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STAMFORD, NEW YORK - A small group of Verizon workers gather outside of a Verizon location to strike against company policies workers see as unfair. The group states that the company is trying to cut costs by paying sub-standard wages, cutting benefits, and changing terms to 401k plans.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

More info: 45000 Workers On Strike At Verizon

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New! The TomSlatin.com Daily

Thomas — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:40:10 +0000

A new feature is the TomSlatin.com Daily, which is a feed-aggregated E-Newspaper. This newspaper pulls news stories, photographs, media, and articles from official TomSlatin.com sources as well as everyone who is followed by the official TomSlatin.com Twitter account.

As with all other content on TomSlatin.com, this E-Newspaper is completely free of charge and is available to anyone with access to the Internet. If you would like to participate or have your content included, the following are a list of your options.

Follow TomSlatin.com on Twitter, and be sure that we follow you back. Feel free to send an @twps message if need be. Although there is no gurantee that your content will be featured, lots of news stories and content is aggregated from tweets in our timeline.
Add your content to the TomSlatin.com Group on Flickr. Lots of photos are added to the paper, and we’re always looking for more. Add away! Seriously, start adding some!
Send a request to have your feed(s) directly submitted. If you have a blog/flickr account/podcast/whatever that focuses on the topics of writing, photography, or website design, submit the address for consideration. Please note that there is limited space, and that your feeds might be replaced with others some time in the future based upon community feedback.

Any ideas, suggestions, or feedback is always appreciated and helpful. Let’s make this the best E-Newspaper on Paper.li! Leave lots of comments here…

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Wildflower

Thomas — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:17:01 +0000

View On Flickr

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Roller

Thomas — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:06:47 +0000

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Abandoned Industrial Storage

Thomas — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:52:40 +0000

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Abandoned One Room House

Thomas — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:29:07 +0000

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ROAD CLOSED

Thomas — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:02:35 +0000

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Sink Strainer

Thomas — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 14:28:00 +0000

See This Photo On Flickr

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Aerials

Thomas — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 18:48:00 +0000

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Henhouse

Thomas — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:06:00 +0000

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Forgotten

Thomas — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:06:00 +0000

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Fencing Planks

Thomas — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:59:00 +0000

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Drifter

Thomas — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:58:00 +0000

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Window Frame

Thomas — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:39:00 +0000

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Alligator–No Swimming

Thomas — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:04:00 +0000

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Grand Old Abandoned Farm

Thomas — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:57:00 +0000

View On Flickr:
1 2

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The Exploration Of A White Farmhouse (Abandoned Circa 1988)

Thomas — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 18:12:00 +0000

View This Set On Flickr

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Little Girl Of The Mountain

Thomas — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:46:34 +0000

View On Flickr

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2 More Rolling Ball Sculptures

Thomas — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 17:00:00 +0000

My lifelong obsession was first documented on my blog here: My Fascination With Rolling Ball Sculptures. As luck would have it, The Montshire Museum Of Science has two of these sculptures. The one shown here was built by George Rhoads.

The second one I photographed resembles the work of George Rhoads, but I need some clarification to be sure. If you have any information, please leave a comment.

-- Download 2 More Rolling Ball Sculptures as PDF --

My Fascination With Rolling Ball Sculptures

Thomas — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 02:32:04 +0000

As far as my knowledge serves me, I have only seen, in person, two rolling ball sculptures built by George Rhoads. The first was at the Champlain Center Mall in Plattsburgh, New York. The second, named Zac, I saw at the Zippo museum in Bradford, Pennsylvania. I could spend hours (literally) watching these things in motion. Click the thumbnails for larger-size images.

-- Download My Fascination With Rolling Ball Sculptures as PDF --

The Exploration Of The Hotel Adler Spa

Thomas — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 19:36:00 +0000

The Adler Hotel was a 150-room, five-story hotel in Sharon Springs, New York that was operated from 1929 until 2004. Known for its therapeutic sulfur baths, it catered primarily to a Jewish clientele who travelled to Sharon Springs in the summers. The hotel was built by Louis Adler for $250,000. He operated the hotel until selling it in the 1950s and later owned and operated hotels in Miami Beach, Florida, including the Allison Hotel. Bernard and Hilda Wieder, noted Miami Beach hoteliers, purchased the Adler Hotel from Louis Adler 1951 for $250,000 and operated it until 1971, selling it to The Yarkony family for $75,000. They owned and operated the hotel as Yarkony’s Adler Hotel from 1972 until 2004, when the derelict building and other buildings in the town were purchased for $750,000 by Sharon Springs, Inc., a Korean-American investment group based in New York City. -Wikipedia

View This Set On Flickr

Funnel Ball

Thomas — Tue, 24 May 2011 21:39:10 +0000

The Beauty Of Urbex: Alexandria, Virginia

Thomas — Sun, 22 May 2011 16:32:11 +0000

More of my Urban Exploration Photography on Flickr…

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Bus Stop WIN

Thomas — Tue, 17 May 2011 20:42:03 +0000

High Contrast Grunge Photography

Thomas — Tue, 10 May 2011 22:00:00 +0000

High Contrast Grunge Photography takes the look of traditional Kodalith darkroom prints to the digital era (or for those of you still shooting with film, and developing in a darkroom, keeps Kodalith alive). By the way, there is a Kodalith group on Flickr!

Creating high-contrast black and white images is quite simple. Some digital cameras allow you to set things such as contrast, saturation, picture style, etc. using the in-camera menus. My Canon 5D Mark II makes setting the contrast and picture style quite easy (along with a multitude of other settings I haven’t yet found a use for). For others without the luxury of high-end digital cameras, or for those who are converting their prints to digital, the process is also relatively easy.

The photograph here was edited using Paint.net, which is free. All you need to do is open the image, then go to Adjustments > Brightness / Contrast. Set the contrast higher, and the brightness lower. If the image is color, you’ll need to convert it to Black and White first. You may need to do this in small increments as just subtle changes here have a drastic effect on the photograph.

Other Black & White Flickr groups worth checking out include (but certainly aren’t limited to) All That Is Black And White, Old-School Photos [B&W And Sepia], Shades Of Gray, B&W Photographer, B&W, B&W Gallery, B&W Xibit, B&White, and B+W.

-- Download High Contrast Grunge Photography as PDF --

Ronald McDonald

Thomas — Sat, 07 May 2011 13:23:45 +0000

The Exploration of Aiden Lair Lodge

Thomas — Tue, 03 May 2011 18:00:00 +0000

During a recent drive through the Adirondacks, I came across this abandoned lodge along route 28N in Minerva, New York. A sad reality exists, especially in the United States that many historical buildings and places are being left to decay, alone in their own abandon. Ideally places like this would be preserved somehow as part of our own American history.

The following photographs document the current state of just one of many such places that despite their historical significance and importance, are being left to rot and decay, forgotten by all but the most curious of people, like me, who stop in for a closer look, before it’s lost and gone forever. Ideally, I’d like to think that my photographic documentation of abandoned places such as this will raise some much needed awareness and possibly lead to some preservation efforts. The photos presented here can also be seen here, on Flickr.

