This photo was taken on June 6, 2014.
ISO 100 4.3 f/8.0 1/160sec
That year St. Louis was turning 250 years old. 256 cakes like this one were put out all over the city and surrounding area. Some of them are still on display, a current listing is here. I’ll be honest, when I first heard this was going to be a thing, my reaction was something like…oh. Then I started seeing them around town. They really were works of art. I ended up with quite a little gallery of them. The one above was one of my favorites because of where and how it was placed. The St. Louis Art Museum is free and located in Forest Park. It’s a gem and well worth a visit if you are ever in the area. Here is my Luminar edited version of the original file:
ISO 100 4.3 f/8.0 1/160sec
The original photo was intended as a realistic snapshot. It was shot in the bright light of a St. Louis afternoon. The edit has been given a bit of a bronze tone that I thought made the shadows look more interesting. I cropped it because I thought the original had a lot of not very interesting sky. I also removed the working crane. I did try a crop that would straighten the photo but to my surprise, I thought it made the photo less interesting, so the tilt stayed.
I like this edit, but other than making an appearance here it will pretty much stay in my photo files as a memory of the fun little cakes that dotted St. Louis in 2014. Do you like this edit? Has your town done something like this? I know there are several US cities that have done similar things. Your comments on the edit and community art projects are welcome below.
Cheers!
Added to Tuesday Photo Challenge, Birthday and in a bit of a cheeky way to One Word Sunday, Fire.
Photography Journal Blog 
Excellent.
LikeLike
Thanks 🙂
LikeLike
Here’s to St. Louis
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
Looks a great cake – I wouldn’t mind it for my own birthday (apart from the large number!)
And yes, I like your edit. Warming up the white balance was a great idea – the original was too cold. Personally, I wouldn’t remove the crane as that is a real part of the city on that date. And I am happy with the tilt – it matches the angle of the shadow.
LikeLike
That’s a good point, about the crane, I hadn’t really thought about it that way.
LikeLike
What a great idea! Such fun to look for them all around the city. One year we had art cows dotting the city. some can still be found at places like the airport, hospitals and city parkades. They always bring a smile to my face.
LikeLike
I was a convert once they were in place. I was thinking of them again because last week someone sent me a photo of one that was still in place.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Blue – Travel with Intent
Pingback: Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 129 – Dutch goes the Photo!
I like your edited version – including the crane removal (for me, it distracted from the candle). Very cool photo one way or the other.
LikeLike
Thanks very much 🙂
LikeLike
An interesting way to celebrate the birthday. Was each cake designed by a different artist?
LikeLike
So, the quick answer is no. The longer answer is that some artists designed multiple cakes. It was interesting to me to go around and see various cakes that were done by the same artist and get a feel for their work. Other artists did just one cake and there were also some cakes that were a group effort. There is a listing here of some of the artists:http://stlouis250cakelovers.com/?page_id=149 Just in case you (or anyone else) was curious 🙂
LikeLike
Works of art big time !
I could barely see the crane in original
And out town has these painted large dogs all around certain – if I have any pics to share I will come
Back
– but nothing like this and what a good idea
LikeLike
Yes, I think they pulled this off really well. A lot of local people trekking all over town to see them. I think it helped a lot of locals discover new places, I know I did!
LikeLiked by 1 person
truly a great idea and as noted to you a long time ago, I think some of your posts helped many people see a beautiful side to St Louis – quite often it is like Buffalo or other cities that have economic decline –
and so seeing the cakes and other things you have previously shared reminds me that the area is alive
LikeLike
Happy belated birthday to St. Louis. We lived there a couple of years a long time ago. I’ve seen painted cows, bears, pianos, pigs but no cakes so this was definitely interesting.
LikeLike
Yes, I had seen a few other things over the years and was surprised how much I ended up liking these.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Through the wonderful PBS’ 4-episode series “Native America,” I only recently learned of the existence of “Cahokia.” That only adds to my wish to visit the city and area.
LikeLike
Part of the reason I find it an interesting site is because it blends into the surrounding landscape so well, that you wouldn’t really be taken to task for missing it at first. Then you really see, and it transforms how you see the area. Well worth a visit if you are in the area.
LikeLiked by 1 person