Dec 1 Walk Around Downtown Roanoke

[br1078lum]

Another of my monthly trips downtown was on a lovely day, so I took the Kodak Retina IIIC loaded with Kodak T-Max 400 and an Orange filter to record some images. 

I'm still practicing using the Sunny-16 method of exposure calculation, and sometimes my head doesn't work right, so there are plenty of mistakes in these photos, but PS Elements 8 did a great job in fixing them.  And the T-Max films appear to have a great deal of latitude when it comes to exposure.

I like to get shots from a higher perspective, and with all the parking garages downtown, it affords one access to elevated platforms without the hassle of getting permission from building managers to go out on rooftops.

PF


Hometown Bank Building by br1078phot, on Flickr
At the corner of Jefferson and Campbell.  Banking is one of the biggest empoyers in downtown Roanoke, with major and regional banks having offices here.


Liberty Trust Building by br1078phot, on Flickr
At the corner of Jefferson and Salem.  Liberty Trust is long gone, but the building remains in use.


Jefferson And Campbell by br1078phot, on Flickr
Typical street scene in Roanoke, just before noon.  In five minutes it will be full of workers looking for somewhere to eat.


Blowin' High Noon by br1078phot, on Flickr
Looking out over the Market Building in downtown Roanoke, VA.  The steam plume coming from the NS East End Shops complex is the noon whistle signalling lunchtime for the workers.  It can be heard all over town, and on days when the wind is blowing just right, I can hear it from where I live, eight miles away.






Fire Station Number 1 by br1078phot, on Flickr
When this structure was erected, there were no other buildings around it.  Now, it is tucked in between tall buildings holding offices for all sorts of business.  No longer in use, it is a museum dedicated to the Roanoke Fire Department. Seen from the Campbell Street Parking Garage roof.


Southern Quarter by br1078phot, on Flickr
A New Orleans themed restaurant that moved in after the Thai restaurant that formerly occupied the building moved around the corner.


City Christmas Tree by br1078phot, on Flickr
Roanoke's official Christmas tree is kind of tucked out of the way at Market Street and Salem Avenue.  It is at the east end of the Wells Fargo (nee Dominion Bank) tower, and at the foot of the pedestrian bridge that goes over the railroad tracks to the Hotel Roanoke.  The ornaments were made by school children, just down the street at the Taubman Museum of Art.


Market Square by br1078phot, on Flickr
Right across from the Market Building at the corner of Campbell Avenue and Market Street, it's home to an extensive farmers market that runs year round, rain or snow, with plenty of restaurants and eclectic little businesses in the buildings surrounding it.  There is a lot of construction going on with the renovations to the Center In The Square, and so some of the space in the square has been taken over by work crews and their equipment, which is putting a crimp on the farmers business.

Since I finally got a set of filters for the Retina (and they fit the Retinette 1A), I'll probably be using it some more.  Darn, those things were hard to find.  I'm still no fan of the EV lock on the camera, but I'm not going to ruin it by disabling the lock.

PF

[lesged]

Phil,

Another great reportage of your city. You are one busy photographer who contributes in so many ways to make NFF richer in various categories. You are as busy as Hans Brinker, but instead of holding back the flow of water,  you are the powerful source that supplys a flow of information and photos that keeps NFF afloat.

I always appreciated the quality of the 50/2 Schneider Xenon lens. I liked my Retina IIIc and IIIC so much, but I kept breaking a spring or gear in the advance mechanism. I gave up and sold, swapped  or gave them all away. I had the wide angle and tele front elements as well. I forget, did the viewfinder have bright lines for all three lenses?

[br1078lum]

Yes, the IIIC has all three bright frames, Les.  But I don't plan on using the other lenses, as they are a pain to adjust the focusing for.  Not to mention needing more accessories, like hoods and filters that are getting harder to find, and more expensive.  I'm thinking of divesting myself of the extra stuff I bought for the IIIC (and the ones I found out were for the IIc).  I'll just keep the outfit simple, the camera and filters is really all I need.  I came close to putting the IIIC up for sale until I was finally able to get a set of filters.

PF

[jamesmck]

Very nice images, Phil.  I especially like those from a 'higher perspective' (2. 3, and 4).  You certainly take photographic advantage of all your surroundings, whether urban or rural landscapes.

James

[Olypen]

Thanks for the views of downtown Roanoke.  It could be partly due to the sunshine, but I thought that the size and style of the buildings made for a pretty light and lively look.  You found a good way to get wider views.  As you pointed out, there would be more people on the streets after the noon whistle blew.  In St. Paul, my town, we have an extensive skyway system linking downtown buildings with walkways one story up so there aren't so many people on the sidewalks even at lunch time and even in good weather.  The Retina IIIC was really put on a pedestal by Kodak in the 50's as I remember; yours may be the first pictures I've seen to come out of one.

[br1078lum]

Thanks James, I'm always looking left, right, ahead, behind, up, and down when I'm doing a shoot like that.

Bill, when I found this camera, I almost couldn't believe my eyes.  And then the deal I got on it was the best.  It had been on my all time gotta have list for a long time, almost as long as the F2.  It's just such a beautiful camera, I can forgive it it's ergonomic faults.  This is the desktop photo I have on my computer.


Kodak Retina IIIC with Flash by br1078phot, on Flickr

I've arranged all my ikons around it, and the contrast between the color of the ikons and the b&w of the desktop image is great.

PF