Photos of Nashville, March 2002

Photographs of Nashville, TN (March 2002)

by Tim Darling (click for email) (See more photo projects)

Nashville is crowded with kids and music on Saturday night. Music blasts from loud souped up cars and from boomboxes hanging out of windows up and down Broadway and 2nd Ave along the river. But the best is certainly the live music- icy blues guitars, country and Elvis vocals, jazz bass, and the American rock and roll backbeat all pressure cook and, well, rock.

My first impression of the city when I walked out of my hotel at 11 on a Saturday night was unexciting. I walked past a few bars and restaurants on 2nd Ave and, while being thankful for the walk after a ten hour drive, there wasn't much that got my attention. Nashville is a very young city. The streets and sidewalks were packed with herds of young men and women (who it seems, rarely go out in groups together). Kids were yelling out of cars to their friends on the sidewalks as they crept by, revving loud engines. It was a scene out of American Graffiti. When I swung my camera around, someone would always say something to me - it's a friendly city, for sure: "trying to catch a rare moment?" one guy asked and a girl offered: "I'll flash you my boobs" before she was swept away by her crowd of friends.

I turned down Broadway and there were at least five bars in a row all playing some of the best live music I've ever heard. It was rock and roll á la Elvis, á la country, á la Nashville. Every bar was packed and everyone was dancing: girls in sparkly jeans and guys in cowboy hats. The bands played half country (a lot of Johnny Cash tunes) and half Rolling Stones/ Eagles/ Black Crowes-style rock and roll. One band invited me up on stage with them and I think I got my best pictures from the night from there- shots from right behind the violin and bass player. They were all really talented musicians. I'm going back for sure, though maybe next time I'll leave my camera behind and just enjoy the music. But I'll definitely take my Stetson.

Photography notes: Almost all these photos were taken with Fuji Provia 100F. The photograph at the top was a complete accident. I had just put in a new roll of Provia but my camera was still set to ISO 40 (I used to shoot Velvia at 40 sometimes which I no longer do, mostly because of mix-ups like this one) and I had forgot to turn my flash on! So it was vastly overexposed but I think it works. It was the only picture I took without a flash and the only one that really captured the light and motion of the place. The other pictures were taken with an SB-28 held away from the camera, bounced off the ceiling, and softened with a Stofen diffuser. A full flash was definitely needed for most of the pictures, but next time I'll try a few without a flash (maybe with faster film?) or with the flash pointed further away to reduce its effect.

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Your Comments

I was just looking for my brother and came across your name. His name is Tim Darling and he lives in Nashville and works for the Nashville Predators. You should look him up. Sister Kelly

-- kelly darling, Dec 22, 2004

I work with your boy Mark Bober at GWN. These pics are amazing. what kind of equip are you working with?

-- Nate Fletcher, May 2, 2005

I was just looking for pictures on line of Nashville. I was born there but have lived in Los Angeles for the last 20 years. Coming back home to live for a while and play music with a childhood friend in a great band named brother Bodene. Seeing your awsome photos comforted me a little more about the move. Thank You. Calvin.

-- Calvin, Aug 19, 2005

YOU FOLKS IN TENNESSEE ARE REAL LUCKY TO HAVE CALVIN & BROTHER BODENE BACK IN NASHVILLE FOR A SPELL, BUT DON;T FORGET HE'S ON LOAN FROM US HERE IN L.A. WE WANT THEM BACK, BECAUSE WE LOVE EM AND THEY ARE A TREASURE TO BEHOLD. KILLER SOUNDS, THEY ROCK. SUGANO IN LOS ANGELES DECEMBER 27, 2005

-- SUGANO, Dec 29, 2005

you have a good name. and you take good photos too. keep up the good work and make the darling name proud

-- Tim G. Darling, Jan 17, 2006

Great photos mate, really excellent - Tim Darling from Andover, England

-- Tim Darling, Feb 17, 2006

yOUR SITE IS VERY USEFUL.

-- Peter Jones, July 18, 2006

Cool site.

-- Sally Kraus, Mar 11, 2007

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