Giles Hoover

Photography and design for print production

Tag: georgia

  • New Gallery: Montezuma, Georgia

    New Gallery: Montezuma, Georgia

    Macon County, Georgia, hosts Montezuma, a railroad crossroads on the Flint River. Officially dating to 1851, it was named after the Aztec leader by soldiers returning from the Mexican-American War.

    Montezuma Sign (Crepe Myrtles), S. Dooly St.

    I’ve been meaning to stop with a camera for a while, but it’s always been a pass-through on the way elsewhere — the route from Macon to Andersonville, Americus, and all points southwest go through Montezuma — but it’s taken until now to actually stop.

    Bench Detail, Montezuma Methodist, N. Dooly St.

    Like a substantial part of rural Georgia, Montezuma has fallen on increasingly hard times; the population continues to drop1See Wiki’s article., the empty storefronts multiply, and many of the beautiful old Southern houses need some attention:

    Slight Repairs Needed, 510 S. Dooly St.

    There’s an attractive downtown, though, with old brick buildings and a wonderful historic railroad depot:

    Museum Sign, Old Railroad Depot, Dooly & E. Railroad Sts.
    Bracket Detail #1, Old Railroad Depot, Dooly & E. Railroad Sts.

    Did I mention that it’s a railroad crossing? There are two sets downtown:

    Railroad Apparatus #4, Dooly & E. Railroad Sts.

    Despite the population loss and storefronts marked “for rent,” however, all isn’t lost. There are some new businesses opening:

    Sweet Window, 127 Cherry St.

    I’ve posted 55 photographs in the new Montezuma gallery — peruse and enjoy. And, as always, thanks for stopping by.

  • Updated Gallery: Downtown Macon

    Updated Gallery: Downtown Macon

    I had the occasion to have lunch downtown yesterday, a day of simply beautiful spring weather — which I absolutely used as an excuse to take the camera for a spin.

    The vast majority of the time, I use what I call my standard lens: 35mm. (Some would argue that 50mm is the “standard,” but I really prefer the wider angle of view due to its additional context.) This time, however, I was using Leica’s superb — and, sadly, no longer available — 90mm macro. The detail, the color, everything about this lens excels:

    Leaves and Berries, Poplar & New Sts.
    Veteran’s Flame and Flag, Macon-Bibb Government Center, 700 Poplar St.

    It’s sometimes a challenge to be creative in an area you’ve photographed often, but I enjoy trying to spy new details:

    L.C. Rick’s Place, D.T. Walton Sr. Way & Poplar St.
    Kudzu Signs and Building Cornice, 512 Poplar St.

    Or revisit favorite architectural items:

    Post and Turret, 690 Poplar St.

    23 new photographs have been added to the Macon Downtown (2022–2023) gallery, bringing the total to 110. (Don’t forget about the 2008–2018 and 2020–2021 galleries, either.)

    Remember, once in a gallery, clicking on any photograph will start a slide show, with much larger images, titles, and more. Peruse and enjoy!

  • New Gallery: Senoia, Georgia

    New Gallery: Senoia, Georgia

    After leaving Zebulon (see below) last Thursday, I continued northeast into the beautiful spring morning. My destination was Senoia, a town of about 5,000 that has a lovely, old-time feel, and is usually busy due to its “touristy” nature. There’s a film studio (!), and major productions like Driving Miss Daisy and The Walking Dead have used it for a location. Plus, given its proximity to Atlanta, it’s a popular day trip for city dwellers looking for a getaway.

    Gerald and I were there last April, and while I had a camera with me, I only took a few photographs and didn’t like any of them. But a church window had stuck in my head, we enjoyed the visit, and I determined to return.

    This time: success. Starting with that church window:

    Church of God of Prophesy (Window #1), Main and Johnson Sts.

    Elsewhere in the historic district, fantastic Southern porches await:

    The Veranda Historic Inn, 252 Seavy St.

    While amongst the dogwood blossoms, there was even a porch for our feathered friends:

    Bird House, 128 Travis St.

    But it’s downtown that folks come to visit:

    Shops and Eats on the Hill (#2), Main St.
    Book Light (Reflecting Tour), 53 Main St.
    Giraffe at Foxhollow, 7 Main St.
    The Classic Market, 30 Barnes St.

    Plenty of history here, too:

    The Museum and the Water Tower (From Baggarly Way)
    Light and Lights Detail, 61 Main St.

    A total of 57 photographs — clearly, it was a good time — have been posted to the Senoia gallery. No matter the weather where you are, wander a picturesque small town on a beautiful spring day.

    Thank you!

  • New Gallery: Zebulon, Georgia

    New Gallery: Zebulon, Georgia

    We’re having an absolutely beautiful March here in Georgia — apologies to places that absolutely aren’t — and I’ve been trying to take advantage by getting out and taking photographs.

    The latest photostroll starts in the small town (pop. 1225) of Zebulon1Named for Zebulon Pike, the general and explorer (for whom Colorado’s Pike’s Peak is named, among other things), in Pike County, northwest of Macon, with the typical courthouse square:

    Pike County Courthouse, Barnesville St.

