It was indeed a brilliant idea! I could achieve an entirely different perspective on Forest Park by mounting my camera with a wide angle lens on top of a painter’s pole. So I went to the hardware store and bought a bright yellow fiberglass extension pole and a package of three quick release pegs to mount my camera connector. Then I took an umbrella adaptor (which allows tilting and locking of the camera) and attached a camera quick release platform to it. Perfection! I now had a camera extension device (no, it’s not a selfie stick) that started at 7’8” and extended to 13’ 8”, meaning I can easily hold the camera 10-15 feet over my head. I admit that when I first tried it on warm St. Louis day almost 10 years ago, I did make a few selfies, but the real reason was to get that new perspective on the world. It really worked, but it also attracted a lot of attention.
“Look!” shrieked one teen girl to her friends, “A camera on a stick!”
Yes, I know, in the days before the advent of the ill-fated selfie sticks, a camera on a stick was, indeed, an unusual sight. That made me feel a bit conspicuous as I walked around, but I was able to peer into some birds nests and snap some great shots.
Fast forward to today, a not-so-warm day in the same city park as before. Now I have an easier time framing my shots as I do not have to shoot blind. Ten years ago I had no way of seeing what the camera would capture, but now some of my cameras have built-in WiFi and I can use my phone to see what the camera is seeing, set the exposure, and fire the shutter. But, I can’t wear gloves and operate the touch screen. Did I mention it was cold today? I had to come inside a lot and my phone died due to the cold, but I did achieve some perspective.
I also caught a glimpse of the new ride the Zoo is offering and wandered along a stream for a while. Photos are here.
The lonely swing.