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Lobster Dog - Photo Credit Oblandonstone via Flickr.com

This weekend is the perfect time to be at the market with the Pike Place Market Street Festival. You’ll definatly want to bring your camera and taking our tour will help you capture all those great images. Sunday’s 10 AM “Strut Your Mutt” event, will surely be a great hit for you dog lovers.

Schedule of events via MyNorthwest.com

Kick-Off Parade: Saturday, 10am- Kicking off this year’s Festival will be a parade down Pike Place featuring local drill teams, including the Sweet Mahogany Drill Team.

Kids Zone in Steinbrueck Park: Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 5pm The Kids Zone, brought to you by the Pike Market Childcare & Preschool, features an activities rich roster for the young ones in your group including the famous Zucchini 500 race, fish and vegetable painting, hands-on arts and crafts, face painting, music, and the always popular bounce house!

Pike Brewing Company and Click Distributing Beer and Wine Garden: Saturday, 11am – 7pm and Sunday, 11am – 6pm Sip one of the Pike Brewing Company’s famous microbrews, including the popular Naughty Nellie Ale and Pike Kilt Lifter, or some local Washington wines, while taking in the amazing views of Elliott Bay and the snow-capped Olympic Mountains.

Live Music: Saturday, 11am – 7pm and Sunday, 11am – 6pm Enjoy an eclectic mix of live music at the Pike Brewing Main Stage. Check out the full schedule inside this program.

Strut Your Mutt Dog Contest and Parade: Sunday, 10am Kicking off the Sunday festivities will be “Strut Your Mutt”, the annual dog contest and parade in Steinbrueck Park. An entry fee of $5 will be charged and owners will have an opportunity to showcase their mutt and vie for prizes.

Make Wishes Come True at the Market Foundation Booth Since 1982, the mission of the Market Foundation has been to serve people in need and preserve the diversity and heritage of the Pike Place Market. There are over 10,000 low income and elderly people in the downtown area and they are served through the Pike Market Medical Clinic, Senior Center, Child Care and Preschool and Downtown Food bank.

The Street Fair offers an opportunity to have fun and also support the worthy work of the Market Foundation.

For more info

There is no doubt that the Pike Place Market is the centerpiece of the city, some say it is the “Soul of the City”. Every day we are at the market is a new experience. As a photographer, I am in total heaven from the time I arrive for the tours and the time afterward just feeling the pulse of the market and taking in the experience.

I started reading the book, “Soul of the City”, to help give a historical perspective during our tour. The book is full of great images and many of the building and common landmarks in these old images can still be seen. I love the richness of B&W images and it might be fun to shoot some photos at the same locations these were taken years ago.

Below are photos from the University of Washington Collection. I encourage you to check out the database of images, especially those by Asahel Curtis.

1. Pike Place Public Market, Seattle.	2. Alaska Deer Market, Pike Place Market, n.d.	3. Asian American vegetable vendor at the Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington, May 13, 1936.
4. Dairy products vendor, Pike Place Market, 1917	5. Filipino Coffee Co., Seattle, ca. 1909	6. Back of Pike Place market extending north along Pike Place as seen from Western Ave., ca. 1911
7. Food vendors at the Pike Place Market, n.d.	8. Fruit and vegetable vendors at the Pike Place Market, Seattle.	9. Fruit and vegetable vendors, Pike Place Market, 1917
10. Grocery store, Pike Place Market, 1917	11. Herman A. Eba’s grocery interior, Pike Place Market, ca. 1914	12. Liberty Flower Shop at the Pike Place Market, ca. 1931
13. Louis Kaminoff at a produce stand, possibly at the Pike Place Public Market, Seattle, ca. 1920s	14. Pike Place Market looking north, ca.1908	15. Pike Place Market, n.d.
16. Pike Place Market, n.d.	17. Pike Place Market, Seattle, 1969	18. Pike Place Market, Seattle, ca. 1912
19. Pike Place Market, Seattle, ca. 1919	20. Pure Food Shop in Pike Place Market, Seattle, 1945	21. Vegetable and fruit vendor, Pike Place Market, 1917
22. Vegetable vendors, Pike Place Market, 1917	23. Woman shopping at Dominik Yellam’s vegetable stand in Pike Place Market, Seattle, 1939	24. Vendors and horse-drawn carts at the Pike Place Market, ca. 1908
25. Vendors at the Pike Place Market, n.d.

