LonelyStreets.com
Nikon
We bought a new camera last week - a Nikon D-40, currently the cheapest D-SLR on the market. I have to say that it’s really nice, takes amazing photos. Shutter is lightning-fast responsive, and it takes nighttime photos that are bright as day (as long as you can hold it still during long exposures). The following photo was actually taken by my wife while I was driving. The flash went off, so the original was just an ugly bright reflection of the flash in the windshield, but I managed to coax this out of it in Photoshop, and I really like it. Very LonelyStreets.
This one I actually took myself, out of one of my apartment’s front windows on a Friday night:
And finally, the following is not the greatest photo in the world, but I think it does a nice job of illustrating the kind of nonsense that goes on in Des Moines’ “loop” on Friday and Saturday nights. What, exactly, are these silly-looking hip-hoppety-in-the-Iowa-hood dudes doing? Well, waiting for redneck teenagers in cars without mufflers to pull up so they can yell at them of course! This photo was also taken out the window of my apartment and depicts the sidewalk across the street. Now, try to imagine that everywhere down here is like this on the weekends, and you’ll start to get a sense of how exciting downtown Des Moines is. By the way, we normally call these folk “Loop Scoopers” (due to their habit of driving in circles around downtown), but since these poor schmoes are car-less, I think they should be called “Loop-Poopers.” What do you all think?
14 Responses
Leave a Comment
May 24th, 2007
Posted by Paul in Photography |
May 24th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Yay Loop Poopers!!
May 24th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
you don’t understand loopers. they’re everywhere, even chicago. the ones in the third photo were wondering who the hell was taking their picture and why that person doesn’t have a life, e.g. why isn’t he down here with us being cool.
May 25th, 2007 at 6:48 am
I actually know people who are married with grown children & real jobs who met “loop scooping” in Des Moines - but I think that did require a car back in the “good old days”.
June 4th, 2007 at 10:58 am
There are cars in the street! What a difference from your previous post of picturesque Des Moines. Does traffic downtown actually pick up on Friday evening?
June 4th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Oh, god, you have no idea! This place suddenly turns into a redneck Nascar ralley every Friday and Saturday night as local teenagers cover their insecurities with illegal sub-woofers and sawed-off mufflers.
March 9th, 2008 at 12:50 am
ok you have no idea what the loop really is and what it means to kids on the weekends. they look forward to going dt and showing their cars, subs, rims, everything off. it may not seem like it but it keeps people out of trouble they could be getting in if they didn’t have down town and the loop. police have ruined it so many times and adults don’t understand the point of it. kids look forward to the summers where every weekend they can go dt and meet up with friends and just have fun. no one is being hurt in the process and the loop stays on locust and grand. the bridge on locust comes in to play for racers. but it isn’t a bad place so before you go and make assumptions you should talk to people that go down town and see what they think.
March 9th, 2008 at 12:57 am
and subs aren’t illegal you idiot. they don’t race down town, they joke around about stuff but never racing racing. and redneck nascar ralley–yeah right. there are some idiots down there and some retards but insecure teenagers?? you realize OLD MEN go downtown and it isn’t all teenagers. wooowww yet again. FIGURE SHIT OUT BEFORE YOU GO THROWING RANDOM ASS SHIT OUT THERE!
March 10th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Well, buddy - I feel like I have a fairly good idea of what the loop is because I lived on it for two years (you probably didn’t realize it, but this is my blog, and I took those photos from my bedroom window). And you’re right, the subs aren’t illegal, the volume at which they are played is, however (50 db is the Des Moines law).
March 14th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
this “bud” is a girl, stop making assumptions, k thanks. and you may live on the loop but you don’t know what it is or what it means to people. And i’ve been down town and at the loop, bridge, everywhere more than the 2 years you’ve lived there. if you have an issue with it MOVE! we aren’t going away so you should probably just get used to it(: i dare you to come outside one night when the “insecure teenagers” are around and then say all this shit about it
March 15th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Sorry, but buddy is a non-gender-specific word, look it up if you don’t believe me. At any rate, I did move (the heck out of Iowa, as it is), so it’s a moot point really. I would, however, counter that you might try renting an apartment on the loop yourself and see how much you enjoy the weekend revelries when you’re living amidst them. I rather think you wouldn’t…
March 16th, 2008 at 3:02 am
really i’ve lived by major streets my whole life and its the only way i can sleep. so before you go thinking you are going to “win” this you won’t. dt is way more than what you and any other adult thinks. but thanks!
August 3rd, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I enjoyed your blog on the “Loop Scoopers”. If you ever get a chance, this is the kind of personal experience that I would love for you to post over on my blog. It’s place where users can share their experiences about living in downtown Des Moines. Keep up the good work! Great blog!
May 4th, 2011 at 1:15 am
@Paul: I think you misinterpreted @Pretty Eyes’ comment: she said she was upset about posting a likeness without the subjects’ concent (not consent). Consent of course is an archaic term for musical harmony (see http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concent), so I think she means that the image should be accompanied by an audio track of their loop-scooping ‘music’.
But I’m not sure why she assumed that your ass was capable of taking a picture with a DSLR, let alone posting it on the internet. Hands are usually better at that kind of thing.
May 7th, 2011 at 4:50 am
Bravo! Well put, indeed.