The sign outside reads, “THEODORE ROOSEVENT – September 14, 1901, stopped at Aiden Lair to change horses in night ride in Surrey from Mt. Marcy to North Creek to take oath of president at Buffalo.” – State Education Department 1935

-- Download The Exploration of Aiden Lair Lodge as PDF --

2011 Honor Flight

Thomas — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Photos of the 2011 Honor Flight trip to Washington, DC.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

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Polaroid: Lo-Fi At An Instant

Thomas — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 22:00:29 +0000

The instant camera is a type of camera that generates a developed film image. The most popular types to use self-developing film were formerly made by Polaroid Corporation.

The invention of modern instant cameras is generally credited to American scientist Edwin Land, who unveiled the first commercial instant camera, the Land Camera, in 1948, a year after unveiling instant film in New York City. The earliest instant camera, which consisted of a camera and portable darkroom in a single compartment, was invented in 1923 by Samuel Shlafrock.

In February 2008, Polaroid announced it would discontinue production of film, shut down three factories and lay off 450 workers. Sales of chemical film by all makers have dropped by at least 25% per year in the first decade of the 21st century, and the decline is likely to accelerate. Fujifilm is now the only remaining supplier of instant film in the United States. However, in October 2009, Polaroid announced it would bring back its classic instant film cameras, after announcing the year before that production was to be stopped.
-Wikipedia

Since the era of digital photography becoming mainstream, the use of traditional film and instant cameras has become less common. With few exceptions, it seems that most photographers are turning to digital cameras, computers, and electronic printers; everything that was commonly found in a darkroom has now been replaced with digital equipment. Although digital equipment has many advantages such as lower cost, higher productivity (batch processing, automation, etc.), and ease of use, old-school film and instant formats still remain popular among some photographers.

A friend of mine on Flickr named Ashley Burress, is one of the few photographers who refuse to succumb to the all-digital fad, and who is still an instant print enthusiast. She gave me permission to use her Polaroid photographs as part of my article in exchange for a link to her blog and mention of her Flickr photostream. Most recently, Ash has posted a collection of instant photographs from a recent trip to The Nashville Zoo, which are a must see. All of the photographs presented here are Copyright Ashley Burress, and used with permission.

Instant format has its own signature quirks and attributes. Because of its instant results, it was popular in the days before digital photography became mainstream. It remained quite popular during the early days of digital photography before LCD screens were added to digital cameras which showed the exposures that were taken with the camera. As the article on Wikipedia states, production of instant film almost stopped forever. Had it not been for the small percentage of enthusiasts who still demanded the film still be in production, the world might never have seen instant film ever again.

The advantages of instant print film are that due to its almost instant process, there is only a momentary wait between the time the exposure was taken and the print coming into being. One of the greatest misconceptions of instant film is the shaking of the print people always seem to do after the shot is taken. There is really no need to shake the print, and doing so actually degrades the quality. It’s best to leave the print on a flat, horizontal surface for a short period of time to allow the chemicals to work their magic. On the other hand, if a grunge style is your aim, you can bend and/or place objects on top of the print surface immediately after taking the shot to alter the chemical reaction that takes place that develops the print, literally right before your eyes.

Anyone who was around during the peak of the Polaroid craze will tell you that the most amazing part of the process is watching the print develop on its own. I can’t explain the process by which the print develops, as it is immensely complicated, and covered by numerous patents, but it starts out with the print being ejected from the camera, where it starts out grayish in color, and the color develops slowly, starting with shadows.

Polaroid prints tend to have exposure and saturation that is a little janky, because there is no real way of setting exposure exactly. Some of the digital-instant camera hybrids will allow you to adjust exposure to a certain degree, but unlike modern digital photography, it’s far from perfect. Focus is also somewhat fixed much like that of a holga camera or a really cheap point-and-shoot film camera.

The biggest disadvantage of instant print photography is the cost, and availability. Amazon.com has perhaps the best selection, and [usually] very competitive prices on Polaroid Instant Film. Photography and camera stores usually also carry this type of film, or will be able to tell you of a shop that does. Typically, the average exposure will cost at least $1, sometimes more, depending on the brand and ISO speed. The price varies on a number of factors, including buying in bulk.

polaroid spectra set on Flickr

For those of you who have already made the switch to digital, don’t despair. You can download free software to make digital photos look as if they were taken with a Polaroid camera. Here’s the Poladroid website and the Flickr group to go along with it. Also, Polaroid has made quite the debuit on Flickr with this group.

-- Download Polaroid: Lo-Fi At An Instant as PDF --

The Exploration Of Old Lodge

Thomas — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Old Lodge is a 10,000 square-foot building built circa 1890, built in Tomkins Cove, New York. Over the years it was used both as a hotel, and private residence. There are unconfirmed reports that the building was used as a camp for children. Years of neglect and decay have left it as a ‘shell’ of a building, and as such it has been formally condemned and entry to the building is strongly discouraged and extremely dangerous.

While little is known about this location, the one thing that I know for sure is that this was perhaps the most dangerous and unstable locations I have photographed so far. I must insist that nobody else attempt to enter this building for any purpose; the entire structure is completely unstable and the floors have hidden soft spots everywhere from years of water damage.

View The Flickr Photoset

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The “Tilt-Shift” House

Thomas — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Rose Haven’s Abandoned Swimming Pool

Thomas — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 20:00:00 +0000

I came across this place by accident. Rose Haven was a resort in the Catskill Mountains, near Cairo, New York, that has been abandoned for some time. Sadly, the only thing left of this place was the foundations of where the buildings used to stand, and of course, the steel deck swimming pool, which I photographed above.

-- Download Rose Haven’s Abandoned Swimming Pool as PDF --

Crooked

Thomas — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 14:19:24 +0000

The Story of Centralia, Pennsylvania

Thomas — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:46:32 +0000

Centralia was incorporated as a borough in 1866. The anthracite coal industry was the principal employer in the community. Coal mining continued in Centralia until the 1960s, when most of the companies went out of business. Bootleg mining continued until 1982. Strip and open-pit mining is still active in the area, and there is an underground mine employing about 40 people three miles to the west.

The borough was served by two railroads, the Philadelphia and Reading and the Lehigh Valley, with the Lehigh Valley being the principal carrier. Rail service ended in 1966. The borough operated its own school district with elementary schools and a high school within its precincts. There were also two Catholic parochial schools in the borough. The borough once had seven churches, five hotels, twenty-seven saloons, two theatres, a bank, a post office, and 14 general and grocery stores. During most of the borough’s history, when coal mining activity was being conducted, the town had a population in excess of 2,000 residents. Another 500 to 600 residents lived in areas immediately adjacent to Centralia.

