Author: Dixie

  • The Water Boy

    The Water Boy

    I’m always amazed with discoveries during my urban explorations around Oklahoma City and the surrounding metro. Nearby to my favorite coffee shop, I encountered such a moment and, after a week, I’m still in awe of this sight.

    I’m going to leave names and locations out of this post until I’m able to find some more information to fill in the gaps. Honestly, I’m not sure exactly what I need to know since sometimes a hopeful heart can fandom a nicer fiction than reality.

    The location of the “The Water Boy” was brought to my attention recently by a friend in downtown Oklahoma City near 7th street. I’ve walked past this area hundreds of times without knowing what lurks just on the other side of the fence line. There is no telling how long he has been here or where he hails from. But he certainly doesn’t belong here.

    After visiting for a while and observing the left-behind impact of a probable nomadic homeless shelter, we could agree that someone stole the boy from a nearby water feature. But from where? And for what purpose? Did the statue provide some solace and hope from that person’s current situation? I can’t imagine it would have been taken to pawn for food or drink cash. This has to be an act of a higher calling. To what end?

    For the moment, The Water Boy is safe, hidden from public view and possible vandals but we must decide on his future soon before the modernization of the area quickly envelopes the hideaway.

    The images below were shot with a retro Carenar 35mm f2.8 mounted on a Fujifilm X-Pro3 and Pixco Focal Reducer.

    What are your thoughts? Please comment below.

  • Vintage Lens Startup Kit

    Vintage Lens Startup Kit

    Recommend starting with M42 Screw Mount lenses and the Pentax brand.  These are excellent build quality and optics, some with multi coatings that help clarity.  eBay and local antique stores are a great source for lenses.

    Start with a Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 or 55mm f1.8 – less than $100 in great shape.  As the focal length is reduced, the pricing will increase, so look for the deals.  I picked up a Helios 58mm f2 with a stuck aperture at f2 for $22 at KEH in the store on our first trip together.

    Adapters

    M42 – Fujifilm X mount adapter

    The least expensive and easiest way to get into vintage lenses. The resulting focal view is magnified by 1.5x on Fujifilm cameras. So a 35mm lens will behave like a 52.5mm lens. Since lenses are designed for full frame you might lose some of bokeh on the edges of the lens

    M42 – Fujifilm X Helicoid adapter

    All the same as above but now you have an adjustable macro extension tube for close focusing.

    M42 – Fujifilm X mount Focal Reducer / Speedbooster

    Do NOT buy the high dollar Metabones adapters.  You will be paying for autofocus circuits not being used. Gets you back to close to original magnification of the attached lens. Most adapters are a 0.71x de-magnification. So a 35mm will be 35×1.5=52.5 x 0.71= 37.27mm

    We are working on more detailed guides to help you get started with shooting vintage lenses. Check those out links on the main page of the website.

    Be sure to share your questions and comments below!

  • Okarche, OK

    Okarche, OK

    Okarche is a combination of three words – OKlahoma, ARapaho, and CHEyene.  The post office was established in 1890 and the town was incorporated two years before statehood, in 1905.  In the 1890s, German immigrants were the largest population segment so German was widely used in the community until the US entered World War I in 1917.  Afterwards, bilingual education and workshop continued for another two decades.

    In November 1926, the federal highway numbering system was implemented and the Meridian Highway through Okarche was assigned US-81 and fully paved in the area by 1931.  The Northwest Highway OK-3 was a gravel road in 1939 and fully paved by 1947, providing a direct route to Oklahoma City.

    The town is best known for Eischen’s Bar, claiming to be “the oldest bar” in Oklahoma and world famous for it’s secret recipe fried chicken.  In 2009, Food Network’s program, Guy Fieri’s Diner, Drive-Ins and Dives, visited Eischen’s and the bar was featured in the TV show.

    Here are some of my favorite areas in town, all taken with vintage lenses mounted on a Fujifilm X-Pro3.  Check out the Forgotten Main Street Flickr Group for more images.  We would love you to join us and show the world YOUR favorite Main Street.