Yesterday was one of those perfect, “We love living in Seattle”, days. While our Shutter Tours Guide, Valentina, was directing a 10 AM tour, I decided to take in the festival. The smell of cheese could be smelled everywhere as the producers shared their products. They even had cooking lessons from DeLaurenti’s to help you prepare your meals properly.

There was also the smell of fresh bread and it was fun to see people carrying the bags filled with baguettes. Reminded me a bit of traveling to Europe.

I then ran across Koda, one of the cutest dogs at the market. I love getting down to their level with a wide angle lens and shooting from their vantage point. Also, all the musicians were out to help round out the experience of the festival.

Now our guides and or myself are at the market virtually every day and I always see something new. This time I was shooting the Public Market sign and had never paid attention to the fact that there is a large bird nest. Just one more thing to point out on our tour.

The Cheese festival goes on today as well. The perfect weather, beautiful blue skies and a camera in your hand will make for a great day. If you’re reading this post after the event ended. Come down to the market and take one of our tours, we would love to show you our favorite city and think that we make it one of the best tours in the city.

This afternoon I attended an open house for the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau to help kick off the summer tourism season. When I got off the elevator, the first thing I saw was a shiny red photo booth, provided by Photo Booth Services.

As a photographer, I love to take photographs, but I have a hard time having my photo taken. Except for in one case, a Photo Booth. I can usually jump right in there and play around and have fun. There is no post processing, just a raw image that you hope doesn’t make you look like a dork.

Of course, I had to quickly think about what type of prop I was to use, since my mug is a bit boring. So I had a brochure in my jacket pocket,  I decided to do a shameless plug for the company. Think I should put these photos on the side of a bus? Hmmm.. another marketing idea.

So enough about the photo, check out the Photobooth website, where you can rent the booth for your wedding or event. I imagine it could be a lot of fun for us to partner with the company and have this booth at the market just for some fun.

Major, Coffee Master at Starbucks, was also educating attendees on coffee roasting, but even better was our discussion of his love for photography. That’s my weakness, start talking photography and I’m hooked and its tough to drag me away. He has had the opportunity to travel to Latin America with camera in hand and take some great photos of the coffee farms. Some of his photos were so well done, they ended up on Starbucks bags all over the world. Be sure to watch the video on the above link for Major, he talks about the art of “Cupping” coffee. I hope we can chat again.

It was also nice to meet some other business owners, including Sunny Speidel from the Seattle Underground Tour. We have a mutual  acquaintance, Jack Fecker, who helped Shutter Tours with some business planning before we launched the company.

Balloon Man at Pike Place Market - Photo Credit Terry Divyak

Farrell Thomas is one of those vendors we really enjoy being around at the Pike Place Market. Sitting in his normal location, between Rachael the Pig and the Information Booth. I had a lengthy conversation with him yesterday as the sun broke out and created a beautiful Northwest afternoon in the market. He always has a great attitude  as I greet him and ask how his day is going. “How you doing Terry?” he says back with a smile as he eyes scan the activity in the market. “Pretty good”, I say back, “Can’t beat this beautiful day”.

I always like to know how his business is doing because anyone that makes balloon animals for living is really working hard to make ends meet. “Well today’s been a tough day and business is kinda slow”. I scan the market and look around as I hear the Pike Place Fish guys yell out their barking, cameras clicking away and people waiting in line to sit on top of Rachael. Within 50 yards there are probably 100 people and it saddens me that Farrell is unable to get many donations today.