It is not known for certain how the fire that made Centralia essentially uninhabitable was ignited. One theory asserts that in May 1962, the Centralia Borough Council hired five members of the volunteer fire company to clean up the town landfill, located in an abandoned strip-mine pit next to the Odd Fellows Cemetery. This had been done prior to Memorial Day in previous years, when the landfill was in a different location. The firefighters, as they had in the past, set the dump on fire and let it burn for a time. Unlike in previous years, however, the fire was not extinguished correctly.
-Wikipedia

On March 19, 2011, I was finally able to visit Centralia, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, due to the current state of Centralia, it exists on few maps, and it is a sensitive topic amoung current residents who still live in the area. After doing extensive research on the Internet for quite some time, I had expected to find at least a few standing buildings that would indicate that a town stood here at one time. Unfortunately, when I arrived, I found nothing but crumbling pavement and empty streets. Cracked sidewalks among forgotten plots of land filled in the spaces where buildings once stood.

You can see my photos of Centralia on Flickr by going here. There is also a Centralia group on Flickr. Other photos of the trip to Centralia are featured in another post entitled Pennsylvania’s Forgotten Places, Buildings, and Things.

This abandoned section of sidewalk lead to nowhere. This was just one of several I found, but perhaps the most intact one of all. Empty plots were overgrown and abandoned.

One of my favorite photos from the trip is the one shown here. Someone spray painted this stop sign on a street corner in Centralia, so that it says, “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

The DEP has placed monitoring wells like this one in various places all over Centralia. This one happened to have, “DO NOT BACK OVER WITH TOUR BUS” written in the cement surrounding the pipe. Ironically, the area has become a tourist attraction of sorts with folks traveling from all over to have a closer look after hearing and reading all the buzz on the Internet. One group I talked to while visiting traveled from London England.

What once was a respectable town has been completely bulldozed into a group of dirt piles with broken road segments leading nowhere.

Another view of Centralia, this time showing the overall landscape of devistation. In the foreground, an old mattress.

Centralia continues to be in the news, both in media, and on numerous blogs on the Internet. If you decide to visit, you should know that the ground here is unstable, and the air may be unhealthy to breathe. The place has its own share of hazards, so you have been warned. Here are a few blog posts I came across while doing some research for this post:

-- Download The Story of Centralia, Pennsylvania as PDF --

Just A Window

Thomas — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:34:48 +0000

A Simple Experiment In Digital Pinhole Photography

Thomas — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:00:00 +0000

I was inspired recently to return to my photographic roots. Lacking immediate access to an old oatmeal container, photo paper, and a traditional darkroom, I decided to create my very own pinhole camera mockup. While this guy here has an awesome tutorial, I wanted something that was both cheap and fast. I decided to tape a piece of aluminum foil over the front of my Canon 5D Mark II, poke a tiny hole in the near-middle, and go outside and start snapping photos. On a side note, if pinhole is something you’re interested in, I have a bunch of pinhole photos here on Flickr.

With todays fast and advanced lenses, some of us with lenses as fast as f/2, pinhole is a major step-back in the face of todays technology. A small pin hole is ideal, however the depth of field can be modified by making the hole larger or smaller. A larger hole will decrease the depth of field, and your images will be more blurry; accordingly a smaller hole will increase the depth of field, and your images will be somewhat more clear. Pinhole images will never be as clear as they would be if they had been taken with a modern lens. Pinhole photography produces images that are soft focus, and dream-like.

Instead of using the same piece of foil over and over again, I like to use a new piece of foil for every shot. By using a new piece of pinhole foil with each shot, one can replicate the feeling and tradition of pinhole photography of days gone by, where things were done in a very haphazard manner where many of the variables changed with each exposure.

Experiment with camera settings. Pinhole photography is far from perfect, and you will likely need to take twice the number of shots you normally would to achieve what you are hoping for. I took roughly 30 shots, and the four shots shown here were the only ones that actually came out the way I had planned. Thank goodness for digital photography.

For those of you looking for even more inspiration, you should check out this Flickr Group. Also these two blogs; Square Peg Pinhole and Pinhole Panoramic are fantastic photo blogs on the subject. Lastly, if you don’t have access to a Digital SLR camera, rest assured that all hope is not lost; folks have been successful making pinhole cameras from empty 35 mm film containers, match boxes, and even an old airplane hangar, setting a world record.

-- Download A Simple Experiment In Digital Pinhole Photography as PDF --

Photographing A Vintage Power Station, Pinhole Style

Thomas — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:00:00 +0000

In the old days, very few buildings had electrical service, and those that did had relatively low power requirements. Today, we rely on abundant supplies of power as almost everything we own is powered using electricity. Power plants have grown much larger in response to these ever-increasing energy demands. I was fortunate enough to come across this still standing vintage power station, which was in relatively good condition, considering the age of the facility and its years of abandonment and disuse. Not only was this photo shoot an inspiration, but also a lesson in History and how much things have changed since the turn of the century.

You can view the entire set on Flickr.

-- Download Photographing A Vintage Power Station, Pinhole Style as PDF --

The Exploration Of An Abandoned Farmhouse That Never Sold

Thomas — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 20:18:00 +0000

I stumbled upon this old abandoned farmhouse on the way back from a trip to Vermont. What makes photographing abandoned places so interesting is that you never know what you might find.

-- Download The Exploration Of An Abandoned Farmhouse That Never Sold as PDF --

Pennsylvania’s Forgotten Places, Buildings, And Things

Thomas — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 02:33:38 +0000

“Texaco Barn”

“Flying A Service”

“Conrail Cabooses”

“Centralia”

-- Download Pennsylvania’s Forgotten Places, Buildings, And Things as PDF --

25 Prime Examples Of Pinhole Photography

Thomas — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 02:36:22 +0000

Pinhole photography is perhaps the oldest known photographic technique, using nothing more than a light-proof enclosure, a light-sensitive media, and a tiny hole instead of a lens. The examples here are being shown under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence.

-- Download 25 Prime Examples Of Pinhole Photography as PDF --

The Lost Art Of Pinhole Photography

Thomas — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 01:58:53 +0000

A pinhole camera is a simple camera without a lens and with a single small aperture — effectively a light-proof box with a small hole in one side. Light from a scene passes through this single point and projects an inverted image on the opposite side of the box. The human eye in bright light acts similarly, as do cameras using small apertures.

A pinhole camera’s shutter is usually manually operated because of the lengthy exposure times, and consists of a flap of some light-proof material to cover and uncover the pinhole. Typical exposures range from 5 seconds to hours and sometimes days.

-Wikipedia

A fire hydrant photographed by a pinhole camera directly on photographic paper to create the negative photograph (top). The positive image was created digitally from a scan of the negative image. Photo Credit: Matthew Clemente; Used Under A Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.

When I was a kid, my father introduced me to photography. At the time, he was lucky enough to have a close friend who shared the photographic passion that I have today. Instead of buying me an expensive film camera (which came later on in my childhood), my father showed me how to take photographs the original way.

