Giles Hoover

Photography and design for print production

Tag: regional imagery

  • New Gallery: Talbotton

    New Gallery: Talbotton

    The county seat of Talbot (Wiki) was the primary destination of our recent photostroll, another of those places that are often passed through without stopping. A small, poor town — and county — its rich history absolutely deserves a home here amongst the galleries of Georgia.

    Monroe Street Storefonts, Downtown

    Founded in 1828, Talbotton was a center of education for the area; its architectural splendor reflects a wealth no longer present. Even the later courthouse (1892) is a beautiful structure:

    Talbot County Probate Court, 26 Washington Ave.
    Talbot County Court Tower #3

    There was one structure in particular that I wanted to visit: the Zion Episcopal Church, an 1848 wooden item, painted dark brown with white shutters:

    Historic Zion Episcopal Church, Circa 1848

    Unfortunately, Georgia’s early- and mid-century legacy survives intact. From the Zion Church’s Historical Marker:

    The choir loft at the east end of the structure opposite the sanctuary, above the narthex, is flanked on each side by a gallery, where slaves worshipped prior to the conflict which many believed temporarily destroyed Southern culture.

    Georgia Historical Commission, 1955

    The church is still beautiful, it’s still beautifully preserved and maintained, and I’m glad that we can, in 2022, look at it in the historical context it deserves.1Read more about Zion Episcopal and its place in Talbotton here.

    Zion Episcopal Church (Window Detail #2)

    See the church and all of Talbotton — 34 photographs in all — in the new gallery here.

    Thanks to Gerald for a pleasant Sunday of fine photography.

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      Read more about Zion Episcopal and its place in Talbotton here.
  • Updated Gallery: Thomaston

    Updated Gallery: Thomaston

    Despite the leaves pretty much, well, leaving us, yesterday was too nice a day to not do a photostroll — or three, in our case. First up: Sprewell Bluff Park. Located in rural Upson County on a lovely bend in the Flint River, the park has long been one of those places that was driven by and not visited.

    Flint River from Sprewell Bluff #1

    Glad to have fixed that! Better still, it’s more than just a bluff with a view:

    River and Tree in Afternoon Sun, Sprewell Park (#2)
    Cairn on the Riverbank, Sprewell Park
    Flint River Shoals at Sprewell (#2)
    Bluff Base, Flint River

    As it’s technically located there, the Thomaston gallery has grown by nineteen photographs — check it out. (As always, once in the gallery, click on any photograph to start a slide show.)

    Stay tuned for Talbotton and Fickling Mill, which will be posted as soon as possible.

    Thank you!

  • 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!

  • Updated Gallery: Sandersville

    Updated Gallery: Sandersville

    As promised yesterday, there’s more from Sandersville. This time, the City Cemetery, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

    Sandersville’s City Cemetery National Register Sign

    Some beautiful statuary within:

    Not all of the plots are marked with statuary, but some have beautiful markers.

    Sandersville the site of a skirmish on Sherman’s March to the Sea, and according to the official history, probably took place in the cemetery grounds itself.

    A plot marker in marble, together with the U.S. and Georgia flags.
    The St. Paul AME Church, seen through the fall foliage.
    Long-leaf pine is typical of this area, and provides some lovely shade.

    An enjoyable time on a beautiful fall day. See all of the photographs from Sandersville in the updated gallery here.

  • New Gallery: Sandersville, Georgia

    New Gallery: Sandersville, Georgia

    Sandersville, seat of Washington County, was the photography destination this past weekend. Gerald and I wanted to get out and enjoy this beautiful stretch of fall weather, and this small city — with its National Register-listed cemetery (more on that tomorrow) — hadn’t yet been explored.

    Dr. Gate, W. Haynes St.

    There was a pleasant little park off what I’m calling Courthouse Square (it doesn’t seem to actually be named that):

    Park Arch, S. Harris St.
    Park in the Square, S. Harris St.

    The Washington County Courthouse is a beautiful and historic building, like many here in Georgia:

    Washington County Courthouse #3

    Can’t close without a plug for the home team:

    Drink Coke, Get Waves

    See all of the photographs from Sandersville in the new gallery, and stay tuned for more tomorrow. Thanks!

    See also: Gerald’s journal post on the trip.

  • Gallery Update: Downtown Macon

    Gallery Update: Downtown Macon

    The first Friday of fall saw Gerald and I out celebrating the beautiful weather — and his new “creative camera,” a Leica M8 in pristine condition:

    M8 @ Bearfoot (#3)

    Which of course meant a quick spin around downtown. I was using my favorite lens, the 90mm macro, resulting in lots of detail shots:

    Capitol (Theatre) Details, Second St.
    Windowmaker, Mulberry St. Ln.
    Peeking Across Third (Street), Downtown
    Street Art Detail, Cherry & Third
    Street Art Detail, Poplar & Third

    With these latest additions, the Downtown Macon (2022+) gallery is at eighty photographs. Take a look.

  • Gallery Updates: Andersonville and Americus, Georgia

    Gallery Updates: Andersonville and Americus, Georgia

    Last weekend, Gerald and I took a summer road trip and photostroll through southwest Georgia — with stops in Andersonville and Americus.

    Andersonville is a sobering place: “The deadliest ground of the American Civil War.” Further:

    Nearly 13,000 men died on these grounds, a site that became infamous even before the Civil War ended. Their burial grounds became Andersonville National Cemetery, where veterans continue to be buried today. This place, where tens of thousands suffered captivity so others could be free, is also home to the National Prisoner of War Museum and serves as a memorial to all American prisoners of war.

    National Park Service

    We just visited the National Cemetery section of the park, with its closely-spaced Civil War graves, memorials, and reminders that it’s still in use today.

    Bench and Garden, Andersonville National Cemetery Rostrum
    Stalag XVII Memorial Detail (WWII), Andersonville National Cemetery
    Maine Civil War Memorial Statue (Photo #2) Amongst Graves, Andersonville National Cemetery
    Illinois Civil War Memorial (Detail #2), Andersonville National Cemetery

    Later, we headed just down the road to the small city of Americus:

    Wall Painting Detail #1, Sweet Georgia Bakery and Cafe, 134 W. Lamar St., Americus
    City Municipal Building and Windsor Hotel, W. Lamar St., Americus
    Window Arch #2, 106 W. Lamar St., Americus

    Both galleries — Andersonville and Americus — have been updated with new photographs. The new items start with “2022,” and remember that clicking on any photograph starts a slide show for that gallery. Thank you!

  • Gallery Update: Madison (Part 3)

    Gallery Update: Madison (Part 3)

    As promised, I returned to Madison, Georgia, to complete the gallery my camera battery didn’t permit last time. Special thanks to Gerald, who accompanied me around the beautiful downtown historic district and on the lovely drive from here to there.

    This round is mostly details, taken with my stunning new Leica APO lens. (Introduced in this Macon post.) The whole line has been discontinued, so I am incredibly glad to have gotten one while they’re still available — every single photograph shows just how good this lens is. I’ll try to do it justice:

    Morgan County Courthouse #6
    Light Detail, 131 E. Jefferson St.
    Madison Welcome Center, Madison Square
    Flower Detail, Organic Market
    Building and Light Detail #2, W. Washington St.
    Hart & Crown Sign, Madison Square

    I’ve revamped the gallery with the new shots mixed in with the old. Several are improved versions of shots taken last time, meaning those were deleted in favor of the new ones.

    132 Madison photographs have been posted in all. Peruse and enjoy; remember to click on any individual photograph to start a slide show, and if you’d like, click “buy” to get options for fine art prints in a variety of sizes and finishes. Thank you!

    See also: Madison Part One and Part Two.

  • New Gallery: Madison (Part 2)

    New Gallery: Madison (Part 2)

    Continued from Part 1, below.

    According to Southern Living magazine, “In Madison, Georgia, you can witness the power of tireless historic preservation efforts and take in the glory of old Southern architecture — from Greek Revival to Victorian, this town showcases all the great architectural styles.” (Read their day trip advice.)

    DAR Statue and Morgan County Courthouse, Downtown

    It’s certainly worth taking some time to visit — and for this guy and his camera, the restaurants, shops, stroll-worthy streets, and simply spectacular historic district represent a great opportunity to add to the treasure trove of Georgia architectural photography.

    Building Detail #2, Madison Welcome Center, E. Jefferson St.
    Building Detail #1, The James Madison Inn
    Gazebo and Stage, Madison Town Park
    Metallic Sculpture, Madison Town Park
    Train and Silos, Madison

    A total of 90 (!) photographs have been posted to the new Madison gallery. Once there, click on any photo to enlarge or start a slide show.

    I’m not done, either: I had two lenses with me, but only one battery — which gave out before I could make a round downtown with the second lens. I’ve got another trip through the area scheduled, and will absolutely make the time to return, camera in-hand, to complete the gallery. Stay tuned.

  • New Gallery: Madison, Georgia (Part 1)

    New Gallery: Madison, Georgia (Part 1)

    The past couple of days represented a much-needed break from the recent heat wave — an opportunity to get out of the house and celebrate a stunning morning with camera in-hand.

    I pass through Madison regularly (it’s along the route from Macon to Athens), and have been meaning to stop and take some photographs for literally years. Today, the first of two parts this week, with more to come soon.

    We start at the Madison Morgan Cultural Center and loop through the historic district — and its many, frankly stunning buildings — south of downtown:

    Madison Morgan Cultural Center (Detail #4)
    507 S. Main Street #1
    411 Old Post Road #1
    413 S. Main Street, Photographed from Old Post Road

    There are a few detail shots mixed in, too, like this one from the Presbyterian Church:

    Madison Presbyterian Church (Door Detail)

    See the first 34 photographs in the new gallery. (Remember to double-click on a photograph to see larger.) Next time, downtown. Happy Monday!