The corner of Tigertown

I've explored this area before, by day and by night.  But on a cool, rainy night in April it seemed even more expressive than usual.  Certainly deserving of further study.  At one time this block of buildings was called Tigertown...now it is occupied by an auto repair shop, a used car dealer, a couple bars and a strip club.  Still a colorful place, despite being somewhat down at the heels.  This is the used car dealership on the strange, difficult to turn left at corner of 7th, Rangeline and the Business Loop.  A triple corner, if you will.  By day I think this place is bright yellow.

Rangeline Tattoo

A tattoo shop on a rainy spring evening.  Rain, a novelty after a year of drought, is occasion enough to go out and photograph.  Spring only compounds the impetus.  I've started shooting outside of downtown Columbia, now and then.  It seems I find more unvarnished scenes, such as this one.  The color version of this image is over on my color blog. 

Corner Camera

Photographed with a very questionable FM-2 at the corner of a poetically empty alleyway on a night whose weather and details I can no longer recall.  This might still be there, but it has probably been painted over since then.

Five Stars

I've always been fascinated by manhole covers, especially the older ones with ornate, intricate, esoteric designs.  At night, obliquely illuminated by a distant streetlight, they radiate a shadowy, metallic mesmerism. 

Glenn's Cafe

Glenn's Cafe, when its neon still illuminated the curtained, second floor windows of The Missouri Press Clipping Bureau, on the northwest corner of Ninth and Cherry.  Glenn's old space is now home to Kaldi's...I'm not sure what happened to the Missouri Press Clipping Bureau.  The non-conformist graffiti and the shadow-casting tree were here for many years before this corner got renovated.

Booches Front Window

Booches on a Sunday night, through the front window.

Tiger Pawn in the Rain

A rainy night on the east end of the business loop. 

Peckham and Wright, Architects

I've got some of my night work from downtown Columbia hanging in the window gallery at Peckham and Wright, on 10th Street.  I've always wondered how artists were chosen to get a month-long showing in the window.  They contacted me after the Vox article came out in June.  I was flattered.  Through the end of September.