A pinhole camera is a very simple affair; basically a light-proof box or container which contains a photo-sensitive medium, and in my opinion a pinhole camera looks more like a birdhouse than a modern camera. My father used to save containers of Quaker Instant Oatmeal as their cardboard construction and tightly-fitting cardboard lids made amazing pinhole camera bodies. The aperture was a small 1-inch square which was cut-out and replaced with a piece of metal foil with a tiny pin hole.

Instead of the modern shutter-release and auto-focus capabilities of modern photography, when taking photographs with a pinhole camera, everything is manual. One must judge the exposure time, the focusing distance, and the sensitivity of the media being used to capture the image. Traditionally, ordinary light-sensitive photographic paper is used to capture the image, and electrical tape is used as the shutter (peel the tape off to open the shutter, and replace the tape to close the shutter). The exposure time varies from a few seconds to a number of days, depending on various factors.

Unless slide film (also known as color-positive film) is used as the recording medium, the camera will produce negative images. The photographer must then convert the media to its final print in much the same manner that images from traditional film cameras get transferred to prints. When I was taking pinhole camera pictures, I would lay the developed negative print on top of a fresh sheet of photographic paper and cover them with a piece of glass. After a short exposure to light, I would then process the newly exposed print which would yield the final result, such as the image shown above. It’s a very simple concept made complicated by my over-explanation.

The advent of digital photography and the popularity of photo-editing software made traditional pinhole photography a thing of the past. However, there are many who still experiment and produce some very interesting results using some home-brew pinhole camera equipment. Here’s a Flickr Group for Pinhole Photography.

I have heard rumors that it is possible to modify a modern SLR or DSLR camera to take pinhole photographs, but this will have to wait for future posts, while I research the possibility and run some experiments.

-- Download The Lost Art Of Pinhole Photography as PDF --

Pickles (Plastic Eye Edit)

Thomas — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:39:27 +0000

Planning Your First Urban Exploration Photographic Adventure

Thomas — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:05:07 +0000

Most of the abandoned places and things I’ve explored and photographed have been discovered by sheer happenstance. There are, however, a handful of situations where I had to pre-plan my photographic exploits. In previous posts I have talked about things like getting permission, and safety concerns, but in this post I will focus on research methods and more specific equipment-related concerns you will need to consider prior to heading out on your journey.

Researching Abandoned Places
The days of going out and finding abandoned places physically, in person, have been phased out due to the increasing expense of traveling, and by the growing number of websites which are built around exposing abandoned places, and sometimes even, their location.

For those who prefer the more traditional search, your best chance is to visit small towns near where you live. Any place that has taken a huge economic loss in recent years will have at least one or two abandoned places. The most interesting places are abandoned industrial centers, amusement parks, theme parks, hospitals, hotels, and commercial centers.

If you have access to a car or motor vehicle, try traveling roads that travel through towns with the small populations; avoid highways, freeways, and if possible, toll roads. Although most of the most amazing places I have had the opportunity to photograph are along old dirt roads, avoid unpaved roads during winter or during periods of bad weather, and never travel any road that is closed with signage and/or physical barriers.

Equipment Concerns
Abandoned places are filled with unknown hazards, dust, leaking/dripping water, and sometimes even unknown substances like plaster dust floating around in the air. Opacity has the best disclaimer I’ve ever read when it comes to exploring abandoned places that basically states, ‘Explore At Your Own Risk’. The point I’m trying to impress upon you is that no matter how much planning and research is done, you’ll never truly know what to expect until you arrive at the location.

The lens you walk inside with is the lens you will use.
If you use an SLR, you should never change the lens you are using at any time during your exploration. The tiny particles of dust and/or other contaminants in the air have the tendency to make their way right into your SLR camera and can cause severe damage. So if you must change lenses, do so before you head out, or at the very least, outdoors as far away from any buildings as possible.

Don’t bring your most expensive gear with you.
That brand new camera you just dropped $5,000 on should probably not be the camera you bring with you when you visit abandoned places. If you can help it, bring along a cheap camera, or an older camera you don’t care as much about. Some photographers use one time use cameras which are purchased with film already loaded. These are perfect if you are risking and/or anticipating the possibility of total loss, but unless you develop the film yourself, returning the film to a nosy photo finisher might be cause for suspicion, especially if you photograph high-profile or well known locations without proper permission.

What You Might Find
Just like anything else in life, it’s anybody’s guess what you might find when you explore a place that nobody has inhabited for any legitimate purpose for any lengthy amount of time. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have come across pretty much anything that can be imagined; everything from discarded trash to medical waste, old furniture to show costumes, and most commonly, discarded dolls. If you can dream it, chances are it’s out there… Somewhere. A few examples, here.

Flickr Groups of Note
Flickr Groups – Geotagged Only
Flickr has a collection of groups dedicated to abandoned places and objects. Although a lot of the photographs in the group pools have geo information (i.e. their locations are mapped), the following groups require geo information.

Abandoned America – A Flickr group of abandonment as it pertains to locations within the United States.
Ghost Roads – Abandoned and/or closed roads that can no longer be traveled with a motor vehicle.
US-20 – The longest stretch of highway in the United States, which just so happens to be home to a lot of abandoned buildings and towns.

Flickr Groups – Optional Geotagging
The following groups may contain photos with geo information, but it isn’t required. So it is by sheer luck that you will be able to determine where a specific photo was taken.

The Decayed And The Abandoned – Anything goes, as long as it’s is decaying and/or abandoned.
Urban Decay – “Rundown buildings, neighborhoods, and all things within.”
Abandoned – The name says it all, places or things that are abandoned.
Rural Decay – Photos of abandoned places in rural areas.
Urban Exploration – Photos of the interior of abandoned or semi-abandoned buildings.
Industrial Decay – For those who enjoy abandoned factories and industry.
Ghost Towns – One of the best group for ghost towns.

-- Download Planning Your First Urban Exploration Photographic Adventure as PDF --

Heinele’s General Store

Thomas — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 22:01:17 +0000

50 Bizarre & Abandoned Things I’ve Photographed

Thomas — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:04:31 +0000

Recently I had a good long look through some of my grunge photos spanning several years of photographic dedication. Of all the strange, creepy, and off-the-wall places I’ve wandered into for the purposes of taking photographs, one thing remains the same; for whatever reason, I almost always come across some unusual, unexpected, and sometimes even bizarre discoveries. The photos I’ve selected are just a small portion of what I have on Flickr, but they are what I consider to be some of the best examples of unique and unusual discoveries.

Every photographer must, at one time or another, place themselves in an awkward situation to get the kinds of shots they are looking for. I’ve had the unique opportunity to place myself in some very strange and sometimes risky situations in hopes of getting that one elusive shot. The comments that people leave on my Flickr stream and on my blog are what inspire me and make the process worthwhile.

Clicking the thumbnails will bring you to the corresponding Flickr page where you can view the sets and related shots.

