A Photo for Friday

"A Walk in Portland"

A Walk in Portland

“A Walk in Portland”

November 12, 2021

Portland, OR

FILED UNDER: Photo for Friday, Photography,
Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter

Comments

  1. Michael Reynolds says:

    So, that would be one of the brighter, sunnier days in Portland?

    3
  2. de stijl says:

    I love autumn.

    Sweet use of focus btw.

    (I’ve pitched this before but whatever: Portland by The Replacements. Pretty good song.)

    1
  3. OzarkHillbilly says:

    I like this, especially the “gray” of it. The framing is good but I wish you had been able to catch the pedestrian with some separation between him and the vehicles parked.

    2
  4. Mikey says:

    Wait, I was told Portland was a flaming trash heap thanks to BLM and Antifa.

    5
  5. MarkedMan says:

    Makes me want to be there….

    2
  6. CSK says:

    Another lone silhoutted figure shot from the rear on a city street and I’m going to start detecting a pattern…

    1
  7. Michael Reynolds says:

    @CSK:
    Obviously Steven’s a stalker, but then we all knew that.

    1
  8. Michael Reynolds says:

    @de stijl:
    Do you? The wife and I are both so sun-sensitive that we start having feelings of impending doom in late July when it becomes clear the days are growing shorter. In late January the opposite begins: Hey, did you notice, the sun’s still up? Yay!

    We should have been Aztecs. Very into the sun.

    1
  9. @Michael Reynolds: Indeed.

    @de stijl: I have been meaning to check it out.

    @OzarkHillbilly: Yeah–the cars kind of screw up the shot, to my frustration.

    @Mikey: This was taken right in the middle of where most of the protests took place. I saw some evidence of them, but not much (although a week later there was some protests post-Rittenhouse verdict).

    @CSK: @Michael Reynolds: I take what the universe provides 😉

    3
  10. de stijl says:

    @Michael Reynolds:

    Fall is by far the best time of the year.

    I cannot tell you why. It just is unquestionably. The look, the smell, the feel, the zeitgeist. The death of summer.

    I goddamn love it.

    I can easily wear the clothes and footwear I prefer to be seen in.

    2
  11. Flat Earth Luddite says:

    One again you’ve nailed it. You took the shot you had, and by golly, it works! Well done.

    1
  12. CSK says:

    @Steven L. Taylor:
    As do all artistes.

    2
  13. de stijl says:

    Portland is not a great song. It is pretty damn good, though. Shuffly. Knock around. Worth a listen.

    It captures a mood. Good to great lyrics.

    Same basic beat and structure is Swinging Party – an undoubtedly great song.

    Summer of 85 in a shitty studio apartment in a sketchy neighborhood. Best I could afford then. I had a roof, could feed myself, and occasionally had beer money. It could have sucked a lot worse. I was semi-lucky. The Replacements got me through that shitty summer. Here Comes A Regular. Kiss Me On The Bus. Skyway. Talking Heads too.

    Be grateful for what you have.

  14. Just nutha ignint cracker says:

    @Mikey: It’s not still a flaming trash heap (at least no more than usual), but I do have to admit that my MAX (light rail) trip to the medical clinic through 5 blocks of torched buildings with the plywood still covering the windows is still a little unnerving.

    1
  15. Gustopher says:

    @de stijl: Traditionally, Seattle has two seasons: spring and fall. Both are pretty excellent.

    Lately we have had fire season as well (not beloved) and this year we had 108 degree heat season for a few days (also not beloved).

    The Pacific NW might be your thing if you love fall. We’re in month 3 of it, with no signs it’s going anywhere until spring.

    Sometimes there’s a week of winter, just to fuck things up.

    2
  16. de stijl says:

    @Gustopher:

    Another good to great city name song from up in your neck of the woods – Olympia, WA by Rancid.

    The funny thing is that is about NYC.

    The boys are trying to get back to Olympia but keep getting distracted.

    One thing I did not include in my list of why fall is great is the angle of the sun and what that does to the quality of the light even mid day. I love the golden glow.

    Coastal PNW doesn’t get a lot of sun this time of the year, but when it does happen I imagine it is glorious.

  17. Ken_L says:

    @Mikey: They Built It Back Better.