When I thought about forced perspective, I had one place in mind so I drove my model, Mike, to the Museum District in Chattanooga. On the corner of an art shop is an antique clock that once stood on the sidewalk outside Fischer-Evans Jewelry Store in downtown Chattanooga. Noting it was a minute or two out of time, Mike agreed to give it a little adjustment. Below is another photo I took later the same day of my model assisting the sun as it sets below the horizon.
I decided to have a little fun this week so ventured up to the Museum District in Chattanooga to photograph families having lunch at a family table. My favorite coffee shop/casual outdoor restaurant is Rembrandts with small wrought iron tables underneath a vine covered canopy. While sipping my latte, I noticed a black bird flying back and forth between a couple of tables and it soon became quite obvious that there were some very serious conversations between it and the customers. Although I was not close enough to hear, I used my imagination and in the first photo below, I imagined the bird saying, “How many times do I have to tell you to look at me when I am talking to you?” In the second photo, it seemed to be saying, “As a Mother, it is your responsibility to teach your child to sit up straight at the table and put away her iPad.”
I’d love to know what you think was being said. If you have any thoughts, please share them with me.
In 1932, Rock City officially opened on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga. Shortly thereafter, its owner got the “bright idea” to advertise by hiring a young painter to call on property owners who had barns on their properties and offer to paint the barns in return for allowing three little words, “See Rock City,” to be painted on the roofs. It was a huge advertising success and soon those three little words would be painted on barn roofs from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. It was not until 1966 when the young painter got married that he stopped painting barn roofs. By that time, there were 900 “See Rock City” barn roofs. A few barns are being maintained today by Rock City; however, sadly there are only about 100 presently in existence. The photo of the barn below was taken in the little Georgia town where I was born.
This week, I am taking you to Chattanooga, TN and telling you about a place dear to my heart, the Industrial YMCA. The “Y,” a Spanish Revival-style structure built in 1929, is abundant with plaster casts of family crests, handpainted art deco patterns on wooden beams, and window handles forged by Chattanooga ironworkers. The terra cotta exteriors of many Chattanooga buildings were created by artisans whose skills, time and resources no longer exist. Their craftsmanship is irreplaceable. The “Y” offered basketball, badminton courts, a boxing ring, stage, trapeze equipment and a swimming pool. It offered 59 small rooms for people to stay in; that is until 1989 when its doors were closed for ten years. During that time, it was inhabited by the homeless and pigeons … lots of pigeons. A friend of mine, Jack Kruesi, purchased it in 1999 and began hundreds of hours refurbishing the building. To him, it is a labor of love because he, like a lot of other people, including me, remember vividly the good times we had there as kids. Most of the original building is still intact.
I was so grateful when Jack graciously handed over the keys to the building allowing me to spend many hours photographing it. The below photo of the wrought iron railing ended my search for something to satisfy the “Fences And/Or Rails” theme.
A 52-Week Photo Journey 