-- Download 50 Bizarre & Abandoned Things I've Photographed as PDF --

Creepy Dolls

Thomas — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:32:08 +0000

Buy Prints Here

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Gold Medal Catalog

Thomas — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 21:12:56 +0000

View On Flickr

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The Exploration Of Houck’s Stripping

Thomas — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:38:34 +0000

Houck’s Stripping, Inc. was formerlly a creamery, a factory, a warehouse, and currently, an abandoned building near what was formerly a rail line for the Delaware & Hudson Railway, now the Catskill Scenic Trail. There are some places where people simply should not visit; this is one of those places, that no matter what, simply cannot be explored on the inside due to a complete and total structural collapse. I had planned to explore this building for some time, and over the years it has changed hands several times, thus making it next to impossible to obtain permission.

I took these pictures as a labor of love to document one of the few remaining industrial buildings in the area that were in use during the time that the railroad was still in use. The disappearance of adequate transportation nearby, mainly that of rail, has led to the decline of nearby industry.

Industrial centers are amazing places to take photos, especially if the industry itself no longer exists. If you have the opportunity to photograph such a location in a safe and responsible manner, I cannot recommend more strongly that you go ahead and do so.

The sad reality is that often times my grunge photography becomes a sort of historical record of what once was. In other words, it is common for abandoned buildings I photograph to get torn down within a few years following the shoot.

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Tips To Improve Your Grunge Photography

Thomas — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 04:22:32 +0000

If you want to improve your grunge photography, allow these simple tips and tricks to help you find interesting subjects, compose your shots, and if nothing else, inspire you. I have assembled some of my best tips and tricks that can be used not only for grunge photography, but other photographic styles as well.

Take The Road Less Traveled
Instead of traveling the same road that everyone else travels, make your own way. Most of the abandoned and grunge photos I have taken are the direct result of taking back roads, and avoiding highways. Every small town will always have at least one ghost road, at least one abandoned building, and generally a handful of friendly people who will be more than happy to suggest places that a photographer might be interested in. When in doubt, ask someone who lives or works in the area; those with a lot of local knowledge will be most helpful.

This photo was found at the end of a dirt road. It is also important to geotag your photos, especially if you add them to Flickr so that others can see where the photo was taken (more on this later).

Don’t Overlook The Details
Or as they say, the proof is in the pudding. Instead of just taking photos of grand places, shoot the details. While I was exploring an abandoned house, I came across a room filled with trash and neglected toys. Just as I was about to leave, I came across this old doll laying on the floor behind an open door. After taking several shots of this doll, this one was by far my best shot of the day, and perhaps one of my most talked about and coveted photos.

Do Your Research
In other words, know before you go. I originally planned to visit the abandoned town of Centralia, Pennsylvania. After talking to some local folks, I was referred to Ashland instead, which was a neighboring town with lots of abandoned places. I came across this abandoned house; it looked small from the front, but looks can sometimes be deceiving. It ended up being a multi-family dwelling with some sort of car repair shop in the back.

Trash Can Be Pretty
The mark of a good photographer is the ability to take a picture of something nobody cares about, might find uninteresting or is just plain unattractive, and turn it into a priceless shot. One of the best groups on Flickr is called clutter, litter, mess and muddle. I found this old telephone on top of a pile of discarded trash. The fact that it was raining at the time the shot was taken added to the mood and made the lighting even more interesting.

Look For Patterns
I decided to spend some time at a skating rink following a birthday party I was photographing. At closing time, I watched about 100 people drop their skates in front of the skate rental counter. I took this picture as the staff went around picking up the pairs of skates one by one as they were put back on the shelves.

Geotag Your Photos
Flickr has an amazing mapping feature that I believe is not used nearly enough. If you go to the Map Page on Flickr, you will be shown an interactive map of where photos were taken. Not only is this a great way to view new and interesting places and photographs, but it can also be a useful tool to research places to take photos. Above all else, one of the best ways to share your grunge and/or urban exploration photos is to disclose the location where it was taken. I try to geotag the photos I take whenever possible, except sometimes when the location needs to remain undisclosed to protect the property or to protect myself from possible litigation by the property owners, be it current and/or future.

Here are a handful of related Flickr groups worth a look:

Things Time Forgot | Beauty In Entropy Abandoned America Abandoned Rural Decay The Rust Bucket Urbex :: Urban Exploration Urban Decay

I should probably also mention this guys blog… Jacques has a fascinating collection of urban exploration photograpy, as being quite active on twitter, flickr. His blog is entertaining, inspiring, and resourceful.

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My Top 50 Grunge & Urban Exploration Photos

Thomas — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:57:46 +0000

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Grunge, and Urban Exploration photography have played a major part of my photographic vision. Over the years, I have photographed abandoned places of all kinds. Shown here are just a sampling of what is available on my Flickr Photostream. Over the years, I have had the unique opportunity to explore photograph abandoned gas stations, houses, industrial and agricultural centers, hidden underground passageways, abandoned hospitals, forgotten commercial enterprises, and of course, railroad yards and stations. What I have provided here is what I consider to be my top 50 most influential and thought-provoking shots.

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Lomography 101

Thomas — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:02:47 +0000

Lomography emphasizes casual, snapshot photography. Characteristics such as over-saturated colors, off-kilter exposure, blurring, “happy accidents,” and alternative film processing are often considered part of the “Lomographic Technique”.
-Wikipedia

A lomographic camera is perhaps the pinnacle of grunge photography. Similar to the Holga, the Lomo camera produces unique results that are unique and specific to each individual camera. Specifically, the Lomo will typically produce images that are of selective focus, over or under exposure, indense off-center vignetting, and over saturation.

Shown here is an example of an actual photo taken with a Lomographic camera using a fisheye lens.

Just like all the ‘rules’ of traditional photography, the Lomo community has adopted their own set of rules for taking photos with a Lomographic camera. The list of rules, which can be found on almost every Lomo website is as follows. My favorite rule has to be #10; don’t worry about the rules.

Take your LOMO everywhere you go & whenever you go.
Use it anytime — day or night.
Lomography is not an interference in your life, but a part of it.
Shoot from the hip.
Approach the objects of your lomographic desire as close as possible.
Don’t think.
Be fast.
You don’t have to know beforehand what you’ve captured on film.
You don’t have to know afterwards, either.
Don’t worry about the rules.

One of the greatest advantages of digital photography is the ability to transform any photograph into something more creative. For example, even high-end cameras can produce stunningly beautiful photographs that with a little manipulation, can be transformed into more creative images. I’ve heard some people criticise this process as taking photographs from very expensive cameras, and turning them into images that look as if they were taken with a $20 camera; apparently, a select few critics cannot appreciate creativity if it results with images similar to those taken with a ‘toy’ by comparison. Despite the competition to have the person on the block with the most number of megapixels, there is still a small market for Lo-Fi photographs.

The Lomography movement currently has a lot of available information, specifically centered around Lomography.com. Since there are a multitude of steps necessary to create a Lomo-Like image, and there are so many different options available, I’ve decided to forgo the step-by-step instructions and simply provide links to a few Gimp, and Photoshop actions, many of which are free. In case you’re wondering, the above photo was given its Lomo-like editing using the Photoshop Lomo action from Addicted To Design.

