Blog Archives

color study, two

The worse-for-wear sign outside an abandoned cafe wasn’t holding on to much except its colors.

Not long after this shot, a woman came from across the street with a series of confrontational questions about what was going on. My usual charm* failed – it failed completely! – so it felt like moving on along was a very workable alternative.

Lamesa, Texas
photographed 3.5.2026

*”Usual charm” is a thing I assume that I have. There is, to this point, no unbiased confirmation.

color study, one

Because I am primarily a black and white photographer who tends toward pessimism, I always assume that the stuff inside an abandoned building is going to be brown (or otherwise monochromatic).

But then I see something like this.

Lamesa, Texas
photographed 3.5.2026

i guess the centennial was cancelled

Well, this is awkward. Not only have I and my collaborator Claudette Torneden been shooting Route 66 for five years, planning to wind it up this year during the centennial, but tons and tons of travelers have hit the (famous) road this year for the important anniversary.

And now! It is evidently closed. Or cancelled. Or something. Huh.

Elk City, Oklahoma
photographed 7.26.2026

suppose the sky had holes in it

One of the trippiest places I have ever been is the Jesus Gospel Park, right there on the main road through Addington, Oklahoma. (For reference, it’s roughly halfway between Terral and Marlow. But you probably either already knew that or had gone straight to a map before you got to this sentence.)

At any rate, if you stop (no matter your particular motivation) and it’s very, very hot, maybe the nice lady from the Addington Station antique store will come over and offer you some PowerAid. And then, properly hydrated, maybe you can understand whatever this is…

Addington, Oklahoma
photographed 7.23.2026

why pay more?

This place seems legit, right? Who here doesn’t need a $12 electric guitar or computer repairs that are less than $75?

But my favorite thing is the double underline paired with the two exclamation points and the completely faded letters. Whatever it used to say, I guess, was of great importance. Too bad we’ll never know…

Route 66
El Reno, Oklahoma
photographed 7.26.2026