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A favorite subject for many photographers is doorways. I am no exception. Is because they offer a sense of the unknown? What’s on the other side? What will you find if you enter? What might come out? Small town doors, big city doors, wood doors, glass doors, they all fascinate me. Enjoy this gallery of doorways.
My current obsession is night photography. I love to see city lights after dark or small town lights. I never carry a tripod with me, so I shoot with a super high ISO or try to rest the camera on something. I use a Sony A7rII and it is great for shooting in low light with a minimum of grain. Although, I have night photos from around the world, this gallery is dedicated to America after dark.
Knoxville is my home town, so I have lots of images from here. Here are a few.
When I visited New York, I went alone. At first, I thought I might be too afraid to spend a lot of time out after dark, especially taking photos. But I got comfortable with it fairly quickly.
Want to see more photos from after dark, click here.
Feel free to comment and share your own images of America After Dark.
I have a slight obsession with clocks and watches. One of my favorite things to shoot when traveling is street clocks. These are clocks that hang outside of shops or restaurants. Small towns tend to have a random clock on the sidewalk. I do not know where this tradition is from, but I love it!
Some of these clocks still work, even though the shops they once represented are long gone. Each of these clocks has its own personality and look. Feel free to share links to your own street clocks in the comments!
Thanks for looking at my street / shop clocks. Prints are available of these and other clock images here – https://1-sharon-popek.pixels.com/collections/time
This is an interactive blog. I would like your feedback and opinion on this images. I have a hard time deciding if I like the black and white or color versions better. Of course, in the end, I usually offer both in my shop. But it is nice to get feedback. So let me which you prefer and why.
When on the train to NYC, I met a lady who told me I had to go see the Public Library. She did not lie.
I love this tunnel. I have seen other photos and was excited when I came across it while wandering the park. I had to wait for a few people to come along and walk through to get this image. I prefer the black and white. It emphasizes the shapes and textures better. What do you think?
When I looked up and saw this, I knew that I had to take a picture of it. I am torn on which I prefer. I like the more modern feel of the color version. But I really like the classic touch of the black and white.
The thing I love most about traveling in large cities is this. When modern meets historic and a classic in between. I can’t pick which I like better. Maybe you can!
I found the simplicity of this sign to be eye catching. Shoe horned in with the big showy marquees of Times Square, it caught my attention. The black and white image feels like classic, like it could have been taken in the early days of photography.
I look forward to your input on these images! Also, feel free to link to your own blog in the comments below.
Prints of all images are available in my shop.
When it was time to leave Providence (see Rhode Island or Bust), E dropped me at the station early because I did not know what to expect. Would it be like the airport? Would I have to remove my shoes and take out my electronics and shampoo? Would I get the joy of a pat down? Nope, none of that. They did have police walking around, watching for suspicious behavior, I suppose. That left me with some time to kill, so I went down and took some photos of the platforms. When it was time to board, I hopped on and grabbed a comfy seat. Coach seats on trains are nice and cushy. After everyone found a spot, no seat assignments here, we were off. I was headed to New York City, just me and my camera.
I sat next to a very nice woman from Florida. Her daughters lived in New England and she was visiting them. She told me to visit the Public Library in New York. So, I added it to my list. There are several reasons to love the train. One of those is that you can have a conversation without everyone else in the whole place hearing what you say. It’s also easy to get up and move around. I visited the snack bar where the cashier told me about the time he visited East Tennessee and loved it. There’s also the views. I got to see so much of New England that I would not have seen otherwise. It made me want to visit the places I viewed from the train.
The train pulled into Penn Station and I had a moment of what now? I had researched the location of my Airbnb and the exits were clearly marked, so I found my way out easily. The Airbnb was only 3 blocks from the station. I made my way there and there was a nice guy waiting to give me a key card and show me to my room. It was a private room with a shared bath and kitchen area. I had reservations about the shared bath, but it ended up not being an issue for me. I only ran into the other tenants once in the 4 days I was there.
The biggest problem with visiting a place like New York City without specific plans is there are so many options, it’s hard to decide what to do. I took a shower and relaxed for a bit before deciding to hit the streets in search of food and drink. It was Sunday and quite a few of the nearby places were already closed or closing soon. But I found Jack Doyle’s Irish Pub and Grill and planted myself at the bar. After a couple of perfectly poured Guinnesses and a delicious Caprese Salad, I was ready to go to bed and start again the next day.
Watch for Day 2! The next installment includes a trip to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, more beer, and lots of walking.
I don’t know why people are so fascinated by signs. But most people I know seem drawn to them. Especially if they are old or vintage. When I travel, I find myself drawn to them. Whether it’s a shop sign, a large sign, a small sign, or a road sign. I will take a photo of it. Some signs tell a story, a history of its location. Even if its just a one word sign, the color and shape can say a great deal about the shop or restaurant or even the area in general.
Maybe people are drawn to a certain sign because it’s got a place in their memory. Maybe they drove by that sign on the way to school every day. Or maybe it represents a happy memory of weekend trips to town.
What does that mean? Resilient means “able to withstand or quickly recover from a difficult situations”. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “If you fall, get back on the horse.” I’m not sure that’s always the best idea. Sometimes, it’s better to find another horse or better yet, stay off the horse altogether. When I say resilient, I mean get up, dust yourself off, and find a better way to do it.
I have recently lost my job of 6 years. I loved my work. I loved the people I worked with. But I knew that I would not have stayed, even if my job had not been eliminated. They were making a lot of changes. And I while I often enjoy change and a challenge, I knew that these changes were not for me. Sure, I am sad and scared of what the future holds. But I also know that I have gotten up and dusted myself off before. At that time, I got back on the horse. This time, I’m going to find a better way to get there.
Several years ago, I traveled to Cuba on an education tour. I recently started looking at some of my photos. Some of these you have seen before. But some are new. I enjoyed the country. I keep reminding myself of the wonderful, optimistic, resilient people. If these people who face such hardship and difficulty can be so compassionate and optimistic, why can’t I?
Those classic cars you see? Many of those are pieced together by handmade parts. Parts the drivers made themselves because they had little access to outside supplies.
Dublin, Ireland is one of my favorite cities. It was everything I thought it would be and more! The people were kind and gracious, always willing to help and show us a great time. I took many photos in Ireland. But these are a few of my favorites from the land of Éire.
Dublin and the River Liffey
The River Liffey runs through the city. There are 21 bridges crossing the River. Each one is unique and has its own history. I took photos of almost all of them. However, these are a few of my favorites.
We went to a few bars. We drank some Guinness (okay, a lot of Guinness).
Ruins everywhere. Some are castles, some are just old buildings. But they all look cool.
There’s more! These are some more of my favorites.
To see more photos from Ireland, visit my website.
Some images of the courthouse in downtown Danville, KY. I grew up in this small town in central Kentucky. It’s easy to overlook places in your home town. I don’t remember the courthouse looking quite so impressive when I live there.
Early Sunday morning is a great time to visit small town America. The streets are virtually empty. If you time it just right, you’ll get to hear the church bells ring. But since it was in the early morning, the sun was not in an ideal place. I decided to play it up a bit as the golden light shines through the windows.
Prints of these images are available here.
I’ve recently created a new Kentucky travel map.
Originals
Final
