A few days ago, my coworker invited me to a downtown photo walk organized by a group online. Taking photos is fun, and walking is usually fun, so of course I agreed. The group was scheduled to meet up outside the Austin Central Public Library (specifically the side facing 2nd St.) at 4 PM. I got there on time, and my timid nature prevented me from interacting with the group that had formed until I actually, for sure saw my coworker in the mix. We all exchanged introductions and talked briefly about cameras, gear, and technique, occasionally greeting new additions until it was time to go.
The sun crept closer to the horizon as golden hour neared. A sizeable group of creatives had gathered, ranging from hobbyists (me) to amateurs to professionals. The mood was genial prompting us to converse amongst ourselves. The group had decided to make our trek heading south from the Butterfly Bridge through the Shoal Creek Trail. Something immediately caught my eye from our point of embarkation—a hotel being suffocated by office buildings. Their proximity and dominance struck me as interesting and immediately reminded me of Cyberpunk 2077.
Next, I turned north and snapped a pic of this funky condominium, and then lingered down the trail and captured what is called the Sailboat Building. By this time, most of the group had begun socializing along the trail. They were taking photos of the creek, any passerby in view, flora and the like. Nothing was uninteresting.
After some time, a few clouds wandered in front of the sun and created these gorgeous rays of light. I decided to underexpose this photo because I was afraid the rays would be lost against the sky. And I’m so glad I did, because the clouds ended up being rendered as well as you can get on a Polaroid, showing many values and keeping the rays visible. Here’s a comparison between what my phone camera captured and what the Polaroid camera captured. It’s safe to say that the imperfections and somewhat volatility of Polaroid film almost certainly lend a painterly, almost impressionist feeling toward its captured subjects.
The Shoal Creek Trail passes underneath Cesar Chavez St. I took a photo underneath it, and then also of the group wandering ahead just on the other side, with the glistening Colorado River beckoning in the distance. I really liked how twisted the perspective lines were, especially in the way the tree branch, the trail, and even the railing all interacted.
Once we got to the lakeside, the atmosphere was electric. Bicyclists whizzed by with intent, runners weaved through crowds, strangers relaxed by the riverside reading or contemplating, and dogs were sprinkled throughout, playing with their owners. All of this happened in unison to create such a vivid and lively landscape. It really was a fine day.
It was surreal experiencing how un-Texas like this particular moment felt. The air was crisp and cool with a slight breeze and the trees were peppered with various shades of umber and sienna. The leaves seldom venture far from their default green here due to the lack of winter or winter-adjacent weather, so it really was a sight to behold.
Towards the east a boat lumbered towards us. The closer it got, the more peculiar it appeared as it sported a Texas-themed finish and had some apparent movement and activity. It revealed itself as a party boat, and the people on board were visibly having the time of their lives as I could see them shaking it to pop music blaring from its loudspeakers. There’s nothing more Austin than the dichotomy between the ponderous and introspective individuals mirrored against their boisterous, party-going counterparts.
I took a photo of man on a bench enjoying a book by the riverside, which turned out to be a risky shot. The sun was reflecting off the water directly onto my camera, risking a lens flare or even worse, a blown out image. I had to position the subject in a way that had nice composition, but also in a way where the tree blocked the sun from ruining everything. That explains the hazy glow near the bench. Also nearby was a man in a bright blue tent with what I think was fishing gear. The colors of the leaves could fool you into thinking these were taken somewhere near New England.
After we got enough of the river, we went westward past the Seaholm Water Intake Facility (which looks like a haunted Scooby-Doo warehouse), underneath the MoPac Colorado River Railroad Bridge, and up the winding Ann and Roy Butler Bike Trail onto the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge.
We were instantly greeted by sounds of laughter and conversation once we ascended to the top. There was quite a crowd of people from all walks of life mingling throughout. What caught my eye was the busker singing and strumming. I was the poor guy’s first tip, from even before the 20 minutes we were there. Honestly, he was pretty good. I struggled to find other things to capture on the bridge.
Then came the first dud of the day. The sun was pretty much touching the horizon at this point, so there wasn’t much ambient light left. I spotted a group of people kayaking by, aimed my camera at them, and hoped for the best. Unfortunately, I was a bit too shaky for as low-light an environment as this. This meant my next and final photo had to use flash and have close subjects. Well, what better way to cap off my photographic journey than with something that embodies the spirit of Polaroids: candid moments.
Throughout the group’s entire time atop the bridge, there was a couple taking what appeared to be engagement photos. They’re behind the people petting that beautiful dog. Also captured was one of the photographers from our group. It’s a bit timeless—everyone is just doing their own thing, and ironically, I’m the only one distracted by technology.
The meetup was hosted by ATX Creator Meetups check them out, also special thanks to Morgan for inviting me.
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