  • Sunflowers Found

    Sunflowers Found

    This was a huge surprise for me.  It’s been so hot outside in Oklahoma, that I’m rushing from the comfort of home quickly into the a/c of the car.  While I have been “forced” to ride the motorcycle in this heat, enjoying the backyard hasn’t been on my short list of tasks.  Truth be told, I’m not crazy about the heat, so hanging around outside is mainly in early spring, fall and some winter days.

    So when I stepped outside to check on my littlest furry family member, Scarlett, because of this crazy heat, I was shocked to find sunflowers growing in the backyard.  Of course, when confronting my wife, Terri, about this new development, she simply said “I know, I’ve been watering them”.

    Apparently, these beautiful flowers started on their own, being scattered by the birds attacking the filled bird feeder.  While cleaning up the back porch, Terri noticed some of the seeds took root and seemed to be growing quite well.  She decided to help them along with daily water care but failed to let me know of the new tenants in our flower bed.  I’m still a little shocked and very excited.

    I never really thought about it much, but sunflowers are very popular in my home country of Spain and eating the tasty seeds filled many of the memories from my youth.  But I’ve never gave a thought about purposely planting sunflowers in my yard.  Well, that is now changing and Terri is onboard to get sunflowers in our front yard.

    In the meantime, I love using the sunflowers for testing the vintage lenses in my arsenal without having to travel a long distance.  These were taken with the Fujifilm X-Pro3 with either the Super Takumar 28mm f3.5 or Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 mounted on a a helicoid adapter.  I hope you enjoy them as much I as did.  I will post them to our Flickr Group page so you can see some of the metadata. 

  • First Trip Captures Posted

    First Trip Captures Posted

     Quick post to let everyone know that Dixie has posted the edits from his portion of the trip.  I’m trying to recall most of the stops we made but I’m sure we will make better notes on our next trip.

    This portion for me was from Atlanta to Oklahoma City with main stops listed here:

    Spectre – fictitious town from the film “Big Fish” near Montgomery, AL

    Prattville, AL – home of the Pratt Cotton Gin

    Old Cahawba Archaeological Park – near Orrville, AL and abandoned first permanent state capitol of Alabama from 1820 to 1825. Also called Cahaba.

    Meridian, Mississippi – Abandoned amusement park “Royal Land”

    Jackson, Mississippi 

    Shreveport, Lousianna – best city Welcome Center that impressed Peep.

    Paris, Texas – Stopped to see the little “Eiffel Tower”, Texas styled with cowboy hat on top.

    Most of the travel was along state highways off the interstate system, but we opted for main towns for better hotels to get our points.   We love adventure but still love to be rewarded also.

    You can check out all the images from the trip on the Flickr group for Forgotten Main Street.  That group is also a great place to comment and start discussions for future destinations or to share your favorite places.

    Here are a few preview images from our first trip.

  • The New Adventure

    The New Adventure

    Welcome to our new adventure!

    This venture started to form during a “man-trip” with Fielding and Robert, a.k.a, Peep and Dixie.  We have been close friends since our military days in the late 1980s and only have seen each other in person twice previously. It’s amazing how we can go several months without talking and then pick up exactly where we left off as though no time had passed.

    This trip, ATL to OKC, was Peep’s idea since he wanted to travel cross country back to his hometown of Bellingham, Washington from his temporary work location in Atlanta, Georgia for his birthday.  Dixie was not able to make the time schedule work but instead hopped a plane to ATL and rode shotgun until OKC.  It was an EPIC trip with ample time to catch up on life’s moments in detail and reinforce the relationship and our photography passion.

    This project of Forgotten Main Street was the idea of the two of us traveling off the main interstates into the smaller towns that time forgot.  We want to bring attention to the people and places that time passed over because of economics, interstate traffic, local industry closures, etc.  We hope that this vision entices other creatives to help bring to light these wonderful places of importance and others can see the beauty in areas just around the corner.

    Here are a few selfies of the guys and we hope you follow the website for updates.  We would love to hear your comments or places we should visit.