zippyjuan
02-21-2006, 11:01 PM
I was in Balboa Park today. One of my favorite places there that is not well known is the building directly east of the reflecting pond. There are no museums in there so only the occasional tourist wanders in. It has a typical Spanish/ Mediteranean style courtyard with iron railled staircases, arches all along the upper level, plants in the corners and there are some statuary from the original Pan Pacific Exhibition that most of the buildings were built for. You never know what you may find in here. It is mostly classrooms for performing arts. There is the sound of the piano in one room. From another you can hear a group of children singing. Through an open doorway you can see dancers practicing to a music player. I have also seen them practicing in the courtyard. Over in one corner is a group of photography students working with a couple volunteer models trying to get the lighting right with a foil reflector. The instructor is asking them a question. Sometimes there are people in wedding clothes getting their pictures taken. A door on my left opens and little girl darts out to get a drink at the fountain. I had just time for one shot before she turned around and ran back in. She was nicely framed by the shadow of an arch.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/JeffryZ/Drink.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/JeffryZ/Drink.jpg