Into The Fog

We've had a lot of foggy days and nights recently, which makes for some really neat conditions for photography. So one night after getting the kids to bed, I grabbed the camera and tripod and headed out again to try to get a few pictures. The first stop was the Big Dam Bridge, which had red and green lights for Christmas that seemed to fade out into the thick fog.



I wasn't the only one out there. There was some strange creature lurking in the water that would swim around and then crash into the water, creating a huge splash. I'm not going to lie, it scared the crap out of me the first time it happened. I'm not sure what kind of creature it was - an otter, a beaver, or something like the Loch Ness Monster?? I managed to get a little video of it with my cell phone:



After that I decided it wasn't best to continue lurking by the river so I headed downtown. The first stop was at MacArthur Park and the old Little Rock Arsenal. The arsenal was built in 1841 and is one of the oldest buildings in the city.



From there I headed over to the intersection of Capitol and Main Streets, which is the location of the city's Christmas tree. The tree was overshadowed by the Union Plaza Building, whose lights shined bright in the fog.



And a wider view of the tree with the sculpture "Helios."



For some reason there weren't very many people out and about on a gloomy and foggy night, so I managed to get a shot from the middle of Capitol Avenue without having to worry about being run over.



And one more shot of the Union Plaza Building, which was loosely inspired by this photograph by Edward Steichen of the Flatiron Building.



It was starting to get late so I hurried over to the Junction Bridge. This is the view from the top of the bridge (taken by the elevator, I did not climb to the top!).



And the view from along the bridge.



And a shot of the bridge from the riverbank. Was a little surprised at how still the water in the river was, which did make for a nice reflection.



I made one more stop, at the Arkansas State Capitol.



I walked around the grounds, and then ended up crawling along the wet pavement to get this shot of the Capitol reflected in a large puddle.



It must have been a slow night for the Capitol security guards, since a state capitol police car parked nearby and watched me while I innocently walked around taking pictures.



And a shot of the front, which you can see the blue "PEACE" letters that hang in the small circular windows. The lights were first added during World War II, and have been a part of the capitol's holiday light displays ever since.



The state capitol police must have gotten bored since they drove away. So I took advantage of the lack of nearby cars and got one last shot from the middle of Capitol Avenue before finally heading home.

Capitol Fireworks

Arkansas' state government isn't always that great (and next year's legislative session is sure to be a doozy), but one thing that it does right is the annual fireworks show at the State Capitol in December. The fireworks fill the sky just before the 200,000 or so Christmas lights on the building are switched on for the first time. It's a fun tradition, especially if you have kids. So Jonah and I headed out there and we found a good spot in the lawn in front of the capitol.

The show starts with a few speeches from various politicians (much to the dismay of all the kids in the crowd), and then there is a big countdown to the start of the fireworks. Except this year there was a little hiccup in the plans. The computer that runs the lights and fireworks apparently decided to freeze up just when the show was supposed to start. So after the countdown everything went dark and then......nothing happened. For about 15 minutes everyone stood waiting in the dark as the kids got more restless and the adults made jokes about the state forgetting to pay its electric bill. But eventually they got everything working and the rest of the show went off without a hitch....

Clearing Fog

There is just something special about foggy days and nights. The way that light is diffused, and tall buildings fade into the deep mist. So the other night it was nice and foggy out, and after getting the kids to bed I grabbed the camera and tried to get a few pictures. I headed downtown and made a quick stop at the State Capitol:



But while I was there, the fog started to break up and dissipate. I hurried over a nearby parking deck and tried to get a few more pictures before it was completely gone.



The remaining fog was being blown away by the wind, which created some neat streaks in the sky during long exposures:





And one last shot, of the stately Cathedral of St. Andrew (which was built 1881). Just behind it is the Donaghey Building, which was built in 1926 and was Little Rock's first "skyscraper."

Fall In The Delta - Part 2

When I left Stuttgart I took the scenic way back, which took me through the small town of Humnoke. Along the edge of town is a lake, which is filled with cypress and tupelo trees (and mosquitoes, presumably). I pulled over and literally got this picture while looking through the window of the car.



I headed west but made another stop near the small town of Coy. There was a small collection of silos, surrounded by grass that had turned a deep shade of orange.













Just down the road sat this shell of an abandoned building. Wonder what this used to be?







I made another quick stop down the road in the small town of England, which has this neat old abandoned house. It looks like vines of poison ivy are climbing up the sides of the house, its leaves turning orange for autumn.



I headed towards Keo, and then went to another small lake that is filled with cypress and tupelo trees.









And then I had just enough time to make one last stop before I needed to be back home. So I decided to hurry over to Scott to try to get a few pictures of Pecan Alley, a road that runs through some old and massive pecan trees. The trees were once part of a large plantation and are over 100 years old.

Fall In The Delta - Part 1

The other weekend I drove to Stuttgart to deliver some pictures, because the Arts Center of the Grand Prairie there is kind enough to host my photography exhibition for the next month (until December 16!). It was pouring rain that day, but the rain luckily held off when it was time to walk 33 framed photos in the Arts Center. But I am very happy and humbled that they chose my photos to display.

Stuttgart is a neat city. It is one of the two county seats of Arkansas County (the other is DeWitt), and it is widely known for rice and ducks. As I drove through town, I spotted this neat old home. Someone has mowed the grass, but the house does look abandoned.







I drove down Main Street and made a little visit to the old Riceland Hotel. The hotel was built in 1923, and was once the center of social life in town. When it was open, the hotel boasted visits from celebrities like Ernest Hemingway, Joseph Pulitzer and Clark Gable. Unfortunately the hotel closed in 1973, and has been left all but abandoned ever since (for some pictures from inside the hotel, click HERE). On the side of the building is a bright red door, which stands out in stark contrast to the building around it.



Stuttgart was settled in 1878 by German immigrants, and now has a population of about 10,000 people. It is home to Riceland Foods, which has grown to become the world's largest miller and marketer of rice.

During a break in the rain, I stopped by an old rice silo that sits just a few blocks from Main Street. It doesn't seem like it's in use anymore. Overgrown grass, that had turned a deep orange, was growing up in the disused railroad tracks that run by.











Nearby was this old home, which may also be abandoned? It had a Mickey Mouse looking out from the door, so maybe it's the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse?



From there I stopped by the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie. The museum contains over 20,000 square feet and details the history of the Stuttgart. Among the exhibits is this recreation of a church that is similar to ones built by the town's original German settlers.



On the southern edge of the city is the Rice Capitol Inc. mill, which is the oldest in Stuttgart. It looks like it's still a busy place, but this tall structure along the road looks empty and abandoned, with broken windows along the rusted sides of the building.













I needed to start head home, but I had to make one last stop at this old abandoned gas station.















And after that I headed towards home. But instead of driving up to the freeway, I headed east on the backroads so I could find a few more things to get pictures of. Will post those pictures soon....