    The building, from 1895 and on the National Register of Historic Places, is wonderfully detailed, sporting columns aplenty and lots of Colonial Revival details:

    Pike County Courthouse (Column Detail #1)
    Courthouse Square Composition, Barnesville and Thomaston

    The small downtown is well-kept and bustling in a way that small downtowns should be:

    Barnesville St. Storefonts, Zebulon

    Better still, spring is in full bloom:

    Garden Gate in Spring (#2)

    Enjoy the 25 posted photographs from Zebulon — and stay tuned for the main destination of the trip: Senoia. Have a good weekend!

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      Named for Zebulon Pike, the general and explorer (for whom Colorado’s Pike’s Peak is named, among other things)
  • New Gallery: Eatonton, Georgia

    New Gallery: Eatonton, Georgia

    Confession: For the last several years, I’ve been avoiding Eatonton. Its four-lane bypass is notorious as a revenue generator for Putnam County, so when heading north to Madison or Athens I have been taking the prettier Monticello route instead.

    My mistake. In almost twenty years of living less than fifty miles from this gem — and perhaps because of that bypass — I’d not explored downtown. It’s definitely earned another visit.

    Residence Above Maggie Lane (Mind Your Step)
    Putnam County Courthouse (Tree)

    I also wasn’t aware that Alice Walker (The Color Purple) and Joel Harris (Uncle Remus) were locals — the latter explaining the prevalence of rabbits hopping about:

    Rabbit (Paper Jeff)

    Interesting art, too:

    The FolksArt, 119 S. Jefferson
    Selz (The “Sole” of Honor), 107 N. Madison

    Please enjoy the 30 photographs posted — and stay tuned: I’ll try to travel the Historic Piedmont Scenic Byway again soon.

  • Gallery Update: Jackson, Georgia

    Gallery Update: Jackson, Georgia

    Spring is beginning to blossom here in Middle Georgia, which means it’s time to restart the traditional Sunday drive and photostroll. This week’s destination was the small city of Jackson, seat of Butts County, and home to a typically pretty downtown square:

    Jackson Historic Square (20 Oak St.)

    The courthouse, as is often the case in Georgia, takes center stage:

    Confederate Butts Forever
    “Dream,” Not Necessarily Reflected

    No, I usually don’t make political commentary. Why do you ask?

    Anyway, there are several examples of my architectural studies, including these:

    Butts County Courthouse Tower (B&W Study)
    Smoking Column Detail, 10 3rd St.

    I didn’t realize that Jackson was the filming location for Stranger Things — a stand-in for Hawkins, Indiana:

    Jackson is Hawkins (Police)

    Check out the full gallery for Jackson, including yesterday’s photographs and those from last year, which include some from nearby Jackson Lake, in the updated gallery.

  • Gallery Update: Dublin

    Gallery Update: Dublin

    Named for the city in Ireland, Dublin in Georgia is an hour or so southeast of Macon. It’s my third trip there, and, like last time, I enjoyed Gerald’s company.1He seemed to enjoy the trip, rain notwithstanding, but apparently the creative juices didn’t flow. (Sorry, man.) Details here.

    It has a photogenic downtown, too:

    Corker (of a) Building, W. Jackson St.
    Fountain and Holiday Tree, N. Monroe St. and Bellevue Ave.

    The Welcome Park includes a clock and bell complete with clover, reminding visitors that the name is, in fact, a tribute:

    Dublin Welcome Tower #1

    As has become typical, my favorite — “best” is debatable, of course — shot is a close-up that’s almost an abstract. In this case, a turquoise box car in the appropriately-named Railroad Park:

    Pull Down for Camel, Dublin Railraod Park

    Just off the main drag we found an item thankfully not yet painted over:

    Aqua Fox, Jefferson and Madison

    . . . Which may, in fact, be a holdover from a bygone era. In fact, I’d be remiss if I didn’t call this subject out:

    Laurens and Dublin Mural (No Biases Shown), S. Lawrence St.

    The only people of color depicted here are Native Americans, relegated to viewing (probably from afar), and two Blacks, very much shown “in their place.” (Dublin still prominently features a Confederate memorial, as well.) Let’s hope that this small city continues its journey into the 21st century, one step at a time.

    See the updated gallery here. As always, once in the gallery, click on any photograph to start a slide show.

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      He seemed to enjoy the trip, rain notwithstanding, but apparently the creative juices didn’t flow. (Sorry, man.) Details here.
  • Updated Gallery: Milledgeville

    Updated Gallery: Milledgeville

    The small city of Milledgeville, on the banks of the Oconee River in nearby Baldwin County, is a favorite for photography. In this case, Gerald and I stopped on our way home from Sandersville, and spent some time wandering the historic district.

    Aged Signage, 101 W. Mcintosh St., Circa 1911
    Fall Color, First Presbyterian Church (#1), S. Wayne St.
    (Extended) Weathervane, Old Courthouse Building, 201 W. Hancock St.

    I especially liked this gate:

    Gate and Stairs (Going Up), 129 S. Wayne St.

    We were these the day after (part of) the Deep Roots Festival, which meant some street decorations lingered:

    Deep Roots Festival Balloons, S. Wayne St.

    Oh, and happy Halloween:

    Happily Haunted Window, S. Wayne St.

    See all my photographs from Milledgeville in the updated gallery. Thank you for visiting. See you in November!