DocsPix

2011-11-27T15:32:00.001-08:00

I want to extend my thanks to the Peter, Andy and Katie at the Boomerang for this morning's article. I've already started to receive stories, and they will be archived and included in the final presentation. I will have a number of the images that I've already posted here, and a few new images next Saturday, December 3rd, during the Holiday Festival at the Laramie Plains Civic Center, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Also a reminder, if you have any stories you'd like to share, please email them to me at: lpccstories@docspix.com.

Theatre Murals

2011-11-21T01:39:00.001-08:00

One of the treasures of the Civic Center are the murals that hang in the theatre. Created by Florence Ellen Ware, (1891-1971), these murals were added in 1929. according to the LPCC web site, these paintings tell the story of the western world, specifically of Laramie and the surrounding area. The first is titled "The Explorers", which has depictions of Ferdinand and Isabella, (the Monarchs who ruled Spain), notable explorers including Lewis and Clark, their guide Sacagawea; Jim Bridger, and Jacques LaRamie. The second, (titled "Pioneers"), is set near Chimney Rock, with depictions of prospectors panning for gold, and settlers who traveled the Oregon trail. The third mural, (in the upper balcony); depicts a stagecoach and a Pony Express rider which where the predecessors to the Union Pacific Railroad. The fourth mural, tilted "Cowboys", (also upstairs), shows a group of of Native Americans, and cowboys on the plains near Laramie. There is also a pair of murals that are underneath the balcony; the first is titled "Homemakers", and depicts a mother and child around a log cabin home. The second, (titled 1878 -1930), celebrates the original schoolhouse, and the achievements of the era; being the locomotive, steamship, motor vehicle, and the airplane. Explorers:

Pioneers:

Union Pacific:

Cowboys:

Homemakers:

1878-1930:

The four larger murals:

More information about the murals can be found on the Civic Center website: http://www.laramieplainsciviccenter.org/TheatreMurals.aspx

Music Room

2011-11-15T19:01:00.001-08:00

I made a return to the fourth floor of the building recently, it's a single room at the center and top of the north side of the building. As mentioned in a previous post, this was last used as a music room. It now sits mostly empty and gutted, with the only indication of its last use being a set of decals on a closet door. There are a few items of interest, such as a ladder, a pile of sandstones, a concrete riser, and the wooden closet door. Even with the absence of a ceiling, lighting, and a couple of window panes, this is one of the more interesting rooms in the building. Be sure to click on the images for a better view!In the corner of the room:

Riser, and closet door:

The door, detailed images of the decals follow:

National Baton Twirling Association:

Selmer Band Instruments:

Selmer Woodwinds:

King Instruments:

The north wall of the music room:

Update on the LPCC project

2011-10-31T20:22:00.000-07:00

I've got a new email address for anyone who wants to share a story, or assist with my research:
lpccstories@docspix.com
Also, be sure to click on the images below for a better view!

The roof over the south end of the building

2011-10-31T19:45:00.001-07:00

I've been on the roof of the LPCC numerous times over the last ten years, and have always been amazed at the things that the most people will never see - the architecture, the facades, the view. The following nine images are just a sample.
The south-east corner of the building:

Sandstone, Brick and Bird Deterrent:

More of the south-east corner of the building:

From everything I've been able to find in my research, this is probably the original south entrance facade from 1878:

A close look at the craftsmanship of the rosette and arches that are typical of late 19-century architecture:

A closer look at the covered rosette:

Part of the 1878 building. I tried to enhance the date(?) below the name, and although it looks like 1920, the first major renovation wasn't started until 1926. The building in the background is what used to be the music room.

Another view of the 1878 facade:

This door closed on me because of the wind. I had never seen this side of the door until the day I shot this - I've been on the roof countless times before over the last ten years. I generally find something new here every time.

More of the pool room

2011-10-31T19:09:00.001-07:00

I have spent a total of 20 hours, (so far), in the pool room these last couple weeks, and have been astounded by the number of things I've found. I've been told that the pool was built and never used because the drain was below the existing sewer grade at the time, (circa 1926). A number of items pretty much confirm this story to be true; there are several splinters embedded in the walls where the forms were placed to pour the concrete into. There are several drains around the perimeter of the pool; the walls are all stained from (presumably), back-flow from the storm sewer. In the first image below, there is a large pile of debris; this has a combination of twigs, roofing material, and glass from the skylight above.
I will be posting more of the pool in the future, including close-up detail images of the artworks,(graffiti) contained in the room. Along with more information and details of the various debris found here.

