Welcome to the rt tulley photography blogIt features photos, text, and poetry.May 24Old and New
I am thankful for the old and the new. I love modern but I also love "retro". There is something nostalgic and historical about old buildings or things. In contrast, there is something clean and different about modern and new.
This photo shows two contrasting Baton Rouge landmarks: The Shaw Center for the Arts (on the left), an ultramodern structure but sleek, shiny, and new contrasted with one of the oldest landmarks in Baton Rouge, the Old State Capitol, a gothic architectural landmark. The photo was taken from the fourth floor River Terrace outdoor plaza at the Shaw Center looking left to the other part of the Shaw building and, on the right, the Old State Capitol building. The Shaw Center actually combines an older 1930's looking brick building (the part the photo was taken from) with the comtemporary glass and metal structure seen in the photo. The Shaw Center contains museums and a performing arts theatre, as well as eateries and the LSU Museum of Art Museum Store. My son John played with a band at this theatre last year. It holds 325 people, has two balconies, and an exceptional sound system. The Old State Capitol was built between 1847-1852 and served as the Louisiana seat of government until the opening of the new state capitol in 1932. It has been reconstructed and restored several times since and is even undergoing a restoration now. Now it serves as a museum of political history and a place for weddings and events. The inside features a large beautiful stained glass domed window over a huge and beautiful spiral staircase. Although, Mark Twain once remarked that this building, which resembles a castle, was "pathetic ... that a whitewashed castle, with turrets and things ... should ever have been built in this otherwise honorable place." I disagree. It is now an icon and a beautiful and historical place.
old and new
i love old and i love new it’s whatever works in my own view. © rt tulley May 23My Brother
I am thankful for my brother Fred. Today is Fred's birthday. When we were growing up I idolized him because he was older and it seemed like he knew everything. Now we have similar interests and enjoy doing those things together. He is an attorney and a great photographer. He loves sports but especially loves Indy 500 races, with the Indianapolis 500 being the ultimate love of his life (after his wife Jeanne, son Freddy, and daughter Katherine). We used to go to the Indy 500 when we were growing up in Indiana. It was a family tradiition. He has not missed many of them since.
This photo is of Fred as he was preparing to do a fashion photo shoot at the Shaw Center for the Arts this last Saturday. It was for a line of clothes for a new clothing company. He invited me to help him with the lights. I am glad I did because I had a blast and I was able to get some photos myself for this blog. Fred is really good at shooting couples, engagements, weddings, and models. We have photographed a couple of weddings together, which I've really enjoyed. It is comforting to have a colleague working with you because it reduces the stress of the critical wedding shots, knowing that one of you should get at least one usable photo at any time. He also has a few photo books that he has printed: one on Cityscapes, on on Baton Rouge, and one of Chicago at night. His law firm gives some of these out to their clients. This photo was taken in the Tsunami Sushi restaurant on the 6th floor of the Shaw Center, using only natural window light. The photo below shows Fred in action at the shoot. Happy birthday, Fred!
my brother
when as a poor law student and plenty of time to kill he contacted the Charlotte VA newspaper using his persuasive skills they agreed to send him to indy to report he only had to write an article even if it was short so my brother fred law student turned journalist attended the indy 500 with press credentials proving his skills as a pragmatist. © rt tulley May 22Liberty
I am thankful for the liberty that our country was founded on. Liberty is the freedom of individuals to have control over their actions. The US constitution, the Bills of Rights, and the courts give individuals certain freedoms such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to privacy.
This photo was taken on the Louisiana state capitol grounds. The bell is an identical replica of the original Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, but without the crack. The original was made in France by the Whitechapel Foundry. It cracked on its first ring. It was recast by Pass and Stow in Philadelphia, but that one cracked also. The replica in Baton Rouge is one of 53 also cast by Whitechapel Foundry in France in 1950. Like the original it has the biblical verse from Leviticus as one of its inscriptions: "Proclaim liberty through all the land unto all inhabitants hereof." This replica, like the Philadelphia version is inscribed with "PASS AND STOW" for the re-cast version in Philadelphia.
On my visit to the state capitol I was moved by all the inscriptions, the statues, and bas reliefs, as well as this Liberty Bell, which all reiterated the basic concept that government is for the people and determined by the people. In other words, government is to serve the people. I remember being impressed about this on my first visit to Washington D.C. when I was only ten years old. In our Declaration of Independence it was stated: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Lincoln summed it up very well in his Gettysburg Address: ...government of the people, for the people, and by the people shall not perish from the earth.
In these times, it is especially important that we remember these principles. Government is for the people and by the people, not the other way around. When the government lies to its people or is invasive of people's privacy, there is something very wrong and we need to get back to our roots. I'm off my soapbox now.
This poem may be stupid, but it isn't the first time and definitely not the last:
liberty bell
there was once a girl with the name of liberty bell people spoke of her very often and well people would come from far to listen to her sing although her voice at first cracked it would forever with sweetness ring she sang for presidents she sang for the masses and sang for the common man and the working classes though sometimes muffled she sings still today liberty bell sings the sweetest song please sing, they still say. © rt tulley
May 21Riverfronts
I am thankful for riverfronts that many cities and towns feature. Several come to mind: New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Natchez, Memphis, Austin, Louisville, Augusta, San Antonio and many, many more. It is no coincidence that so many cities are situated next to river thoroughfares. These are for beauty and esthetics, but mostly for trade and transportation.
This photo is of the Baton Rouge riverfront taken at sundown from the sixth floor of the Shaw Center for the Arts. The red building in the front is the Louisiana Arts and Sciences Center museum and planetarium. In the water is the USS Kidd battleship which is on display year round, and to the left of that the Belle of Baton Rouge floating casino. Of course in the background is the I-10 bridge. Like many of my HDR photos, three photos were taken at different exposures which were combined in Photomatix and edited in Photoshop. I was telling my brother that this might be the most beautiful view of the river in Baton Rouge.
on the riverfront
it is a dark night on the riverfront time slows to a stop an old steamer at the forefront the old boat stops to load as a couple holding hands walk upon the river road one night similar in many ways to thousands and thousands before reminiscing of another time the age of twain old muddy’s current washes the shore the boat's moorings restrain it from drifting on the riverfront once more singly, sailors unload themselves taking to the quiet streets to find a busy pub or bar where they will tell their tall tales to everyone that they meet later to find their way back to their once mighty river fortress time spent is left forgotten among the broken bottles and mess which litter the street. © rt tulley
Nay 20Waterfalls
I am thankful for the beauty, power, and sound of waterfalls. All these things contribute to making waterfalls have a calming effect on people. Waterfalls are more than just water falling over an elevated piece of land to one lower. They are magical and mystical.
This photo is of Bridalveil Falls in Yosemite National Park in California. Bridalveil Falls drops 617 feet straight down into Yosemite Valley. The native Indians there believed that a person's likeliehood of marriage increased if they breathed the mist from the falls. This photo was taken at the first view of Yosemite Valley after going through the Wawona Tunnel from the south, at an observation point called Tunnel View. When we went, the volume of the water was low, so low that the falls fell sporatically, resulting in flows from a dribble to a gush. However, I was lucky enough to catch the falls just at the right place and angle to the sun that the water created a rainbow of colors as it fell. I took the photo through the pine trees.
waterfall
waterfall flowing downward cascading glowing catching the light glancing off rocks as the water courses on its downward flight calming freeing forever with my inner being. © rt tulley
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