Photos

This is a bit different for me, as it's my first attempt at showing something of my own adopted home - Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Unlike much of the rest of the world, the state of rail travel in the US is largely failing. The railway that first connected the east and west coast in the 1800's was considered one of the best achievements of it's time and came to be a major influence on the expansion to the west. By the mid 1900's, tracks crossed the country in many directions and serviced many competing carriers of passengers and freight.

Soon though the automobile became the preferred choice for close by travel, and air took over the long distance market. After all, it still takes for 4 hours to fly from New York to California, but a train is multiple days. These days, the only passenger rail service is government owned Amtrak and it too is not doing well. It's sad, as rail travel is more than a way to get from one place to another.

I took this photo yesterday evening. Near my home is the abandoned NC&StL rail line. These abandoned lines are everywhere these days. On it sits a gutted passenger car from the old days. It's hidden away and not a sign of a bad area. But it's graffiti covered and mistreated. And yet it still has character. I thought it was interesting the type of graffiti. It also says something about this area.

Photo note: I took two exposures due to tree cover - one with fill flash to highlight the foreground (1/125), the other without, to get a better exposure on the late evening sky(1/60). I then spliced the two in photoshop, sized, sharpened, framed.

Welcome to a different part of Memphis.