A view looking towards the deep end:

Elmers Glue-All and skylight pieces:

In the upper left corner is one of the splinters. The toy cocker-spaniel was probably thrown in here before the skylights were sealed.

Splinter Detail:

Another splinter:

More Elmers Glue-All:

The item in the foreground is a piece of glass from one of the skylights:

A Shim, A Drain and a Pipe:

Detail of this drain:

Bleeding Wall:

My Heroine:

Pool and basement

2011-10-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

I spent some quality time making images of and for this project these last few days. There are some parts of the building which do not have any lights, and have very little in the way of ambient sunlight. Although, I generally try to work with natural and existing lighting, I found that I had to add my own for the pool room. I have been told that the pool was never used because of potential drainage problems, (the pool drain was lower than the sewer). It nonetheless looks like it was a favorite location for graffiti artists. I will be posting more detailed images of the various paintings that are on the walls of this room - both in and out of the pool.
Be advised: If you are easily offended by certain words, you may want to skip the next ten images.

Sink in basement:

A room with a view:

A view of the pool looking north:

Pyro/Laugh Always:

Ice cold:

The edge of the pool:

The original 1878 foundation is visible in this room.

It appears that there may have been a door on the east side of the original building:

I have my doubts about the statement on the pool wall:

A slightly better view of the north wall, (deepest end) of the pool:

The Laramie Plains Civic Center project

2011-10-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

I've recently embarked upon a project that I've wanted to do for some time now; the Laramie Plains Civic Center, located at 710 Garfield Street. For the uninitiated, this building is a labyrinth all unto itself. Originally built in 1878, it was the first school building in the state of Wyoming, and was known as the East Side School. It had two major additions; one in 1928-29; the second was a part of the WPA, (Works Projects Administration) in 1938-39. The building served as the senior high school for the city of Laramie until a new high school was opened in 1959. It then served as the junior high school until the mid-seventies. It was added the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. Over the course of the last few years, the building has been undergoing an extensive restoration and renovation project.
This project is intended to provide a comprehensive documentary of the current state, and current uses of the building, as well as document the renovation as it proceeds.
I've been fortunate enough to have been granted access to the areas of the building that have been,(and continue to be) unavailable to the public for a number of years. I want to extend a heartfelt "Thank you" to Alec, Rebecca, David, Harold and the rest of the staff at LPCC for all of their assistance with this project.
-Doc

For more information on the LPCC: http://laramieplainsciviccenter.org

If anyone has a story or two to share about LPCC when it was still in use as a school, (LJHS or LHS), or even an interesting ghost story - Halloween is just around the corner! - please email them to lpccstories@docspix.com I'll include them in the final presentation/exhibition. And, no. I don't have a date yet. I'm not certain exactly how long this project is going to take; I'm expecting six to twelve months.

Below are some of the early images from this project.

The cornerstone at the north entrance, (street view):

The date on the cornerstone:

Note: I will be looking for the original cornerstone from 1878, if it still exists.
This building holds significant historical value:

The south entrance was added on to in 1938-39:

Theatre:

Stage Right:

2011-10-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

3rd Floor Hallway : Wrigley Spearmint wrapper

Sinks in the Hall:

3rd Floor Girls Restroom:

3rd Floor Drinking Fountain:

One of the access points for the roof:

This used to be the music room, (4th floor):

The river project will continue...

2011-06-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

Update:
I've completed this project as of July 4th, 2011. I plan on making more images throughout the fall, winter and spring. If next year, the river floods again, I'll do a follow up. Until then, this one belongs to the world of electrons.
-Doc

I'm making progress on processing new images, and have decided on a format for the images to be published. In the six images that follow, there is a four-line text that indicates location, date, time of day, and a NOAA gauge reading for the time listed. All locations within the city limits of Laramie, (including the Monolith Ranch), are referenced against the Curtis Street gauge. All locations north of the city are referenced against the gauge near Bosler. Locations south of Woods Landing are not referenced against any existing gauges.

Starting with the headwaters at Chambers Lake, on May 22:

Then again on June 4th:

This project has given me an excuse to explore more of the Greenbelt. This was one of the more pleasant surprises; (May 29th).

I didn't return here until June 5th, and found that my original setting was under water. I ended up moving back to the pathway and setting up there.

The end of Spruce Street in the West Side neighborhood is another location, (May 20th):

A follow-up visit on June 3rd:

Stay tuned to this blog for more images and updates on the web site.

Update to the Update...

2011-06-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

I realized almost immediately after posting the Monet-inspired sky image that I had failed to provide a reasonable comparison image to pair it up with. This image below was made on May 20th; and is the baseline image for this location.

