Market Days, Uptown, Columbus, GA

Or more appropriately, to Market Days in Uptown. You might be a little tired of me droning on about my excursions on Saturday mornings, but it is the price of admission for today’s images. And, I really went out of the comfort zone and brought my camera with me. As you will see, I’m still not comfortable with the people pics but this is a start.

Sorry for the interruption… Milo insisted he lay on my lap while I write this post. Generally not an issue, but this morning he is a little demanding with the need for attention. I have to stop and scratch his cheeks every so often… he is a good boy and I can’t so no.

Right. Back to the market (days)…

I park in my usual location, sling the camera over my shoulder and start my normal loop around Broadway. I’m definitely a creature of habit. I’m still working up the courage to use the camera when I reach the giant mural. Well, I might as well show everyone that view…

I didn’t even try to remove the Hampton Inn building. I liked the juxtaposition. I can tolerate the new as long as we don’t lose the charm.

Broadway is a divided street with a very wide meridian that is home to sculptures and fountains. It took a few attempts to get the view of the fountain at the North end of the street. If I was better at this street photography stuff I would have waited until there was someone walking through this scene. It would have made it feel more alive (I think).

I eventually get to the first vendor. I have seen this young lady before at the market. She is always friendly and says hi even if you are only passing by. As I returned her greeting she asked if I wanted a free brownie, not a sample, one of her wares for free. This started up a conversation between us.

It was a gluten free brownie. Her Dad is the baker in the family and has been creating vegan recipes for her since she was young. Now he is creating gluten free items since her Mom developed celiac disease. We chatted for a few minutes, the brownie looked good. I felt bad taking one without paying but try as I might she would not let me pay her for it. Before I left I asked if I could capture an image of her setup. She immediately knew why (another juxtaposition), the bight colorful stand against the backdrop of the old, unused building.

By the way, the brownie was delicious. The next time I see her, I will buy a couple to pay her back for her generosity.

Long time readers of my ramblings might remember my fascination with the water tower back in Rome, NY. Well, there is one down near the waterfront. I have been attempting different views for a while now. This time I put a little more effort into it. I think there is more opportunities with this one.

This section of Uptown used to be full of mills. This particular location was originally the Eagle Manufacturing Company, which was the largest antebellum cotton mill in the area. The original was burned during the Civil War and the Eagle & Phenix mill was built in 1869. Today it is a renovated condominium complex with event spaces.

In order to get the image of the water tower I needed to take a small detour from Broadway (basically one street over, but I was attempting to be dramatic). On my way back to the market I pass a section of Columbus State University. Part of this building used to be the Ledger-Enquirer news building. The combination of old and new was what I was trying to capture. I think I need to give it another try though…

Although I’m capturing a few images, I’m still not brave enough to get people into the scene. I know street photography can produce amazing images, full of action and life. I’m not yet comfortable intruding on people. As I get to the turn-around point I spot another mural. This one definitely would benefit from a person, that doesn’t mean the mural is not very cool as it is…

As I’m walking back to the car, so I can switch my setup and go for a walk along the river, I decide to stop and grab the view outside a favorite restaurant, Bodega 1205. It definitely helped that there was no one sitting outside… I’m such a chicken s**t. LOL

My first stop on the riverwalk trail is Waveshaper Island. I was rewarded with Great Blue Herons again. They were very active which allowed me to practice my action pics. I sat on the rocks watching them for over thirty minutes. Eventually I decided you can have only so many images of these birds, so I got off my butt and headed down the trail.

My goal was to cross the river using the Dillingham St. bridge and walk the trail on the Alabama side back up to the pedestrian bridge at 14th St. I was looking for possible locations for sunrise photos in the future and let’s be honest, I needed the walk. This view of Uptown and the waterfront is a ten image panorama. As you can see, it was a good day.