The "ART" of the slow exposure

While we were driving to and from the Gateway Arch last night I was able to sit in the back seat and experiment with some slow shutter speeds and the lights of the road. Sometimes I would start the exposure and we would go over some bumps (Bottom two photos). The effect is these stunning abstract photos with naturally drawn lines. I think that the dotted line in the lowest photo must be from a blinking construction barrel. When we were not going over bumps the effect is a sleek light drawing like the top two photo's.
I LOVE these pictures!

The Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. The JNEM was declared a National Historic Monument on 12/21/1935 to commemorate several historic events:

1. The Louisiana Purchase and subsequent western expansion of the USA and the movement of American explorers and pioneers

2. The first civil government West of the Mississippi River

3. The debate over slavery raised by the Dred Scott case (originated in the St. Louis area where Dred Scott lived with his wife and "master")

The Gateway Arch is the tallest man-made national monument in the USA. The width of its legs at the base is equal to its height (630 ft). It took 900 tons of stainless steel and 17,246 tons of material in all to construct the arch. The shape follows what is known as a "catenary curve" - the formation that the slack of a chain would take if it were held at both ends. Construction on the legs of the arch was begun simultaneously on 02/12/1963 and in order for the arc to meet in the middle the margin of error was less than 1/64th of an inch. In high gusts of wind (150 mph) the arch has been known to sway up to 9 inches both ways. The normal sway for the arch is about 1/2 inch either way.

For all of you Michiganders out there - you should know that the architect that designed the arch was a man by the name of Eero Saarinen. Eero was the son of Eliel Saarinen who emigrated to the USA in 1923 to design the grounds, and instruct for the Cranbrook Institute of Arts in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Eero was 13 in 1923 and spent his first years in the USA in Bloomfield Hills. Wikipedia lists that Eero died in Ann Arbor, MI - but I have not been able to verify this fact just yet.

We were pretty lazy yesterday and as a result did not get to the Arch until later in the day. I am glad that it worked out this way because I was able to take some night pictures. I did not go to the museum *surprise* because I was too busy taking pictures. Due to the low light the pictures were averaging about 20 seconds for each exposure, and that adds up quickly. We did not go up in the tram either *not-surprise*. Besides the fact that it is a tight fit, long ride, and scary - Tri-pods are not allowed and without my tri-pod I can't take night pictures. It would have been fun, but I would rather wait until my next visit when I can take decent pictures from the height.

Speaking of next visit - did you know that when you visit the JNEM you can: Take a riverboat cruise, helicopter tour, visit the Museum of Westward Expansion, visit the historic courthouse, and watch large format movies? I can't wait to come back!

SOURCES

www.gatewayarch.com/Arch

Wikipedia: The Gateway Arch

Farmer's Market

Well, getting up this morning ended up being easier than I thought! Getting ready and getting out of the house ended up presenting some unforeseen challenges. Buff's "Other Car" (the one with more than 2 seats) wouldn't start so we ended up taking mine. After piling into my car and calling OnStar for directions we were on our way.

The Farmer's Market was not very busy and we were able to get a great parking spot. There weren't very many vendors - it is too early in the season. There was one vendor selling flowers and I was able to take quite a few photo's of those.

It was hot as heck and I thought that I was going to get a sunburn. We were not there terribly long, but I got a couple shots that I love (Strawberries *above*). I look forward to coming back later in the season shooting, and eating, a bit more.

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis

Built in 1907 the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis in St. Louis, MO boasts the largest collection of Byzantine mosaics in one place in the world. There are 41,500,000 pieces of tesserae (small piece of marble, tile or glass used in mosaic work) in more than 8000 shades of color. This adds up to 83,000 square feet of mosaic art. The mosaics were created and installed by 20 artists over a period of 75 years. The effect (as you can see in the above pictures) is breathtaking.

On The Way to St. Louis...

Well, my sister, Maria, and I left for St. Louis today. We are driving down to spend the holiday weekend with one of my other sisters, Buff. We had not planned any stops - but along the way we passed a billboard that we could not ignore.

'THE CHOCOLATE GARDEN - EXIT 39"

It was almost as if I was in a trance: I followed the road signs and we found "The Chocolate Garden". Located on Friday Rd. in Coloma, Michigan this little gem is the kind that you find when you take a chance turn off the freeway and get lucky on a road trip. Nestled in cherry country the garden offers more than just a taste of the finest chocolate I personally have ever had - it also offers a feast for the eyes. There are endless rows of cherry trees that grow in a deep and productive quiet that I did not expect to find so close to a major freeway.

From the website I learned that the chocolates are available online - and that is the main mode of getting the chocolate to the customers. If you are ever driving East on I-94 and are near by exit 39 you should stop in to try some of these chocolates. If you are not going to make it out that way you should consider ordering some. They are a bit pricey, but for a special treat I highly recommend them.

http://www.chocolategarden.com/

Mosque of Hassan II in Casablanca, Morocco

In the early 1950's the nation of Morocco led an uprising that would eventually result in "Istiqlal" or - independence. The people were led by a man who would later become king. His name would come to be known as King Mohammed V of Morocco. In 1961 just nine years after the people won their independence King Mohammed V passed away and left his son, Hassan the throne.

