I Love The Nightlife: A Collection

A lone street light on a corner. An empty street that was the scene of bumper to bumper traffic only a few hours before. A neon sign that lights up the sidewalk. Those are the things that make the night such a beautiful time of the day.

 The night is a time that is taken for granted by many. For most people, they're all asleep after a long, busy day. For many, it might be their working hours and will be returning to their homes just before the sun comes up. 

I find it's a serene part of nature that no one notices. For that reason, I love taking pictures of empty city streets at night. I love how the lights throw their reflections on the ground. I love seeing how the colors mix into each other. I love the ghostly emptiness of the streets. 

Each photo depicts the beauty of the night. Some have their own story. They all have one thing in common though. That is they all reveal the beauty of what is often unnoticed.

The above photo was taken on April 28, 2014. I was waiting for a thunderstorm to come through but instead took a path farther north resulting in mostly rain to fall on the area.

The county fair is also a magical place at night. Aside from all the amazing concessions, the rides, the attractions, the way it all comes together and lights up the night is magical.

A December snowfall makes the street wet and reflects the neon marquee of the Historic State Theater. Snow or rain never is a deterrent from shooting photos at night. Photo taken December 6, 2013.

Borders bookstore lights up the corner of 4th and Liberty Street in Louisville on a cold, snowy January night. Photo taken from the fifth floor of the Hyatt Regency Hotel after attending the Kentucky Intercollegiate Press Association and Kentucky Press Association convention on January 21, 2011.

The streetlights twinkle as the H.B. Fife Courthouse hides in the shadows in downtown Elizabethtown.

As always, I have a standing invitation for anyone who wants to join in an evening shoot. Photo taken on a rainy night on July 3rd, 2016.

Lincoln Boulevard lays in silence late at night while the lights shine above it. Taken May 28, 2017.

I love finding places that have streetlights because I like to catch the twinkles from them. This decorative tree was an item I couldn't pass up.

Christmas no exception. Every year the city of Hodgenville erects a Christmas tree in the center of the square, and I come down and take photos of it. I've made a tradition out of it actually.

This is only a small collection of the nightlife I have captured over the years. Of course, some of them have taken a considerable amount of time to capture and some were easier. I've also accumulated several photos with light streams but I've never found those as interesting as just an empty street or a busy night at a fair. Since I've gained such a collection, I've earned the nickname of "the guy that never sleeps" or "that guy at night with a camera." Either way, I'm just having a little fun, and yes, anyone is invited to join.

2014: A Year In Pictures

A new year has come, which has left the previous just nothing more than a batch of memories. Some may claim that 2014 was his or her best year, while some may claim it was the worst. The truth is, there is both good and bad in all months and within all the seasons. Here is a photo from each month which sums up the best and the worst of 2014.

Freeman Lake has been turned into a solid sheet of ice. Invisible in the picture are the bicycle tracks that went across the ice, a sign someone was brave enough to ride across it. 2014 started off cold. A term known as the Polar Vortex was used often during the winter months. January 8 was a prime example. The high reached one degree.

Vietnam vetrans protest the showing of the film "The Butler" at the State Theater ON February 1. The movie was being protested because it stars actress Jane Fonda, whom protested during the Vietnam war.

The sun sets as traffic makes its way along Mulberry Street in Elizabethtown. March 10 was a cold day but was accompanied by sunshine. March is usually hyped as the end of winter but for this year the cold season was going to linger for several more weeks.

The streetlights of downtown Elizabethtown reflect off the wet streets on Tuesday, April 29.

Water drips off the bloom of a catalpa tree. Rain was in the area all day on Thursday, May 29 leaving everything drenched.

A box turtle shies away from the camera on the morning of June 21. Turtles are often seen during the summer months crossing the road from one pond of water to the next.

Customers wait in lines at the concessions stands at the Hardin County Fair on Tuesday, July 8. The fair is known as a true symbol of summer in Hardin County because there is something for everyone of all ages to enjoy.

Lightning strikes in the distance as seen from First Baptist Church in Hodgenville, Kentucky. Saturday, August 29 started out as a typical summer day. It was hot and sunny. Later in the day a cold front moved through the area which cause some heavy thunderstorms along the front's edge.

