Giles Hoover

Photography and design for print production

Tag: regional imagery

  • Refurb and Reorg

    Refurb and Reorg

    It’s one of those things: something’s needing doing, but since it’s yours — and not a clients’ — it doesn’t get done.

    Then it starts to annoy. Still, other priorities take precedent.

    But then something happens. In my case, it was the installation of WordPress 7, which broke several things on the site. Which meant the itch finally got the scratch.

    The New Foreword, June 2026

    The site’s undergone a major reorganization. It’s more focused, based almost exclusively around Foreword (which, deservedly, gets 90% of the site’s traffic). It features completely new style sheets, which mean new fonts, a new layout, and more.

    Best of all, it’s based on modern code, which means it’s faster and has better compatibility with tablets and mobile devices — even if it’s still probably best viewed on a big monitor.

    Brick Arches, Fort McClary, Kittery Point, Maine, 2014

    The photography sections got a bump, too. They’re now broken down into categories:

    • Regional Imagery, photography from selected cityscapes, rural scenes, landscapes, and architectural photographs from ten US states (plus several additional locations in the UK)
    • College Street, photography from colleges and universities
    • Maine Revisited, photography covering a ten-year span — 2008–2018 — of the great State of Maine, “the way life should be.” Includes items from the book of the same name, now sold out. And,
    • Debuting this fall: Frequency Shift, which is macro, detail, and abstract photography from the world of hi-end audio.
    Vetrans Super(fortress), Georgia Vetrans State Park, Cordele, Georgia, 2018

    No page was left untouched as part of this update. (In fact, check ’em out: use the menu at the top right.) It’s still a work in progress — there are wrinkles that’ll hopefully be smoothed out in the next few weeks, most likely including things I don’t yet know about. Kindly let me know of anything that doesn’t work for you.

    However, it’s the end of the month, and I have to sort the dozens of saved pages, notes, and photos already set aside into this month’s Beautifully Briefed. (Which’ll be posted Tuesday.)

    Atlantic Cairn, Marginal Way, Ogunquit, Maine, 2010

    As always, thank you for visiting!

  • Updated Gallery: Downtown Macon, Georgia

    Updated Gallery: Downtown Macon, Georgia

    The first photostroll downtown this year involved some new gear, an extremely sharp and astonishingly compact wide-angle zoom from Sigma. I’ve wanted something wider that the 35mm-equivalent that is my daily driver for a minute now, and this absolutely fits the bill.

    It also gave me an excuse to see a couple of new and updated spots in Macon: 

    Rosa Parks Square (Memorials and Seating), Poplar and First Sts.

    First up is the refreshed completely redone Rosa Parks Square, now with extensive hardscaping, seating and more — a much needed change to one of the most important areas in the city, right next to the City Auditorium and downtown’s Hotel 45:

    Rosa Parks Square (Circle), Poplar and First Sts.

    Also completely new is the Otis Redding Center for the Arts, a refreshingly contemporary building with its own new landscaping and gardens:

    Zelma Redding Amphitheater (with Statue), Cherry St. and First St. Ln.

    It’s a pleasure to be able to get a huge amount of detail, landscape, and space into a single photograph; the wide-angle itch is well and truly sated. Better still, when asked to focus on details, it shines very brightly indeed:

    Cherry Blossom Festival Decor (#1), Parish Seafood, 580 Cherry St.

    It does retro well, too:

    St. Joseph’s Catholic Church (Spire), 830 Poplar St.

    So, ask me how I feel about this upgrade. Well, how ’bout this:

    I Heart Downtown (Sculpture), Second St.

    Sigma got this lens just right. Including the seven posted here, a total of 30 new photographs have been added to the Downtown Macon (2022-2026) gallery.

    Note: Once you’re in the photo gallery, the new items are near the middle of the stack — look for the retro photo from this post and it’s the photos that follow. Remember that you can click on any photo to enlarge to a single photo with locations/titles and next/back controls (or run a slideshow). If you’re in a downtown Macon mood, don’t forget the 2008–2018 and 2020–2021 galleries as well. Thank you!

