I'm An Exhibitionist

Tonight I went to see my picture at the opening reception for the Philly Photo Day exhibit at the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center. And here it is!

There were close to 900 submissions but they're helpfully arranged alphabetically by photographer's name, so mine is easy enough to find if you go. It'll be up until the 26th. It was interesting to see such a variety of photos, and yet similarities in a number of photos. City skyline shots, iconic buildings such as City Hall, the LOVE statue and the Clothespin, Pat's and Geno's steaks, a handful of shots from public transit (although I saw only one other picture showing the Market-Frankford tracks through the fence on the crossover between platforms). There were lots of quirky photos, photos of people of all ages, photos that were a bit tricked out to depict some special effect such as streaking lights, a few pictures from Occupy Philly, and so on.

And then there were two pictures of...TV screens at the moment the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series. (One can be seen in the first picture above.) Ugh.

NOT The Grammy People

My friend Kurt recently moved to South Philly, Home of the Cheesesteak Wars (both Pat's and Geno's are at the intersection of 9th St. and Passyunk Ave.). I was at his place the other day, and after I left I was walking along Reed St. to 9th to catch a bus into Center City. I found an odd sight. Between 8th and 9th on Reed is a small cross-street, Darien St. It's not much more than an alley, and is actually a dead end. At left is a picture, taken while I was on Reed St.

Notice how there's a building at the very end with a sign over the door. You can't make it out in the picture, but at the end of this nondescript street is the Pennsylvania Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

I immediately thought of the Grammy awards, handed out by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Obviously this was a local chapter, but why would they be in such an off-the-beaten-path location?

Turns out I was wrong. The Philadelphia chapter of NARAS is in Center City. This Pennsylvania Academy is a school. They have an outlet in Gettysburg as well. Their name seems juuuuust a bit misleading, don't you think?

One Word On This Abomination...

NO.