Twilight on Hitt Street

I don't take too many twilight photos downtown when I am trying to photograph downtown Columbia at night.  The light at this time of evening just doesn't look convincingly nocturnal.  Images appear weak, indeterminate, in between.  Josef Sudek was pretty good at using this kind of flat, hazy, low contrast light in some of his photos of Prague.  It is hard to feel sure about a grey-on-grey image, but here is one of Hitt Street back in March, 2016.  Ninth Street Video was still in business, or at least the sign was still attached to the front of the building.  I really miss that place.  So, an early spring evening on Hitt Street, downtown Columbia.

Kwik Mart on a very warm night

Every time I photograph this Kwik Mart on Hitt Street, especially late at night, I am reminded of a scene from Haruki Murakami's recent "After Dark" where a computer programmer goes into a convenience store late at night to get some supper after spending long hours at the office.  For me, this is a Murakami scene and a Murakami moment.

Hitt Street by streetlight

Summertime at Ragtag Cafe

Another image in the summer's night series in downtown Columbia...Ragtag Cinema Cafe on a 95 degree evening in early August.  Only a few patrons were hardy enough to drink their beers on the patio. 

A camera on Hitt Street

I took this image quickly, on the fly, without much time to think or to compose.  But I like it.  When I look at it I imagine some film noir or expressionist filmmaker, plying his trade on a darkened, European sidestreet in the 1930s or 40s.  Perhaps Fritz Lang filming a scene from M, or Orson Welles working on The Third Man.  Alas, it is only fellow photographer Tony Irons photographing a building on Hitt Street..."the fancy cannot cheat so well." 

A quiet night on Hitt Street

Hitt and Locust

The intersection of Hitt and Locust streets, downtown Columbia, during one of 2011's many snows.  This is a vantage point I have used in the past, back when University Market was on the opposite corner, selling beer and overpriced groceries to people in the neighborhood.  On a snowy night, this view reminds me of something from a Maxim Gorky novel.

Hitt Street Mini Mart, during a snowstorm

About halfway through last night's epic photo shoot, Matt and Tony and I wandered over to Hitt Street.   With a tip of the creative hat to Tony's blog post from last week, here is the Hitt Street Mini Mart at night.  See my links for Tony's photo blog.