Years and years ago a wise and playful English professor and some of his friends decided to put together a little bacchanale to celebrate the dour character in Winnie the Poo. Austinites will take any excuse to party and push it to the logical extreme. I tagged along with a little Canon SX 10 and took some photos. Why the little camera? The big ones all seemed so voyeuristic and gauche. And all the people with big cameras reminded me so much of the losers who go to the nude beaches with huge telephoto lenses.
The most popular event at Eeyore's is the drum circle where everyone brings a drum and joins in the rhythmic cacophony while many high and happy people dance in the middle.
The most popular event at Eeyore's is the drum circle where everyone brings a drum and joins in the rhythmic cacophony while many high and happy people dance in the middle.Another popular past time is body and face painting. But the most popular pastime is invoking the spirit of Austin in the 60's and 70's in various ways. The smell of pot was everywhere and everyone else had a cup of beer in hand.
The cops took it all in with good natured indulgence while some of the suburban newcomers to Austin didn't quite realize what they were getting into as they unloaded their strollers from their minivans.
The cops took it all in with good natured indulgence while some of the suburban newcomers to Austin didn't quite realize what they were getting into as they unloaded their strollers from their minivans.I guess my favorite find of the day was the drummer in the wrestling mask. Such a mixed message......
Really, a pleasant way to spend an afternoon and a nice reminder of why it's better to live in Austin than in some other places. We know how to channel our "inner hippie".
Really, a pleasant way to spend an afternoon and a nice reminder of why it's better to live in Austin than in some other places. We know how to channel our "inner hippie".
Let me be the first to admit that I shot these with a small digital camera. The irony of it all. When my previous post was all about the siren song of black and white medium format. You've got to know when to take out the serious cam and when to take out the party cam. Hope you've danced your way into Spring.
ReplyDeleteGreat flesh tones!
ReplyDeleteNice flesh tones!
ReplyDeleteKirk, have you shot the Sigma D1? I don't own one, but it strikes me that this would be the ideal kind of event to take that little puppy with ya. IF there is any digital camera that has the siren song for me right now, it would be the Sigma D1 or D2.
ReplyDeleteAbout the event, I work in the video game industry and Austin is the home to a great many companies in that industry. When my company (which is NOT located in Austin) tries to recruit, it is precisely events such as this one that attract people to the Austin area and cause them to reject my company (located in Phoenix, AZ).
It isn't so much the camera but what you do with it. A long lens, from the bushes isn't the way to go, but you could use a big camera and a small or wide angle lens and go with the flow, be part of the event like you seem to be, not a voyeur.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that's more the photographer than the camera that's being used. Confident and participating, or afraid and/or distant, is up to you.
Hunting from a blind or running them down with a big knife between your teeth! I love wading right into the middle of stuff. But I sure to like the wee camera for this kind of event. If I spill my beer on it I don't cry as hard....
ReplyDeleteyou definitely like women! A camera doesn't lie! ;)
ReplyDeleteAgain. The man is a genius. And he lives in the right town!!
ReplyDeleteI'm generally interested in Austin, but (sigh) hippy fests.
ReplyDeletePlease say you gave your photographer card to girl on the far right in 0453 ! Look at that face ! :)
Um...I hope you're not generally interested in Austin because you want to come and make everything as boring and non-hippy as whatever backwater you live in now.
ReplyDeleteKirk, a lot of my big camera's have had beer spilled on them at gigs, and aside from some cute discolorations they still work fine.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't worry about beer or other fluids.
I came *this* close to going, but I couldn't make myself get out the door. Everyone was walking past my house dressed all crazy and getting loud...
ReplyDeleteAnd I think it is pretty funny seeing guys walking around with cameras at the nude beaches...Oh boy oh boy
Austin the new 'Woodstock'
ReplyDeletehi friends
ReplyDeleteI didn't see any of those people with red striped shirts. Where were they?
ReplyDeleteRuss, this stuff is from 2009. I don't remember where they were.....
ReplyDeleteEeyore's Birthday Party is the best! Never thought of anything like this before for my sister's birthday, I'm sure she'll love this! I'm planning to customize invitation postcards through a very good Dallas Printing4u online with this link: http://www.printing4u.com/pages/dallas-postcard-printing but I can't find any designs yet.. Anyways, I'm a hundred percent she'll love your Party! Wish us success! You really had fun there. Thank you for your blog. Looking forward for many pictures soon.
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