I’m a photographer, not a tourist

Oh my how the world is changing.
I saw this saying printed on a t-shirt some time ago,
but when I Googled it to find a picture, apparently the saying is now
I’m not a terrorist, I am a photographer . . . so sad 😦

Last Saturday, I packed up my camera bag and headed to Philadelphia. What better time of year to head to your nearest art museum to indulge in some culture and maybe, just maybe boost the creative process.  And, boy, was I in luck because as it turns out Van Gogh is in town!  Sunflowers, Irises, golden fields of wheat . . .  aaah, spring can’t be far off.

Do you see him?  Right there, sitting on the wall on the right of the stairs.  It’s Rocky . . . Sly . . . Sylvester!   Yes, those are the steps made famous in Rocky.  Okay so this was my “Tourist” shot.  I had to, who wouldn’t.  But  is this really a tourist’s shot?  I mean,  I did check my settings; I composed it a couple different ways before I clicked the shutter; and I did wait for a bus to pass.  I think I am going to get me one of those “I’m a photographer, not a tourist” t-shirts or better yet make my own.

Beyond Layers, painterly effect

Actually, maybe the term I should  use is sightseer.  Technically, I am far from a tourist as I have lived in the Philadelphia suburbs for 30+ years and I have been to the city numerous times over those years.  So why haven’t I been here before? Oh sure, I have been to the museum thanks to school field trips from my school days as well as my kids, but I never just wandered around this part of the city (with or without my camera) . . . down JFK Boulevard, around the Water Works, not even Fairmount Park.  Nope, I’ve only driven by on my way into the city or on my way home, always another destination, no time to stop, but always wishing I could.  You know, some times you just have to hit the brakes, STOP, and get out of the car.