Farrell Thomas aka the Balloon Man Photo by Terry Divyak

A little girl walks by and asks her dad for balloon, but he hurries her along with a quick “No”. She puts her head down and obediently follows him as I watch them go to the Starbucks across the street. I feel sad for her and for Farrell as well, they both missed out on a little bit of happiness.

Being that I have been in marketing mode for Shutter Tours, I talk to him about ways to market himself to get his good name out there. I suggest a press release (not much to release), website (Which someone offered to create for him for $350.00) and self proclaiming himself the Mayor of the Pike Place Market (Already been done) . “Maybe you could get some big silver pinwheels to attract people like fishing lures” I suggested. I started feeling it was a bit tough to market yourself as a balloon man. Maybe I need to sleep on it and think what Ivar Haglund would have done.

So I told him “how about I just add you to our blog with some photos and let people know you are here?”. We agreed that was the best idea.

So next time you are at the Pike Place Market, even if you don’t have children, drop some change in his bucket. A little means a lot to him and tell him Terry from Shutter Tours sent you.

After a succesful tour Photo Credit: Joseph Romain

Joseph Romain is an amazing photographer and was kind of enough to take some photos documenting one of our tours last Saturday. A graduate of the prestigious photography school the Brooks institute, along with his wife and Shutter Tours guide Kristi, he shot way beyond our expectations and I need to give him credit where it is due.

Below are photos that will give you an idea of what the tour is like and some of the locations we take tour participants to.

Post Alley Photo Credit: Joseph Romain

Lunch Dinner and the In Between Photo Credit: Kristi Romain

Shooting from different perspectives - Photo Credit Valentina Vitols

Terry explaining the power of vertical lines Photo Credit: Joseph Romain

Explaining composition concepts Photo Credit: Joseph Romain

Even the children have a great time – Photo Credit Valentina Vitols

It

Great creativity with a reflection Photo Credit: Kristi Romain

Red Shoes - Photo Credit Kristi Romain

Your Shutter Tours Guides – Kristi, Valentina and Terry

Yesterday we took a tour of a true Northwest oasis for a tour/workshop idea Shutter Tours is putting together. The area is a 400 acre private estate located in the foothills of the Cascade mountains. The center focal point is a 12 acre lake stocked with large trout and nestled between jutting cliffs that rise hundreds of feet.

Our day started with a short drive up to the property from downtown Seattle. Once we arrived, we felt transported into another world with hawks flying overhead. Next was a leisurely boat ride with a vintage boat propelled by an electric motor, on the pristine lake. Surrounded by firs and moss colored rocks and ducks paddling their way around the lake , this was a true photographers paradise.

As we docked on the other end, we walked through tall firs and moss covered vine maple with the sound of an 800′ waterfall in the distance. The owner said we would soon see what he calls, “The Garden of the Gods”. I was already wowed by what I had seen and was even more excited when we finally arrived. This “Garden” was simply stunning. Throughout thousands of years geological upheaval, house size boulders had come crashing down from the 800′ cliff above. They all settled in the one area and through this time, large fir trees had found their homes on top of the rocks. Roots slowly enveloped the rocks, like those of the banyan trees one would see in Angkor Wat in Cambodia. This is one of those areas that one very seldom gets a chance to see and being that it is a private estate, I could see how much fun it could be for our customers to experience this area.

Next, we took the boat back as the sun was breaking out. My eyes open to the wonder of the things I used to enjoy as a child as I hiked throughout the Northwest.

We then drove to the “Zen Garden” area. This is a garden the owner created for his enjoyment with large boulders sprinkled throughout, a large deck and an amazing view of the valley with a nice 3 bedroom guest house. The owner had spent a fortune on lighting the garden and having been there once during the evening, it was very peaceful and relaxing. It also helps that he has a hot tub to view the valley on one side and the towering cliffs on the other.

So Shutter Tours is working on bringing our customers here for a unique weekend. We are the first company the owner has ever allowed to bring people to experience their personal oasis. We are working on the details of the tour now, for an August or September weekend. If you would like to know more, please sign up for our mailing list and we’ll send out more information soon.