King Hassan II reigned over Morocco for 38 years. During his reign he sought to maintain Morocco's independence and foster political and social change. He steered Morocco towards the Western world and spoke of joining the European Union.

One of his most impressive legacies was the formation of the Al Qods Committee in June of 1975. The focus of the committee was to "follow up implementation of resolutions adopted by Islamic conference" and "Implement Islamic Conference resolutions on Arab-Israeli conflict in view of fundamental connection between Al Quds question and the conflict."

Ten years after the emancipation of Morocco, Algeria also gained independence from European rule. This eventually led problems for King Hassan II as there were border disputes and in 1963 a war ensued.

King Hassan II adopted three constitutions during his reign. The last one, in 1996, gave more power to government and made the country less autocratic. By 1997 parliamentary elections opened the door to political change and the King formed a coalition government.

From what I have read and understood both in my travel book and online, King Hassan II was very good to his people. History has been witness to the disaster that can occur in the delicate time just after a country gains independence. King Hassan II must have been a skilled leader to maintain a sense of stability in a newly independent country. He also extended his skill to other issues facing the Arab world and had some impact on the future of these affairs.

King Hassan II passed away unexpectedly in June of 1999 and left his son, Mohammad VI the throne.

In 1993 the Mosque of Hassan II was completed in Casablanca, Morocco. It is the second largest religious building in the world second only to the Mosque in Mecca. The prayer hall (top row - leftmost picture) can accommodate up to 25,000 worshipers alone. The building itself is 968,774 square feet and the Minaret is over 650 feet high. "With carved stucco, zellij tile work, a painted cedar ceiling and marble, onyx, and travertine cladding, it is a monument to Moroccan architectural virtuosity."

Sources:

DK Eyewitness Travel Guides: Morocco

Al Quds Committee Website

Casablanca

The settlement that would later become modern day Casablanca was first established in the seventh century by a Berber tribe. They named the small independent kingdom "Anfa" which means "hill". In 1068 the region was conquered by the Almoravids. (A Moroccan dynasty that occupied Western North Africa and Southern Spain.) In the 14th century the Almoravids were conquered by another Moroccan dynasty called the Merinids. It was not until the 15th century that the town became an important port. It was the usefulness of the location that led to years of instability for the region.

In 1468 Anfa was sacked by the Portuguese who renamed the settlement "Casa Branca" which translates to "White house". The city passed between Portuguese and Spanish rule between 1580 - 1755 when an earthquake destroyed the region and frightened many Europeans away.

After the earthquake the city was reconstructed by sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah and during the 19th century Morocco and the port of Anfa became major suppliers of wool to Britain. It was also during this time that "gunpowder tea" became a part of Moroccan culture after it was imported from Britain.

In 1907 the French moved into the region and re-named it "Casa Blanca" which is French for "White House". The city formally became part of the French Protectorate in 1910 and did not regain independence until nearly 50 years later on March 2, 1956.

I was in Casablanca in May of 2009. Morocco is the first country that I have visited outside of the US and Canada. My first impression of Casablanca was underwhelming. The name "White House " is spot on. As you can see in the photos above a lot of the buildings are white. I guess that I was expecting to see a lot more color in Morocco. Since Casablanca was the first stop on my journey through Morocco - I was concerned that all of Morocco would be so monochromatic. I was, of course, wrong.

Casablanca is a place of complicated contradiction. It is a confluence of the Middle East, Europe and Africa. It is utterly modern with regard to the ideas of cultural and religious tolerance. The architecture is at once reminiscent of the Art Neuveau movement and rustic Middle Eastern towns. (As I have observed in pictures.)

I think that most Americans would say that it was "dirty" but I think that is one way that we interpret age. Our country is so much younger than the rest of the world we have not had long enough to accumulate "dirt".

The Mosque of Hassan II was an incredible sight that I will talk about further in a separate page.

The people of Casablanca were kind for the most part. There are people who want to sell you things, and will even ask you for a little bit of money if you take their picture - but they were never forceful or rude. I was part of a big group that was almost even men and women and we had a tour guide who gave us useful information and acted as translator if necessary. The only impoliteness that I encountered were some rude young women at the Mosque of Hassan II. They shouted something at me in Arabic and then laughed with one another while I was having my picture taken. Ahhh, teenage girls...rude the whole world over!

I do not really remember the food too well. Since Casablanca was the first stop on our journey I was hungry but hesitant. I did not want to eat meat or spicy things or salad or fruit because I had been told that all of this might make me sick. I remember eating bread and thinking "Wow. I have never tasted bread like this..."

The one thing about Casablanca that I hope that I always remember is the breeze. I love the feeling of a nice breeze and the one in Casablanca was by far the nicest I have ever felt. I swear that it smelled like cool orange blossoms, and felt like everything was OK with the world. Later that day at the hotel the breeze was dancing with some sheer curtains in the restaurant area. I snapped this picture: