amazing glass they have on exhibit, you walk across the small parking lot and have your mind blown all over again by the Frederick Carder display room.

Nothing I found in a quick online search does anything close to justice to the man. But here's a quick overview of co-founder of Steuben Glass Works. The special types of glass for which he was famed in the 1890-1930s era are presented, including Aurene, Tyrian, Verre de Soie, Cyprian, Ivrene, Cintra, Cluthra, Intarsia, Diatreta, and others, as well as all colors and the engraved, cut, and etched patterns. And the man loved color as much as he loved glass. Win-win.

Stopping now. For now, anyway.

P.S. Thanks for the memory, benveniste. I think I did good things with it.

It's a good thing I like road trips...

...'cause this one just keeps getting longer.

So far, most of this road trip has been in the dark. That's due to the season and other things that needed and wanted doing during the days. Thanks to winter weather, it took me 8 hours to drive last 335 miles of the day's 500 mile drive to my sister's house in Lansing, MI. I got here at 3am.

Yes, I could have stopped at another motel for the night, and budget considerations weren't the thing that kept me from doing that. Rather, it was a welcome reminder that yes, I know how to drive in and on this stuff. I hesitate to say I enjoyed it -- it's far from the sort of driving I enjoy. But I did welcome the comfortable confidence of feeling reasonably safe will I continued moving down the road through freezing rain, snow, partially-plowed and unplowed roads, slowing as needed, speeding up (somewhat) when I could. There was also the advantage that there were very few cars and trucks on the road at that hour, in those conditions, which meant I was a far less risk from people who don't have winter driving sensibilities. ( Trouble ahead, trouble behind. )

So. Onward. That's the plan, anyway.

Safely in Chicago...

...and leaving again before Thursday's ice and snow starts. Fortunately, it's now forecast to start 2 hours later than the last time I checked. Fingers crossed that holds true tomorrow, too!