Albany Carousel Again

The other day I ditched the family and met with a friend, E.S.,  at the Albany Carousel.  I still have a very rough draft idea of a story set with a carousel, so this visit counted as "research," but really it was an excursion to put the new camera through its paces.


10 AM sunlight streamed through the windows, which wasn't ideal -- I would have preferred the foggy, diffuse light of a previous day because it flattens out the light levels and contrast, and the glossy paint on the animals isn't so distracting.  One mitigation to the unfavorable light is to hide in the carousel's central column's shadow.

 I think the new camera can handle high-contrast lighting better than the old camera, and its zoom lens is fantastic.  An obstacle to photographing the animals with the old camera was that I had to be actually next to them to get some of the finer details.  Not so with the new camera's zoom lens.



E.S. and I chatted about the holiday, writing, and how cool the carved animals are.  We wandered over to the gift-shop and painting area, and heard how the original solid-wood Buffalo was hollowed out so it would weigh about 500 pounds less. 

We thought about taking a tour to the carving studio below, but it was getting to pre-lunch toddler melt-down time and the place was becoming shrill.   So we went off to write for about an hour.

 

More Albany Carousel (scroll to bottom for new pics):

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Q0o9F3tmqkRdOdM

Carousel Leaper Vignette

"You should paint," they told him.  So he took off his clothes, covered himself in paint, and rolled on a room-sized canvass.

Carousel Giraffe Vignette

Jack always wanted to be a ninja -- every day he practiced with his fond so he would be able to blend in anywhere.  If he stood still long enough, birds landed on him.  If he stood still long enough, ants other bugs explored him.  If he stood still long enough, he knew something special would come his way.

Carousel Stander Vignette

She added a newly purchased sapphire into the heaven of her hair, which glittered like the night sky with other sapphires, emeralds, and pearls.  The sapphire had once been in a pavé bracelet, since dismantled -- its jewels reworked into other pieces scattered across the globe.  

In a past life, she'd been bejeweled.  The passage of time, lives and a monumental quest had reunited her with past treasure.

Now she was ready.  Now the real quest could begin.  She'd find her lost love.

Carousel Lion Vignette

Jean was in love with Paul, and Paul was vegan.  So she put away her meat tenderizers, and only put olive oil drizzled carrots and potatoes onto her rotisserie.  Paul was a wizard with grains and greens, and she appreciated his efforts at meals with taste and texture.  But, still, there were those nights when Jean would creep down to the kitchen, and with only the open 'fridge and stovetop for light, boil an egg for a midnight snack.

One night, the kitchen light snapped on.  There was Paul, standing by the sink and pointing to the garbage pail.  "Oh honey," he said.  "At first, I tried to look the other way, but did you think I wouldn't notice the eggshells?"

Carousel Hippocampus Vignette

Captain Henry had to find the starfish that would turn him back into a man again.  He rushed through the surf searching the sand and rocks for the orange starfish that lived there.  The sea witch's laugh echoed in his mind as he recalled the enchantment she had laid upon him:  "You sought to master the waves with keel and sail--so will you serve as the wave's servant until you find the sea star that releases you."  With a laugh and a flip of her tail, she vanished under the water as he twisted into his current form.  

Carousel Dragon

The other day we took a secret, spur-of-the-moment trip to Albany.

 For the last ten years so so, volunteers have been working on a carousel, carving and painting animals to put on a circular platform.  The mechanical parts are from 1909 -- which makes them the same age as my Grandma Agnes.

The animals are all ornate, whimsical, and amazing.  Here's "Igknighter"

We had fun riding the carousel, and I tried to photograph everything, which was hard because the glossy finish on the animals reflected all the lights and windows -- luckily it was overcast, so my camera didn't have to deal with the direct sunlight.

I think my best photos were when I was on the platform taking pictures of the animals' left sides... although I did find a sweet spot at about south-southwest (I think).


I thought that I'd read somewhere that some animals are anchors:  extra heavy animals that help stabilize the carousel platform.  But I may have gotten confused between standers (the stationary animals on the outside ring) and jumpers.