River Rising Update

2011-06-17T22:03:00.000-07:00

The Big Laramie River crested for the first time on June 10 at 6:30 in the morning, when it reached its high mark of 5.43', (at Curtis St). NOAA is predicting another, possibly higher crest in the coming weeks. This new image is from near the junction of Wyoming Highway 34 and US 30/287 south of Bosler. NOAA is predicting at least a 7' crest here next week. This location is going to be far more telling as far as run-off is concerned; both the Big and the Little Laramie Rivers flow through here.

This image is from tonight at around 8:45.

Boomerang Article & Photo this morning.

2011-06-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

As everyone who read this morning's Boomerang knows, I was on-scene for the activity after the Wyoming Highway Patrol's high-speed chase of the (alleged) drunk driver on Sunday morning that ended at the corner of Third and Curtis. Besides the one that was published this morning, here are three other images of the chase's conclusion.

Garfield Street Bridge

2011-05-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

The early evening of May 20th:

The morning of May 29th:

For more information about the rivers rise, be sure to consult the NOAA website:
http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=cys&gage=llrw4
The reporting station listed here is at the Curtis Street Bridge location. As of this writing, they are predicting flood stage (5') by June 4th. You'll probably have to copy and paste the URL above into your browser.

The difference a week makes

2011-05-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

A UPRR bridge on Howell Road, (County Road 51).
The top one here was made on May 20th:

This was on May 27th:

I made a minor edit/airbrush to these images; removing the expletive from the bridge.

New Project : River Rising

2011-05-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

With the snowpack in the high country at near record levels, (some areas as much as 200%), the possibility of the Big Laramie River flooding is considerably higher than usual. I'm going to be documenting this from a number of locations along the rivers edge; starting from the head waters at Chambers Lake and following it through it's journey through the county as far north as Bosler. I will be posting low-resolution images here in the coming weeks.

The valley south of Jelm:

Near Cottonwood Estates:

Curtis Street, looking south:

I'll be "rephotographing" some 20 locations frequently over the coming weeks, as much as three times a week. If anyone knows of a location that might benefit from this, please let me know: info@docspix.com

Same Project, New Name

2011-05-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

The "No Longer Populated" project has been re-named to "Make No Roads". The title is based on a speech by Chief Red Cloud of the Lakota Sioux made in 1870. I'm continuing to work on this project, and have plans to complete it by late August. I have a PDF available for those interested, and it can be requested by emailing me at info@docspix.com The PDF has more details and images than previously published, including the famous Dale Creek Bridge as it was in 1868, 1876, 1890 & today.
Here are five new images from this project:

The Bosler Motel:

The Bosler Library:

The town of Wyoming:

One of many granite cuts near Tie Siding:

The turntable foundation at Sherman:

2011-03-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the No Longer Populated series; the house here is located on the edge of Albany county, near Como Bluffs. The two bridge images are of the now-abandoned bridge over the Little Laramie River near Milbrook. Both of these towns no longer exist, and the railroad tracks that once made both places possible have either been relocated, or removed altogether.

More information about No Longer Populated.

2011-03-07T07:37:00.000-08:00

This image is one of a number of maps that I'm working from for the No longer Populated project; it's dated 1911 and was produced by the Rand, McNally & Company. The towns, trainstops, and waterstops that I'm looking for are currently all in Albany County, I've included the portion of the map that includes Cheyenne as a reference point - given that there are no highways. The places I'm looking to photograph are, (in no particular order):
Sherman
Dale Creek, (the bridge, specifically the remains of)
Milbrook
Wyoming, (both incarnations - the 1860's version,(listed on this map as "Two Rivers"), and the 1900's version)
Bosler
Rock Creek
Albany
Fox Park, and Fox Park Station
Howell
Colores
Lookout
Filmore
Hatton
I do realize that most, if not all of these places may simply have a foundation or two that are left; or holes in the ground where something once was; and some may actually have buildings. Or in the case of the bridges; the abutments may be all that remain.

I do have permission from a number of people and property owners but am still seeking permission from landowners who own property where these places are. If you know anyone who fits this description, or have additional history that can be added to this project; please contact me either through the blog comments, or via email: info@docspix.com

Seeking Landowners...

2011-02-28T18:31:00.000-08:00

A little more about the "No Longer Populated" project, as I mentioned in my previous post, I'm looking for towns and rail stops that are only a distant memory - even if the only memory of these places is literally a speck on an old map - these places once existed. People occupied these areas; there was conversation about the latest goings-on across the county, state, and country. Mine is a simple quest to capture what remains.

