Photography in Dallas?

[Villanova]

Hi RFF,

I'll be in Dallas for a few days this weekend. Does anyone have any recommendations for camera stores to visit? Anything photography related? Museums? Galleries?

 

[TXForester]

Dallas Museum of Art. Fair Park (home of the state fair) has a few museums and a garden. Some of the old buildings and statues in front of them are nice. In McKinney (maybe 30 north of Dallas) is the Heard Natural Science museum.

http://www.fairpark.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=209

 

[TXForester]

Forgot about the Nasher Sculpture Center

 

[sreed2006]

For camera stores, there's two fairly close together, not far from downtown:
http://www.donsphotoequipment.com and http://www.competitivecameras.com

Depending on if the weather is nice, the Dallas Arboretum is a nice place to photograph:
http://www.dallasarboretum.org

The Arboretum sits at the edge of White Rock Lake. At the north end of the lake, off Mockingbird Lane and near Buckner Blvd, I have shot many a roll of film, and got a few keepers.

Downtown Dallas has a few spots worth photographing, such as the old red courthouse and Dealey Plaza. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dealey_PlazaIf you are at Dealey Plaza, you might also enjoy a visit to the Sixth Floor Museum, which is about the assassination of JFK. Sounds hokey, but I found it very educational. You cannot take cameras inside, but when I was there they had the cameras on display that were used to photograph the events around the assassination, and biographies of the photographers.

If you like nature photography, there is http://trinityriver.audubon.org. It's not fantastic, but a good place to get in an easy hike and see flora and fauna.

If you want to do street photography, there is Uptown Dallas. I don't have a link, but ask a local. It is about the only place in Dallas I am aware of where you can actually see enough people out on the street to make it worth your time.

So that's some outdoor spots. TXForester mentioned good indoor ones.

Happy shooting!

 

[Dwig]

The above recommendations are all good, but as far as museums go the best 3 are in Ft. Worth.

Rent a car and spend a chunk of a day at the Amon Carter (one of the biggest and best photographic collections in the region) and then the rest in its two neighbors, the Kimble and the Modern Art Museum of Ft Worth. The Amon Carter specializes in American art. The Kimbel concentrates on classical European art. The Modern Art Museum of Ft Worth's collection is what its name indicates. The three are next door to each other and while each is a world class museum on its own, taken together they rank with the largest collections world wide.

IMHO, and I lived in Big D for a quarter century, the big three in Ft Worth are 1-2-3 (three way tie) and the Nasher in Dallas is 4th. I would rank the Dallas Museum of Art a somewhat distant 5th.

If you make a side trip to Ft Worth, consider spending some time in the Japanese Gardens that are very close to the museum district.


One gallery in Dallas that I visited regularily is Photographs Do Not Bend.

 

[daveleo]

Yes, the Ft Worth Art Museums are very well worth visit.

 

[Canyongazer]

Just in time for Father's Day... the Amon Carter is currently showing a father and son exhibit, but not just any old patriarch and progeny....Edward and Brett Weston. 🙂

 

[ktmrider]

And to capture some of the hokeyness of Texas, street photography at the Fort Worth Stockyards is a hoot.

 

[seakayaker1]

+1 one for the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth. Great collection of Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell well worth seeing. Having the Edward and Brett Weston Exhibit going on now is a bonus.

http://www.cartermuseum.org/exhibitions/current

 

[rscheffler]

+1 to the FW Stockyards! 😀

Sure, it's touristy, but the span of the horns is impressive when seen for the first time in person.

I went around to a few of the camera stores but honestly, while generally well stocked, didn't see anything much out of the ordinary to catch my curiosity. I'd rather advise spending the time visiting some of the other possibilities already mentioned.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

Street photography can be a hit and miss proposition in Dallas. When the sun starts to set, perhaps visit Deep Ellum for some cool stuff.

Fort Worth offers much better shooting. Several folks have mentioned the Stockyards. If you go there, stop in at the White Elephant and the Basement Bar for a nice, cold beer. Also, downtown Fort Worth offers some nice opportunities, especially around Sundance Square.

As far as camera stores go, I have been shopping at Arlington Camera for over 30 years. Great place. It is located in Arlington, right in between Dallas and Fort Worth. If you make it there, you are right down the street from the Dallas Cowboys Stadium which is well worth a visit and offers great photo opportunities. You might consider taking the tour of the stadium.

 

[PrecisionCamera]

Come see our camera store here in Austin! The biggest in Austin 🙂 Plus Austin has a lot of great locations for shooting as well.

 

[KingMixer]

I'll second the Deep Ellum recommendation and also Bishop Arts District isn't bad either. Trinity Groves area is good for getting shots of the large white hunt-hill bridge.

 

[Villanova]

Woah! Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. You're now making me wish my stay was longer.

I'll see what I can do. I think I'll try to hit all the museums mentioned. I don't have access to a car so my range is limited.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Mr_Toad]

I grew up and lived in Dallas for years...and I agree with Mr. Waldroup about Arlington Camera as the best, remaining camera store in town. Competitive Camera is a notoriously sketchy business....strange dynamic...open box products sold as new...no price tags on ANYTHING in the store, so you're forced to ask the owners for prices they carry in their head.....i got cheated there by being charged 60 dollars for a 20 dollar no-name filter, and never did business with them again (to the tune of thousands of dollars spent anywhere but Competitive).

If you do go into Competitive Camera, walk in with a printout from B&H so you are armed with the REAL prices. (Better yet, just don't go in there.) 🙂

If it's still there, try visiting Dallas Camera. It's in the Arts District, and was always a treat to go there and drool over the amazing pro gear...and they sold new large format gear and new Mamiya gear and all sorts of more unusual goodies...and the employees had great stories of their own pro shoots.

http://www.dallascamera.com/

Also...if you want a nice Dallas skyline shot, ask around and find the parking structure to the Dallas County Jail...east of downtown at 111 Commerce Street, I believe. Go there early to get a good spot...pay the parking fee...and drive to the top of the parking structure. You will be viewing toward the east, across Stemmons Freeway, and as the sun goes down behind you, folks will accumulate up there for the best pano images of downtown dallas.

http://www.texasjailproject.org/lew_sterrett/

 

[sreed2006]

For public transportation, see http://dart.org - the light rail and bus system in Dallas, with connection to Fort Worth's system - http://www.the-t.com.

 

[huddy]

Seconded what Sid said. Take a ride on DART, The T, and the TRE and you'll be able to hit those nicer areas of Ft. Worth without requiring a car.