A multitude of Lomo actions and scripts are available, and can be found by doing a quick Google search. The following are just a small handful of examples of what is available. There is even a Flickr group (I mention Flickr a lot; if you’re not on Flickr by now, you probably should be).

A Lomo Photoshop Action, based on a tutorial by Frank Lazaro; multiple downloads can be found in this message board thread.
A Photoshop Lightroom Preset, complete with installation and usage instructions.
A Script For GIMP, which is basically a free version of Photoshop. This one also explains the process in gory detail, for those who wish to know all the ins-and-outs, or who want to create their own Photoshop actions.

-- Download Lomography 101 as PDF --

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The Holga

Thomas — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:58:00 +0000

The Holga is a medium format 120 film toy camera, made in China, known for its low-fidelity aesthetic. The Holga’s low-cost construction and simple meniscus lens often yields pictures that display vignetting, blur, light leaks, and other distortions. The camera’s limitations have brought it a cult following among some photographers, and Holga photos have won awards and competitions in art and news photography. -Wikipedia

Back in the days before I had the money to invest in a high-end digital SLR camera, I would spend long nights, sometimes hours at a time in the darkroom, developing that days film. I was addicted to 35 mm film, especially black and white. I clearly remember reading about the Holga on the Internet, and I just had to have one.

About The Holga

For those of you who may not be familiar with the Holga camera, it is marketed as a toy, but for those who have ever taken photographs with one, it is anything but a toy. The Holga camera uses 120 mm film, which is many times larger than the common 35 mm film that is most popular in the United States, and instead of having around 30 exposures per roll with 35 mm film, the Holga’s 120 mm film yields between 12 and 14 exposures per roll. 120 mm film can be hard to obtain, especially for a beginner. Amazon.com has become the quintessential supplier for such film, and for those who develop their own film and prints, Amazon.com has quite arguably the best selection around. Developing 120 film can be expensive if sent to a commercial film processor; I was lucky enough to have access to a home darkroom, however the cost of the chemicals (which require special disposal) and time required to process the negatives and print the photos can be intimidating. On a side note, color film is also available, and can be processed in black and white chemicals, which of course, results in black and white negatives. When the film is developed, the photographer should expect to see light leaks, soft focus around the edges, and unpredictable and sometimes interesting effects. The entire camera is made of plastic, including the lens. There is no zoom lens, and focusing is done on a haphazard scale that can only be moderately accurate at best if the camera is paired with an experienced user. What is most striking about the Holga is that each one is unique, and no two cameras are alike; almost as if the cameras had their own individual identities, every Holga will have its own signature light leaks and eccentricities.

Specs and Details

It should be noted that the original Holga 120 has no flash, but one can be added since there is a hot shoe; some newer models have build-in flashes. The Holga I had was the original 120, though I was able to modify it to use 35 mm film. Also, there is no automatic film advance, so each time a picture is taken, the photographer must turn a wheel to advance the film. I made several other modifications to the camera, such as adding electrical tape to cut down on some of the light leaks, adding a bolt to the underside so that it could be used with a tripod, and finally, painting it bright yellow. None of these modifications are recommended, however. Thankfully, today there are Holgas made out of a variety of different colors of plastic, and some even manufactured to accept 35 mm film and mount on a tripod.

Examples

The following photos were found in the Flickr Group called Holga, which at the time of this writing, was the largest Flickr group about this subject.

-- Download Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The Holga as PDF --

Crooked Home

Thomas — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 20:08:44 +0000

Desolate Farmhouse

Thomas — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 20:04:46 +0000

You Can’t Get There From Here!

Thomas — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 01:55:15 +0000

Abandoned Stuckeys In Winter

Thomas — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 23:16:22 +0000

Stuckey’s originated in the early 1930s in Eastman, Georgia. When founder W. S. Stuckey, Sr., had a successful pecan harvest from his family’s orchard he decided to offer a portion of the crop for sale in a lean-to roadside shed. Many Florida-bound tourists traveling U.S. Route 23 stopped to purchase the pecans.

In 1960, W. S. Stuckey attempted to create a hotel chain called Stuckey’s Carriage Inn, but opened only four locations. In 1967, Stuckey’s merged with Pet Milk.

The company at its peak had over 350 locations, which dwindled to fewer than 75 after a decline in the late 1970s under ownership by Pet. It was repurchased by former Congressman W.S. Stuckey, Jr., in 1985. It currently has over 200 franchise stores in 19 states.
-Wikipedia

While traveling along Interstate 80, my true love, Angiespotted this abandoned Stuckey’s location in Corsica, Pennsylvania. Upon returning home, Angie was awesome enough to dig up a ton of information about this place, including this locations date of closure, which happened to be some time in 1972.

Despite having been closed and abandoned for many years, there were still remnants of the prior business. I found it amazing that after all these years, there were still some items that were left behind and forgotten.

The interior of this place was a complete and total disaster. Insulation was peeling from the ceiling, the concrete floor was cracked and uneven, and some of the the walls were crooked. Every painted surface was now peeling… Badly. The more I looked around I wondered how the place was even still standing after all the years of neglect and abandonment. The worst part of all was the fact that it was winter and I was freezing.

For whatever reason, no matter what abandoned place you photograph, there will always be at least one item that gives clues to the buildings previous use. Here if you look closely, you can see a white ceramic plate under one of the shelves in the storage room.

One of the most striking things about photographing an abandoned building is the skeleton appearance. After years of abandonment, (and sometimes vandalism), walls will be stripped down to the studs.

After photographing numerous abandoned locations, I have developed my own certain style. Every photographer photographs things differently, using technique and experience to derive the results you want. When photographing abandoned places, I look for vintage objects from an earlier time that help to tie the abandonment to a more specific time period. Commercial buildings are more difficult to date based on the objects found within them due to the fact that items are routinely replaced and upgraded. This bathtub filled with tiles is priceless.

You can see the entire set on Flickr here.

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Advanced Grunge Editing

Thomas — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:05:56 +0000

My original post in this series was Easy and Creative Grunge Effects. This post is for the more advanced photographer who is looking for some more interesting and stunning effects and editing.

For this tutorial, you will need the following. First, as always, you will need a photo image, such as the one shown in this tutorial. Second, you will need a copy of Photoshop, or a similar image editing program. Thirdly, you will need some brushes for use with Photoshop. A few of the brushes used in this tutorial were found at PhotoshopBrushes.com. Additionally, there are Photoshop actions available for purchase that closely follow tutorials such as this one.

For this tutorial, we will start with this photo.

The first step is to crop the photo squarely. A perfect square is what we’re looking for. In Photoshop you need to hold down the shift key while cropping. On a side note, a great group on Flickr for square photographs is squareFormat.

Step two is to add some scratches. Using a grunge style brush, we can create the effect that someone went absolutely nuts on this picture. For best results, set the opacity around 50%; experiment to see what looks best. Subtle nuances are always better.

The third step is to add this stain in the bottom left corner. In case you are wondering, this is a coffee splatter stain.

