Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge
Gun shop in Woodward, Oklahoma.
Liberty Movie Theater in Carnegie, Oklahoma.
Seen near Cooperton, Oklahoma.
Grain elevators are the skyscrapers of the plains.
Downtown Woodward, Oklahoma.
Building in photogenic disrepair in Clinton.
Three crosses on a hill.
Seen in Woodward, Oklahoma.
Rusty trucks and cars can be spotted in rural Oklahoma.
Old barn and a dead tree at sunset.
Heaven – Don’t miss it for the world.
Note: I took these photos during July 2019.
Photos from Western Oklahoma, Part I
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Planet Bell 
Your pictures are beautiful and sad at the same time. They evoke a feeling of loneliness and desolation. How old do you think the “dance” sign is, given the girls skirts look like they are from the ’50s? Going back to busy Bangkok must have been culture shock all over again.
Hey Laura,
Some of these places are desolate and lonely, some are doing okay but have an abandoned and photogenic side of town. The town with the dance sign, Cooperton – population 16, does indeed feel like a ghost town.
Yes, Bangkok was a shock. I went downtown to take photos and immediately felt the stress, but also the excitement. I spent a day taking terrible photos because I was used to a slow pace of life.
Thanks for commenting.
Nice snaps! Makes me want to go there and do the same!
Shooting in small towns in the plains can be quite fun. I suppose even large towns in America have similar places, but they stand out more in small towns.
I find these images intriguing, but sad at the same tim….as if life stopped some considerable years ago…..
Some of these towns are dying for sure. Moments before I got the shot of the theater in Carnegie, the streets were full of people as the movie just got out. That scene made me happy.
Yes, I can understand why
Address 1009 is my favorite.
Thank you. I stumbled up that in my hometown by chance.
Jeff, interesting photos of a place that looks a little bit down on its luck, it is in bad need of some reinvigoration and a lot of cash investment. Love the “Heaven-don’t miss it for the world ” photo.
Some of these towns are struggling, others are doing okay. In many cases, the photogenic buildings downtown have been abandoned and business have moved to new and ugly buildings on the edge of town. All over the countryside are religious signs.
I can’t help but have the feeling that the area is losing it’s energy, gradually fading away. Beautiful captures that truly stir up emotion Jeff.
The very small towns are certainly losing their energy, but some of the towns with 10,000 people are so are doing okay. It will be interesting to see what happens in these places in a few years as the population ages and college-educated kids don’t return.
These are beautiful photos Jeff, but they make me feel sad. Spider Man really is far from home.
Thanks Caroline.
Small town, USA… what a place for photos. You capture things I wouldn’t even notice as being photogenic. Amazing.
It was fun looking for things out of the ordinary. It took me a few years of observing to arrive at this point. Thanks for commenting.
So good, Jeff. These old time streetscapes are beautiful. Love the signs that you’ve found and the worn out architecture is wonderful. Great post.
Thank you Jane. It was fun hunting for it.
Catching up on your gorgeous photos. Ahhh, makes me miss small town America, road trips and stumbling into a town, looking around, but what I miss are those greasy spoons.
Those greasy spoons are the best, especially for breakfast. You get eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, unlimited mediocre coffee, for like $5.99.
Speaking of food – I made it to the Lost Burro. So good! Thanks for the recommendation.
Cool! Now, I need to get over there!
Very evocative photographs. The gun shop sign is about as American as it gets, these days. One could buy a gun and go straight to the movie theater 😦
Love the red and grey building with the number on it.
Peta
I love this whole series, Jeff. What a stark difference from the part of the world you live in now!
It is totally the opposite. I’ve had trouble taking photos in Bangkok since I’ve been back. Everything is too busy for me.
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