Sunset Along the Arkansas River

This is one of numerous sunset photos I have taken along the Arkansas river front in Fort Smith. This one is from the summer of 2014. I took this photo from a walkway located in the Fort Smith National Historical Site, administered by the National Park service. It is one of my favorite locations for photography.

Jefferson County Courthouse

The Jefferson County Courthouse in Pine Bluff, AR. This was taken late afternoon on a Saturday in January, 2015. Pine Bluff fell on hard times, and has lost much of its population over the last couple decades. That I was able to stand in what should have been a busy street in order to frame a shot is a testament to the difficulties this city is facing.

North of Kenton

Traveling just north of Kenton, there is a bed and breakfast, if I recall correctly. The Black Mesa region is a beautiful place to take photos. I consider it the most scenic area in the Oklahoma panhandle. We picked an ideal day to travel to Kenton and the Black Mesa region. The weather was as close to perfect as you could get, and there was practically no traffic the entire trip. That made it easy to get some of the scenic shots I wanted. Some trips we've encountered thunderstorms that form without warning, and back when there was a bit more business in Kenton, one would think twice before standing in the middle of the road trying to line up the perfect shot. That day was nothing like that. There is a stark beauty to this part of the world. Those who go off the beaten path a bit will be well-rewarded for doing so.

The Merc: Kenton, OK

This is the Merc, located in Kenton, OK. For those not familiar with Kenton, it is the westernmost community in Oklahoma, and is the only community in the state in the Mountain Time Zone. I took this picture in late July, 2015. When I first visited Kenton, around 2001, the Merc was a thriving business. You could fill up your car, get a burger and a soda, and perhaps even pick up a few grocery items. The Merc ran into hard times and closed around the start of the Great Recession. An effort to revive the business would fail. Kenton itself is increasingly resembling a ghost town. Its population at the 2010 census was barely over 20 people. I am guessing that we're not too many years away from its population dwindling to the single digits. I have fond memories of the trips I and my kids took to Kenton and the Black Mesa region of the Oklahoma panhandle. The Merc was one of the places that made the community special.

Downtown Fort Smith

Let's start out with something close to home. This is a shot taken in downtown Fort Smith. The area along Garrison Ave. is in the midst of a much-needed revitalization. In addition to buildings getting renovated and new businesses popping up, we are also witnessing something else. In 2015,we experienced the beginning of a now annual street art festival, The Unexpected. Artists from all over the world come to our city and add new mural art to our downtown buildings. The next event occurs this October. I can hardly wait.

Welcome!

Welcome! This photography blog is something of a side blog for me. I am a lifelong hobbyist, and have been taking photos since I got my first camera (a Kodak Tele-Instamatic 608) as a kid. My specialty is landscape photography, and I especially enjoy taking sunset photos. I like to work in both natural and urban settings. I still have my trusty 35-mm semi-automatic camera, although one of my daughters has now commandeered it. Most of the time, I enjoy working within the limitations of the camera on my Galaxy S-6. I will use this blog to showcase some of my favorite photos.