Much of my free time is spent capturing great shots for my photography collection. I spend hours trying to capture that perfect shot of the day. Anyone can go snap a photo real quick of anything, but a photographer is not just capturing an image, they are often capturing a feeling or a thought that can only be seen. However, the audience may read in to a photo completely different from what the artist had in mind. One photo can create many different emotions or thoughts depending on who is viewing it.
Some of my most recent shots were taken on the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach, SC. For me the boardwalk brings back feelings of innocence and memories of family vacations I had growing up. Before Myrtle Beach became my home, it was my family's vacation destination. I can remember all the fun times we had going to the old Pavilion, walking around Broadway at the Beach, and go-carting around the old Nascar Speed Park. Sadly, these places that hold my memories have either been closed down or changed.
The purpose of those recent shots was to capture the nostalgia Myrtle Beach is barely hanging on to. The arcade depicted is the Fun Plaza Arcade at the heart of Ocean Boulevard. It is one of the few places that has stayed the same even as more modern arcades pop up around town. Anyone who walks in to this arcade will feel like they have taken a step back in time from the old arcade games to the retro lighting. It's calming thinking back to a much simpler time.
Change is refreshing, but not everything needs to be change. Myrtle Beach is barely hanging on to what it originally was. I know I'm not the only one who has grown up vacationing here and it saddens me watching the area lose its innocence created from all lovely family vacation memories as it continues to change. I hope Fun Plaza knows the importance of the nostalgia they still hold.