Stacy Irene works on her street painting during Via Colori on Saturday, September 20. Via Colori is a non-profit event that takes place in downtown Elizabethtown, Kentucky that raises funding for foster children and the New Beginnings Organization.

Chrysanthemums are in bloom on the evening of Tuesday, October 7 in the Square in Hodgenville, Kentucky. A Chrysanthemum is a fall flower that is most commonly in bloom during the month of October.

Jess and The Blues Co. perform at Wild Earth Gallery on Saturday, November 15. Wild Earth Gallery showcases local artists and musicians, and also features a pub that is open during weekends.

The Square in Hodgenville, Kentucky is decorated with a tall Christmas tree that greets tourists and the local residents.

Via Colori 2013

A shark with teeth. A scene from “The Legend Of Zelda.” Those are a few of the many unique things that were being drawn on the street sides of Main Street on Saturday, September 14.
A street art festival known as Via Colori was held in downtown Elizabethtown, Kentucky. A portion of Main Street, Dixie Avenue, and the area surrounding the H.B. Fife courthouse were closed to traffic to allow the artists to render their work on the asphalt itself.
Some other attractions that were a part of the event was live music performed by Chaz McKinney, and man art and craft booths. There were also food vendors around if you wanted a snack, or if you just wanted to take a break from composing your work of artistry.
Via Colori is a fundraising event for the Advocacy & Support Center. ASC functions as a Rape Crisis Center and a Children’s Advocacy Center that covers eight counties in the Lincoln Trail District Area.

Carrie Patrick adds detail to her shark during the afternoon hours of Via Colori. Patrick’s finished work featured braces on the shark’s teeth

Torin Hoffman uses a stencil to make his design. Hoffman recreated the startup screen from the Nintendo Entertainment System game “The Legend Of Zelda.”

Chalk crushed into a powder then mixed with water becomes the pain used my many artists at Via Colori. Some mainly used the chalk in its original form while others used it as paint.

Viewers stroll along Main Street during the Lumineria. Via Colori ended with glow-in-the –dark activities Saturday night.

Debi Fields is a returning artist from last year. There were many new artists along with the returning ones. Fields is working on her piece under the shade of an awning.

: A movie can be the influence of a work of art, such as this drawing titled “Paradise Falls” drawn by Stacey Irene. Irene said the drawing was from movie “Up.”

Cruisin' The Heartland

Classic car and truck owners gathered from all over the state to downtown Elizabethtown, Kentucky on the morning of Saturday, July 28, 2012. Despite the hot weather, spectators came downtown to look at all the multi-colored vintage automobiles and motorcycles. The city of Elizabethtown, Kentucky held its third annual Crusin' The Heartland car cruise.

Vehicles built from the 1920s through the 1990s were parked along Dixie Avenue and Mulberry Street. Spectators could also find things in the parking lots such as a swap meet located in the NAPA parking lot and also next to the old ACE Hardware store parking lot. The City Hall lot became the spot to be if you were hungry. Ice cream vendors and several food stands such as Papa Johns Pizza and Old Kentucky Kettle Corn could be seen with long lines of hungry customers.

Participant turnout is also expected to be higher this year than in the previous two. According to Steven Townsend of Code 3 Images who was in charge of media access for the event, said that about 1,500 participants were expected to show where last year there was around 1,000.

Cars aren't the only part of the event. At There was also a showing of the Steve McQueen classic "Bullitt" inside the Historic State Theatre, and also a live concert featuring Antsy McClain the the Trailer Park Troubadours.

Other events included a shuttle service to the Swope Yesteryear Auto museum and a car cruise on Friday, July 27 on the square in E-town and Jerry's restaurant in Radcliff.

Above, spectators look a 1959 Chevrolet Impala owned by Stanley Lawson of Barbourville, Kentucky. Lawson's Impala featured the original 348 cubic inch V8 engine and four-speed transmission.

Chrome and polished aluminum accessories accent the original 348 cubic inch v8 engine on Lawson's 1959 Impala.

Greg Whelan traveled all the way from Meade County to show his 1978 Ford F-150 Custom. Whealan's truck featured a professionally built 460 cubic inch V8 engine and 42 inch Interco Super Swampers.

Whelan named his F-150 "Blackie II" because he previous owned a truck similar to this that he also named "Blackie."

Hundreds of people showed up for the annual "Crusin' The Heartland" car cruise despite the 95 degree heat.