Fourth on the list is to add some stains to the corners. This is what will happen to your photo if you hang them up on a wall with cheap tape. (Trust me, I’ve made that mistake.) The stains were all created with the same brush by randomizing the location and depth; the opacity was set at 75%. Again, experiment to see what works best.

The last step is to balance the levels and convert the image to black and white. Of course, the black and white conversion is completely optional, but I thought it made the picture.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Some of the brushes used here were found at PhotoshopBrushes.com. The black and white conversion was accomplished using a Photoshop Action called Black & White Essence, and can be purchased here.

-- Download Advanced Grunge Editing as PDF --

Secrets Of Lo-Fi Photography

Thomas — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:27:48 +0000

Between An Erupting Earth And An Exploding Sky by Ashley Buress, Used With Permission.

Lo-fi photography is a style of photography generally using poor equipment, such as toy cameras or pinhole cameras, for stylistic effect. It is often considered a reaction to the perceived ease of creating technically perfect photos in the digital age. Generally the emphasis is on using film, rather than digital technology.
-Wikipedia

Recently, I learned an important lesson about photography. The camera does not make the photograph, the photographer does. This concept has been intentionally dismissed by camera companies who insist that you need the latest, most high-tech, and expensive camera gear to create beautiful images. Recently some photographers have become late adopters to the idea that beautiful images can be created with outdated and sub-standard camera gear. Sadly, with the era of digital photography, film cameras are now slowly being considered lo-fi, as are Polaroid instant print cameras.

Perhaps the most notable lo-fi cameras include Dianas, Holgas, Lomos, and as far as digital is concerned, very low megapixel digital cameras. The featured image at the very beginning of this article was provided for use by Ashley Buress, whose Flickr photostream (at the time of this writing) was almost completely filled with some very impressive lo-fi photography. The remainder of the photos in this article were taken by me, using my Blackberry Curve 8530.

Despite the artistic appeal of lo-fi photography, it can also have some practical uses. A lot of folks feel the idea of carrying around a DSLR everywhere you go is a practical idea, however cell phones have become a vital accessory of modern life. With the advent of camera phones (cellular phones with built-in cameras), the ability to have a camera with you at all times suddenly appeals to quite a lot more people. As I mentioned earlier, the photos in this article were taken with a camera phone, which at roughly 2 megapixels, it qualifies as a lo-fi camera by todays standards.

It never ceases to amaze me how those with simple low-end cameras always dream of having the latest high-end cameras of their well-to-do counterparts. And yet, even more amazing are the photographers who own the high-end equipment who look to those with toy cameras for advice on how to make their photographs look as if they were taken with lo-fi equipment.

The good news is that if you are lucky enough to own a modern DSLR, chances are you can step-down the resolution of your final image. In other words, instead of your camera producing a 10 megapixel image, most modern DSLRs will allow you to set the resolution down to 5 megapixels, 2 megapixels, or further down. Alternatively, there are a lot of people making a small fortune by selling Photoshop Actions that simulate lo-fi photography.

-- Download Secrets Of Lo-Fi Photography as PDF --

The Exploration of Eastern State Penitentiary

Thomas — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 21:20:56 +0000

The Eastern State Penitentiary(ESP) is a former American prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located on 2027 Fairmount Avenue between Corinthian Avenue and North 22nd Street in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia and was operational from 1829 until 1971. Its revolutionary system of incarceration was the first to establish the policy of separate confinement, emphasizing principles of reform rather than punishment. Notorious criminals such as bank robber Willie Sutton and Al Capone were held inside its unique wagon wheel design. When the building was erected it was the largest and most expensive public structure ever constructed, quickly becoming a model for more than 300 prisons worldwide. -Wikipedia

On May 28, 2010, myself and a group of friends decided to check out Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the time, I was following up on a tip from a fan of my website (while I’m on the topic, I’m always looking for tips). Opened in 1829, the prison housed some of America’s most notorious and dangerous criminals, such as Al Capone and many others, up until its closing and subsequent abandonment in 1971. Today, it is a crumbling structure of guard towers and cell blocks which are kept in a perminant, yet stable state of disrepair and abandonment. The prison is a fantastic sight to behold and a perfect location for grunge photography.

The staff at the prison was very friendly and photography is not only allowed, it was actually encouraged. There is a group on Flickr for photos taken there, and a lot of the submitted photos are later featured on their website.

The prison is an endless wonderland of abandonment and disrepair. This is one such room I photographed that was behind a closed and locked door. To get this shot, I had to wrap the camera strap around my wrist and blindly take a few shots by placing my arm through a small gap between the door and the wall it was secured to.

This is an abandoned yard that was overgrown with weeds and grass behind one of the prison buildings. As you can see, the prison walls are in an advanced state of disrepair and decay, though many of the original prison elements such as floodlights are still intact.

Shooting a picture through broken panes of glass always tend to yeild some interesting pictures. For this, I manually focused on the wall inside this room and left the wired safety glass way out of focus for a layered and partially reflective illusion.

One of several guard towers. All of the towers had broken windows. Sadly, at the time, only the ground floor was open, all of the guard towers were off limits, as were all of the coridors that had not yet been restored. The staff said that the guard towers would be opened to the public eventually, as time and funding permits.

If you are in the area, I highly recomment visiting the old prison. You should allow yourself at least two to three hours to explore the place. Most of the prison is still off limits as the restoration of the prison is still underway, and will continue to be as long as funding is available. For more information, you can check out their website, which by the way, does not give this place any justice whatsoever. It really is worth a trip from anywhere.

Eastern State Penitentiary

You can see the entire Eastern State Penitentiary set here.

-- Download The Exploration of Eastern State Penitentiary as PDF --

How To Photograph A Dead Car

Thomas — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:18:50 +0000

There are certain things that attract people to grunge photography; they are mainly abandoned places, forgotten objects, and of course, dead cars. In this post, I’ll show you how to properly photograph a dead car, or at the very least, the methods I use to photograph one.

If you are looking for inspiration, there is a fantastic group on Flickr dedicated to dead vehicles appropriately called Found on Roadside Dead.

I came across this old abandoned car while visiting a close friend. Although this car is currently sitting on private property, with buildings nearby, the angle of this shot gives the illusion that the car is in the middle of absolutely nowhere. The negative open space gives the feeling of isolation.

Photos taken head-on show details such as license plates and details such as how cars used to be manufactured. Despite the age, this car still has a nice shiny chrome bumper.

At a near 45 degree angle from center, this shot reveals an empty engine compartment. This angle is typical of most modern-day car photographs. This angle gives the car a powerful, almost superior appearance. It also works well for grunge style car photographs.

In my opinion, the inside of a dead car is really where it’s at. If you’re really lucky, the interior will have signs of decay, or at the very least, some sort of environmentally-related damage. If you are faced with a wide variety of dead cars, such as a junkyard or any other location with a bunch of old cars, the cars missing doors, windows, or sunroofs will decay faster on the interior.

