Unlike the streakers, we didn’t get tased/arrested but we still couldn’t touch the grass…
This past Memorial Day Weekend, members of the Photowalk Alliance got up bright and early on a Saturday to tour Camden Yards. Being a lifelong Orioles fan (seriously, I attended in 1992 when it opened), touring my favorite ballpark in the world on its 20th anniversary was a dream come true. After months of planning and getting the word out, our sizable group showed up for the last tour I’ll be doing on the East Coast for (probably) the rest of 2012. We quickly raffled off our BlackRapid RS-Sport 2 strap (Congrats again, Kate) and started the tour.
The tour showed us some of the standard areas as well as some places off limits to most of the public, and those places you can’t go unless you are special (or work there). We got to see the view of the field from the M&T Corporate Box (which if they ever need a dude to hang out with them, I’m game). Also on the special club level, which Jules and I experienced for the first time when I won tickets from the BBJ, we got to see the World Series Trophies and various Golden Gloves. Sadly, we weren’t allowed to take any of them home.
After the club level, we headed down to the press box and eventually hit the basement where we headed out onto the field. I have to say, it was an experience unlike any other I’ve ever felt there. I could here the roar of the crowd and see the players in my mind. Kneeling down to take a macro shot of the field, it hit me that I was PHOTOGRAPHING THE FIELD AT CAMDEN YARDS… ON THE FIELD!
We also got to sit in the O’s dugout and heard some crazy stories along the way. Our tour guide Mary was great and put up with all of our crazy antics quite well. Afterwards, we headed over to Jimmy John’s to eat some food and hand out some giveaways- it was our largest group ever so we pulled out all the stops on prizes!
It was a perfect and bittersweet end (for now) to a group that Zach and I formed based on a lofty ideal. While I’m saving the story of how we formed for a future Darkroom guest post, I’m still awestruck about the group we managed to put together. They gelled better than I could have ever hoped for and I will truly miss seeing their wonderful faces on a regular basis.
I’m very excited for the future of the Photowalk Alliance and I can’t wait to share some of the ideas we have in store for you all. Check out all the photos on my Flickr Album
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