DARIN HAYTON

Tag: Night photography

  • N. 44th Street

    N. 44th Street

    I had planned to walk from gate A5 to B16, about half a mile in PHX. However, my flight arrived at A5 scant moments before they closed the boarding door at B16. A frantic dash through the airport merely got me to the customer assistance counter a few minutes quicker than walking would have. Rebooked on a flight the next morning, I was going to be spending the night in the hotel version of tofu: soft, beige, tasteless, forgettable.

    Urban #250417.0. A color photo of an underpass, at night. Looking across a street, the lights of a moving car streak across the scene.
    Urban #250417.0.

    I don’t find Phoenix particularly pleasant. Too much sprawl. But I can enjoy spending an evening anywhere. And so N. 44th Street it was. Lots of cars, nondescript office buildings, more tofu hotels, empty lots, and gas stations. I passed some guy out for a late-night run, a guy sitting on a plastic bucket panhandling, and some teenagers in a parking lot. And lots and lots of cars.

    Urban #250417.1. A color photo at night of a palm tree and a “one way” sign. A bright streak from the lights of a passing car.
    Urban #250417.1.

    It wasn’t a pretty walk, by any stretch of the imagination, but I enjoyed it. Why were there so many people driving and where were they going? Who thought an escape room would do well here? Why do you convert a gas station into a spa? And it’s hard to take seriously the Pat Tillman Middle School’s commitment to excellence and achievement when half their sign is burnt out.

    Urban #250417.2. A color photo of an empty parking garage at night. A fire hose at the far end adds a splash of red.
    Urban #250417.2.

    I’m not sure I’m better for having seen N. 44th Street, and never need to see it again. But it was more fun than sitting in a bland hotel room.

  • Alt Haverford

    Alt Haverford

    Most days Haverford College is idyllic and lovely, and therefor kind of bland. Beautiful trees, manicured lawns, clean buildings, maintained nature trail. It is all so picturesque, so “park like” as somebody said yesterday while looking at a large maple tree resplendent in fall colors. But is there another way to see Haverford, one that is not so bright and cheery?

    Urban #221011: Colored double exposure of Founders Building and a tree.
    Urban #221011

    I enjoy photography because it encourages me to see the world at different times and in different ways. I can juxtapose images and scenes to give a different impression. Or I can seek out scenes in different circumstances and conditions, allowing me to see them in ways most people won’t.

    Urban #221007: A color photo of Haverford College music building after dark.
    Urban #221007