David Duke, ace photographer!

Photos by David Duke

A new contribution from David Duke --

I was out taking pictures around my little, not so any more, town of Mansfield. I was just doing this for a group of people in a web site about digital cameras. I thought it would be neat to go around and take pictures of this town that I know more about than the recently moved in residents. Yep all the way back to 1947 when I started school here!

Any way there is a railroad trestle here in town that has been photographed a thousand times by photographers doing "Glamour" shots of pretty young ladies. Sometimes several were taken of students. And even sometimes group pictures of classes. Even though it is private railroad property people still do it.  When I was in school we climbed that bridge. Some still do but if the police get wind of it there is trouble.

The bridge is not far from a road crossing and it is over a creek named Walnut. The thing was built, oddly enough in 1906. That is no real big deal unless you remember that was the year of the "Great San Francisco Earthquake!" That year is cut into the top member of the trestle. That sets the stage.

While I was doing this I went by the Mansfield News-Mirror office and met the Editor. I don't remember why I did that except to meet her, Amanda Rogers. While I was there talking to her she brought up the subject of a little contest the paper was having. OH Really? Well the way it goes is Mansfield residents are offered an opportunity to submit a picture taken in Mansfield. This was AFTER I had already been taking pictures! I submitted the attached picture via e-mail to Amanda last week. This was after I tried getting just a picture of the trestle which I did BUT I went back and waited to catch the train Engine coming across it!\

As I said, many pictures have been taken there but this one, as far as I know, has never been done before! I have always been behind a camera since I was 10 years old. I may not be the best but I have a lot of experience. But what made my day today is it is my birthday and this morning when I went out to my driveway there was the paper with My picture on the front page! One Hell o'v a Birthday present!

Thanks, David. for sharing that. And belatedly, Happy Birthday!! -- Gerry