dshnarw May 18, 2009 Share May 18, 2009 A new mental institution, this one semi-abandoned, with a few patients left in a couple of buildings, and other buildings finding reuse by those odd government agencies you've never heard of and probably wouldn't miss. This place, we met the security guard who gave us the "you can't be here" speech loudly and quietly told us to be discrete and "don't torch the place". And so, off we went to explore. What made this place cool were the attics of the buildings - patient rooms with furniture, nice views of the other buildings, an auditorium, and rotting wooden floors all for our amusement. We only nearly fell through the floors a couple of times, but ginger walking along loudly complaining floors kept us on pins an needles. A couple of shots I took blind by holding out the tripod and taking the photo, just to see the contents of the room without trying to jump the huge gap in the floor. There was nothing level in any building - even the staircases were leaning at odd angles. But the kicker of the whole day...the strangest thing I've seen in a while, was not even at the abandonment. It was...a girl tying another girl to an active railroad track Bad pic, as we were going by very quickly: And off to the attics... 1. I think I can tell the age by the level of paint peeling 2. lonely wheelchair 3. take your coat off and stay a while 4. i typewriters 5. and pencil sharpeners 6. nicely tarnished 7. a patient room, complete with original furniture! 8. asylum blue, and a lonely wheelchair 9. auditorium building 10. port-a-bath 11. encroaching nature 12. rust and paint 13. bathroom, and almost no destruction 14. lonely couch 15. doors through doors, compo #2 16. auditorium through windows 17. the hinge 18. cooling off 19. attic patient room (we nearly fell through getting to this room) 20. hallway to the patient room (where we nearly fell through) 21. more nature 22. no pianos, but an organ 23. guard station 24. patient housing 25. fountain and auditorium 26. Jesus Heals auditorium #1 (attempt #2 at falling through the floors) 27. Jesus Heals auditorium #2 28. nothing here is level 29. let there be light! 30. gritty lighting 31. a view to a crazy house, B&W 32. a view to a crazy house, color In the end, the feeling in this one was much more cheerful than the last institution I posted photos from. Bright, cheerful walls, and lots of windows to let in natural light. Since the grounds were still maintained, most of the views out the windows were quite nice. No files in this place, so we didn't learn about the quirks of this place, and maybe that helped with the cheerful feelings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan May 18, 2009 Share May 18, 2009 Great pictures! Haunting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Camaron May 18, 2009 Share May 18, 2009 those are awesome pictures, i need to start exploring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate May 18, 2009 Share May 18, 2009 Why did you photoshop all the pics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw May 18, 2009 Author Share May 18, 2009 (edited) Great pictures! Haunting. Thanks Jan those are awesome pictures, i need to start exploring. Thanks - lots of places in this area. Good place to try it out Why did you photoshop all the pics? *sigh* I didn't use Photoshop on any of these photos. I did use Lightroom in order to adjust mainly contrast, but also retrieve blown highlights or dark shadows, remove noise. The reason I edit my photos is to give them impact and to reflect how I saw the subject. I'm reading into your question a bit, but I assume that you're not thrilled with post-processing photos, to which I would respond that Ansel Adams altered his film photos in the dark room in many of the same ways that photographers do now. The majority of these photos have been processed less than you likely think - 25 of this set have had no more than what Ansel Adams could have done on film. Any other surreal effects are the products of creative lighting and in-camera techniques. No serious photographer can truly tell you that they don't process photos for highlights/shadows, noise reduction, contrast, and saturation. The rest I chose to process differently because I wanted a certain look or feel to the photos. This stigma of photo processing is a result of documentary photography - trying to portray subjects as they really are for buying on ebay or photojournalism purposes. In places like this, I have no interest in simply documenting an object there, but to portray what I was thinking/feeling while I was there. A simple, accurate to life photo doesn't always do that. In these cases, I instead chose to process more like Salvador Dali wanted to accomplish with his photography. In the end, whether you like the processing of any photo or not is personal preference. And there are (or should be) different expectations for different types of photos. Documentary photos should be accurate - you want to know that coral on Ebay really looks like that. Photos for the sake of creativity (or, as much as I try to avoid the word, art) have no prerequisite for accuracy to reality, and thus are simply up to the photographers interpretations. Edited May 18, 2009 by dshnarw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mountaineer May 18, 2009 Share May 18, 2009 *sigh* I didn't use Photoshop on any of these photos. I did use Lightroom in order to adjust mainly contrast, but also retrieve blown highlights or dark shadows, remove noise. The reason I edit my photos is to give them impact and to reflect how I saw the subject. I'm reading into your question a bit, but I assume that you're not thrilled with post-processing photos, to which I would respond that Ansel Adams altered his film photos in the dark room in many of the same ways that photographers do now. The majority of these photos have been processed less than you likely think - 25 of this set have had no more than what Ansel Adams could have done on film. Any other surreal effects are the products of creative lighting and in-camera techniques. No serious photographer can truly tell you that they don't process photos for highlights/shadows, noise reduction, contrast, and saturation. The rest I chose to process differently because I wanted a certain look or feel to the photos. This stigma of photo processing is a result of documentary photography - trying to portray subjects as they really are for buying on ebay or photojournalism purposes. In places like this, I have no interest in simply documenting an object there, but to portray what I was thinking/feeling while I was there. A simple, accurate to life photo doesn't always do that. In these cases, I instead chose to process more like Salvador Dali wanted to accomplish with his photography. In the end, whether you like the processing of any photo or not is personal preference. And there are (or should be) different expectations for different types of photos. Documentary photos should be accurate - you want to know that coral on Ebay really looks like that. Photos for the sake of creativity (or, as much as I try to avoid the word, art) have no prerequisite for accuracy to reality, and thus are simply up to the photographers interpretations. Very well said. My wife and I loved all of them. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw May 18, 2009 Author Share May 18, 2009 Very well said. My wife and I loved all of them. Thanks for sharing. Thanks, Mountaineer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onyx May 18, 2009 Share May 18, 2009 Agreed, these are artistic photos and IMO a great job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan May 19, 2009 Share May 19, 2009 (edited) So, when is the showing? Where is the gallery? You've got the material . Get it framed and do it! You can do a "land and sea" theme. Not joking. Edited May 19, 2009 by Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw May 19, 2009 Author Share May 19, 2009 Agreed, these are artistic photos and IMO a great job. thanks onyx So, when is the showing? Where is the gallery? You've got the material . Get it framed and do it!You can do a "land and sea" theme. Not joking. lol, thanks Thus far, I haven't worked up the confidence to try any exhibitions besides the local ones from my hometown. I should be getting a website soon, but I have to stop dragging my friend who does web design to abandoned buildings and away from his computer Posts like that make me want to start looking at more local exhibitions, though. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan May 19, 2009 Share May 19, 2009 thanks onyx lol, thanks Thus far, I haven't worked up the confidence to try any exhibitions besides the local ones from my hometown. I should be getting a website soon, but I have to stop dragging my friend who does web design to abandoned buildings and away from his computer Posts like that make me want to start looking at more local exhibitions, though. thanks Go for it! You only live once. No should have, could have, would have,.... Just do it! Not another word from me . Local and county fairs are a start. Sorry, it's the New Yorker in me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwndsh May 19, 2009 Share May 19, 2009 Go for it! You only live once. No should have, could have, would have,.... Just do it! Not another word from me . Local and county fairs are a start. Sorry, it's the New Yorker in me Don't appoligize to him. He needs someone else telling him to get his butt in gear. He is starting to not listen to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoozilla May 19, 2009 Share May 19, 2009 Thumbs up as usual. Really like the "Minimalist" look to #30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw May 19, 2009 Author Share May 19, 2009 Go for it! You only live once. No should have, could have, would have,.... Just do it! Not another word from me . Local and county fairs are a start. Sorry, it's the New Yorker in me I suppose you may have a point there... Don't appoligize to him. He needs someone else telling him to get his butt in gear. He is starting to not listen to me. o hai honey Thumbs up as usual. Really like the "Minimalist" look to #30. thanks one of my favorites as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k May 19, 2009 Share May 19, 2009 great pix- maybe we could swap some locations of abandoned buildings... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan May 19, 2009 Share May 19, 2009 A start http://blogs.photopreneur.com/showing-your...n-art-galleries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryL May 19, 2009 Share May 19, 2009 1,14,15,18,and 20 are my faves..... some serious talent you have there...your inspiring to make me pic up the camera and snap some shots! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw May 19, 2009 Author Share May 19, 2009 great pix- maybe we could swap some locations of abandoned buildings... thanks... if you've got any institutional/industrial places i'd love to know. i've got a list of places a mile long. A starthttp://blogs.photopreneur.com/showing-your...n-art-galleries good link I'll have to start shopping around...starting June 1. Have to finish (and pass!!) my thesis proposal first In fact, I should really be writing right now 1,14,15,18,and 20 are my faves..... some serious talent you have there...your inspiring to make me pic up the camera and snap some shots! Thanks Gary. I would encourage you to do it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k May 19, 2009 Share May 19, 2009 Have you been to Armistead Park? Ft. Howard? I know of some large storm drains that go for long distances too. Weird things in there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugar Magnolia May 20, 2009 Share May 20, 2009 Great pictures! Haunting. That was my first thought too. All of your photos of these abandoned buildings are so haunting. I love to look at the compostition and imagine what went beforehand. I love how you take into account the lighting of each picture. Brilliant photography, and I thank you for sharing these with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan May 20, 2009 Share May 20, 2009 Don't appoligize to him. He needs someone else telling him to get his butt in gear. He is starting to not listen to me. LOL, make him listen . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw May 27, 2009 Author Share May 27, 2009 Sorry for slow responses guys - been distracted with real work. Just finished the rough copy of my thesis proposal. Hopefully my advisors are in a good mood when they read it. Have you been to Armistead Park? Ft. Howard? I know of some large storm drains that go for long distances too. Weird things in there... Ft Howard has been on the list for a while, but we haven't made a run there yet. Logistics seem to be a bit of an issue on that one. Haven't seen anyone else's photos from Armistead - is there much left of the old fort? I've never done storm drains because I never quite understood what was exciting about them. I suppose it's more than just a tunnel partially filled with water though...probably oughta at least try them out and get the experience. That was my first thought too. All of your photos of these abandoned buildings are so haunting. I love to look at the compostition and imagine what went beforehand. I love how you take into account the lighting of each picture. Brilliant photography, and I thank you for sharing these with us. Thank you LOL, make him listen . Assuming my thesis proposal will take a few days to return to me, I am going to search out some local galleries and see what I need to do to submit photos. Also need to kick my friend's butt on getting the website running for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now