Visiting Dallas for two days

[jason_tanner]

I am going to a job interview in Dallas, but I'll be there for the weekend and

wanted to take some pictures. Any places in particular to visit that would make

good photographs? The more specific the better. I've never been there and

don't know how to get anywhere.

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

I've been to Dallas twice on business. But all I saw were strip malls and interstate highways. There must be something there with local character - I'd like to know, too, because I may have another trip coming up!

[stephen hazelton]

Well, what exactly are you interested in photographing?

 

Dallas has its share of zoos, aquariums, museums, and stuff like every other big city has., but not that much that's really special, either. I remember reading several years back that the #1 reason people visit Dallas is for shopping.

 

The Arboretum is probably the nicest spot in town, but this is a poor time to visit it- the main attraction being flowers.

 

Old City Park, now known as the Heritage Park, is old houses restored- but you probably have that in lots of other big cities.

 

One of the more popular tourist spots is the Grassy Knoll, 6th Floor Museum, etc. You can't actually photograph in the museum, and the Book Depository building just looks like another old building if you don't know what it is. But probably one of the more famous spots in Dallas, if you're going to tell people "this is what I saw", that's as good a place as any.

 

The Mustangs of Las Collinas are in Irving, and are an often-photographed site. There's a set of statues of a cattledrive near downtown that I've been by a number of times. You can go up in Reunion Tower for a couple of bucks and photograph- it's the big ball-shaped tower that is common in Dallas skyline shots.

 

Stevie Ray Vaughn, Bonnie and Clyde, and Lee Harvey Oswald are all buried in the area, if you're interested in that.

 

The "West End" of Dallas and the Stockyards of Fort Worth are common tourist places- mainly shopping and eating at the former, shopping and siteseeing at the latter.

 

Sometime back, I went to a camera show in the area, and a guy that had moved from Louisiana was trying to sell a couple of TLR's. His comment "There's nothing to photograph around here!". That's not entirely true, but Dallas is not exactly a place you to go photograph- but you can find stuff while you're here.<div></div>

[Spearhead]

Deep Ellum is more interesting than most of Dallas, I regret not having a camera when I've been there. Otherwise, I'd agree with Stephen H.

[stephen hazelton]

Well, I just went over and looked at your portfolio, and don't think you'll have much trouble finding stuff to shoot in this area. Your interests look pretty varied and a lot of what you've done is similar to stuff around here.

 

Some additional ideas:

 

Fair Park, where they hold the State Fair in the fall- but interesting to wander around and view the architecture and statues and art-deco buildings and all when the State Fair isn't in session. Free parking and free to wonder around when the fair isn't going. Fair Park is not in an especially good part of town, but the Park itself seems secure enough, and I've never minded wandering around with my camera bag there.

 

Age of Steam Railroad Museum, in Fair Park- old steam locomotives and rolling stock. Probably better for detail-type shots than overall views, as the equipment tends to be clustered close together. Costs four or five dollars to tour, free parking, and you can walk from that parking area into the rest of Fair Park. Elsewhere in Dallas, the McKinney Avenue Trolley runs old restored trolley cars on a several-mile route at minimal cost. It goes by the Art Museum and the Hard Rock Cafe among other places.

 

There are two aquariums in Dallas. The old standard aquarium is in Fair Park, costs four or five dollars (city-owned, I think). The newer nicer aquarium is in West End, and costs $20 or more to get in- a more touristy operation. Dallas and Fort Worth both have pretty decent zoos.

 

For the next couple of weeks, they should have high-school football playoffs going, and some of those games are in the Cowboy's stadium in Irving- so for the price of parking and a high-school ticket, you can get in there and do lots of photography- either of the football or of the stadium, the fans, etc. That would be on Saturdays. Of course, high school games don't sell the place out.

 

You've got some shots of college campuses. SMU is in the middle of Dallas. TCU is in Fort Worth. UTA is in Arlington. I'm not familiar enough with the campuses to tell you if it's worth going there just for photography. DFW National Cemetery is in Arlington, and Dallas Baptist College is right near it, and has some nice buildings on campus. University of Dallas (not sure of name) is a Catholic college in Irving with a neat tower, perhaps other neat architecture.

 

Down south of town, there are several parks around Joe Pool Lake, if you want a less urban feeling.

 

In downtown Dallas, you can wander around and view the skyscrapers. The 6th Floor Museum, Grassy Knoll, West End, Union Station, Thanksgiving Square, the Old Red Courthouse, cattle-drive statues, and Reunion Tower are all within a couple of miles of each other, and you could hit them on a walking tour if you didn't mind a lot of walking.

 

The 6th Floor Museum is actually fairly interesting, and takes an hour or two to go through. They don't allow photography inside, but if you have any interest at all in the events surrounding the Kennedy Assassination, go through it. There is a Cenotaph, an Empty Tomb, located a couple of blocks from there, as well.

 

In Dallas, watch the parking meters. A lot of them are inactive on weekends (meaning, free parking) or maybe on Sunday only. It's hard to find parking during the week, but weekends are good.

 

Let me know if you need more specific directions or details for any of these.

[jason_tanner]

Stephen,

Thanks for your thoughts. I guess some background on me, I am a student at Georgia Tech (located downtown Atlanta -- hence the photos) and am finishing up my Masters so I'm headed there for a job interview. It sounds like most of what you said is downtown so its worth a drive there on Saturday to check it out.

I was mainly looking for things characteristic of Dallas which I think you did a good job covering. Is there anything within an hour that is more national/state park interesting? The only comments a friend from Texas had was Amarillo something or other. But thanks so much for your help. I'll try to post some sample shots when I return:)

[stephen hazelton]

There are several state parks within a hundred miles or so of Dallas, but not really anything earth-shattering- assuming you've seen nice scenery elsewhere. It sounds like downtown Dallas would be the place to be. Or maybe Dallas one day and FW the other.

[shoshana]

Downtown, in front of the Convention Center is a really really old cemetery. There's also a

sculpture garden of a cattle drive, with oversized longhorns and cowboys. Pretty cool. Just

east of there is Dallas City Hall which is very very unusual. It has been in a few SF movies.

It was designed by I.M. Pei and it is shaped (from the side) like an upside down triangle.

This time of year there isn't a whole lot of vegetation so any parks you go to will be kinda

blah right now.

 

Uptown/McKinney area has the trolleys and some cobblestones.

 

The zoo is pretty cool.

 

Try out the Dallas Public transportation - they used to have buses that just went around

downtown - they were free or very cheap. The were called Hop A Bus and they had big

bunny ears on them. It's been a while - I don't know if they still have them.

 

They have a train that goes to the zoo - the trains are new there and popular with tourists

and residents alike.

 

 

The city skyline itself is pretty cool - especially from the south, west and southwest.

 

Fair Park is fun when the fair is on - but I personally don't wander down there other wise.

 

I'm sure the City of Dallas website has a tourist section with some interesting ideas too.

[shoshana]

Don't bother with Amarillo - it's hundreds of miles from Dallas.

 

During rose season. Tyler can be very photogenic.