Moment of Peace

This post has the last few images from the roll of Kodak TRI-X 400 I shot on the streets of Nashville a few weeks ago. Check out my previous 5 post to see the other images from the roll. Nashville can be a chaotic place and I don’t mean that in a bad way. There is just a lot of things happening. I guess you could say it’s organized chaos. The sounds of revving motors, horns, the clip clop of horses, conversations, laughter, footsteps, and of course music, can be heard everywhere throughout downtown.  The sounds of music could be a recording or live music from a honky tonk or street corner. You will always hear a guitar and singing, but sometimes it could be trumpet, saxophone or a less conventional instrument like a bucket used as a drum. The sounds are endless. Is it possible to find a moment of peace in this environment?

After reviewing these shots, I would say the answer is yes. I would also say the actual peace is in our minds. It’s amazing how much noise we can tune out when we get lost in our thoughts. This noise is constant and thus, it’s easy to filter. All the many different sounds become one. Remember the phone conversations on Charlie Brown? The only sounds you heard coming from the phone was “wah wah wah wah wah.” That’s a good example of how we process noise when we are trying to concentrate on something else. I can’t tell you exactly what these people are thinking in the photos below, but they all appear to be taking a moment from the fast pace environment around them.

The first image is one of my favorites from the entire roll of film. I find this image captivating. From the Christian fish symbol and the sheet music, to the donation hat and the friend watching him play, there is a story of hardship and perseverance. If I had some cash, I would have dropped it in the hat. I grabbed my picture and was on my way. This image looks peaceful even though it was captured on the always bustling 2nd Avenue.

Downtown Nashville, Tennessee – Olympus OM1 / 50mm f1.8 / Kodak TRI-X 400 / The FINDLab

I found this next gentleman near the Schermerhorn Symphony close to the South end of the busy Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge. Judging from his posture and the water bottle in his left hand, he is definitely taking a break or he may be waiting for someone.

Downtown Nashville, Tennessee – Olympus OM1 / 50mm f1.8 / Kodak TRI-X 400 / The FINDLab

The bench in the following photo may be at a bus stop. These two people appear to be in their own little worlds while they read and wait. This shot was taken on Church Street not too far from 4th avenue.

Downtown Nashville, Tennessee – Olympus OM1 / 50mm f1.8 / Kodak TRI-X 400 / The FINDLab

Finally, we all must take time to check our emails, texts, Twitter and Facebook. These days, getting lost in our phones is probably our biggest distraction. Even though this couple is setting across the table from each other, they might as well be on different planets. Even the lady in the background is updating her status. This shot was taken on the Broadway, the main artery leading into downtown. I had to wait for pedestrians to clear before making this shot.

Downtown Nashville, Tennessee – Olympus OM1 / 50mm f1.8 / Kodak TRI-X 400 / The FINDLab

I had a great time working the streets with this roll of film. I really like the results. Every shot was a keeper! I have another roll of TRI-X loaded in my OM1 waiting for my next street adventure which I hope is soon. I hope you have enjoyed the posts from this roll of film. Subscribe to my blog and you won’t miss my next street adventure. Up next, I will be posting some color images from the Natchez Trace Parkway taken on Kodak Portra 400. Thanks for reading!

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