Townscape

This is another post about Springfield GA and it depicts just how much of a time capsule city it is. This sweet sign still marks the downtown pharmacy and it looks like it is straight out of the 50's or 60's. We were not there during the night so I don't know if it still lights up or not but the store was still open and is probably run by the same family who opened it all those years ago. Talk about a blast from the past. Its interesting to note all the different lighting features on this sign. You have a mixture of custom bent neon tube lights and colored back lit signs, and just in case that was not enough for you they also have a temperature reader that looks like it spun around at one point. I really hope they decide to salvage this sign because it would look very cool spruced up to its former glory.

Urban Design Studio

The studio I'm taking right now is an urban design studio and the project for the quarter is the urban renewal / new master plan for Springfield GA. We went to Springfield as a class about a week ago to get a feel for the city / town and start to get ideas about what our vision for the future of Springfield will look like. The thing that jumped out at all of us right from the start is that the city has not been consistent with its architecture. Take for example the photo on the left of the old run down barn with the old red car that has clearly not been touched in many years and contrast that with the almost pristine renovated courthouse on the right (1908). Then think for a moment about how these two buildings are in about 5 min. walking distance from each other. Springfield is in dire need of change and I only hope that whatever our class produces will be able to help them develop a new vision for their city.

Off to Grad School

This past week was my first week of grad school! I had only one week between the end of summer quarter and the start of fall to relax and pack up for school again and this is what my car looked like on the way up last weekend. If you think it looks like a lot just know that another 2/3 of my stuff was already in Savannah in various locations. I think I may have too much stuff and it will certainly be an effort to sift through it all this year and determine if I really need it in the future. In the mean time I need to focus on my graduate work and my thesis. But don't worry, that does not mean I will be gone for good. I will still post photos from time to time so keep checking back. See ya later!

Back to the Details

Here are two more details that I really enjoy that were also from my photo project. These two were taken on Jekyll Island Georgia and are both of the Jekyll Island Inn and Club. The one on the left is of the tower and the one on the right is of the lattice work on the outside walls. I was fortunate enough to stay as a guest at this Inn when I was a kid and when I took these photos it was the only time I had been on the island since then. It was great to be back and walk around because when you go to a place that you remember from your childhood you get all these nostalgic feelings flooding back to you.

Only at SCAD

School is almost back in session and I thought I should post a link to the social media site Only at SCAD! You might be asking yourself "But Mark, what does your photo blog have to do with Only at SCAD?" Well, only that I helped design it, launch it, and moderate it. Plus, the photo you see in the banner above is one of my photos and the other photo banners that appear on the site are my photos as well, so that's how this ties back into my photo blog. You thought I had gone way off track there didn't you? This is just my one shameless plug of the site going into the new school year. You should check it out. I helped my friend Holden design it, and by that I mean I just supplied the photos and he did the rest. I have no talent when it comes to designing websites. You can check Holden Link out via the link! (It's funny because Link is really his last name and I made it a link!) Holden also helped program the site with his friend Andrew Ash and you can check him out Here. As for the website you can check it out here www.onlyatscad.com Hope you enjoy! - Only at SCAD is a collection of stories and photos from SCAD as submitted by students and alumni. Only at SCAD is a member of the Only at Network, a collection of websites dedicated to connecting students and alumni with their universities. Visit www.onlyat.net for more information.

Lamp-Post

This photo is a part of my architectural details series but its not really a detail. I included it in my series because I am attached to it, and for good reason because several of my fellow students and photographers enjoy it, but it stands out as different. Although being a stand out is not bad. Almost every photographic series has one or two photos that stand out for better or worse. I think this photo stands out for the better. It has very stark lines and the lamp posts line up with the background building. Just another great find in Jacksonville, a town where nothing seems to be going on but can still be beautiful, if you know how and where to look.

Old Modis Building

Hey again! Here are two more details for your enjoyment. These were taken in Jacksonville at the foot of the old Modis building. They took the Modis sign off the top fairly recently but it will forever be the Modis building to me. Come to think of it I don't even know if the building has a proper name or not. Everyone I knew just called it the Modis building. It's a fairly interesting building and its one of the largest in the downtown area. The site planning around the building is very un-friendly though. The sidewalk is very narrow and goes right up the the edge of the building. Plus in some areas the sidewalk slopes down away from the building making it difficult to walk around and even somewhat dangerous since its right next to the street. Regardless I still got both of these photos and they turned out quite nice. I think the one on the right even looks Egyptian in design. Pretty interesting.