  • Updated Gallery: Forsyth, Georgia

    Updated Gallery: Forsyth, Georgia

    It’s been a while — too long, in fact — but with a completely new storage and editing system in place, it’s time to get back to taking, editing, and posting photographs from Middle Georgia and beyond.

    This time, it’s the nearby city of Forsyth, specifically its historic train depot. Interestingly, Forsyth was the first city in Georgia to get passenger train service, in 1838, and the lovely station wears its years well.

    Tracks and Train Depot, E. Johnston St. and Railroad Ave., Forsyth

    Both the depot and its features are examined, in general and in detail:

    Forsyth Train Depot (Roof and Chimneys), 104-114 E. Adams St., Forsyth
    Forsyth Train Depot (Train Car Detail #3), 104-114 E. Adams St., Forsyth
    Forsyth Train Depot (Train Car Detail #5), 104-114 E. Adams St., Forsyth
    Antique Fire Truck (Detail #7), 104-114 E. Adams St., Forsyth

    And, ever watchful:

    Forsyth Train Depot (Bronze Dog Sculpture), 104-114 E. Adams St., Forsyth

    42 photographs have been added to the Forsyth gallery. Thanks for taking a look.

    Special Bonus: I’ve added a couple of photographs to the Bolingbroke gallery, and created a new gallery for 9 photographs from the unincorporated town of Smarr — including this shot of the town mural:

    Building Mural (Complete), Evans and Rumble Rds., Smarr

  • Gallery Update: Helen, Georgia

    This is my second try at a fall photostroll in Helen, a German-themed town in the Georgia mountains north of Athens, and I’ve got to tell you: Helen and I are not getting along.

    Technically, it’s my fault. But I feel the relationship may have soured; I just might neglect to make a third attempt.

    Unicoi Bridge into Helen, Georgia

    In late October, 2019, I was there with an unfamiliar lens and although I took a stack of photographs, the vast majority of them were junk. I got eight — eight! — worth putting up. Again, my fault. But not at all the results I’d wanted.

    This week, I was back. I had two beautiful fall days to make up the deficit.

    Flags and (Brew) Decor
    Love Lock Bridge (Railing #1)

    Day one saw 68 photographs taken with my favorite 35mm, but I could tell almost immediately that it wasn’t going the way I wanted. It was flooded with tourists — expected and okay, frankly, but not built for wider shots. “No problem,” I said to myself. I’ll enjoy some schnitzel, have a good night’s sleep, and clean up with the detail shots in the morning.

    Bling Bling Blink Tourist Blind
    Christoff’s 76, Munich St.

    Alas, not only did I get out of the wrong side of the bed, my back somehow got out of the other side — I wasn’t walking anywhere. Crap.

    Bridge Lights, Main St.
    River Overlook, Eidelweiss St.

    Worse, upon examination back in front of the big computer, I wound up with less than superlative results: only 30 of those 68 got posted.

    Have a look at the Helen gallery when you have a moment, with my wishes that your fall attempts at leafing don’t leave you behind.

    Willie, The Friendly German Black Bear
  • New Gallery Bonus: Deepstep, Georgia. (Also, a New Georgia Gallery Setup.)

    New Gallery Bonus: Deepstep, Georgia. (Also, a New Georgia Gallery Setup.)

    A while back, on the road from Milledgeville to Sandersville, I spied a sign:

    Giles Cross Roads, 11917 Deepstep Rd.

    That little town — more a hamlet, really — is called Deepstep, and I’ve marked it for a stop since. On the way home from Augusta (part 1, part 2), I finally had the opportunity.

    Alonzo G. Veal & Son (What We Don’t Have, We Can Get), 9665 Deepstep Rd.
    Veal & Son Building Detail #1, 9665 Deepstep Rd.

    What a great little spot.

    Gate and Field, 9665 Deepstep Rd.
    Outbuilding and Pine, 9731 Deepstep Rd.