This is a view of the Laramie, Hahns Peak and Pacific Railway rail bed as seen from Herrick Lane.
I ask at this point, if anyone reading this is either a landowner, or knows a landowner where a railway stop once was, please contact me at info@docspix.com.
Thank you in advance!

New Project

2011-02-22T11:37:00.000-08:00

I’m currently working on a project titled “No Longer Populated”. I’m drawing a parallel to how the landscape changed during the nineteen-sixties when the Interstate highway system replaced many of the existing rural highways; for example, the Lincoln Highway, and the most famous of all, Route 66. The parallel I’m working on, however, is to go back an additional thirty to sixty years. With the advent of the electric-diesel engines that came about in the late nineteen-twenties and early nineteen-thirties, many towns and train stops became obsolete, and were abandoned. This project is primarily focused on Albany county, Wyoming; but may expand to adjoining counties and states.
The image here is of the famous Ames Monument, near the abandoned town of Sherman.

Fenceline

2011-02-15T19:55:00.000-08:00

Driving home the other night...

Just another day at home.

2011-01-27T19:56:00.000-08:00

As anyone who has traveled across the state of Wyoming knows, there is one commodity that is in tremendous abundance; and not just snow either.

Fall 2010 Portfolio

2010-12-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

In my studies this semester, I have completed a class that was all about color. This is the final portfolio and artists statement that accompanies it:
Color and motion are two of my favorite things to photograph.
Making images in color is easy to explain: we see in color, do we not? Color is so ubiquitous that we take it for granted. The approach I take to capturing color is to simply look – look for unusual colors, and unusual compositions.
Motion is at once; relaxing and exciting, calming and distressing, captivating and distracting. Motion can be used to help lull a teething baby to sleep. Automotive racers make for exciting and gripping action.
Color and motion can cause an emotional reaction; from the most subtle that barely registers a heartbeat to something primal, almost visceral - that makes the heart race.
It is in this context that I am attempting to further explore these two mediums, and present them anew in interesting ways.

2010-12-16T12:39:00.000-08:00

2010-11-08T19:05:00.000-08:00

This past week brought assignments in which a favorite time of day was to be used...

2010-11-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of Halloween...

2010-09-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

Alas, the fall semester has started. It always pays to just look around at places near home to find subjects to make images of. I "found" this just the other day:

The Edgar Lewis bandshell at Washington Park.

2010-07-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

According to the Laramie Boomerang, I've changed my name to "Courtesy Photo", (4JUL2010, pg 5). I used this incident as the basis for a 55-word story that I had to write for one of my classes, in which the first line had to have ten words, the second nine, etc. until the last sentence was a single word. :
He came into to town in excess of 100 mph.
He had all of his sheets to the wind.
He was breaking as many laws as possible.
With many police cars in hot pursuit.
He misjudged the corner by far.
He hit a police car.
He lost all control.
He rolled over.
Broken neck.
Paralyzed.
The last three lines are speculative; I don't know for certain that the truck rolled over, or that the driver broke his neck, or that he's paralyzed.

Laramie River is flooding...

2010-06-16T19:40:00.000-07:00

The Laramie river has been inundated in recent days with an above normal snowmelt causing it to overflow its banks. The Wyoming Territorial Prison is located near the river; and with the river running above flood stage, the water has to go somewhere. I was able to capture this image the day after the water started to recede.

2010-05-31T13:54:00.000-07:00

I've got another series I've been working on titled "Fun with Rope Lights". Similar to the light explorations series, this one uses rope lights as the main subject, with open air as the medium. Also like the previous light explorations series, there is no digital manipulation involved in the final presentation beyond the watermarks. So, with that in mind... Fun with Rope Lights.

2010-05-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

2010-05-25T20:49:00.000-07:00

How many times have we all been stuck at a railway crossing?

2010-05-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

I recently embarked on producing a series for one of my classes titled (simply) Light Explorations. I also wrote a new artists statement to go along with this series of eight new images.

“No matter which photographic technique is used, there is always one thing, and one thing only, that remains: the light. Photo-graphy: The writing of light. The light of photography remains proper to the image. Photographic light is not “realistic” or “natural”. It is not artificial either. Rather, this light is the very imagination of the image, its own thought."
- Jean Baudrillard

Having always had a fascination with light, I wanted to conduct what I call a “Light Exploration”. My intention was to use ordinary lighting that could be found at any retail outlet, be it floodlights with color painted on the surface of the lamp, or rope lights, even bare bulbs whose glass surface was colored. With these items, I would paint with the light, and suggest that the viewer look for patterns in the chaos.

