Frank Jansen’s photo challenge this week is city. I’m much more likely to be taking pictures of flowers and leaves, bugs and trees so I decided to use the challenge to try something new. I went to Des Moines this morning to take pictures of the skyline and a building or two.
The top photo is looking west down Grand Avenue as the sun is coming up. Being there early Saturday morning meant I could safely stand in the middle of the road! The striped building in the left foreground is the State Historical Building; there is free parking in the garage across the street (pictured at right).
Des Moines is the capital of Iowa, so a picture of the capital building seemed in order. But I caught the reflection of the capital first!
Next up is a view of downtown Des Moines from the Capital steps. It was taken with a Sony Cybershot camera which automatically brightened the entire image – it was definitely not that light at the time! Wish I had played with the manual settings on my DSLR camera.
Next stop was along M.L. King Jr. Parkway. I’m standing on the east end of the bridge over the Des Moines River.
The old Brown-Camp Hardware Co. building (on the left) has been converted into residential lofts. From this angle it looks like the two tallest buildings – 801 Grand and the Ruan Center – have traded places since being in the first photo!
Something is always under construction in Des Moines. Had I had more time I might have tried pictures of the many bridges – including whichever one is under construction this year!
Having worked in 801 Grand back in the days when I was a computer programmer/analyst, I wanted a picture of just that building. This first photo is taken from a block east on High Street. It shows just one of the 20 or more sky walk bridges that make it possible to go from building to building in downtown Des Moines without ever going outside – a great deal on cold, blustery days of winter and hot, humid days of summer!
Another LQQK 
Thanks for these: we were there, too, for the Farmer’s Market… just never crossed paths with you! I was amazed at all the turkey vultures that make the Principal Bldg their roost.Thought of you & your pics as I used my plain old Samsung phone to take pictures of flowers at the lovely Botanical Gardens.
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Hi Kristy! I thought about going to the Farmer’s Market – actually made a large circle around it – but was on a mission to get a variety of pictures of 801 Grand. Later in the day I started thinking about how a city (like a church) is not really its buildings but is the people. The Farmer’s Market would be a great place for people pictures! With permission to share, of course. I’m utterly surprised at the quality of pictures taken on a cell phone. As one photo-blogger once put it: the best camera is the one in your hand! Blessings, Teressa
Teressa L. Clark http://www.AnotherLQQK.com shift focus, see further, gaze deeper
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Interesting for me to see this since I grew up in Des Moines. I left a long time ago but for many years — 15? came back twice a year to teach in the UCC CENTER LEARN program and saw some of the re-shaping.
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I didn’t know you grew up in Des Moines! I did know you were one of the beloved instructors for CENTER LEARN. And I had the pleasure of attending a workshop you led at Plymouth UCC at least 8 years ago. So grateful for the many worship resources you’ve written and edited over the years. Thank-you.
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