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Tag: Photography

Barn with sun peaking from behind
Chris Porter's Personal Blog, Photography

Iron Mountain Barn

May 28, 2022 by Riverbank Products 0 Comments #Barns, #Photography, #Rural Life

History

South Arkansas isn’t exactly known for snowy mountain peaks like the rocky mountains. Nor is it known for the foggy mountain breakdown bluegrass music you’d find in the hills of Tennessee. Arkansas does have some beautifully mountain ranges in the Ozarks of north Arkansas. The Piney hills of the Ouachita’s that run through west central Arkansas are beautiful in their own way. But, here in south Arkansas, a few very gently rolling hills is about the closest thing you’ll find to a mountain. I think the highest elevation in Union County is about 150ft above sea level. What we do have is an Iron Mountain Road and there sits a beautiful old barn that I had to photograph. But is it really old?

Although I’m not exactly sure, where it gets its name from, Iron Mountain road runs south from US 167 just south of El Dorado and after it enters Louisiana, it runs into LA15 at a small community called Mount Union. Ironically, not exactly any mountains there either. I think this route is a very old route that was used to connect north Louisana and South Arkansas in the 1800s and maybe earlier. But if I were guessing, and this is only a guess, I think the name Iron Mountain may have something to do with the Iron Mountain Rail Road company that once operated a railroad through Arkansas and I think had some saw mills in Louisiana. I could be completely wrong about this, but thats the best guess I’ve got.

As I said, Iron Mountain Rd is a main travel way between North Louisiana and South Arkansas. It just so happens that a lot of my work is in North Louisiana so I travel Iron Mountain Rd quite often. It was on one of these work trips that I noticed the most gorgeous barn in the setting sun. Having traveled this road quite often I wondered “Why have I not noticed this barn before?”

Turns out, It’s new

As you drive past, you’d swear this barn has been siting here for ages, but its actually new. Well, sort of new. The barn I first noticed looked like it was in disrepair. Actually, it was being built. As I passed by over the next several days, the barn was coming together nicely but all of the materials were old and original looking.

Barn with sun setting behind
Philys Davis’ Grandfather’s barn. Built in the 1950s. Moved to its current location in 2022.

I never saw anyone working there when I passed and I was unsure of who the owners were so I never stopped to ask. I’ve just admired the old barn when I’ve passed it. But just the other evening I passed by right at sunset and as spring rains have brought new growth to last year’s hay fields that surround the barn, the sun was glowing on the tops of the tall grasses an hitting the sides of the barn. I had to find out more about the barn and get some photos.

I could have just taken some photos from the public highway, but I knew to photograph this barn properly, I would really need to get closer.

Trespassing is a serious thing though. I wouldn’t want some stranger wondering around my property and neither would most people. So I had to find the owners. Plus, I’m always looking for cool places to take clients so I would love to be able to take some other pictures there in the future.

Luckily, my good friend Rachel Thurmon lives close by so I asked if she knew and sure enough she knew the owners. Ricky and Phylis Davis. Rachel gave me Ricky’s number.

After talking with Phylis, she gave me the rundown on the barn. Turns out, the original barn belonged to her grandfather and was built in the 1950s on a separate location. The property the barn was originally built on had been inherited by a cousin who wanted to remove the barn from the property to use the space for other uses. Phylis had so many fond memories of her grandfathers barn that she just couldn’t bare to see it torn down. It had to be moved.

Phylis and her husband worked with a local contractor who took the building down piece by piece and moved it to its new location. Ricky said he was initially a little apprehensive about it, but It turned into a fun “little” project. Hopefully, with a new foundation under it, the Iron Mountain Barn will have a long life and see many more sunsets for years to come in its new location.

The Barn

All of this may be more than you really wanted to know about the barn’s history or the history of Iron Mountain rd. So, If you just came for the pictures. Here you go. Enjoy.

To view other photos or to purchase, visit our gallery page.

Smokey and The Bandit Run
Photography

The Bandit Run 2022

May 23, 2022 by Riverbank Products 0 Comments #Arkansas, #Photography, #Pontiac, #Smokey and The Bandit, #The Bandit Run, #Trans Am, #US Hwy 82

Around noon today, I got a call from my brother saying “Hey, Smokey and The Bandit left Texarkana this morning headed down Hwy 82. They just came through Magnolia and are in Village, Arkansas headed your way”. I dropped everything. I left my lunch, grabbed a camera and jumped in the truck like Buford T. Justice on a hot tip hoping to finally catch the notorious Smokey and the Bandit.

