The Arcades

The arcades, I felt, were really rather sad. They've lost the classy hustle and bustle they must have had back when they were first built, and all that's left now is a sort of generalized nostalgia. I tried to show this in my photographs by capturing the empty feeling of them with long parallel lines, signs, and boutique windows full of knick knacks. It's very difficult, I discovered, to shoot through glass without getting any reflection or blur, but by turning down the shutter speed and propping the camera up on something stable I got at least one boutique window through-shot to come out.

Here's a shot with a "route 66" and a "coca cola" sign, as well as an Indian and a Chinese restaurant, which shows how generalized-touristy the arcades have become:


Here's a very empty shot with good light:



In this one you can see where the old, curved arch was that must have supported the old wrought iron windows. A higher, plainer, triangular skylight pattern has been substituted since:


And here's an Arcade by night: