Fireworks in Glass

I went down to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis to see their Dale Chihuly exhibit, “Fireworks in Glass“. I went down during their monthly “Community Day” (read free admission). Normally, a 15 minute drive, but with traffic and construction it took nearly an hour. Suffice to say, I wasn’t in the best of moods. Until I saw the tower, that is.  It’s an impressive sight. Built over a hidden mesh skeleton, it gives a viewer the impression of something far too delicate to possibly stand on its own. The museum’s central staircase wrapps around it, affording views from all floors as it stretches up the full height of the building. Even the glass floor supporting the tower is a part of the exhibit. Here, you recline under the ceiling on a revolving observation platform, presenting you with ever changing views of the glasswork. A photographer’s banquette. Just aim up and started shooting. An additional “hand’s on” exhibit allows guests to build their own “Fireworks in Glass”. If that wasn’t enough Chihuly for you, there’s another exhibit of his work upstairs. They’re displayed along with pieces created, based on children’s designs. P.S. On the way out of the museum, I stopped to snap a few shots of the “Haunted House” that they were in the process of setting up for the children.

A Day at the Faire

“A Renaissance fair or Renaissance festival is an outdoor weekend gathering ostensibly focused on recreating life as it was during the Renaissance. In fact, these events create a fantasy inspired, in most cases, by both historical references (most often England in the time of Henry VIII or Elizabeth I) and by perceptions of the Middle Ages and Renaissance obtained from movies, games, books, comics, and television shows.” – Wikipedia. In other words, “It’s the Middle Ages as we would have “liked” them to have been. This particular Faire starts on Labour Day weekend, runs for about 6 weeks. The Ohio RenFaire has been around for years and even has a site built specifically for the festival as a medieval village. So, bright and early (…actually, dark and early as he sun hadn’t risen yet), I hit the road to spend the day at the faire. Even after taking a short side-trip to Caesars Creek State Park(post), I still arrived in time for the “Queen” to greet her loyal subjects, inviting them to partake in the festivities. The feeling from the crowds reminded me of Disney Land. That fun feeling where everyone gets to use those rusty imaginations and be a kid again. Upon entering I was immediately pounced upon by a greeter. It must have had a lost look on my face. She was nice and described how the “village” was layed out and made a couple of recommendations on what acts to see on that day. Armed with this knowledge, I headed over to see “Dirk and Guido: The Swordsmen” to learn how “manly men” will do reaally stupid things to impress a lady. These comedic swordsmen were very good at what they did. We were howling within about 15 seconds after the show started and they didn’t stop for half an hour. Reenactors, merchants, magicians, singers, knights, pirates, princesses, games, food and they were holding a highland games event that day. The gates opened at 10:00am and I didn’t leave until they kicked me out at 6:00pm. If they were open in the evening, I would have stayed. As it was, I went non-stop all day and still didn’t see half of what there was to offer. People really got into the shows and events and everyone was having a great time, and without beer if you can believe that! In spite of all the people, it didn’t feel too crowded. Unless you wanted to get something to eat, that is. Even if you didn’t feel like going to a show, you could just take a seat and “people watch”. Personally, I don’t like taking pictures of people. It feels intrusive, but people is what this event is about and I was able to get some great shots. My favorite was the “Rag Lady”. I think that her picture really captured her “character”. With everyone dressed up, it was hard to tell who was a performer and who was a guest. The only negative for me when taking photos on such a bright day is my camera’s tendency to overexpose shots. I was constantly fiddling with the fill-in flash and exposure compensator to get good shots. The best pictures, of course, were first thing in the morning and just before they closed up shop. It was a long, fun day and I can’t wait for next year’s event!

Morning Mists at Caesar Creek

These pictures arise from a “spur of the moment” decision made while heading out to the Ohio RenFair a few weeks back.

Leaving Indianapolis before dawn, I was almost there when I noticed a sign indicating I was near Caesar Creek State Park and Dam. I was was early so I drove up for a peek and I was glad I did. As I arrived at the Visitor’s Center, the morning mist was just burning off. A few minutes later and I would have missed capturing it.

I got wet feet from wandering though the dew-soaked grass around the the Center but was rewarded with nice views of the lake created by the dam. While I didn’t have time to really explore the area, I must say that it looks to be a fine park, fully equiped with hiking trails all around the lake and lots of opportunities for camping, fishing, etc.

On the way out, I took a look a the area map and noticed a place called Caesar’s Ravine nearby.

Wooded Ravine, Morning Sun, Fall day. A chance not to be missed! As it turned out the creek and ravine are directly below the dam along with a park and observation deck. The flood gate was open and I was able to get some pretty good shots of the water roaring out from the lake. Click to link to the original image with notes. You’ll be able to see the other people in it and give you a sense of scale.

All in all, a very satisfying side-trip It’s always nice to discover something unexpected like this. To see more, click on either of the pictures to link to the complete photo set on flickr.