Beyond the Fog
Vanishing Point Expands
When "Vanishing Point" began, fog was my essential collaborator — softening edges, creating depth, and transforming ordinary urban landscapes into dreamlike moments of transition. But as the project has evolved, I've discovered that other atmospheric conditions can evoke the same sense of liminality and transformation that defines this body of work.
The series now embraces dusk, dawn, and rain — each creating their own visual poetry about Atlanta's changing landscape. These expanded conditions maintain the project's core exploration of memory and progress while introducing new conversations between light and architecture.
The Stables Lofts, Castleberry Hill
This 1919 stable-turned-loft building at 313 Walker Street has been on my radar for years. Situated in historic Castleberry Hill, once a warehouse district and now an arts enclave, it represents Atlanta's continuous reinvention.
After multiple attempts, I finally captured its essence last month at dusk, when the street was momentarily unpeopled, its history illuminated by the perfect balance of fading natural light and emerging artificial illumination.
While I typically favor straight-on perspectives that emphasize symmetry and architectural detail, I always explore multiple angles. The 45-degree view offers a different relationship with the building's surroundings and reveals additional layers of the structure's character. Which version will make it into the final book or exhibition? That remains to be seen as each tells its own story about this historic space.
K Wing Express, Glenwood Road
Like many neighborhood fixtures, this small Chinese and Wings spot on Glenwood Road exists in a visual space between noticed and unseen. Located on an unassuming commercial corner in Decatur where I live and frequently photograph, K Wing Express had appeared in my viewfinder many times.
The first decisive moment came a couple of weeks ago during recent storms — wet pavement reflecting fragmented light, darkened skies creating dramatic contrast, and the storefront standing resilient against the elements. last week at dusk, when the restaurant's warm interior light created a beacon against the deepening blue hour. Then, a different mood emerged
These two atmospheric conditions reveal different facets of the same everyday place. The dusk image captures a warm, inviting quality, while the storm version speaks to perseverance and constancy, both essential characteristics of the neighborhood fixtures that "Vanishing Point" celebrates before they transform or disappear.
These images demonstrate how "Vanishing Point" continues to evolve—expanding beyond fog to embrace multiple atmospheric conditions while exploring varied perspectives on the same subjects. The project isn't just about documenting places before they change or disappear; it's about revealing the many moods and facets these ordinary landmarks contain within themselves.
Where It All Began: The Fog Series
The roots of "Vanishing Point" remain in these early morning fog studies that first defined the project and resonated with collectors. These sold pieces established the visual language that continues to guide my exploration—finding beauty in ordinary places through atmospheric transformation.
As the collection develops toward its eventual book form, these deliberate explorations of light, weather, and angle collectively create a more nuanced portrait of Atlanta's urban landscape. Each atmospheric condition—fog, dusk, storm—offers a different emotional lens through which to view and preserve these vanishing points in our shared environment.
Which versions will ultimately make it into the final book or exhibition remains part of the creative journey. For now, I invite you to see these everyday places through these various atmospheric conditions—each revealing something different about places we might otherwise take for granted.Lens & Letters is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.