The value of Riverscape Metropark

I've gone on several evening strolls looking for pictures to take. For several months I was trying to take at least one postable picture every day however I got sick, my bike broke down (which happens when run off the road by a car) and life's other little things led that noble effort to slowly fizzle until I gave up the pretense and accepted my defeat.

When I was living downtown I would often find myself gravitating to one of 2 places for the drive to take a picture because I was on a schedule. The closest was the Dayton Art Institute, which I'll elaborate on later, the other and more common was Riverscape.

I never really figured out why I was drawn to Riverscape as a landscape photographer. Riverscape as a park isn't attractive. I would take pictures of  the various features of the park, but as a whole there was nothing that jumped out and screamed "TAKE MY PICTURE!"

There are various plants that have pretty flowers, unique structures, and of course the fountains, but the park without people is just blase. But I hadn't figured that last part out yet. I kept trying to capture the essence of the park but I was doing it when the soul of the park wasn't there.

Luckily I did figure it out eventually. I overheard that there was going to be a big band concert under the pavilion. And I thought to myself that there would be no better time to catch cute older couples being cute older couples than at a big band.

It started off like many of my photography expeditions: I walked around and limited myself to taking pictures of people I already recognized, it felt weird somehow to take pictures of strangers, like I was spying into their little world, but I had already checked up on the legal concerns and as long as they're in public and not doing something that has an inherent level of privacy (like looking through their phone's contacts) I was in the clear to take almost any photo. So I gradually got more comfortable with "Street Photography" which allowed me to explore Riverscape in a whole new light.

 I stayed to the back of the pavilion because I didn't want to get in the way of people who actually wanted to watch the performance, but it didn't take long at all before I started noticing all manner of photogenic scenes. From a guy sitting on the concrete bank letting the music drift down the embankment to a couple in the back row just enjoying each other's company.

As the evening was drawing to a close I was in a little open area nearly perpendicular to the state, I was able to capture some of the happiest smiles I've seen with no idea who owns them.

Standing there capturing various moments I finally realized that the park by itself might be boring, but when you fill it with people- that's when magic can happen.

The "Golden Hours" are the time when the sun is just over the horizon in the morning and evening and you get some beautiful lighting from a giant gold spotlight in the sky. Outdoor portrait photographers love this time because the lighting is more flattering and easier to work with than at any other time of day. At the prime of the golden hour I was standing next to a pillar when a woman nearly dragged her husband to the open bit of dance floor right in front of me. As soon as they embraced I knew I needed to take their picture, but I felt so uncomfortable, they were only feet from me and pulling an SLR camera to my face seemed like it would have ruined the moment because for the first time I was so close that I was part of the scene. I had just purchased a D5000 which was my first camera to have a flip out screen. I pulled the screen out so that I could frame and focus the shot while keeping my camera unobtrusive at hip level and I came out with another of my all-time favorite captures.

While the park without people can on occasion give some fair wildlife shots, it is the people of Riverscape that make it a park worth going to.