52 Reflecting on the 1950s

I am proud of this photo. It was intentional while I was in Jackson Tennessee for a meeting. I was lucky that there were no cars parked around and I got there when there was just enough rain to get the reflection shot.

The part I am proud of is that I wanted to frame this photo and I got what I was looking for.

My photography is mostly slices of time. I archive what I see. I take candid photos of people at a specific time to remember the event. Reflecting on the 1950s is different. I intended to get a photo of the station and I knew it had neon lights at night. I wasn't sure what the place would look like or if they turned off the lights a 9 because of the beginning of the 2020 pandemic.

I started from the other end. In the darkness I thought that reading "GREYHOUND" from left to right you start on the right. Of course, it doesn't matter and I also started shooting with my camera up high on the tripod. I ended up on the left with my camera upside down, hanging between the legs of the tripod, to get as close to the ground as I could.

I feel that I got lucky. I took many photos however, and the puddle the reflection is in is no more than a yard square. I have alternate shots that have small gravel to disrupt the reflection.

One more odd story about this photo. I had a goal in 2020 to enter a photo in the Memphis Camera Club print competition. This was my entry. I used a shot that I liked and was going to enter it in our category "Straight From the Camera," that is for photos that are only cropped with no editing. Well I had it ready for the April competition, but because of the pandemic, no meeting.

The MCC went virtual, and I entered this photo digitally. It was the category winner for SFTC, but I missed my chance to get a print photo in the competition. I like the print, I have it rolled up in my office now. I think it makes a better print than a digital photo. I also plan to use a drip polyurethane to give the frame a wet look. When it is done it will be stunning.

For this photo I used a tripod and my 15mm Voightländer lens.

Photo by Tim Wheat.

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