Blog.MichaelDogan.Com

Lauren and I headed back to Roanoke Virginia, to see Mommy and Daddy Dogan for the Easter holiday.  Saturday was a beautiful day, so we headed downtown and made a stop by the O Winston Link museum.  Winston Link was a famous American photographer, most known for his absolutely incredible black and white railroad photography.  In particular, he is famous for “The Norfolk & Western Project”, where he chronicled the N&W as the last major class I railroad in the United States to make the move from steam to diesel.  As a little nod to some of Mr. Link’s B&W RR photography, here is a picture of the RR tracks which actually run just behind the museum and right through downtown Roanoke.  If you are interested in either photography, or Railroading, I highly suggest checking out some of his work.  You can start your search at the link above, or repeated here to his museum. In recent years, Roanoke has shed its image as a “railroad town” as others have surpassed the railroad as the major employer. However, without the N&W, Roanoke might not have existed.

After the museum, the four of us headed around the old market area and went for a little walk.  We grabbed a “dog” at the “world famous” Roanoke Weiner Stand, which has been in business in the same building since 1910.  My dad actually worked across the street at the florist shop as a kid.  I enjoyed the hot dog… I’m not sure Lauren shared my enthusiasm.  We walked through the Roanoke Market building (pictured above right) before heading back to the house for dinner.

It’s nice to be home.

- Michael Dogan

Back in the Burgh after three weeks in Italy.  Since I didn’t get back to the house until around 12:30 am Sunday morning, I took it pretty easy most of the day Sunday.  Despite the light rain, and overcast skies, Lauren and I decided to head up to Mount Washington to watch the sunset.  While we were there, we were joined by another amateur photographer who was taking pictures of a a stuffed monkey with Pittsburgh as the backdrop.  Apparently it was some sort of contest for a poker website.  At any rate, we stayed up on the hill watching the city grow darker, and the lights begin start to flip on across the city until the rain and cold finally drove us back to the warmth of the car, and then on to dinner at “Joe’s Crab Shack”.  Before we packed up the gear, I snapped off a few bracketed images… including a set that produced the image here.

Cheers,

- Michael Dogan