New looks and second looks

Highway 63, nee Highway 15, as it snakes southward in Bradley County, Arkansas, back in the day, went through downtown Warren right by the fire station. Not having been that route lately since there is now a by-pass, I missed the old ’53 Chevy fire truck turned mobile BBQ pit at the Warren Fire station which I caught on this trip. See another view of the truck on the Photo of the Week page at Corndancer dot-com.

Click on the fire truck to see another view at Corndancer dot-com,

After completing the shoot of the fishing tournament of the Felsenthal Breamfest at Felsenthal, Arkansas I decided to take the roads not previously traveled where possible. In so doing, I happened across a location stored for shooting in the back corners of my gray-matter memory bank and found a couple of new ones. I looked at a couple of familiar but “under-shot” barns, the old fire truck and a nubbin of a tree delivering an almost spiritual message, some of which you will see here and the rest you can see on the Photo of the Week page at Corndancer dot-com.

While in Warren, I took the opportunity to shoot the old Pastime Theater building. Though the building and marquee have seen better days, they are still a valuable reminder of how we lived in past years. The marquee is a fine example of old theater art and conjures up memories of Saturday serials, Coke bottle days and steaming popcorn.

While shooting the Felsenthal Breamfest, I grabbed this long lens shot of a father and son concentrating on the serious business of putting fish in the live well.

While shooting an old red barn (see it at Corndancer dot-com), I saw these ferns doing their best to make a home in the gnarly bark of a big oak tree. They are growing against the odds.

It is refreshing to be able to discover new scenes and looks from old territory. These discoveries are not on the scale of radium and a new planet, but at this level, they are satisfying. All is takes is a bit of misdirection.

Thanks for looking,

Joe Dempsey,
Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind

http://www.joedempseycommunications.com/
http://www.joedempseyphoto.com/
http://www.corndancer.com/joephoto/photohome.html

 

 

 

 

 

Another swing through the Ozarks

In 2016, a 1941 Dodge panel truck, regardless of condition, is an attention grabber. It got mine. It appears to be what it is – something to grab others attention. It’s on Arkansas Highway 23 south of Huntsville.

Click on the barn thumbnail to see the real thing and more Corndancer dot-com.

Though I have learned that the unexpected is expected when motoring through the Ozarks of north Arkansas, I must say that when I laid eyes on the rusty 1941 Dodge panel truck parked in front of a cabin on Arkansas Highway 23 south of Huntsville, I did a double-take.  The cabin is of modern construction using the “log house” technique. It appears to have been unoccupied for long enough to be nearly choked by aggressive weeds (as if they needed any encouragement).

The old truck appears to have been parked as an attention-grabbing piece of yard decor. If that is so, it worked on me. Turns out, the old car was a harbinger of things to come. There was a decaying old barn less than a quarter mile from the old truck. See it and more barns, cows other stuff on the Photo of the Week page at Corndancer dot-com (It’s the grayish looking one with part of the left sided missing).

This well-preserved old barn is off Arkansas Highway 74 southwest of Huntsville. I had limited time on the trip and got a good angle without leaving the truck so I have no further information. Maybe next trip.

I proceeded from there to Huntsville and grabbed a Sonic No. 1 cheeseburger with a large sugary drink and fries then backtracked to where Arkansas Highway 74 peels off of highway 23. The stretch from there to Kingston, Arkansas was a honey-hole of photo ops including barns, what appeared to be and old church (mind you some of the old school houses looked like some of the old churches).

Although this appears to be an old church, it could be an old school. No one was around on Saturday afternoon to confirm or deny in tiny Wharton, Arkansas. Though it has been recently preserved with siding, the native stone, aka rock, foundation gives it away. It is old. What ‘UPPER WHARTON’ means is beyond me. Just before I got to this old building at Wharton, I shot a great red barn, see it at Corndancer dot-com.

Next door to the old preserved building, I found this not preserved and crumbling residence. It’s hard to guess the age, I’m thinking ‘old,’ as my best guess. There is a driveway ending a few feet from the front steps of the house, if that is a clue. Your guess is as good as mine.

To photograph the collapsing house, I had to butt the tripod up to a gate barring entrance to the premises, the left post of which was topped with a large rock. I have no explanation, but it must be a common practice in Wharton because a half-mile or so away, the fence around a fine looking barn was equally equipped.

Not far away from the gatepost with a rocky-top was a fence post with a rocky-top.

A Saturday afternoon swing through the Ozarks is a good way to pass the time of day. At least this weekend it was. If it is in the dead of winter with a few inches of ice and snow, wide-eyed fear and trepidation will replace wide-eyed enjoyment. But that’s another story.

Thanks for looking,

Joe Dempsey,
Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind

http://www.joedempseycommunications.com/
http://www.joedempseyphoto.com/
http://www.corndancer.com/joephoto/photohome.html

 

 

 

Rythmic recognition

This woman, surrounded by blue lights, not only is the drummer in her blues band, she is also a spirited vocalist. At the Blues Music Awards we do not see many women drummers – she was the only one in 2016 – and did a rockin’ good job.

I’m partial to drummers since my brother Hank is a drummer and a fine one. When photographing bands, the lead out-front instrumentalists and vocalists seem to be the photographic targets of choice and the drummers, relegated to the back of the bus so to speak, get the short photographic shrift. Not so this time. The drummers are the stars of this show.

Click on drummer to see more drummer pix at Corndancer dot-com.

The pictures for this post come from the 2016 Blues Music Awards in Memphis. Unfortunately for this one, I was unable to match names with the fine drummers in the pictures, so you can either make up names or ask around. If you get lucky, let me know.

Be sure and see additional Blues Music Awards drummers on the Photo of the Week Page at Corndancer dot-com. There’s cool lighting and good looks at the Blues Music Awards drummers which, to the best of my knowledge are available no where else – just like the ones on this page.

This drummer taps out the rhythmic base paying close attention to the other performers.

To get these shots, it is necessary to snake your way through an obstacle course of speakers and cords and place one’s self at the one of the back edges of the stage. For that reason, most drummers are not aware of the camera since they focus on what is in front of them. This dude was an exception and put on his best smile. See another shot of him on the Corndancer Photo of Week page.

These drummers have to be some of the best, because they rotate in and out of the same set of drums for each band versus their own personal arrangements to which they are accustomed – and they still rock!

This is a get lucky long lens shot from way back in the audience. There is so much visual interference from camera to subject when attempting these shots that they are rarely successful. This is the exception.

These views for the most part are not available to most viewers and require a photo pass to access the points to shoot, so hopefully you saw some imagery not seen elsewhere. And you joined in our salute to the not-s0-often-photographed drummers.

And as a side note, my multi-tasking brother has other talents than his musical skills. He is also a pilot and flight instructor with permits to fly dadgumnear anything.

Thanks for looking,

Joe Dempsey,
Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind

http://www.joedempseycommunications.com/
http://www.joedempseyphoto.com/
http://www.corndancer.com/joephoto/photohome.html