Another Sleepless Night

The long, brutal, and still lingering winter here in Cleveland has me jumping at any chance for an adventure. Every time the temperature breaks forty degrees all I can think about is finding something new to climb or explore. This particular night I headed downtown to meet up with Jason and while I waited for him to get off of work I checked out a nearby rooftop. It wasn't the most excited spot but it still offered a decent view. 

The Huntington Building.

After meeting up with Jason we checked out another nearby rooftop, one with a great view of the now torn up Public Square, along with Key Tower.

Jason atop a ledge enjoying the view of one of the coolest buildings ever built.

A closer view of the square.

Brandon was waiting for us when we got down and we immediately drove to our next spot.

The black blur on the left is Jason.

At this point we almost called it a night and went for taco's but then we remembered a location that had been sitting on our list for far too long and figured we ought to cross off one more before heading home. This spot actually ended up being a lot more impressive than we imaged. One of the best features was the old water tower base.

I'm looking forward to warm weather and nights on top of buildings and bridges.

Photos taken with a Canon 60D, using a  Canon 10-22mm f/3.5, and a Rokinon 8mm Fisheye lens.

Film Friday - 10

The first three photos are taken with a Holga. I love how soft the Holga's plastic lens makes everything look. It also has great vignetting. 

The next five photos were taken with a medium format camera that I had bought at an estate sale a couple months ago. It's called a Snappy and looks exactly like a Diana. The Snappy is another toy camera like the Holga.

The final four photos were taken with a very old black & white Konica disposable camera that I had bought at Garage Sale Bonanza back in the summer. Konica, which merged with Minolta in 2003, was actually around even before Kodak. Unfortunately they got out of the photography business in 2006.

Film can be frustrating, and expensive, and just sort of annoying to shoot with; but I would recommend trying it. You don't have to be a great photographer or even a photographer at all. Just pick up a cheap camera at the thrift store, or buy a disposable camera if your grocery store still sells them. And then the next time you pull out your phone to take a picture of your friends, your food, or whatever else; take a film photo as well. 

Photos taken with a Holga, using Ilford FP4 Plus film; a Snappy, using Kodak Ektar 100 film; and a Konica single use camera.

Late Night Adventures

I go through phases with exploring and photography. I would love to spend every night up on top of bridges and buildings, but sometimes I'll go months without doing anything of the sort. The same goes for abandoned buildings, or street photography, or anything else. I guess I get bored, or maybe it's just that my motivation shifts due to my mood. Regardless of the reason, I tend to get really into shooting one type of thing for a few weeks at a time and then for a few months I have no real interest in shooting that subject. That's what happened with climbing. So on Saturday night when I met up with Brandon we were both long overdue for some heights. 

We knew right off the bat what our first location was going to be. I have always been in love with all of Cleveland's old lift bridges, and climbing them all has been a goal of mine even before moving here. 

The light trail of a train passing below.

(Buy Prints)

To have such a great view of the city, and at the same time be so detached, is a beautiful feeling.

(Buy Prints)

I could honestly sit up here all night.

Brandon walking out on the beams.

Interior of one of the wheel houses.

(Buy Prints)

After the bridge we drove around for a bit discussing possible climbs. We opted for a couple rooftops downtown.

(Buy Prints)

Water towers are always fun.

It was nearly 4 AM by the time I got home. I was sore from ladders and stairs and pulling myself up onto ledges, still, it felt great. 

Photos taken with a Canon 60D, using a  Canon 10-22mm f/3.5, and a Rokinon 8mm Fisheye lens.

The Salton Sea of the Midwest Part II

Welcome to part two of my exploration of the abandoned trailer park. One of the resounding elements of a place like this is the human connection. It's a far cry from the monumental, empty rooms of factories and warehouses. This isn't an impersonal structure visited by forgotten hordes of employees, students, worshipers, and patrons. Instead, these are places of personal memories. Places only select few can call their own. These decaying old trailers hold the personal belongings of families who lived or vacationed there. These are the places where people went to enjoy the company of loving family members and friends, and their memories linger here.

Inside one of the cottages.

The outhouse.

Loved this bathroom.

Power Of Pride

The interior of most of them were completely trashed.

Jason and Kaylah

Just as we started to head back to the car the clouds suddenly parted and the sun came out.

I get asked all the time to share where these places are. I understand asking and wanting to know where something like this is, however I've made it a policy of mine, not to divulge details about locations. I hope it's not seen as an act of selfishness, I simply want to protect these places from the inevitable damage caused by scrappers and vandals. The more people who know where an abandoned structure is, the better the chances are that someone with ill intent will find it and ruin it for everyone. So if you want to know where this, or where any of my other abandoned buildings are, I will tell you exactly how to find them, the same way that I find them. Google. The clues are there. I saw a few photos of this place and took what I saw in those photos made a couple Google searches, spent about ten minutes on Google Earth, and then less than twelve hours later I was standing in the middle of it camera in hand. Learn to love the search. It's part of the fun.

Photos taken with a Canon 60D, using a Canon 20mm f/2.8, and Canon 10-22mm f/3.5 lens.