Downtown…Photo Grid

PETALUMA DOWNTOWN

The “Bovine Photo Grid”

Starting at the Bovine Bakery, walking down Kentucky to East Washington, returning to the Putnam Plaza walkway, strolling Petaluma Blvd between East Washington & Western Avenue, and then down to Water Street and looping back to the McNear Building.  Of course, there were always a few “deviations” during each walk.

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Photo grids have many definitions and applications. My concept of a photo grid was to cover the same territory on a regular basis to see what circumstance and lighting presented as possible subjects during each pass. Photo opportunities on the Bovine Photo Grid varied on each walk.

• The project started on February 1, 2012 and ended on July 15, 2012. During this period I walked the “grid” 37 times and gathered over 1300 photos.
• The walks were mostly in the early to mid morning hours, usually ending at 9:30 or 10:00 am. The one exception to the time period are the photos from the Art & Garden Festival, which were made later in the day.
• The subjects or scenes were selected by lighting or whether something caught my attention.

This of course, led me to discover a few “hidden treasures” during my walks…namely the WPA murals in American Alley and the El Camino Mission Bell in Center Park.

The gallery below does not contain any WPA mural photos or Mission Bell photos. These topics have been covered to a fare thee well at American Alley and on Petaluma Patch Here & Here. Also see Frances Rivetti’s recent column on the WPA murals in the Argus-Courier. If there is a “theme” in the series, it would be daily life and scenes.  I also included a few photos from the recent Art & Garden Festival—one of many events that are held in Petaluma throughout the year.

PLEASE NOTE: The photos generated during this exercise are not a comprehensive photo survey of the area. Think of it instead as an eclectic photo documentary of a brief period in time. At some date in the distant future, the photos generated by this project may be found–on one of the moldy hard drives I leave behind. If they are discovered–and they can be read–I imagine people will be scratching their heads.  Truth to tell, they will most likely just disappear in the dustbin of history, as do most things.

Before turning you over to the gallery below, I would like to thank those who helped in the editing and choice of photos from the main inventory.  Being your own editor is impossible.  While I initially only wanted to select 20 or so photos, I was encouraged to expand the gallery.

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The seventy-nine photos in the gallery were selected at random from project inventory.

Please note that the photos were reduced in resolution and size to fit the confines and space limitations of the site.  

GALLERY

To activate the gallery, click on any image.

You can navigate between photos using the left and right arrow keys, or by clicking or tapping the arrows on the left and right.

Last photo from the last “official” day on the Bovine Photo Grid July 15, 2012 © Frank Simpson

Chalk Art, Western Avenue at the Art & Garden Festival © Frank Simpson

Chalk Art, Western Avenue at the Art & Garden Festival © Frank Simpson

Chalk Art, Western Avenue at the Art & Garden Festival © Frank Simpson

Chalk Art, Western Avenue at the Art & Garden Festival © Frank Simpson

Chalk Art, Western Avenue at the Art & Garden Festival © Frank Simpson

Chalk Art, Western Avenue at the Art & Garden Festival © Frank Simpson

Petaluma Pete at the Art & Garden Festival © Frank Simpson

Petaluma Pete at the Art & Garden Festival © Frank Simpson

Art & Garden Festival Dancing © Frank Simpson

Art & Garden Festival Dancing © Frank Simpson

Art & Garden Festival Dancing © Frank Simpson

Art & Garden Festival Dancing © Frank Simpson

Art & Garden Festival Dancing © Frank Simpson

Art & Garden Festival Music © Frank Simpson

Art & Garden Festival © Frank Simpson

Art & Garden Festival © Frank Simpson

4th on your left. Kentucky on your right! © Frank Simpson

One day I wandered a little off the photo grid and caught this scene at the Petaluma Fire Department © Frank Simpson

Petaluma Blvd…Viewed From Inside © Frank Simpson

Street Musician Kentucky Street © Frank Simpson

“Earthquake Anchor Stars” Decorative washers or anchors to hold earthquake retrofit rods on masonry and brick buildings. © Frank Simpson

“Earthquake Anchor Stars” Decorative washers or anchors to hold earthquake retrofit rods on masonry and brick buildings. © Frank Simpson

The “Pirate” was a fixture for many years in front of the former Jungle Vibes store on Petaluma Blvd. © Frank Simpson

Petaluma Contrails © Frank Simpson

Ford “Woody” on Petaluma Blvd © Frank Simpson

Ford “Woody” on Petaluma Blvd © Frank Simpson

Ford “Woody” on Petaluma Blvd © Frank Simpson

Ford “Woody” on Petaluma Blvd © Frank Simpson

Putnam Plaza © Frank Simpson

Water Street Bistro © Frank Simpson

Apple Box © Frank Simpson

Wheels © Frank Simpson

Segway © Frank Simpson

4th St McNear Bldg © Frank Simpson

Where’s MY morning bun? © Frank Simpson

Putnam Plaza © Frank Simpson

“Morning Ride” © Frank Simpson

American Alley © Frank Simpson

4th St McNear Bldg © Frank Simpson

4th St McNear Bldg © Frank Simpson

Kentucky St © Frank Simpson

Putnam Plaza from a K-9’s perspective © Frank Simpson

Morning Coffee, 4th Street © Frank Simpson

Morning Coffee, Petaluma Blvd © Frank Simpson

Petaluma Blvd © Frank Simpson

The remains of a Golden Gate mural. American Alley at the Western Avenue exit

Western Avenue © Frank Simpson

House Rules © Frank Simpson

Pie & Beer! Putnam Plaza © Frank Simpson

It’s olives…not cherries…for martinis!! © Frank Simpson

Sidewalk in front of Acre Coffee…One carrot © Frank Simpson

Parking lot next to McNear’s. Definitely a sign that someone had a good time. © Frank Simpson

Putnam Plaza © Frank Simpson

Telephone Alley (or is it New Orleans?) © Frank Simpson

“Smartphone Segway” This was an unplanned & unfocused photo.I was merely adjusting the viewfinder when this figure moved into the frame. © Frank Simpson

“If they’re not back in five minutes, I’m driving home!” © Frank Simpson

You see, before laptops, we had typewriters (Acre Coffee, 4th St) © Frank Simpson

Western Avenue © Frank Simpson

Western Avenue © Frank Simpson

Western Avenue © Frank Simpson

Peek-A-Boo! I See You! © Frank Simpson

Pigeon guards. Designed to deter. Located on the top of many buildings downtown. © Frank Simpson

Pedestrian walkway, Putnam Plaza © Frank Simpson

Pedestrian walkway, Putnam Plaza © Frank Simpson

Kentucky Street © Frank Simpson

Smartphones Putnam Plaza © Frank Simpson

Putnam Plaza © Frank Simpson

Street Musician, Pedestrian walkway to Putnam Plaza © Frank Simpson

Street Musician, Pedestrian walkway to Putnam Plaza © Frank Simpson

Putnam Plaza © Frank Simpson

Kentucky Street © Frank Simpson

PTF-26 “Liberty” Maritime Museum. Vietnam War era gunboat visitng Petaluma in July 2012 © Frank Simpson

Kentucky Street © Frank Simpson

Water Street… Shed next to the old Steamer Gold © Frank Simpson

“Yarn Storm–VW Cozy” Kentucky Street © Frank Simpson

“Reflections” © Frank Simpson

Kentucky St. © Frank Simpson

“Soulful Eyes” Water Street Bistro © Frank Simpson