Topeka Kansas Photographer

I haven’t taken the time to do night shots of just stuff in Topeka since my Washburn U. days. I need to give credit where it is due. I have several  friends on FaceBook, Tom Beardmore, and Megan James-Rogers that contribute to  the “Retro Photos of Topeka” group taken with their IPhones. I believe that Megan was actually the creator of the group.  I then looked up and saw my ole trusty Mamiya C330 sitting on the shelf looking very lonely from lack of use. I thought to myself “Wouldn’t it be fun to put some Ilford HP5+ film in it and do some fun night shots of Topeka for this blog”!

The more I get back into film the more I realize I really love working with film. I like the process of loading it, hearing the mechanics of the camera working and most importantly the results! B&W film, I find, has a much larger tonal range than digital. I get the most of both worlds though by taking the images on film then having them scanned into digital format for a little Photoshop “tweeking”.

I would like to thank Phil at Zercher’s here in Topeka for hand developing the film and scanning it. Not many people know that there is now only one place to get actual B&W film processed and scanned here in Topeka and that is at Zercher’s. Yes I know that I can process the film myself (I actually love doing that) and even scan it myself but my paying clients I don’t think want me processing and scanning film instead of working on their images! So I let Zercher’s do the processing part, very reasonably priced I might add!

Cafe Holiday located at 12th & Taylor (just two blocks south of Topeka High on Taylor) is in the historic Devon Building.  Deb Barajas works hard to make Cafe Holiday a warm friendly corner cafe. For many years Deb was a key worker in the annual Mexican Fiesta. Each day she has a daily mexican special in addition to her regular menu. My favorite is her taco salad. When you order her tacos the shells are very crisp but not brittle. The tortilla chips are home made daily.

Our photography studio Harrington’s is also located in the same building as Deb’s cafe so we get to eat in her cafe frequently. She is very gracious to let us display our photographs in her cafe. Next time you are in the neighborhood stop in at the Cafe Holiday, eat lunch, and take a look at our photographs while you’re there!

I try to walk through Gage Park here in Topeka as often as possible. I have a little walking route that amounts to about 2.5 miles. Gage Park is probably the most used park here in Topeka. On the first warm day I am assured that there will be numerous people enjoying a picnic in the park. (Believe it or not this spring weather is only about ~60 days away!)

I certainly won’t miss near zero days but if you dress appropriately thirty degree days are certainly able to be enjoyed walking in the Park. I have actually come to look forward to walking through Gage on these winter days. The solitude is very enjoyable! This is the same solitude and quietness that I experience when we photograph rural families in my role as a portrait photographer. I always comment to the people that I am photographing on how lucky they are to be able to experience peace and quiet just outside their back doors! We can get that same feeling though right here in the middle of Topeka in the middle of winter!

Each spring when all of the people return to Gage Park and I have to dodge cars again on my walks I long for peaceful winter walks though the Park!

Let’s Help of Topeka is a great Topeka organization serving the underprivileged. Let’s Help provides meals during the week. They also have a clothing bank. Each day of the month a organization of Topeka volunteers to cook, prepare, serve and cleanup during lunch. On this particular day was the people of Grace Episcopal Cathedral (8th & Polk) preparing their specialty of “Taco Salad”.

Let’s Help provides some of the food, in particular the meat I believe, but it is up to the organizations to add the “extras”. On this particular day there were 451 meals served.

One of the serendipities of volunteering to help with a job like this is getting to know the person much better that sits in the pew next to you every Sunday morning. You can greet each other for years but a bond doesn’t attach nearly as well as if you work with that person. You learn very quickly what they like and what they don’t. Out of this type of relationship real lasting friendships are formed. What starts out as a desire to help others ends up helping you!

I remember reading somewhere once Dr. Menninger was asked what the first thing someone should do if they felt they were having a coping challenge if I remember correctly his response was “leave your house go across the tracks and help someone else!

It was a beautiful fall afternoon for Topeka High’s 2010 Homecoming parade on Friday Sept. 24th. The parade left the east side of Topeka High and travelled down 10th St. to Kansas Ave. then to 9th St. to Jackson and back to Topeka High. It has been many a year now since this Topeka photographer marched in the parade but it sure brought memories streaming back. Oh those were the days!! The images were captured on Kodak Portra 400 VC 120. The film was processed and scanned by Zercher’s here in Topeka.