It is not unusual to see Brad Campbell and husband Steven Galbraith downtown. They are members at Robinson Film Center and regulars at Abby Singer’s Bistro. Brad is a special fan of Chef Tootie Morrison’s braised collard greens and Gouda mac and cheese, a dish he jokingly calls his ‘second favorite vegetable.’
Brad, a retired school teacher and current training manager for Volunteers of America, often grabs his iPhone 8 for photos, as he did one recent evening downtown. It was a couple of months ago in that rare and odd cool week in the middle of the summer heat, the week that felt like fall. Our sidewalk patios and the balcony at Abby Singer’s were bustling with activity, with the promise of cooler weather to come. It was on one of those nights that Brad and Steven were sharing a wonderful meal on the patio, one of those beautiful nights when our sunset lights up the sky in warm and glowing pastel colors.
Brad looked across the street to the Lofts at 624, the three-story adjacent and the two-story Zodiag building, bathed in the colors, and grabbed his phone. What made the photo special was the fact that lights on inside the buildings gave them a special depth and glow. To create the final product, Brad says he tweaked the light and color ‘just a bit’. Brad does not consider himself an artist, but this photo is truly the work of someone with a refined eye, and was ultimately, our very first ‘I Am Downtown’ photo winner.
Brad and DDA director Liz Swaine.
By having the most ‘likes’ across several social media platforms, Brad (and Steven) have won a night on the ‘Down’ Town that could start with drinks at the gorgeous and friendly Remington Suite lobby bar, followed by a meal at Parish Taceaux, a movie and popcorn at Robinson Film Center, and an evening ending wine or coffee (make that decaf) at Rhino Coffee downtown. A gift certificate for The Agora Borealis will allow Brad to pick up a locally artisan-made treasure to remember his win, and his hopefully-special evening.
Congratulations to Brad and the to the MANY photographers who submitted wonderful #downtownshreveport photographs.
