This image features the old Austin Mueller Airport Control Tower surrounded by new and in-progress development.
Here’s some history. The Mueller Airport officially opened October 14, 1930 and was Austin’s primary airport until Austin Bergstrom Airport replaced it 1999 at a different location. It was named for Robert Mueller who was a city council member that passed away in 1928.
The control tower designed by Arthur Fehr and Charles Granger, both Austin natives, and debuted in 1961.
Now it stands in historical glory among residential town homes, loft style apartments and soon to be developed land. Dell Children’s Hospital and big box stores are close by.
I live close to the area so one early morning I packed up my gear, jumped on my bike and headed to the tower to create some images.
The atmosphere was dense with fog and haze which completely negated the positives of photographing at sunrise. The sky simply lacked drama and interest. I made a few exposures and decided to go grab a cup of coffee and move on. To be honest my head was a little foggy from the night before so coffee was probably in order.
By the time caffeine hit my bloodstream the weather, light and atmosphere completely changed to more favorable photographic conditions. Back on the bike, pep in my pedal, I headed back to the tower and posted up with my tripod and camera.
After what seemed like hours of patience and camera adjustments the final image was better than imagined the night before when planning the morning shoot. The result was an ethereal and dreamy image that captures this historical Austin landmark in time as the land around it continues to radically change through development. It’s likely a movie theater and additional retail shopping will soon surround it.
You can also see an awesome black and white version here.
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