All light is color, as all color is light – just look at what happens to sunlight when it strikes a prism. I would use these various light sources and filter their light through things such as plexi-glass, open-air, glass, and water. Water is my favorite of these choices, as it is the most versatile substance with which to filter through – water can be dynamic, such as what is found in fountains, and waterfalls. Water can be static, in a frozen state. Water can be somewhere in between, such as snow – neither frozen or fluid. The beauty of working with water is that no two images will be exactly the same. – maybe the same location or flow, but always a different pattern.

This exploration relies heavily on symbolism – both in respect to the colors used, and the method of the filtration. Water is used as a metaphor for life, with ebbs and flows, always looking to create it’s own path.

Color has a rich history in symbolism and psychology – with a few specific thoughts here: Red is the color of passion, fire, and power. Yellow is the color of joy, hope, sunshine, and idealism. Blue is the color of peace, calm, harmony, tranquility, and security. Green is the color of Earth, environment, renewal, and spring. White is the color of purity, reverence, and cleanliness. Black is the color of depth, formality, style, and mystery. Orange is the color of balance, energy, vibrancy and warmth. The use of color is to emphasize the conflict between these ideas; to suggest that, for example, if there is passion, (red), the opposite would be tranquility, (blue).

2010-05-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

Dancing on a Grave

2010-04-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

I've always been fascinated by the phrase "Dancing on his/her grave"....

Portrait with flashlights...

2010-03-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

I'm exploring portrait work these days.

Fire & Ice

2010-03-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

There was a strange little icicle situation I stumbled across recently... I threw some lights at it...and...well...this is what I ended up with.

finally... an update!

2010-03-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

This one is called "Wheel of Life in Antiquity"

3547

2010-02-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

Here's the first of many-soon-to-come abstracts. This one is titled simply, 3547.

Shadowplay

2010-02-16T16:29:00.000-08:00

Here's one that was inspired by Paul Strand. I call it Shadowplay.

2010-02-06T17:01:00.000-08:00

Smokers have one of two options.

Dinner with The Lightingtons

2010-02-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

OK... so here we go. All set for "Dinner with The Lightingtons". Looks scrumptious, doesn't it? A nice nutritional meal of light bulbs!

New Semester, New Photo Opportunities

2010-01-30T19:29:00.000-08:00

Well, now. Monday starts the Spring, 2010 semester! I can hardly wait! I will be posting some of the more memorable, and better images from my course work here; some of which may end up finding their way to the web site. One image that will be making it's way there is this one titled "Spare Change".

Artist's Statement

2010-01-25T15:50:00.000-08:00

Artist’s Statement

Photography is a way to capture a moment in time, a chance to see nature at it’s finest.

I started taking pictures and snapshots as a hobby. The more pictures I took, the more I realized that all I had to do was look - look for the unusual, the extraordinary - that can be found in all of nature’s glory. Over the years, I discovered that there are no right or wrong views within the natural world.

I entered a local contest almost by chance, and was fortunate enough to walk away with several winning entries, including a first place winner and additional entries that were chosen for publication.

Since then, I’ve had an almost insatiable desire to learn more about my craft, all the while exploring new and different ideas. I’ve learned to see the world in a different light, to find the chiaroscuro in the landscape, to find patterns in the chaos. I find that the everyday things that make up life, no matter how mundane, can and do provide an influence on my works.

As I mentioned previously, I have had to do nothing more than to look for those things in nature that have always been there; the mountain vista, the lake, the waterfall; all of these with a stunning sky and clouds are just a few of my favorite subjects ~ I have found that these scenes hold the strongest emotional response; not just from myself, but from those who view my work.

I am a voracious reader, with a love for fiction, and non-fiction alike. I find that the writings of a diverse group of wordsmiths and lyricists contribute viewpoints – even in passing – that give me ideas that I can later integrate into my works.

I experience a thrill when I know I’ve captured an image that will never be exactly the same again. This delight is further expressed when I see the reaction of others who find themselves enchanted with my images. This is what I believe photographic art is all about.

Doc Thissen, November 2009

Welcome to my blog

2010-01-25T15:13:00.001-08:00

I've recently learned that most artist's go about doing these things exactly the opposite of how I'm doing this... they start out with a blog, then get a web site. Not me, of course... I already have a web site, (www.docspix.com) and now the blog. I will be posting various items up here from time to time, primarily from my school assignments. A few of which may make there way to the web site.
This image, "Paintbrush Dreams" is one of my favorites, even though it's a super lo-res file here, there is a slightly better one on the web site!
Keep checking back!
-Doc