    The gallery’s only eighteen photographs, but absolutely a worthy addition to the newly revised Middle Georgia group. Those galleries cover everything from Pine Mountain in the west to Sandersville in the east, Madison in the north to Dublin in the south.

    Indeed, I’ve rearranged pretty much all of the Georgia galleries:

    The new Georgia gallery group: five items instead of three, all featuring rearranged contents.

    Atlanta gets its own (to be expanded soon, I hope); the cities of Augusta, Columbus and Savannah another; Macon, my home base, a third; the aforementioned Middle Georgia, a fourth; and finally North and South Georgia (Helen, St. Simon’s, etc.).

    As always, thanks for taking the time to stop by.

  • New Gallery: Augusta, Georgia (Part Two)

    New Gallery: Augusta, Georgia (Part Two)

    As mentioned yesterday, I’ve been meaning to get to downtown Augusta with a camera for years. Actually, that not correct: I’ve been meaning to get to downtown Augusta . . . period. I’d never been there, despite living 130 miles away for almost two decades, despite having been nearby, despite — well, you get the idea.

    Statue at James Brown Plaza, Broad St. and Augusta Common

    So it was a pleasure to get to the home of Woodrow Wilson, James Brown, Jessye Norman, and countless others — and see a city a lot like so many others in the American South, a city that’s struggling with identity, history, vacancy, gentrification, and so many other issues prevalent in the 2020s.

    The Confederates and the Albion, Broad St.

    One of them is the continued presence of a huge Confederate memorial, a shame in a majority-Black city — and just in front of the Lamar Building, soon to be luxury apartments. What message are Augusta, and its new luxury residents, sending?

    Miller and Lamar, Broad St.

    Nonetheless, the day’s efforts resulted in some satisfying images, from architecture to neat details:

    Augusta Cotton Exchange Building #1, 32 8th St.
    Miller Theater (Entry Detail), 708 Broad St.
    Edgar’s Above Broad (Logo) Sign, 699 Broad St.

    Augusta is a riverfront city I’m looking forward to returning to. In the meantime, please enjoy a total of 128 photographs in the newly-posted gallery.

    Augusta Riverwalk Marina (with Freedom Bridge)
  • New Gallery: Augusta, Georgia (Part One)

    New Gallery: Augusta, Georgia (Part One)

    Together with Columbus and Macon, Augusta is one of Georgia’s “Fall Line” cities, and is home to more than 200,000 people. Located on the eastern edge of the state on the Savannah River, it was founded by James Oglethorpe in 1736 on the site of a Native American river crossing.

    Augusta has long been on the to-photograph list, but it’s just far enough away from Macon to make a quick, unplanned trip difficult — so this past weekend, when another trip was cancelled, I took advantage of the available time and made it happen.

    Blue Against Blue Against Blue, 943 Ellis St.

    Of course, rather than a quiet Sunday downtown, I ran headlong — no pun intended — into the Augusta Ironman marathon. There were crowded street corners, intersections closed aplenty, and a combination of competitors and supporters everywhere.

    Boll Weevil Cafe and Sweetery, 10 James Brown Blvd.

    Nonetheless, it was a beautiful early-fall day in Georgia, and over the course of several hours, I really enjoyed photography in downtown Augusta — as usual, without people in the shots.

    Decorative Facade, 103 Macartan St.

    Excepting, of course, The Godfather of Soul:

    Spirit of Funk Mural, 190 James Brown Blvd.

    The photostroll also included the Riverwalk, a stretch both at water level and atop the levee — doing my best to stay out of the runners’ way, moving around to the chants of “water!” and “ice!”

    Fountain at Riverwalk Enterance (#1), James Brown Blvd.
    Savannah River at Augusta, Georgia

    The first 64 photographs — part one of two — have been posted to the new Augusta gallery. Stay tuned for the second part, along with a bonus gallery and some housekeeping news, tomorrow.

