View From Railroad Park

From the playground at Railroad Park.

The Shadow Knows

Great fun watching the skateboarders at Railroad Park last weekend with Eva and Davis. Davis rode his Hoverboard while Eva and I sat and watched, and waited, and watched and waited for the perfect second to shoot these guys!

Sunday At Railroad Park

I think somebody has a dance recital coming up!

Brick By Brick

Many of the common areas at Birmingham's Railroad Park feature wire mesh holding bricks uncovered when the park was built. A beautiful/industrial reuse of Birmingham's history. 

Fall Reflections

Railroad Park

Loner

A nice afternoon swim enjoying the peace and quiet at Railroad Park.

Rent a Ride

Haven't seen a bicycle built for two in a bout 50 years!

Railroad Park.

Kid's Eye View

Taken from the playground at Railroad Park, this is a nice view of downtown Birmingham.

Boy In Field

Often when I visit places over and over, whether here in Birmingham or Paris, I try and challenge myself to find something new to photograph or even just photograph in a different way.  Last Thursday I was leading a group of Youth Leadership Forum students on a photography assignment at Railroad Park. I have been there more times than I can count. I was beginning to think I'd find nothing "new", until I spotted this young boy. I was far away and zoomed,  and ran and zoomed,  and ran, and this was what I got. Later, I photographed him with his brother on the playground. Those photos later.

Photographers In Training!

 

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of participating in the Youth Leadership Forum Arts Day.  As I've done in years past, I gathered an enthusiatic group for a photography workshop.  We met at Architecture Works, then headed to Railroad Park for our photo assignment.  Great day, great program, great photos, great kids.

A Closer Look

As you may have read on yesterday's post, I visited Railroad Park on Saturday to photograph the monks who were in town for the Dalai Lama's visit to Birmingham.  Since Wednesday they had been about the work of creating a mandala, from crushed marble in an enclosed tent there at the pavilion. The process appears to be tedious and painstaking but one monk explained that the pattern is part of their prayers so it's far more than creating a piece of temporary art.  Yes, it is temporary. Today at 5:00 , there will be a ceremony where the sand will be swept up, shared with those in attendance and the rest released into a body of water.

Welcome

This weekend, the city of Birmingham welcomes the 14th Dalai Lama.  Yesterday, I was fortunate to visit and photograph the monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in Mundgod, India.  The are creating an amazing mandala of colored crushed marble at Railroad Park. On Monday afternoon, they will give some
of the sands to visitors and then as is their tradition, they will release the rest of this beautiful creation into a water source. 

Being able to meet and interact with them was such a wonderful experience for me. They were so kind to explain the process. Such gentle souls.  I look forward to hearing from those who get to hear the Dalai Lama today.  A very very special time for our city.

Tomorrow, a closer look.

Dog Days of Summer?

I'm never really sure when the Dogs Days begin, but I think I'm close.  These boys were having a ball at Railroad Park!

City Daily Photo Theme Day - TRIANGLES

I had a few choices for our City Daily Photo Theme Day today but I love Railroad Park so this is my entry for this month's theme - TRIANGLES!  If I had a full view, the third grade teacher in me would ask you all to count how many you could find!

Today my CDP blog friends around the world are posting their triangles. Click HERE to see them all!

Spring Like Weather

They were head over heels at Railroad Park!

A Slice of Railroad Park

Railroad Park

1600 1st Avenue South

If These Walls Could Talk

I love the walls and surrounding Railroad Park.  An ingenuous way to reuse these old hand cast bricks that were uncovered from this property to create Birmingham's urban park.  

View From the Falls

I use the term "falls" loosely of course, but it's rather nice at Railroad Park and if you work your way behind it, a nice view.

Mural For All

If you read yesterday's blog post, you saw some charming artists hard a work. This is the finished product, a wonderful mural entitled MURAL FOR ALL.  It was part of the 50th anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing which took the lives of 4 young girls in 1963.  It was a beautiful weekend of remembrance and healing for our city.  This mural, which consisted of 1800 individual tiles, hand painted this week at Railroad Park was designed by Russ Bennett for the non profit organization City Year.  It was well planned and executed and was done in record time.  I sat with a delightful group of children from a local school on Friday and proudly painted my tile. Yesterday I went back to capture the finished mural and looked for my tile.  I know it's up there somewhere!

What Are They Creating???

You will have to come back tomorrow to find out!