A Triptych from the Shenandoah Valley

Pearisburg, Virginia

Duck Dynasty apparel for all.

I'm another person who took the polls seriously and combined that with "common sense" to think Trump didn't have much chance. But what I saw on a 2,500 mile shooting trip just two weeks ago down to WV/VA and back should have struck a counter note. Lawn signs and shop windows tilted heavily against Clinton/Kane, along with the mysterious effect I mentioned in an earlier post, where many candidates didn't show either party affiliation or the top of the ticket candidates.

Basement Window, Church Building

Webster Springs, West Virginia

Advertising Trailer

Summersville, West Virginia, 10/18/16

This year I've noticed something strange about many of the political advertising posters, lawn signs, and even direct mail pieces. Many of them, like this political field office spotted in the parking lot of a big strip mall on a mid-October evening, advertise candidates for various offices without mentioning the top of the ticket candidates, or even party affiliation. I don't recall from previous elections seeing advertising that didn't tell you whether the candidate was a Republican or a Democrat. This year I've been seeing it everywhere I've been, from southern New England to Virginia.

Speaking of advertising, here's another view from that same parking lot that evening.

detail

I don't recall ever seeing a billboard advertising "$70 PHYSICALS" before either.

Goodwill Baptist Church

Ceres, Virginia, 10/23/16

Scanning, too

Birch River, West Virginia

Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Overlooking Buena Vista, Virginia

At It Again this Morning

Printing

Making Pt/Pd prints this morning from pictures made on my recent trip to WV/VA.

Bricks, Windows, and Electrical Boxes in Webster Springs

Webster Springs, West Virginia

I'd been to Webster Springs back in 2003 and found the town fascinating, but somehow not suited to the large format black and white work I was doing on that trip. So back on Oct. 19 when I found myself nearby, I returned, left the big cameras in the car, and wandered around for a while with a couple digital cameras. The place was as promising as I'd remembered.

From the Blue Ridge

Buena Vista, Virginia

Summer drought conditions have made for subdued autumn color everywhere I've looked on the east coast in recent weeks, but then sometimes subtle is just the thing. This is looking southeast from the Blue Ridge Parkway back toward the foothill town of Buena Vista. I made a very different black and white panoramic shot from the same position with the 7x17-inch camera. It will be interesting to compare the two versions.

LEAH WAS UGLY

Pearisburg, Virginia

(click on the picture and you should get a larger version that will make the signs and posters legible)