Dallas has its own area where graffiti and other creative endeavors tend to flourish. It is a section of downtown that is separated from the rest of the city by an unfortunately placed freeway.
Dallas is a city built around the automobile, so it’s no surprise that the city leaders would prioritize an interstate over the cohesiveness of the community. There is, however, a silver lining to that interstate. The semi isolation of the Deep Ellum district has made it into a little creative mecca with some very impressive graffiti, a great music scene, and an eclectic food and shopping area. This isn’t meant to be a “bash Dallas” or “Sell Deep Ellum” piece. I mention all of this for context this posts image.
As you might
guess, this was taken in Deep Ellum. My
camera club had a scavenger hunt in the area, and this is one of my images from
that Saturday morning. Interestingly, this was taken on the same morning as Rising Above. I try to do photo
walks in Deep Ellum periodically because of images like this.
I love that the
cactus is seemingly telling a visitor to the building that the entrance is
“that way.” One comment from a reviewer was
that the cactus directed the eye off of the image. I don’t find that to be the case. My eye is caught by the fire-like graffiti on
the bricks and retreats back to the red and orange bricks, only to start the
journey all over at the cactus.
I am lucky to
live in a city that has a very active photography club. It has been in existence since the 1930s and
has some amazing photographers. If you
want to become a better photographer, there is nothing quite like competing in
camera club competitions. These happen
on a monthly basis and include both print and projected (digital)
competitions. It helps to have thick skin,
as the judges can be very pointed in their evaluations. But the feedback received is invaluable in
helping to understand how to become a better photographer.
It’s time for
another Deep Ellum photo walk. I wonder
how the cactus has fared since it gave me directions to “Enter That Way.”