Skate Park vs. Photography Park

I went to the new skate park at Huntsville's John Hunt Park last night for the "golden hour".  As usual, there were so many things to work around when trying to get a decent picture.  I came home and posted a number of pics on InstaGram (@thephotographypark) because I'd told some skaters I would.  I also asked a question.

Are the more skaters or more photographers in Huntsville?  (Or America, if you prefer.)  I don't know the answer to that.  Do you?  (If you do — good data from a reliable source — send me a link.)   I tried to answer that question this morning.  I can't find any consistent, comparable data.  But, I noted one source said skateboarding was a billion-dollar a year  industry.  That's pretty impressive.  I guess that explains the skate park.  (By the way, this one is officially known as Get -A-Way.  It's Huntsville's second skate park.)  It's a cool place.  Full of people — kids, families, teenagers and adults.  It's quite an asset for the community.

I found another source that said photography was a 20 billion-dollar a year industry in America. Again, I don't think that data is comparable.  And while I'd bet there are more photographers than skaters, I'd also bet there are a lot more pro photographers than pro skaters.  At least I'm counting on it.  I'm hoping pro photographers will be a big revenue stream for a photography park.  (I'll let you think on that angle while I move on.)

So, if we can justify the expense of a skate park, why can't we have a photography park?  I can't think of a good reason.  And as I stated last night, "I could build a skate park inside a photography park."  After all, I was at a skating park trying to make pictures.  I'm sure I'm not the only photographer to do so.  But you can't put a photography park inside a skate park. (I'm certain I could help make it more photography-friendly if anyone is interested.)

Anyway, this is my favorite photo from the night.  I'm sure it's not what most people would expect but I can live with that.  I  look for the light and follow it wherever it takes me.  Speaking of which, if you haven't noticed the shadow on the wall yet, you're not looking at the light. 

Nikon D7200 — Nikon 80-200mm F2.8

80mm

F4@1/320th

ISO 400

ROD_3221.JPG

©Don Brown 2024