Luckily, I’m fairly close to Hwy 82 in El Dorado, Arkansas so I headed to an overpass that usually has very little traffic. I got there just in time to see the lead car in “The Bandit Run” coming my way.

Firebird Pontiac Trans Am
Pontiac Trans Am part of The Bandit Run along US Hwy 82 in El Dorado, Arkansas

According to the events website, The Bandit Run is an event put on by a company called Restore A Muscle Car.

“The Bandit Run is a yearly event started by Dave Hall of Restore a Muscle Car and David Hershey in 2007. The first year was a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the movie Smokey and the Bandit. The 2007 run re-enacted the drive from Texarkana to Atlanta.

The mission of the Bandit Run is to get classic cars out of the garage and onto the road.”

It was pretty cool to see coming down the highway. If you were a part of the group if if you just missed it, you can view or purchase images from the run as they passed through El Dorado, Arkansas by visiting our photo gallery.

Union Pacific 4014 Big Boy Steam Engine
Chris Porter's Personal Blog, Photography

Union Pacific 4014 Big Boy Steam Engine

Aug 26, 2021 by Riverbank Products 0 Comments #Arkansas, #Outdoor Photography, #Photography, #Train

Yesterday, I played Leap Frog with the Union Pacific 4014 train from Atlanta, TX to Prescott, AR.  It was a huge train and a huge turnout of people at every crossing.  I get it Its a really cool train and who doesn’t love trains. I loved hearing the whistle blow and seeing it pulling into towns. A part of me wishes we could go back to the time when this happed every day instead of a special occasion. There really was something magical about it that transported you back in time. As people poured out, I could almost see business men or farmers coming to the depot to head out or ship their products and women coming out in their best dress to meet a sailor coming back from the war.

Challenges of Getting Photos

However for me, that’s not what this occasion was about. I was there to get some really cool steam engine photos and no one was dressed the part to be in them. So, it turned into quite a challenge just to find places to photograph it without people crowded around.  There were so many people on the tracks at each stop and at every road crossing.  Almost saw one photographer get smoked by a log truck.  I’m pretty sure dude never even looked as he ran across the road  in the middle of a bridge in front of a log truck to get a photo as the train ran by underneath.  I’ve done some quasi crazy stuff to get a shot before too, but I hope he got the shot because I missed mine looking out for him.  

With so many people on the tracks. I didn’t even bother with Texarkana. I skipped ahead,  but due to a problem on the track, the train got held up in Texarkana for several hours.  I had already moved closer to Falk, AR and had picked out a great spot.  By the time the track was repaired, the sun had moved and my location was no longer photo worthy.  So, I scouted out another spot further down the track.  

Thankfully I met a landowner who allowed me to come onto his private property to shoot from a soybean field.  It was only he and a couple of what I assumed to be family members there at the time and I thought I’d found my spot with no one else around.  I knew the train was getting close but I got setup and realized that my truck was in the shot.  So I ran back and moved my truck.  A couple more cars with people were pulling up at this point but I quickly made my way back toward my spot.  I could hear the train coming as I ran through the muddy field toward my spot and then looked back to see three yayhoos who had just arrived walking to where my truck had been parked previously.   At this point, I had less than 30 seconds to get a shot as the train approached and no time to move or readjust.  Thankfully, I was able to photoshop them out, but I hate having to do that.  

So what did we learn

  1. I’m a professional social distancer.  People can be so inconsiderate of other people.  I’ve been social distancing since before it was cool but this is why.
  2. It doesn’t matter if you are a hobby photographer or a professional,  Always be aware of your surrounding when taking photos.  It’s easy to get so focused on getting the shot or watching a scene through your camera that you forget what’s around you.  
  3. On top of thousands of dollars worth of camera gear and thousands of hours learning how to use it prior to this, I spent a whole day, a tank of gas, a few hundred miles to get really just four of what I consider Print worthy photos of the train.  So the next time you wonder why photographers charge so much or are protective over a picture, this is why.  

If you’d like to order a photo from the gallery below, Click Here

Barrel Racer Running out
Woman Shooting Shotgun
Events, Photography

July 2021 Helice Shoot at Cottonland Gun Club

Jul 11, 2021 by Riverbank Products 0 Comments #Helice, #Photography, #Shooting Sports

The July Helice shoot at Cottonland Gun Club was held this weekend. I didn’t shoot in the competition, but hung out yesterday and shot a few photos of the event. The weather worked out great for what could have been a very hot day. Scattered storms rolled through the area and kept things cool yet the only rain occurred right during the lunch hour. Fantastic shoot.

Below are a few photos from the event. Click here to view all event photos.