Okay, so I got this idea buzzing in my head last weekend. “Sunday Best St Louis photos”. Don’t ask me where it came from, just popped in there. Felt like I needed to get out, you know? Do something with the camera instead of letting it collect dust.
Getting Ready, Sort Of
First thing Sunday morning, I grabbed my old camera bag. Checked the battery – almost forgot to charge it, classic me. Didn’t really have a solid plan, which is sometimes the best way. St. Louis is big, right? So I just thought, okay, let’s head towards downtown and maybe wander over towards Lafayette Square or Soulard. Those spots usually have some character, especially on a Sunday.
Weather looked okay, not too bright, not too gloomy. Perfect for just walking around. I didn’t bother with fancy lenses, just slapped on my trusty 50mm. Keep it simple, that was the plan. Less gear means less fuss.
Out and About in STL
So I got down there. Parked the car and just started walking. It wasn’t really about finding people dressed to the nines, though I saw a few folks heading to church looking sharp. For me, “Sunday Best” was more about capturing that feeling – the city waking up slow, the cleaner streets, maybe just the way the light hit the old brick buildings. That felt like St. Louis showing off its quiet, Sunday side.
Walked through Soulard market for a bit, lots of life there. Snapped a few shots of the vendors, the produce. Nothing groundbreaking, just documenting the moment. Then I ambled over towards Lafayette Square. Love the houses there. Took some pictures of the iron fences, the architecture. It’s funny, you walk these streets a hundred times, but with a camera, you suddenly see details you missed before. Like the way peeling paint looks almost artistic, you know?
A Little Detour Thought
It reminds me a bit of my grandpa. He wasn’t a photographer, not really, but he used to just sit and watch things. Said you learned more by watching than by talking. Maybe that’s what I was doing, just watching the city through my lens.
The Process On the Ground
- Wandered pretty aimlessly, which felt right.
- Tried to capture textures – brick, ironwork, faded signs.
- Looked for interesting light and shadows.
- Didn’t talk to many people, just observed mostly.
- Spent maybe two, three hours just walking and shooting.
Back Home – The Results
Got back home, feeling pretty good. Feet were a bit sore, but that’s usual. Dumped the photos onto my computer. Always that moment of truth, right? Flicking through them.
You know how it goes. Lots of okay-ish shots. Some blurry ones (thanks, shaky hands). A few that were just… meh. But hidden in there were maybe five or six photos that really clicked. They had that quiet Sunday vibe I was looking for. Not technically perfect, not magazine stuff, but they felt real. They felt like St. Louis on a Sunday morning.
Didn’t do much editing. Maybe tweaked the brightness a little here and there. I like to keep them looking pretty much how I shot them. It’s more honest, I think. So yeah, that was my Sunday Best St Louis photo adventure. Just a simple walkabout, trying to capture a feeling. Pretty decent Sunday, I’d say.
