It’s official — We’re official. The Photography Park is now an official non-profit corporation in the State of Georgia.
That took a lot longer than I expected. And it’s just the first step of a lengthy process to become a 501(C)3 corporation, capable of soliciting funds that are tax deductible. We’ve been warned (in a class taught by The Foundation Center) that the process can take a year or more now. But we’ll get there.
No worries. I have the time (I’m retired) and I’m convinced that this (a Photography Park) is an idea that will keep. So let me take a few moments to flesh out this idea. What — exactly — do I envision as a Photography Park?
First and foremost, I’m an outdoor photographer. When I think Photography Park, I think of a place with a view. A protected view. And that means a lot of land. Normally, photographers like me head for large, outdoor parks. Yes, I think of Yosemite and Yellowstone too. But I (and most other people) don’t live anywhere close to a large park — much less a large National Park. (East of the Mississippi, there’s only Acadia, Shenandoah, Great Smoky Mountains and the Everglades.) But even in scenic parks, photographers are often frustrated by three universal problems; limited hours, utility wires and artificial lights.
The next time you’re at your local park — one you might think suitable for photography — take note of the times it is open. Typically, parks are open Dawn to Dusk.
I go out to take pictures of the sunrise every morning. Every. Single. Morning. (Retirement is nice.) And every single morning, I get to my usual sunrise spot one hour before sunrise. In the dark. Try that in a County or State park and see how many locked gates you come across. Not to mention, many parks don’t have a suitable location to photograph a sunrise. A Photography Park will. And it will be open so you can get there (in the dark) long before the sun comes up. It will work in reverse for sunsets too. The park will stay open until after all the color has faded from the sky. And maybe all night. After all, think about all the people that would like to photograph the stars.
I’ll leave it for that now. I’ll write on my thoughts about those nasty utility wires that are always in the way and ugly street lights for another time. Let all this rattle around in your brain and think of what you’d like to see in a Photography Park. After all, this will be a first-of-its-kind park and I don’t have a monopoly on photography ideas.
Don Brown