I had the privilege to spend a day shooting what I consider to be one of the world’s great cities — Atlanta, Georgia. I’ve photographed Atlanta before, but this trip was specifically a one-day visit to shoot the city on black and white film for a new web video series I’m working on (more about that on a later date.)
Atlanta is an “alpha” city, meaning it has major global financial impact. It’s a beautiful, vibrant, eclectic, culturally and ethnically diverse, booming city. And it will be the first city on my upcoming video series tentatively titled “Cities on Film.”
Here’s a little visual sampling of my busy day in Atlanta, which started with leaving the Nashville metro area at 4 am, and doing my best to maneuver Atlanta traffic and congestion to make it to all my planned stops.
When will the black and white photographs be developed?
Check back in a few weeks for updates on the black and white images from this trip, as well as more information about “Cities on Film.”
View my current Atlanta portfolio of black and white photographs here.
I’ll have the black and white photographs processed soon. For now here are some color snapshots from my day in ATL.
Snapshots of Atlanta
The day started early at Piedmont Park, with a view of Lake Clara Meer. The park was busy with a run in support Lupus patients.
I was in town to film the first episode of my new series “Cities on Film.” The purpose is to spend one day capturing a new city on black and white film using a different vintage camera.
Of course, I had to visit the Jackson Street Bridge to get this shot of downtown Atlanta. I can’t wait to see how it looks on the Neopan.
Knowing this bridge is a major draw for photographers and visitors, the guardrails and posts have become a message board for anyone with a message and a sticker.
The Varsity is the world’s largest drive-in fast food restaurant and has been in business since 1928. I’d never been, so I decided to fuel my day of photography with a cheeseburger and onion rings. Pro tip: Atlanta is full of fantastic restaurants from southern soul food kitchens to international cuisine — dine elsewhere. I didn’t find The Varsity to be particularly tasty or even a very pleasant experience.
Of course, no visit to Atlanta is complete without a visit to the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The neighborhood is a little dicey, but the presence of thousands of tourists and both City of Atlanta police and Park Service officers seem to keep it safe-ish.
My final photographic stop of the day was the notorious Krog Street Tunnel graffiti zone. The length of this dark tunnel is coated on every surface with graffiti and street art. Timing shots to exclude cars was tricky but I think I managed to snap a few. Won’t know for sure until the black and whites are processed.