A few years ago, I wrote an article sharing tips for photographing where you live.  It seems I needed to take my own advice because it had been quite sometime since I'd played tourist at home.  When I was called for a commissioned piece on landmarks in Norfolk, I was excited to head out with fresh eyes and shoot the city I knew so well.  The project would result in 6 framed images to decorate the lobby of the branch of a locally owned bank.  They had a few requests for subjects, but for the most part, I was given creative freedom.

I started at a place that holds many of my favorite memories.  Norfolk Scope is a dated old building, still gripping tightly to the style of the 70s when it was built.  Scope has served as home to each of my childhood circus memories.  I can close my eyes and hear the sounds of the circus band, smell the popcorn mixed with the tinge of animal, and see the twirling lights from my favorite handheld spinner flashlight.  As I got older, my Dad and I spent 2-3 nights a week sitting in section 111 cheering on the Norfolk Admirals hockey team, forming a father daughter bond over a sport full of fist fights.  As adults, Forrest and I spent our tenth anniversary on the open floor of Scope singing along with O.A.R. when their outdoor concert was moved inside because of thunderstorms.  So, while Norfolk Scope might not be the most modern of arenas and it might not draw the biggest names in entertainment, it holds a special place in the hearts of the locals.

Right next door to Scope stands Chrysler Hall.  Each Christmas during grade school, my class loaded onto a school bus and drove across Virginia Beach to attend The Nutcracker.  I remember wearing fancy dresses and lacy socks and giggling with my friends as we watched the ballerinas in awe.  In high school, we watched Pink Floyd paired with the Wizard of Oz and a light show set to music from a time before ours.  Just a few weeks ago, we saw David Blaine hold his breath under water for 10 minutes, a feat absolutely unimaginable to us.  My Dad took us to see my childhood favorite Annie when it came through off broadway.

Just around the corner from the event venues stands Nauticus and the Battleship Wisconsin.  These additions to the Norfolk scene came as I was older and I haven't visited them nearly as much as the others.  This Christmas, though, my best friend and I took her daughter to see Dicken's Christmastown and it was pure magic.  It reminded me of all those times my family visited Coleman's nursery for the Christmas display, the only thing miss was the lemon Dutch Maid Donuts.

Just down the riverfront stands the newly reinvented Waterside.  As a child, I remember standing in front of The Fudgery, watching the workers create the most delicious fudge you'd ever taste, yelling and singing the whole time they worked.  When I was in high school and we got a ski boat, we took the long ride from Virginia Beach through the locks down the Elizabeth River, docking at Waterside for a late lunch.  In college, I worked on the lower level corner at Joe's Crab Shack, which ranks right up there with the most fun job an 18 year old could have.  Waterside took a turn downhill for a while, losing most of the tenants and becoming nothing more than a place to use the bathroom when you were doing something else at Town Point Park.  The revitalization of Waterside is one of the most exciting things to hit Norfolk in some time and we've already had a ton of fun visiting and checking out the new restaurants.

Just out the doors of Waterside is the Elizabeth River Ferry boat which makes the short cross to Portsmouth a few times an hour.  When I worked a double shift at Joe's Crab Shack we'd use our break time to take the ferry over to the Jewish Mother, getting a monster pita and pretending to like the Guinness that my friend convinced me to sip. When we first moved back to the area after a few years in Northern Virginia following college, the ferry stopped right in front of my office.  Occasionally, I'd take the ride across to the Norfolk, walking over to MacArthur Mall for a lunch break filled with shopping.

It's amazing the memories that a photograph can ignite.  And while ultimately, these images weren't chosen for the project, they are my favorite from the day I spent playing tourist in my town.

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To purchase prints or schedule your portrait session, contact me at jcarr@jennifercarrphotography.com

Virginia Beach photographer Jennifer Carr is a landscape and portrait photographer currently scheduling senior, couples, and family portrait sessions and photography lessons in the Coastal Virginia Hampton Roads area, including Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Norfolk.