A view from atop the H.B. Fife Courthouse shows the streets packed with vintage automobiles and hundreds of spectators looking over their favorite classics along Dixie Avenue.

Looking from atop the H.B. Fife Courthouse shows cars and spectators lining the streets almost all the way to the CSX Railway.

Automobiles of all colors could be seen along Dixie Avenue.

Food was also part of the event. Old Kentucky Kettle Corn was one of the vendors in the City Hall parking lot.

Automobiles weren't the only thing being shown. Above is a swap meet that was located next to the old ACE Hardware Store building.

Hanging on the window of Charlotte and Phil Dieckhoff's 1955 Chevrolet is typically what you would have seen at a 1950s drive-in restaurant. Also shown is a speaker that Mrs. Dieckhoff stated came from a former drive-in theatre in Vine Grove, Kentucky.

Last, but most definitely not least is a 1955 Chevrolet four door 210 owned by Charlotte and Phil Dieckhoff. Mrs. Dieckhoff stated that this car is a factory original with only 10,000 miles on it, and with all original trim and paint.

The original paint on Mr. and Mrs. Dieckhoff 1955 Chevrolet shines just like it did the day it rolled off the car lot.



Special thanks for helping make this blog possible are:
Steven Townsend, Code 3 Images
Neal Cardin, The News-Enterprise
Tom Williams, City of Elizabethtown
Hardin County Sheriff's Department

Let Freedom Ring: Stephensburg, Kentucky Fireworks Show

Hamburgers and hot dogs. Watermelon and cantaloupe. Those are the foods that come to mind the most when the words "Fourth of July cookout" are mentioned. Every year millions of people across the U.S. celebrate the birthday of our nation by having their families over for their traditional cookout, or simple get together.

Another part of the tradition for many is to attend the local fireworks shows. In almost every town or city across the nation, pyrotechnics shoot tons of explosives into the air which results in the beautiful red, white, and blue fire in the sky. Stephensburg, Kentucky happens to be one of those towns that carries this tradition annually. Every year hundreds of people come to West Hardin Middle School to see the sky lit up.

This year, for many places, had their fireworks shows either cancelled or postponed due to the record heat and dry weather during the summer months. Hardin County had been placed under a fireworks ban, which meant local residents couldn't shoot any locally purchased because the fire risk was too high.

Despite the triple digit temperatures and dry atmosphere, residents of Hardin County and the surrounding areas were able to see a fireworks show.

Above: Live music provided a start to the annual fireworks event in Stephensburg, Kentucky.

A local band covered songs such as "dreams" by Fleetwood Mac and "old Time Rock and Roll" by Bob Seger.

The Fireworks event take place in the field behind West Hardin Middle School.

Nightlife: While The City Sleeps

There is something so mesmerizing with the way a streetlight throws its light onto the ground, illuminating some things, but yet casts shadows on others. The way the greens, whites, and oranges thrown off of marquee signs and streetlights makes everything so beautiful. I love taking photos at night because I love capturing the light patterns and the colors. Sometimes the world is prettier at night than it is in the day. On Friday, June 15, 2012 I went out and took some photos while the city was asleep and here is what I saw:



Above: Streetlights twinkle over Lincoln Boulevard in Hodgenville, Kentucky as it ascends uphill.



A car sits quietly while life on Lincoln Boulevard has stopped for the evening.



Arby's, Rally's, and McDonalds in Elizabethtown, Kentucky wait for their late evening customers while Dixie Highway lies quietly.



The historic State Theater has its marquee brightly illuminated. This section of highway has been illuminated by the colorful neon lights since 1948.



Traffic moves through the intersection of Ring Road and U.S. Highway 62 on the northeast end of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. This section of highway usually remains busy with traffic through the night hours.



Stadium lights shine brightly over the tennis courts on University Drive in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. The courts are illuminated until 11:30 p.m. nightly.



The neon window sign at Duplicator Sales and Service cast its red haze onto everything that lies close to it.

Several of the places shown I had been before and shot photos there, but shooting photos at night is a fun adventure and I could go to the same places over and over. Usually when I do that I find something I missed on my last visit. Just these few photos are just a little sample of what is seen at night. Almost every corner on every street could be the inspiration of a beautiful picture.