Lighted Spaces and Landscapes
Excerpts from a Geographer's Photo Archive
recent posts
- A Bridge Out of Place
- Entre las Setas
- Not Enough Wind
- Natural Green
- That is a Wall Map
- Where is Steve McQueen?
- Always Good Advice
- Commuting Crossing
- Say it Out Loud
- Total Wisconsin Joke
- Sometimes you Need a Warning
- Why Buy When You Can Rent?
- Funeral Humor
- The Center of Things
- Got My Goat
- Sometimes I’m Caught
- Love the Light
- The Sun is on the Flag
- Four Arenas–Four Sizes
- When the Conference Gets Dull. . .
- Waiting on the Ferry
- Corporate Mashup
- Not Beautiful, but Still Memorable, and Malleable
- It was a “Working Beach Day”
- Not All Doors Lead Somewhere
Category: Urban
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This is a workhorse of a bridge carrying 7 lanes of traffic, 4 subway tracks, a bike lane, and a pedestrian lane. Originally named “Bridge Number 3,” the Manhattan Bridge sits just to the east of the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River. (New York, New York, 2000)
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I love Washington Square Park. It’s a place for people. This was a cold day in February, but the sun was out and so were people. However every time I’m there I hear the song that references the “crummy hotel over Washington Square. (New York, New York, 2019)
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Changes in the urban landscape are often subtle–but look for them. The street is more defined as the city has worked to control and slow traffic. There is also a stand of rented bikes as the transportation culture changes. There are more taxi cabs than the 2009 photo (I have no explanation for that). (New…
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This was a “throwaway shot” that hung on my office wall for years. I was on the High Line in New York shortly after it opened. I was just shooting randomly from the elevated park. (New York, New York, 2009)
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Although still a drawbridge, the Wells street bridge doesn’t see the kind of commercial traffic it used to. These days it lifts for tour boats and large pleasure boats. (Milwaukee, 2001)
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This is not a great looking building on a rather dull street, and yet the light was so good. So often wandering in Iceland not spectacular places looked terrific because of the light–the spectacular places looked even better. (Reykjavik, Iceland 2024)
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This has been the wallpaper on my phone for a long time. It is decorative, but easy to read icons through. On more than one occasion I’ve been asked what famous church this is. I think it is probably a letdown for them to find out it is the LA Train station. (Los Angeles, 2002)
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This part of the LA Train Station was closed off, but I could look in and take a photo. I’ve seen this on TV a number of times. The most interesting time was when I saw it decked out as Santa’s workshop for an advertisement. (Los Angeles, California, 2002)
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Los Angeles Union Station is one of the most beautiful transportation centers in the US. Although the exterior gardens are nice, the interior is striking. I’ve seen this room on a number of television shows and movies. It makes a great backdrop scene for people catching a meal or chasing down a criminal. Even if…
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Wandering a city leads to nice surprises. Although this spot is on the tourist maps, we found it by our usual method of wandering about. Somehow it is more satisfying to stumble upon things. (Edinburgh, Scotland 2018)