Well this was a pleasant surprise. Because of some mysterious combination of temperature, rainfall, humidity, or sunshine, we had an unusually colorful autumn here in Vicksburg. Sure, the foliage was not as as brilliant as you see in New England, Scandinavia, or the Appalachian Mountains, but still it has provided a visual delight. Here are a few examples from around town. Warning: pretty pictures again, no decay this time.
Vicksburg National Military Park
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| Ansche Chesed Cemetery, next to Confederate Avenue near the Visitor Center |
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| Louisiana Memorial, Confederate Avenue |
It was about a week early for the best foliage along Confederate Avenue. I turned right on Pemberton Boulevard and walked past the 1937 headquarters building (now used as office space).
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| Foliage north of the Shirley House, Union Ave. (Kodak Ektar 25 film, Hasselblad 80mm ƒ/2.8 Planar-CB lens) |
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| Former road near CCC camp off Union Ave. (Kodak Ektar 25 film) |
When you reach Union Avenue, you have two choices. Turning left, you ascend the hill towards the Shirley House (surviving from before the Civil War) and enter thick woods. The former Civil Conservation Corps (CCC) camp is near an overgrown roadway near Old Graveyard Road.
If you turn right on Union Avenue, you return towards the main parking lot and visitor center.
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| Union Avenue near the arch at the main parking area |
Confederate to Pemberton to Union Avenues is a popular walking and jogging route, about 2.8 miles. The part near the memorial arch is noisy because of the freeway next door, but the woods are pleasing and shaded in the summer.
Kings Point Island
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| Kings Point Ferry (Kodak Tri-X Professional, Mamiya C220 camera, 105mm lens) |
To reach Kings Point Island, you need to take the ferry across the Yazoo River. To reach the ferry, drive on Haining Road at the Port of Vicksburg, turn right on a ramp, then follow the signs to Kings Point Road. The ferry runs all day. If it is on the other side of the river when you arrive, they will come and pick you up. You need a car with high ground clearance (or a truck).
Kings Point Road heads due west. I have driven it in the past when it was dry. But this time, despite a general lack of rain this fall, there were muddy sections that I did not want to risk in my little car. We could only go a mile or two and turn around. Time for a Bubba truck.
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| Dry swale, Kings Point Island (27mm ƒ/2.8 Fujinon lens) |
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Wilton Bayou/marsh from Kings Point Road (9cm ƒ/4 Elmar lens)
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Most of thesephotos are from my Fuji X-E1 digital camera on which I mounted a recently-acquired 1950s Leica 9cm ƒ/4 Elmar-M lens. This old manual focus lens works surprisingly well on my Fuji camera. I will test it more in the future on film after I send it off for a cleaning.
3 comments:
Interesting--I have not heard of King's Point Island. Guess when things quiet down, the Ford F-150 might need a trip. :)
Is that Elmar a screw mount lens? I'm thinking an adapter for digital might be the only way I'll get some use out of my Hector 135. Of course I'll have to first get a interchangable lens digital camera.
This little 90mm ƒ/4 Elmar lens is a M-mount unit, but it has the same barrel and glass as the ltm thread-mount lenses of the same era. Mine has haze and will need to go to a Leica specialist to clean it.
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