Wednesday Walk with @hobotang in Downtown Knoxville

_{Self-portrait standing inside Emporium Center, home of the Arts & Culture Alliance. Shooting with my Sony a7RII with a 35mm f/2.8 lens.}

On this week's Wednesday Walk, @hobotang and I trekked around downtown Knoxville going nowhere in particular, cameras in hand.

Typically, we have both toted our film cameras around, finishing our day at the darkroom to develop the day's work. I've felt very disconnected from my digital camera lately, mainly because I don't know it as well as any other digital camera I've owned and that has made me feel incompetent and sloppy whenever I picked it up. I'm so glad I took it out and even though I couldn't join Alhen in the film fun, I got to know my camera better and created some shots I love.

_{@hobotang leading the way toward the train tracks.}

Tang has instilled in me that photos can be found anywhere, that one needn't plan every detail of the outing or be too concerned with guaranteed interesting surroundings. He has a knack for find photos wherever we are, and this helped me break out of my perfectionist mindset and get creative.

We left our car and headed straight to the tracks, hearing trains creeping forward in the distance. I can be such a little kid when it comes to trains. They're fantastic. I learned from a friend that trains have 10 - 12 cylinder engines and so many gears in their transmissions... but it's because they are pulling so much! They're like metal centipedes...

This is my favorite train photo I've ever taken!

After the trains, we headed west, keeping in the shade as best as we could. It was a beautiful, less-than-normal humid Tennessee summer day, so in the shade, it was quite enjoyable. We crossed a modest bridge overlooking the train hub and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed this gorgeously colorful stairwell! While this specific piece is not too abstract, it still maintains the elements of abstract art with a strong presence of color theory. This mural is by Robin Easter Design. Next time we're out, I'm going to make sure we see the mural in its entirety!

_{Tang wondering what the heck I'm taking a picture of.}

Note to self: bring water on these Wednesday Walks!

We were parched, so we went off in search​ of some free water. It's tough in this little metropolitan area to find things like bathrooms and a glass of water without paying for something in the business. That's understandable - but we are ballin' on a budget, so we're looking for that freebie. : )

Luckily, we found a super cool art gallery called Emporium Center, home of the Arts & Culture Alliance.

Quite a large place, and with a public restroom, water fountain, and plenty of air conditioning. We even found an interesting photography exhibit to peruse before we embarked again.

There's something so romantic to me about having your own studio space. A room, a real room with floor space and places to put all of your art supplies. A place that becomes your own, an artwork in itself as you express your creativity in its arrangement.

We had the opportunity to peek into many tenant artist studios in the Emporium Center, and they were nothing short of spectacular. I even snuck a photo into this one, whose door was already ajar.

We kept this walk a little short, as I had to work that afternoon + evening, so on our way back to the car, I snapped one of the final photos of Tang inside this Crape Myrtle tree beside Summit Hill drive.

By far my favorite subject, if anyone was wondering.

What a fun Wednesday Walk! I'm grateful to have the camera gear that I've cultivated over my career, and to have this new-to-me (secondhand) Sony a7RII to get to know more deeply. It's going to be difficult, splitting my time between digital and film! Both give me different, valuable artist experiences that I wouldn't trade for anything.

Did you take a Wednesday Walk? Drop your link in the comments below so I can read + enjoy!

Hi, I'm Amelia! It's nice to meet you.

I'm a writer, minimalist, tiny home dweller, and maker living in East Tennessee, USA. You might have found me through the Ladies of Steemit curation initiative, showcasing the female voices on the Steemit platform. Let's hang out on the blockchain and see where it takes us.

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