Every Monday in “My Top 5“, we cast our lens on different Houstonian making things happen around the Bayou City. This week, we hear from digital photographer and artist Kenneth Hudson, who will be exhibiting some of his works at Bayou City Art Festival in Downtown this weekend.
My Top 5 Things to Do in Houston
by Kenneth Hudson
- The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston – MFAH membership is one of the best deals in town. Since general admission is always free, I sometimes go there just to relax and get away from it all. I might focus on just one exhibit, or my museum favorites, or nothing at all. Other times, my wife and I will enjoy free or discounted admissions to special exhibits, such as Monet and the Seine: Impressions of a River at the MFAH starting in late October. We always try to attend the “opening night” preview parties, which are always fun!
- Glenwood Cemetery – Nothing makes me feel more alive than a bike ride through the hills of Glenwood Cemetery on a crisp fall morning. Not only is the statuary amazing, but I can rub shoulders with Gene Tierney, William P. Hobby, Howard Hughes Senior and Junior, and hundreds of other famous Houstonians. Biking in Glenwood is allowed and not considered disrespectful. Located just across Memorial Drive on Washington Avenue, a Glenwood visit can easily be incorporated into a Buffalo Bayou biking tour.
- Photographing Houston’s Skyline – Few things are more enjoyable to me than experiencing the Houston skyline during a vibrant sunrise or sunset. One of my favorite spots is the elevated Burnett Transit Center / Casa de Amigos Metro station. I’m always looking for a different angle to photograph. It might be anywhere from a friend’s roof deck in Sawyer Heights to the top floor of an old East End warehouse. Regardless, the Energy Capital always shines bright!
- Live Blues Music – Houston has always been a great place to see and hear great blues music. In my opinion, blues music is best appreciated in small intimate surroundings like a night club or bar. In the 1970s, I was lucky enough to have seen and photographed the great Lightnin’ Hopkins playing around Houston in such places as Liberty Hall. Nowadays, the blues is still alive and well in Houston night clubs such as the Big Easy Social and Pleasure Club, The Shakespeare Pub and Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar.
- Weekend Art Events – Houston’s energetic and growing art scene is best exemplified by the biannual Bayou City Art Festivals. In addition to these fabulous mega events, there are worthwhile Houston art happenings on any given weekend. Long before I located my studio in Houston’s warehouse art district, I was a huge fan of the Hardy & Nance Open Studios event, which is every third Saturday of every month. It’s an excellent opportunity to meet emerging and established artists, see and buy art, or just have fun. Such events are being held by other art communities every weekend throughout the city.
About Kenneth Hudson
Houston-based photographer Kenneth Hudson makes every effort to digitally remaster the world around him. “I’m somewhat obsessed with transforming the commonplace into eye-catching digital images,” says Hudson about his current work. His photography career began in the 1980s, shooting commercial and industrial subjects and working in the old school days of Kodachrome, negatives, darkrooms and toxic chemicals. These days his focus has shifted completely to digital photography. “Processing images on my computer is analogous to the old school darkroom techniques of the great master photographers,” said Hudson. “One of the biggest challenges is holding back and not over-processing the image. Emphasizing reality is the goal.” You can view his work on his website.