    Slice of Primary Colors, 1102 Broad St.
  • Updated Gallery: Columbus, Georgia

    Updated Gallery: Columbus, Georgia

    Gerald and I were in Georgia’s lower Chattahoochee River valley yesterday, visiting the city of Columbus — and ran across a couple of treasures. Naturally, there was a camera handy.

    The first is the best restaurant I’ve enjoyed in a long while: The Animal Farm.

    The Animal Farm, 105 W. 12th St.

    If you’re in or going to be going to Columbus anytime soon, I cannot recommend it highly enough. The food was superlative, the service excellent, and the ambiance simultaneously upscale, casual, and fresh.

    The second — and no less tasty — stop was the Ma Rainey Museum of the Blues. This period house downtown is small but demonstrates a remarkable comeback from the (literal) wreckage they started with in the ’90s. I’d originally wanted to return to the Columbus Museum, but it’s being renovated; Gerald’s suggestion here was pitch-perfect.

    Ma Rainey House, 805 5th Ave.
    Ma Rainey House Marker, 805 5th Ave.
    Bust and Albums, Ma Rainey House, 805 5th Ave.
    Record Player Detail, Ma Rainey House, 805 5th Ave.

    Inside, Gerald and I enjoyed a lengthy conversation with Xavier, a guide who was knowledgeable and enthusiastic; he absolutely made us want to explore more blues history. (I’m also going to be listening to some Ma Rainey on Tidal.)

    Meanwhile, gallery of Columbus photographs is deep and varied, spanning almost fifteen years and 180 items — check it out.

    As always, thanks for visiting.

    Update: Gerald’s take on the day.

  • Updated Gallery: Downtown Macon

    Updated Gallery: Downtown Macon

    As is typical in July in Georgia, it was hot yesterday — but not so much that I didn’t spend a few minutes wandering around with the camera and superb 90mm. Especially since I was down on MLK, an area of downtown Macon I don’t frequent as much as, say, 2nd St.

    Macon Rocks Mural (401 Cherry St.)
    Music Marker (MLK and Mulberry)

    Some detail shots (as usual):

    Studio Door, Serenity Entertainment, Cherry St. Ln.
    Visit Macon’s Keyboard Building Detail, 450 MLK Blvd.
    Decorated Transit, MLK and Cherry

    Side note: I was completely unaware that Steve Martin and Edie Brickell had teamed up for Bright Star, a musical set in the Appalachians. (I presume, unfortunately, that the 2020 season at Theatre Macon might not have shown.) It probably won’t surprise that I enjoy a musical now and than — and am a big fan of both Martin and Brickell — so was glad to find it on Tidal.

    Bright Star (Painted) Poster, Theatre Macon, 3rd St. Ln.

    In any case, 23 new photographs have been posted to the Downtown Macon (2022-2023) gallery. Peruse and enjoy — and thanks for visiting.

  • Updated Gallery: Downtown Macon

    Updated Gallery: Downtown Macon

    It’s hard to understate how much downtown Macon has changed for the better in the last fifteen years: new residents (and lofts), new restaurants, new shops, a high-end hotel, and more — all without losing its feeling of an historic Southern city.

    Balconies, 389 1st St.
    (Sign of) Hotel Forty-Five, 401 Cotton Ave.

    On the subject of Southern, I’m glad to see the completion of the new Cotton Avenue Plaza, a pocket park that replaces not only an awkward intersection but one that had, at its center, a Confederate celebratory statue. Something everyone can share is a big upgrade:

    Cotton Avenue Plaza (with Lawrence Mayer Building)

    Meanwhile, it wouldn’t be a gallery post without some of my signature detail photographs:

    Flower Detail #2, Mulberry St.
    Eyes on Cherry St. (Window)

    The downtown gallery (2022–23) is now up to 132 photographs — check ’em out. (Once you’ve followed the link, click on any photograph for a larger, captioned version.) And, if you’re interested in the city’s downtown evolution, see also the 2020–21 and 2008–2018 galleries.

    As always, thanks for stopping by.