I drive by the Red Wall almost every day. I dream about the Red Wall. I dream about making a picture at the Red Wall. I think about the Red Wall on real slow news days and wonder if a moment is happening at the Red Wall if I’m in a different part of SoCo.
Red Wall, Red Wall.
Do you know where the Red Wall is? It’s near the De Turk Round Barn just off of West Ninth Street in Santa Rosa. It’s huge and I’ve been trying to make a decent picture there for a little over 22 years.
Fellow photographer Christopher Chung says I’m a linear shooter, boss Chad Surmick says I was born to shoot 16:9 format. Maybe I was born to be a cinematographer.
Whatever.
Anyway, this Red Wall is the perfect backdrop for any subject that’s graphic. I’ve waited all these years. through my 20’s, 30’s and through most of my 40’s.
Patience is a virtue.
Finally, a decent picture happened at the Red Wall on Friday. I was there. I shot all of six frames.
Sixth Street Playhouse employee Chris Murphy and volunteer Zach Duvall let the Spring sun dry paint on props destined to be part of the set of Tartuffe, Friday Mar. 19, 2010 in Santa Rosa's West End neighborhood along Donahue Street. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 2010
Alas, I shot a better weather related photo twenty minutes later. The Red Wall never appeared in print.
Playing with friends at a neighbors home, six year-old Zack Cohen of Santa Rosa gets a jump on summer, even though Saturday is the first day of Spring, Friday Mar. 19, 2010. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 2010
It appears here in the ‘virtual’ world.
