Hello from Baton Rouge

[bradartigue]

Hello all, I'm Brad Artigue, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I've been a reader of this forum for years and finally bit the bullet to join in. I shoot 4x5 with a Sinar X, having recently upgraded from a Sinar P and before that an Omega-View and an Ebony field camera. I do a good bit of outdoors work with the monorail.

I've been shooting film and working in the darkroom since the mid 1980's. I finally finished converting a shed in our new house to a darkroom, I formerly had a basement in Atlanta but...no basements in Louisiana, at least not this far south.

I also shoot with a Rollei 6001 for 120 and a reliable old Nikon FM that I've lugged around since high school. I still prefer film to digital.

Just today I shot the last of the Acros 100 film I had in quickloads. It was a moment of reflection I guess, I mean they really stopped making this horribly overpriced but so convenient film...and I finally ran out.

I'll get some pictures uploaded to my website (www.artigue.com) soon, especially of the work I've been doing north of Baton Rouge this month.

Nice to be here.

[msk2193]

Hello Brad.
Welcome aboard.

[Vick Vickery]

Hi, Brad; welcome to group therapy! :)

[Ed Richards]

Welcome! How long have you been in BR?

[rguinter]

Brad: Although I live in NJ, I work for a company that is headquartered in New Orleans. We also have a new state-of-the-art facility in Geismar LA which is not that far from Baton Rouge. I visit these facilities periodically on business trips.

Any suggestions for photo opportunities in Baton Rouge? I've been going down town New Orleans mostly but always looking for other possibilities.

I see you've been here for years so a welcome is probably not necessary. Thanks for checking in.

Bob G.

[ataim]

Welcome

[ataim]

I'm mostly a lurker, but sometimes do have something to say, so WELCOME.

[Ed Richards]

State of the art and Geismar are seldom in the same sentence.:-) Geismar is on the River Road, and that goes most of the way into New Orleans, as well as to Baton Rouge and places north. You have a couple of detours around prisons, but you should get a car and drive up River Road from NO. Lots of shooting, plus you can cross the river on the way back and see more. This shot is just about 3 miles up River Road from Geismar.

http://www.epr-art.com/galleries/b4c-cemeteries/photos/1691.jpg

[rguinter]

Ed: Yes I know what you mean about Geismar. But our state of the art facility is just that... a facility to safely handle bulk chemical storage. And built to the highest engineering standards currently available. I've visited many chemical facilities over the course of my 30+ year career in chemical hygiene and safety... never seen another facility like this one. Brand spanking new.

But the rest of Geismar... may be like you say.

When visiting Geismar I usually come in from NO airport, take airline drive to Route 10, and then 10 most all the way through the swamps. Most of the time I pick a hotel about half way back to the airport and after leaving work at Geismar drive all the way downtown NO and over the bridge to Old Algiers for riverbank photos. I really like Old Algiers.

But my next trip it's time to try Baton Rouge. Any good spots with water in between for night photos? Like this one...

Cheers. Bob G.

But

[tgtaylor]

Hello Brad and welcome to the forum!

Although Acros is no longer available in QL, is is in sheet so do get some film holders.

As a native of New Orleans I'm looking forward to seeing your work from Louisiana.

Happy Holidays,

Thomas

[Ed Richards]

> And built to the highest engineering standards currently available.

Pretty interesting. I assume this is for moving chemicals on and off ships? How many feet of flooding is it designed to handle? Most of the locals are in denial about the flooding issues so we get lots of mess when it floods.

The capital building in BR is not to be missed. Go up to the observation deck for the best view in the region - it is tallest state capital. The interior is art deco/rocco and the exterior is Soviet realist. It Huey Long's prize and no expense was spared. The best bridge shots are from Port Allen, across the river from BR, shooting BR as the sun sets.

[rguinter]

> And built to the highest engineering standards currently available.

Pretty interesting. I assume this is for moving chemicals on and off ships? How many feet of flooding is it designed to handle? Most of the locals are in denial about the flooding issues so we get lots of mess when it floods.

The capital building in BR is not to be missed. Go up to the observation deck for the best view in the region - it is tallest state capital. The interior is art deco/rocco and the exterior is Soviet realist. It Huey Long's prize and no expense was spared. The best bridge shots are from Port Allen, across the river from BR, shooting BR as the sun sets.

Port Allen... OK I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the tip.

My visits are business related and my only hope for photography is after work hours. So sunsets and afterwards are the best I can hope for most of the time.

Don't know the specifics about flood design. Facility was under construction during Katrina. Suffered minimal damage.

Ah yes... Huey Long. Never heard of him until my first trip across the Huey P. Long bridge... now under re-construction but, for me, was always a white-knuckle trip either way. Now I realize he was a rather (prominent) figure in local politics.

Cheers. Bob G.

[Ed Richards]

More than local politics - the major challenger to FDR. He was assassinated in the state capital building. One theory was the FDR had him hit.:-) Avoid his bridge when possible - we do not believe in maintenance in LA. It was not until we got the stimulus money that we even started repainting them.

But I would spend my time looking along River Road, that is where the history is.

[rguinter]

More than local politics - the major challenger to FDR. He was assassinated in the state capital building. One theory was the FDR had him hit.:-) Avoid his bridge when possible - we do not believe in maintenance in LA. It was not until we got the stimulus money that we even started repainting them.

But I would spend my time looking along River Road, that is where the history is.

River road... yes. I think every state, county, city, and town in the country has several.

But I've never seen another like the one along the Mississippi in Louisanna. Several of my company's terminals are on River Rd: St. Rose, Avondale, and Geismar... there may be another that I've forgotten. My aging brain. And then of course my doctors who prescribe pills that cure any possible problems I may have had with deja vu.

C.R.S. you know (i.e., can't remember "stuff"). Cheers.

Bob G.