For those of you who are impatient, stains, enviornmental damage, and decay can sometimes be “faked”. However, unless you have a lot of time to spend on props, the one thing that cannot be easilly faked is the ravages of time. The back seat of this car is a prime example of this phenomenon. It just so happens that a plant has found purchase in the foam rubber padding of the rear seat.

Decay, mess, and muddle is the heart of grunge photography. A close-up shot of the floor inside the car reveals just how long this car has been left to decay; there are large holes rusted through the steel floor.

Just like abandoned buildings, dead cars can be found literally anywhere. I have found several in the woods. If you are looking for a database of dead cars, one actually exists here.

Here are a few take-away tips for shooting an abandoned vehicle. First, make sure wherever your car is located, you can access and photograph it safely. Some abandoned cars found their final resting places as the result of an accident, most are located on private property. Be sure to take a good look at your surroundings before you go in for a closer look.

Second, although it is popular to include models in modern car photo shoots, be extremely careful if you decide to have someone pose against, on top of, or inside an abandoned vehicle. Metal rusts and can be sharp or even jagged. Likewise, with all the weakness associated with structural anomalies, the car itself can become very unstable and/or unsafe for human occupation. I speak from experience when I say that there was one situation where I had a car door fall off of a car as soon as I tried to open it.

Finally, anything you find on, inside, or near the car that belongs or might belong to the car should be left there. No matter how interesting something is, chances are, you don’t want it. The reason for this is safety; the government has enacted strict standards for safety that were non-existent in years gone by. Therefore, it is possible to find lead-based paint, residue from leaded gasoline, or even asbestos.

-- Download How To Photograph A Dead Car as PDF --

50 Stunning Examples of Abandonment

Thomas — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 19:00:25 +0000

These 50 stunning examples of abandonenment are from my Flickr photostream. I feel like they represent some of the best examples of my grunge photography and urban exploration photographs.

-- Download 50 Stunning Examples of Abandonment as PDF --

Locomotive Graveyard

Thomas — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 04:59:41 +0000

Just off Interstate 88 in New York, near Colliersville, is the small town of Cooperstown Junction. Cooperstown Junction used to be a major route as part of the D&H line, which later became the Cooperstown And Charlotte Valley Railroad. Unfortunately, the construction of I-88 revolutionized the transportation through the area, and freight service ceased in the 1980′s. The line was officially abandoned in 1998 after years of disuse.

This is one of the few places in my life that truly inspires me. If you decide to visit, you will be surrounded by abandoned locomotives, railroad box cars, and various support equipment. If you look closely, you might notice the remnants of an overpass that was removed a long time ago. Across the road from the abandoned locomotive featured here are the remnants of a passenger train.

When photographing an abandoned rail yard, or in this case, the closest I’ve ever come to a full-blown locomotive graveyard, it’s best to shoot in the winter time when there is snow on the ground. Snow is one of those things that tends to discourage inexperienced photographers into putting their cameras down until warmer weather returns. Snow also has an effect on a scene; by hiding the smaller details, it allows the more prominant details to stand out above the rest. Ultimately, snow creates the feeling of true abandonment and isolation.

The Railroad Scene

Buy Prints Here

Anytime you photograph a specific scene, don’t forget to include the little details somewhere in the background. Here I have taken a frontal shot of the abandoned crane truck with the abandoned locomotive in the distance. This picture just says, abandoned railroad.

Unlike most other photographers and otherwise logical people, I like to explore places and things that most people might consider too risky or dirty to explore. I’ve always been fascinated by trains and railroads; when I was a small child, I dreamed of having a nice track of land where I could collect train locomotives. But trains are big things, and they’re expensive, so when an opportunity presents itself where I can journey inside the cab of a locomotive, I jump at it.

Older train locomotives have small windows. The windows here are only slightly larger than those found in the cockpit of a commercial jetliner. Modern locomotives have much more impressive windshields and side-view windows.

Sometimes I come across an ultra-rare find such as this letter, which was written on January 13, 1966, which describes the workings and operation of the locomotive generator.

Here are a few take-away tips for photographing railroads.

If the railroad is abandoned, try shooting the scene in winter. If the railroad is still in operation, you can pretty much shoot the scene anytime.
Don’t neglect the details of your visit; documents are extremely rare, but if you’re lucky, the numbers will still be visible on the sides of the locomotive and/or rolling stock.
Railroads can be VERY dangerous places. Never attempt to photograph moving trains unless you are in a safe location that is far enough away from the tracks. Accordingly, you should never walk along railroad tracks, despite how often the movies romanticise this dangerous activity.

Finally, if you would like to see the entire set that these photos were taken from (I didn’t have enough room to display them all), you can check them out here.

-- Download Locomotive Graveyard as PDF --

Finding Beauty In A House Of Entropy

Thomas — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 04:00:55 +0000

Entropy… The beauty of falling apart.

Sometimes photographers take risks in pursuit of their passion. I sometimes take risks that are beyond the threshold of most other photographers and people I know. On a tip to visit Centralia, Pennsylvania, I came across this nearby house located in Ashland. According to a handful of local people I talked to (who wish to remain anonymous), Centralia is known to be a somewhat hazardous place ridden with sinkholes and toxic gases. While I will likely refrain from visiting the place, lots of other people continue to post photos.

Like Centralia, Ashland is a town, whose economy is supported primarilly upon coal mining. The trouble with having an economy based upon a non-renewable resource is that once the resource is exhaused, the economy falls apart and the towns people are forced to leave with what few posessions they can afford to take with them. The photographs presented here are taken of a house that met the fate of an unstable economy, but you can find more photos of Ashland here.

Although the front side of this house looked like any other abandoned house, the back tells a different story. The entire second story was unaccessable, as was the second half of the rear of the house.

Over the years, the one thing I have never found in an abandoned house is a suitcase. This place had a few of them. Since I posted this photo, I have gotten the same age-old question… What’s in it? To this I reply that I’m a photographer, not a relic seeker. Like any other situation, one should leave only footprints, and take only photographs and memories. The various textures and patterns shown here are indicative of the grunge style.

Most beginner photographers use a flash in low-light conditions. Given the choice, I try my best to make use of natural light. Take this bedroom scene for example; in this case I decided that the high-contrast would be better than filling the scene with light.

Here are a few tips for shooting scenes like these…

Shoot all of your photos in color. If you have the ability, use RAW format in addition to JPEG. After adjusting the levels, convert the image to black and white before you choose which version looks best. Sometimes black and white gives more texture to the image, while at other times, color reveals details that might otherwise be lost with black and white.

While taking risks is a part of any business, especially any business in the arts, safety must be the highest priority. During this shoot I had a foot go right through the floor as soon as I stepped inside a door. By no means am I encouraging you to explore places like this, but if you chose to, you should expect the truly unexpected.

Finally, do your research before you go. Local people who have lived in the area for a long period of time will generally have the best insider information. And while I’m at it, I should probably mention this in-depth article discussing Centralia, Pennsylvania; I might just get up enough courage to check the place out for myself.