PHLAC

It was an amazing day of illumination, ever-changing light. Clouds over Silver Lake Park scampered around as if they were photo assistants to the sun, tacking on different gels, playing with sheets of diffusion, throwing up a cookie, and even tossing down a few sprinkles of snow for good effect. I walked around to see how it fell on a wall or on neighbors hanging around outside. It was natural cinema—scenes of light never remaining the same for very long. I didn’t feel an urge to suit up, put on a hat, and get out. Taking it in through two windows seemed like the best seat in the house.

Here’s one Polaroid posted to Flickr.

By 6pm, I took a plunge and got outside into the cold. But by then, the best of it was done, and only a deep orange sunset was left waving goodbye.

“Goodnight. I’ll let dusk take over. Glad you saw today’s light show. Maybe you should have come out to join us.”

The thrill of the day wasn’t done. By 9pm or so, I saw flashing lights from the corner of my eye. This happens at least once a month…a fire engine or two. Someone smells a hot dog burning on a grill and dials 911. But this time, it was a parade of trucks decorating Victory Boulevard from Eddy Street to Forest Avenue. A couple of police cars and ambulances punctuated the red rectangular layout. Hoses ran across long stretches of pavement into the building next door to mine. No one was hurt, but a fire had broken out on the fifth floor of that building. With my D80 and a 20mm lens, I shot quickly in the cold, eventually realizing I could use a little flash. The yellow and white stripes on the firefighter’s gear rendered a glowing effect from the camera strobe.

I had my Polaroid Spectra with me as well. Lately, I’m getting so attached to it, that I’ve become disinterested in the DSLR, at least for a short while. But a Spectra Pro has a minimum aperture of f10. It’s not exactly something Weegie would have used for his nighttime assignments, even with that big old flash saddled to his camera.

The cold numbed my hands quickly. The suspense had lifted. It was time to bask in heat again. Firefighters are tough. Photographers who run out because a bunch of lights are flashing in front of their apartment? I’m not sure whether wimp or wuss would be the right word.

Firefighters assemble on Victory Boulevard to retract hoses used to extinguish a fire in building 630.

Firetrucks below begin to leave Victory Boulevard.