While I was looking for work I had a lot of coffee, lunch, and drinks appointments with people in my industry, as I tried to find opportunity. Even though this exhausts me — I am a pegging-the-meter introvert — I really love catching up with colleagues and getting to know people in my industry whom I hadn’t met yet. My appointments had me driving all over Indianapolis and its north suburbs, and I always brought a camera along. One of those cameras was my Canonet QL17 G-III. Agfa Vista 200 was inside.
I met the VP of Engineering of a well-known local startup one morning near his South Meridian Street office Downtown. This little sliver of Indianapolis’s main street has been isolated from the rest of Meridian Street thanks to resolving an awkward fork with another major street. It has allowed two blocks of charming old houses to remain.
Here’s where northbound Meridian Street ends, with its view of the Indianapolis skyline. The building at the photo’s center is Salesforce Tower, housing the largest employer of software people in Indiana. It was built in 1990 as Bank One Tower.
A little park stands where Meridian Street used to. After you cross through it you reach the Slippery Noodle Inn, Indiana’s oldest bar. This is its south wall.
Here’s a quick look down an alley, toward the old Union Station. A whole bunch of tracks run through Downtown, elevated since before anybody can remember.
Bird and Lime electric scooters litter Downtown’s streets. I rode one once. It was kind of fun, but not worth what it cost.
I strolled looking for interesting scenes to photograph. I forget where this scene is exactly, but it’s within a couple blocks of those scooters.
Same with this festive scene devoid of customers on this chilly, gray morning.
I know exactly where this restaurant is, however: on Meridian Street just north of the tracks. My wife and I come here from time to time, as we like fresh Guinness, Irish whiskey, shepherd’s pie, and fish and chips.
I made a point of walking the few blocks over to St. John the Evangelist Church to photograph this great door. Then I walked back to my car and drove to my next appointment.
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Last updated on 19 March 2020 by Jim Grey
This was a pretty cool tour! Thanks for sharing. I need to carry a camera more during my every day travels. You’ve inspired me!!
In the chillier months here it’s super easy to keep a camera like the Olympus XA or the Olympus Stylus always loaded with film and in a coat pocket, in case there’s time for a quick photo walk anywhere I am!
Jim, my favourite photo from this collection was the church door. thanks for sharing xoxo susanJOY
That’s such an awesome door. Here’s another shot I made of it with another camera and film:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mobilene/41735574871
This post is another example of “exceptional ordinary,” Jim — these places and moments most people drive by without ever noticing. I love the shot especially of the two old houses in the first frame, and the doors at St. John the Evangelist. The latter have an intriguing combination of “welcome” and “stay out,” don’t they?
Thanks so much H! I love to just walk streets and look for interesting compositions. The houses on S. Meridian are wonderful! St. John’s is open most of the time and you can go in and look around — it’s a lovely cathedral.
Thanks for sharing the views of the city. The Vista produces some nice colours, especially in the reds. I remember Vista slide film was a bit on the warm side and some guys here bought it especially for sunrise photos. All gone now. Even Vista is becoming hard to get, and I think I read it’s been discontinued.
Vista is no more, but it was just Fujicolor 200/Superia X-tra 400 rebranded so just buy those films and you’re back in business!