Seattle - Day 2

After seven long hours of class in a stuffy, loud, and nearly windowless hotel conference room, we were finally excused and four of us set off on another Seattle wandering, and back to Pike Place we went. We got there a little earlier so we got to watch the fish throwers, sample delicious Chukar Cherry treats, smell bunch after bunch of flowers, and we even grabbed a paper bag full of hot, fresh beignets. The four of us walked down toward Pioneer Square and browsed through a few shops on the way, including a really cool toy store.

I saw a beautiful corner flower shop with floor-to-ceiling windows and hurried over to snap a photo. I shot one frame through one window, and as I walked around the to the other side to catch up with the girls, I decided I liked this new angle better and as I rushed toward the window, I didn't notice the step up and tripped over it. I didn't fall - the glass was way too close for that - but my K1000 slammed into the window with a loud thud, which was immediately followed by me laughing. I shot the photo, ran to catch up with my Seattle pals who were also laughing, and then I realized my UV filter was shattered (see blurry photo down below) and jammed onto the lens. The roll of film I had in the camera is for Vanessa to shoot for our Doubles project, but the cracked glass didn't seem to affect anything, so I kept on shooting. We'll see how they come out once she's done with the roll. I ran another roll through the camera that night too, and just two of the images have a noticeable glow (J-M Hotel, Crab Pot below). I ended up using needle nose pliers from the hotel front desk to pry it off. The funny thing about this whole situation is while in Mesa Verde National Park a few weeks ago, my backpack fell out of the car when I opened the door and my Canon 50D took the brunt of the fall, and although it didn't get jammed onto the lens, my UV filter shattered. In my 10 years as a photographer, I've never once broken a filter, and now I've broken two UV filters in two weeks. I just ordered two new replacements from Amazon and hopefully my klutziness won't interfere with them.

We ended up on the waterfront for dinner, and while the girls ordered fish and chips, I got chicken strips and chips. I don't do fish. I also got a glass of Alaskan Amber, which I loved and wish I could find around here. We made a toast, ate our delicious deep fried food, got gawked at by a nosy seagull, and took a cab back to the hotel. What a fun day.