The way inside

[gahspidy]

A recent adventure to a long abandoned psychiatric facility. This opening was discovered after surveying the building hidden in over growth and foliage. The place was too run down and dangerous to enter (although i foolishly did and had a near catastrophe)
So, a shot of the open door. What thinks ye?

[Greg McCary]

I really like it Gary, nice detail on the inside. I also like the light at the top. Industrial look to it. Top notch work Gary.

[NKP68]

I like it. Nice B&W rendering. Image has a foreboding feel of decay. I love the architectural details of the doorway and surrounding brickwork. You rarely see this type of work in new buildings anymore.
It really adds a level of 'character' to the scene. Lots of eye candy for me.

Ed

[Overbeyond]

I like the angle of view which gives us sight of the old stairs inside the door opening. There is a leaf or something covering the bottom of the lh bracket (as we look) that supports the canopy; I think it would be better if it was cloned out so as the complete shape of the bracket is shown. This is only a small thing though because the picture is very good especially now as it tends to whet our appetites and our curiosity to see what lies within. I hope you can take us in.

[LeeIs]

I like it.

Also would love to hear the 'near catastrophe experience'. There's a place near where i'm staying at right now that's an old factory and wanted to go in there the other day, but was too busy. So what happened?

I like the photo, but honestly, it suffers from the same problem i can never get over. Maybe it's just a pet peeve of mine that no one cares about. Every time I shoot a doorway at an angle, it's inevitable that you will have to cut off a diagonal line somewhere, especially if it's shot close up.

here, for instance the diagonal line just above the lamp is the victim.I see a small triangle there. (which is driving me insane) and there's more to the right of that. Even if the small triangle wasn't there, I'd probably hate the entire diagonal line going off the photo.

I think this is probably an irrational hate. lol. but I truely can't stand that. It just seems incomplete, and I do realize that even if you went wider some diagonal dillema would still be present.

Other than that, i like the run down entrance, dark, mysterious interior feel of this.

[gahspidy]

I really like it Gary, nice detail on the inside. I also like the light at the top. Industrial look to it. Top notch work Gary.

Thanks, Greg. This was actually an HDR of about 5 exposures to get the balance of detail inside and keeping the highlights in check outside. It was a very bright sunny day, bout 101 deg.

[gahspidy]

I like it. Nice B&W rendering. Image has a foreboding feel of decay. I love the architectural details of the doorway and surrounding brickwork. You rarely see this type of work in new buildings anymore.
It really adds a level of 'character' to the scene. Lots of eye candy for me.

Ed

Thanks for the comment. Yes, i'm always in awe at the amount of detail they did back in the days that we just do not see anymore with newer structures.

[gahspidy]

I like the angle of view which gives us sight of the old stairs inside the door opening. There is a leaf or something covering the bottom of the lh bracket (as we look) that supports the canopy; I think it would be better if it was cloned out so as the complete shape of the bracket is shown. This is only a small thing though because the picture is very good especially now as it tends to whet our appetites and our curiosity to see what lies within. I hope you can take us in.

Tom, that was part of the reason for me taking it from this angle, to see the stairs. Another reason, and something that Liban brought up in a way is that I'm a bit tired of shooting these type subjects straight on.
The leaf in the way of the bottom of the support bracket is certainly not ideal. I think I will try to work that out as you suggested.
Thanks, yes there are a few images from inside that I will get to. Unfortunately not many as the place was just too dilapidated.

[gahspidy]

I like it.

Also would love to hear the 'near catastrophe experience'. There's a place near where i'm staying at right now that's an old factory and wanted to go in there the other day, but was too busy. So what happened?

I like the photo, but honestly, it suffers from the same problem i can never get over. Maybe it's just a pet peeve of mine that no one cares about. Every time I shoot a doorway at an angle, it's inevitable that you will have to cut off a diagonal line somewhere, especially if it's shot close up.

here, for instance the diagonal line just above the lamp is the victim.I see a small triangle there. (which is driving me insane) and there's more to the right of that. Even if the small triangle wasn't there, I'd probably hate the entire diagonal line going off the photo.

I think this is probably an irrational hate. lol. but I truely can't stand that. It just seems incomplete, and I do realize that even if you went wider some diagonal dillema would still be present.

Other than that, i like the run down entrance, dark, mysterious interior feel of this.

Thanks Liban, I do have some peeves like this as well I think I've become the opposite in that wehn I see shots straight on sometimes all tidy and neat it makes me feel tension and want to yell lol.

I knew i wanted this one at the angle and so I just tried to get a good balance of shapes and light/dark etc so that it just "felt" right even though diagonal lines are going in and out of frame. It was a few months ago that i had come across some shots like these from some famous, and some not so famous but very good photographers who approached these subjects at angles as well and i remember feeling very positive about them. I should have book marked them for examples, but I'll be searching them out again.

Did you ever see the movie with Tom Hanks and Shelley Long, "the Money Pit"? There is a part in the movie when Tom Hanks walks into the bedroom of his newly purchased house (a real fixer upper) and falls through the floor up to his waist and has to wait for Shelley to come home and help him out.
That was me, although i was alone and could not wait for anyone (no one knew I was there) and had to pull myself up while praying the rest of the floor would hold and not send me crashing to the basement.

[readingr]

Gary,

I have been staring at this photo for some time trying to work out what bothers me. Well I finally twigged it is to clean. It needs more dirty/grit; it looks like it could do with some good old fashioned film grain to give it that extra kick. Just my opinion of course.

Roger R.

[gahspidy]

Gary,

I have been staring at this photo for some time trying to work out what bothers me. Well I finally twigged it is to clean. It needs more dirty/grit; it looks like it could do with some good old fashioned film grain to give it that extra kick. Just my opinion of course.

Roger R.

Hey Roger, I was actually considering bringing a more timeless gritty processing to these set of images. Now that you addressed it I had a go with it, but did not want it too grungy where i lose some of the finer subtleties in tones, etc.

Here is a rougher edit. how goes it....?

[LeeIs]

Thanks Liban, I do have some peeves like this as well I think I've become the opposite in that wehn I see shots straight on sometimes all tidy and neat it makes me feel tension and want to yell lol.

I knew i wanted this one at the angle and so I just tried to get a good balance of shapes and light/dark etc so that it just "felt" right even though diagonal lines are going in and out of frame. It was a few months ago that i had come across some shots like these from some famous, and some not so famous but very good photographers who approached these subjects at angles as well and i remember feeling very positive about them. I should have book marked them for examples, but I'll be searching them out again.

Did you ever see the movie with Tom Hanks and Shelley Long, "the Money Pit"? There is a part in the movie when Tom Hanks walks into the bedroom of his newly purchased house (a real fixer upper) and falls through the floor up to his waist and has to wait for Shelley to come home and help him out.
That was me, although i was alone and could not wait for anyone (no one knew I was there) and had to pull myself up while praying the rest of the floor would hold and not send me crashing to the basement.

wow... sounds like you got super lucky there. yeah man gotta watch out when venturing in to these types of places. the worst part is , no one ever goes in, which means no one will be able to come and help you out since they aren't even aware you're in there.

[armando_m]

Glad you didn't get hurt !!

Would have loved to see shots of the interior

the door while old and run down doesn't really make me feel it was a psychiatric facility, perhaps if you don't mention it at all would let the viewer appreciate the entrance to the old building with no expectations

[gahspidy]

Liban, yep thats what was going through my mind as I was pulling myself up...that no one would be coming in here anytime soon to find me.

Armando, thanks for the comment. Its really going to be included in a bit of a series of shots from the various locations and structures around the facilities. There are some inside images, hence me falling through floor