Welcome to Urban Inspection. The part of the show where I go out with a camera and take way too many pictures of my current hometown of Tacoma, and show a few of the less unacceptable ones to you here.
Our new Fuji X10 is the most satisfying camera I have ever used, it takes such incredibly better photos than an inexpensive point and shoot on auto mode, and as I am starting to get used to shutter speeds and apertures, getting pictures that look even better. (though at this point I get plenty of washed-out shots too)
I decided to leave the photos completely unedited for this first Urban Inspection just to show how I am experimenting with camera settings. I am continually amazed at what this camera can do. For $305, it is exponentially better than a camera half as expensive.
First we start with my object of desire, the old Elks lodge. It's intact, but that's about as far as it goes.
It says "Do Not Occupy" but I'd bet somebody was sleeping inside as I photographed.
From across the street you can get a better overall view.
I am always very curious about what the letters that aren't words stand for--initials? Love the frieze too.
Lots of old ornamental bits on buildings were stamped metal. Quite rusted by this point. And here are some words we can read!
Ned came along too, and looks quite strangely ghostly here.
Here he is again, quite alive and safe.
Another object of my desire, the Port at night is splendidly beautiful.
This used to be a sort of army green. Well, Army Green to be specific. The military had a surplus of green paint at the end of some war, hence lots of these post boxes were painted with it.
And ending it with my one of my myriad favourite bits of graffiti. It's spread all around and I love uncovering a new location.
All of these photos were taken around 3.30a, just immediately before dawn. I then proceeded to get wonderful sunrise pictures. Next edition of Urban Inspection? Probably another nighttime jaunt, this time getting more detail on the Elks lodge from other sides and the grand Spanish steps, as well as some shots of the Stadium Way construction and the Port as well.
Wow, the Lodge is eerie. So is that photo of Ned, which reminds me of this Francis Bacon painting.
ReplyDeleteIt is all kinds of eerie and I love going by it at night. It is bright enough under the lights to not be -too- eerie. But enough that it washes out the white and makes the building almost glow.
DeleteAnd Ned's just somehow magical sometimes. He needs to be eerie to fit in with everything else about the city at night.
Well, you can sure tell that the cornice is cast iron from the rust. I'm guessing 1890-1910?
Deletealg
It was built in 1915 but the design seems to have been a little earlier, possibly from 1909.
DeleteVery nice photos.
DeleteThat lodge is being converted into a McMenamin's brewpub. Work has begun with opening scheduled for next year.
http://www.mcmenamins.com/ElksLodge
When I first moved here I looked it up a bit and seems like that's a new development. I'll kind of miss it being all ghostly and eerie. Better get all the pictures I can now.
DeleteAlthough it looks like the plans they have for it are pretty grand, and seems like a great idea! Probably better than my idea of turning it into three incredibly huge apartments, haha.
DeleteNick, another side of Tacoma. Thanks. You'll be bikecasting before long :-)
ReplyDeleteI really do need to get another bike. I used to ride around all the time when I lived in the (moderately) flat country in Michigan. I still haven't adjusted to the thought of riding in the city with hills.
DeleteHa! When I first moved to Little Rock and started biking uphill I thought I'd have a heart attack.
DeleteALG
I could just ride north/south and avoid most of the hills!
DeleteBroadway was laid out at a grade that a dray horse could handle. We can get up that even at our advanced ages, so I'm sure you could manage it. Try Second Cycle on Hilltop for a good restored bike.
DeleteLove the photos. I always thought that our blogs should cover more about the places we live in.
ReplyDeleteIt's a great idea, especially since how we are spread all around the world. You'll get your fill of Tacoma in the next few weeks, haha.
DeleteVery nice photos. I miss the early morning sunrises of the North. Here it gets just light at about 6:00 a.m. most of the year and about 7:00 in December and January. We do not get late evening light during summer either.
ReplyDeleteThat would be something I'd dearly miss. You can see it getting light around 4am, and one of the first things you see is the looming outline of Mt Tahoma (Otherwise known as Mt Rainier), a little darker than the sky. It's marvelous and I'll definitely be showing some photos of that.
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