Arch Nemesis

Arch Nemesis? Not really------ but photographing around the St. Louis Arch does require a bit of education, information, awareness and paperwork.

If you want to have professional photography taken at the Arch or on the Arch Grounds there are a few simple rules. Know first of all that you are required to have a PERMIT--- a real live permit, no excuses! Failure to have a permit is cause for ejection from the Arch Grounds. Yes, it happens. Permits are free to acquire but must be requested several weeks in advance.

The grounds around the St. Louis Arch are gorgeous and nothing shouts St. Louis quite like having the Arch in your photograph. Some simple things to keep in mind when you arrive on site for your photos are:

• You're not the only ones on this large property---- be respectful of others!
• Here at Tom Paule Photography we are experienced in getting the best shots of you and the Arch ---- so you can relax, and enjoy. Keep your eyes on the lens, follow instructions and be open to things happening 'on the fly'.
• Be respectful of the Park employees, they work hard to make the Arch the best for visitors and STL residents alike.

Did You Know:

• The Arch is the tallest national monument in the United States at 630 feet; it is the city's best known landmark and a popular tourist attraction.
• Construction began February 12, 1963 and the last section of the Arch was put into place on October 28, 1965.
• The Arch is a structure known as a catenary curve, the shape a free-hanging chain takes when held at both ends, and considered the most structurally-sound arch shape. The span of the Arch legs at ground level is 630 feet, the same as its height.
• Each year, approximately a million visitors ride the trams to the top of the Arch. The trams have been in operation for over 30 years, traveling a total of 250,000 miles and carrying over 25 million passengers.
• The Arch weighs 17,246 tons. Nine hundred tons of stainless steel was used to build the Arch, more than any other project in history.
• The Arch was built at a cost of $13 million. The transportation system was built at a cost of $3,500,000.
• In order to ensure that the constructed legs would meet, the margin of error for failure was 1/64th of an inch. All survey work was done at night to eliminate distortion caused by the sun's rays. Since the Arch was constructed before the advent of computer technology, relatively crude instruments were used for these measurements.
• The Arch sways a maximum of 18" (9" each way) in a 150 mph wind. The usual sway is 1/2".

There is almost always something happening at the Arch---- make sure to do as we do, check with them to see if there is something scheduled that might interfere with your plans!

Weekend?

How was your weekend? Did you find yourself with too many plans to squeeze into a narrow window of time off? That's always the way it goes!

How about making some plans for NEXT weekend? We're already thinking about getting through the week that lies ahead!

How about a really interesting exhibit in the Loop? Robert Boetccher at Subterrainian Books has a great collection. He "was homeless, until he was given a digital camera by Inside Dharma, a humanitarian Buddhist organization that provides services to inmates and the homeless; then he became an artist. Boettcher captured images of St. Louis that most of us have never seen, and he worked diligently at his craft so that his photographs were more than just hard documentation. His photos of Hopeville, the tent city north of downtown St. Louis, show the sense of community that we're not normally privy to, and his images of the city's abandoned corners reveal the loneliness that comes with being outside society. Boettcher is unfortunately not homeless now; he's in prison awaiting trial for the murder of another citizen of Hopeville. Boettcher's photographs are a stark reminder that we are more than can be summed up in a few words. Each of us has the capacity to make something beautiful out of our surroundings, and we all have the capacity to destroy -- and just because we've done a lot of the one doesn't mean we can't turn it around and do the other." It's free, head towards Delmar.

Robert Boettcher

View the exhibit and maybe grab a root beer float at Fitz's? Sounds like a great time!

Every Friday night at Sqwires in Lafayette Square (just down the street from the Studio) Tom Hall is playing. A great opportunity to hear some great music, have some excellent food and kick off a weekend in style.

How about touring the Frank Lloyd Wright house in Ebsworth Park? By appointment only, schedule a really interesting and visually exciting tour as part of your weekend. The tour costs around $10 and is a don't miss experience. The house draws people from all around the country so plan your trip ahead.

It might be Monday but we're already thinking WEEKEND........... bet you are too!

A Million Flashes

 
We see it every week-------------- and in churches and at events across the country it is usually the same. The flash from a million cameras, camera phones and the like all zeroing in on the subject at hand, wanting to take their own photo. It can be a small annoyance or an enormous problem. The subject of the photo, often a bride and groom has paid a professional photographer a good sum to capture their wedding for generations to come. To artfully and to the best of their experience create a photograph that will be pleasing, memorable and tell the story of the event itself.

What the armchair non-professional photographers do not consider is that they often interfere in the professional photographers duties. They get in the way. They slow down the paid professional and they often irritate or confuse the subject of the photograph. Flashes and flashes go off and what happens? It interferes with the photo that is the record of the day, the keepsake of the event, the legacy to the story. The resulting photograph might not come out as intended because a flash popped at a "bad" time, and a photo was not its optimal.

Professional photographers understand that people love to take photos! It is fun to have a quick snapshot on a cellphone, or a picture to send to missing family members or friends. Hopefully, those non-professionals will remember that they are not the primary or professional photographer and that their photographs come second to those that have been paid for. Be aware, ask permission, show kindness and concern for the people who have invited you to their event. Simple respect goes a long way in making sure that things happen as they are intended, and that nothing is really messed up. THINK before you take that photo.

Tom Paule Photography Sports

Sports Photography----- all ages, all kinds----- is a passion of Tom's. He's been privileged to photograph teams from all over the St. Louis metro (and beyond) for over 10 years.

A favorite? There aren't any favorites although watching the kids grow and get better at their chosen sports is definitely enjoyable.

The schedule is filling up, as it always does. If your team would like to get on the schedule please call as soon as possible! We'd love to meet you!

Please visit Tom Paule Photography Sports for more information.

The Meaning of Summer

For most of us past the age of 18, summer is (while great) a time we continue our normal workday routine with nicer weather. Sometimes we tend to lose touch of the feeling we had when we were kids, when summer meant time off, lazy days, swimming and fishing and hanging out.

My kids always help me remember a lot of things----

• What is Important
• How to Have Fun
• What Summer is All About!

Playing in the sprinklers is noisy business!

Doesn't it look like FUN?

I miss SUMMER----------- don't you?