What I really love about these cards is that they decribe in a seemingly nondescript way. They're all shot from same the vantage point. The skies are blue. The streets are uncluttered and monochrome. The buildings are grey. There's no attempt to catch good light or a moment or anything else "photographic".
They're just sheer documentation like a mugshot or passport portrait or Google Streetview. If you didn't live here you'd probably find these photographs boring.
But even the dullest photographs tell stories. They can't help it. If you're a fan of Boring Postcards you know this already. Photos are like people. The older they get, the stranger their tales.
I walked by this building yesterday. It's been painted in hip yellow with orange accents. In the bottom right corner is a Starbucks and the upper floors are retirement apartments. The Eugene Hotel sign on top is still the first thing you see driving into town. But I wasn't driving. I was walking by thinking, hmm... f8 at 1/500th? Boring light. Boring building. Perfect.
4 comments:
and?... did you shoot the boring building? if so it would be nice to see it.
Well if I showed you a photo the post wouldn't be so nondescript.
It'll take me while to get film developed and printed. In the meantime you can see the building via Google Streetview. Just search for Broadway and Pearl in Eugene, OR and look for the Starburcks.
There's a fellow on Flickr with an amazing collection of vintage postcards. I do not find them boring at all.
Blake reminds me of why I loved OR so much... especially staying at the (I think it was called... the Mallory Motor Hotel in Portland) probably spelt it wrong... anyway hope to see your pic when they are developed.
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