I was surprised when my wife suggested that we go to a block party on the east side. It wasn’t her kind of thing. It was at Springdale General, a creative community of designers, artists, and restaurants, wrapped in rather stylish industrial architecture. I was there once, as it turned out, during the East Austin Studio Tour. Now, nearly a year later, the space has filled out nicely.

My wife and I browsed artwork, pottery, handicrafts, and other related enterprises. It felt like the first inkling of what it would be like post-retirement, filling time by visiting the work of creative young people.

No camera bag this time. I brought my white Olympus XZ-1, slug carefree around the shoulder. Yeah, the same camera that I’ve been talking about for the last couple of posts. The thin camera with the thin neck strap works oh so well for these places. Plus, as I’ve mentioned, I love the color and non-clinical images it produces.

I considered doing an elaborate photo essay, complete with people candids. But, no, I’m concentrating on the architecture. That’s what ultimately makes this place different. I like that a simple eight-year-old camera is more than enough to capture the essence of a place.

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