Driving through New Orleans East I noticed a dead tree, and behind it a huge plant that is operated by AT&T. I was reminded of my travels through more rural parts of the Russian Federation and the Czech Republic, where factories were almost always on the horizon. The dark and richly detailed cloud cover that day reminded me of the coal burning factories that are polluting Asia, and of the "dark satanic mills" of William Blake's England.
These decayed pumps were part of the gas station at the Robinson family's intersection in central Mississippi. Like everything else, it had been shut down for years and bears a "u loot we shoot" type notice. The last price listed on the pump was seventy-five cents. The "Be Sure With Pure" sign above the pumps is still intact.
Daytime lightning shots are difficult without a lightning trigger. After 327 shots the lightning finally struck while the shutter was open. I kept the shutter tight at f/22 and the speed at 1/25 at ISO 100 to keep it open as long as possible, but it still took a while before nature cooperated. It started raining where I was standing about 45 seconds after I got the shot.
After I blew past this compound I realized that I had to turn around and get a shot of it. It took me about 10 miles to find a place where I could turn around. I took about 13 different exposures of this with the intention of merging them into a wicked HDR image, but it looks much better this way.
I crossed this bridge and remember hoping it wouldn't collapse from severe rust damage. I know they say that the state/county/city government checks these bridges for safety but after the death of a police officer last year in a bridge accident I really don't trust them. Not to mention Jayne Mansfield died on this road, though that calamity did not involve any bridges. Once I got to the other side I saw the perfect opportunity to get a good shot of it from a boat launch. The clouds to the right really were that flat, it was like a wall of storm moving across the sky.
I want back to the church on Lower Bay Road [see Beached Across the Street] with the intention of shooting it from another angle. Eventually I decided to just go inside and set up. After seeing the condition of the interior -or rather feeling it- I really question whether this building can actually be moved back across the street without collapsing. The floor is very soft, and the entire building creaks and sways with the wind.
This gas station shut down around the time regular unleaded hit one dollar per gallon. While I was shooting here (the process took about 45 minutes) I counted three vehicles that passed, two of which were logging trucks. Strangely, over the course of about 11 hours in the car I never went more than 30 minutes without seeing some sort of long abandoned business.
Some things are just messed up. I jumped out of the car about 200 feet back to get a telephoto shot of a vulture on the highway and just as I went to shoot it the vulture took off. So I switched out to a macro lens and shot the somewhat freshly killed raccoon. The flies were pouring out of the mouth and eye socket at first. They got all over me, but the carcass hadn’t started to stink yet so I was able to hold on to my lunch. Fortunately some of them stuck around to make cameos in the photograph. Like I said, some things are just messed up.
This car is parked in front of a mural that is part of a compound owned by the Robinson family near the town of Myrick in central Mississippi. The compound, which consists of a roller skating rink and a gas station, both of which are now defunct, a house, and about 6 trailers, is abandoned. Signs reading "keep away" and "u loot we shoot" are prominent on all of the buildings. Walking around the compound I could feel the isolation and desperation that must have been overwhelming to the family as their businesses folded.
These speakers sit on top of a church in Myrick, Mississippi. On their Marquee the church had affixed the message "don't wait for six strong men to bring you to church." I got a shot of the sign, but this photograph of the speakers was the best of the study.
I fell in love with this scene months ago and finally got around to shooting it. Every night this building closes but the lights stay on and the open sign stays lit. The red border around the top is the reflection of traffic lights from the intersection behind me.
On this particular evening I was struck by how the sunset reminded me of what sunrise looked like from the back seat of the car on childhood road trips. It's strange to me how many memories from childhood are as clear as day, but the gulf that divides them is a void.
I was in love with the texture of the petals immediately. They reminded me of tissue paper. Everything yellow and green was a bonus.
I evacuated here during hurricane Katrina. While I was staying there I failed to notice the beauty surrounding me because of the stress I was under. On subsequent visits I have taken the time to enjoy all of the scenic vistas and country comforts that New Roads has to offer.
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