A Little Departure

This is just something a little different since I haven't gotten the chance to explore much lately. This is one of my mother's marigolds but I managed to PhotoShop a rather odd effect into the background and made the flower really pop. Enjoy!

Admin in Fall

Every time I shoot Belchertown I say it will most likely be my last set, yet for months each time I head to Western Mass to visit my parents, I drive onto the campus expecting something to have changed. Nothing has changed. And yet everything has changed.

Next Two Parts of Graffiti Article

Part 2 and Part 3 of The Art of Graffiti are posted on Associated Content. Many thanks to everyone who has already viewed Part 1. Thanks for making it a success!

New AC Article

It's official, part 1 of the three part series on graffiti is now available on Associated Content. Unfortunately it posted without the photos, but please go read it and pass it on to your friends!

For more info or to support graffiti artists around the world, check out ArtCrimes.

Nothing New

Since I have nothing new to post because I'm having one of those weekends, I'll leave you with perhaps one of the funniest pieces of Banksy graffiti I've come across lately. For those of you who don't know who Banksy is, I'll give you a little history lesson. Banksy appeared on the London underground scene in 1992 as a free hand graffiti artist who slowly graduated to using stencils to produce some of his greatest work. Most of his pieces have some sort of anti-establishment theme, many of them featuring rats delivering a political or social commentary. So enjoy!

The Great Blue Somewhere

I have to apologize for taking so long to post the rest of my Hudson shots. For some reason I processed a few and then filed the rest away. But at any rate, here is the rest of the set including this one which highlights one of my favorite features of the Kirkbride hospitals- the never ending hallway shot. The added bonus at Hudson is the light coming in from the patient rooms at either side of the hallway which throws the criss crossing shadows across the floor that alternate with pools of light.

Barrell Distortion

For those of you who don't speak "photo geek", barrell distortion is the rounding effect that is caused by the edges of the barrell on the lens of your camera. This shot happens to have just a slight barrell distortion which drives some photographers nuts but happens to be a favorite effect of mine when photographing patient rooms. It makes me think of the tunnel vision you might experience in the midst of a panic attack, which I would say is a common occurrence in a psych ward.

I Can See the Flames for Miles

Much of Hudson River Psychiatric was damaged by a fire late last year. Most of our buildings are easy targets for arson and vandalism but the damage caused by the Hudson fire is by far some of the worst I have ever seen. However, some of the damage made for this incredibly vivid shot.

Slipping Into the Unknown

This was the first thing I saw when I stepped into the women's ward at Hudson River. The stained glass was breathtaking but the collapse in front of it nearly stopped my heart. Everywhere I stepped the floor sagged almost imperceptably, causing me to feel mildly seasick while attempting to navigate the long hallways. Looking from side to side into the old patient rooms, all I could see was more disaster. She must have been beautiful at one time. Now she is a beauty in need of a face lift.

Looking Out at What's Left

I used to look out these windows to the laundry down at the bottom of the hill but it was one of the first out buildings to be torn down. Not long after that, two of the four alphabet buildings of the Memorial Complex were torn down, leaving the middle two buildings still standing, bricked up holes at the end of hallways the only signs that the buildings once continued. The last two buildings are for sale but somehow I believe they too will fall to the wrecking ball.

Irony

Every locked door, now open. Doors that once kept people in were one day unlocked to let all of them out into a world they had never seen before except on day trips to downtown Northampton. It feels like a building full of irony.

End of Days

This frame somehow got lost in the shuffle of the final set taken of the Kirkbride. Looking back and re-editing some of these photos to send to Forbes Library in Northampton made me regret the fact that I didn't spend nearly enough time photographing one of the most amazing buidlings I have ever seen.

In the Rolling Fog

The corner of the Kirkbride held the fog in a pocket and wisps of white air drifted in and out of the empty windows. With a little help from a friend, I resurrected this shot and managed to make the fog in this photo move, the way it did when I took this shot in January of 2006.

Through the Fence, Darkly

This was one of the first views I had ever seen of Northampton State Hospital. The first time I took this shot, I took it in color without the interference of the fence. Seeing the gated porches and gaping windows without their regulation red plywood boards, the fog rolling over the buildings, created the impression of Northampton State that I will never forget.

The Long Drive Home Take 2

This frame is a second take on the grainier version taken last year with my 35mm. This time I used my Sony a100 DSLR on a much brighter, clearer day. The result was a deeper shot that carried you farther down that road to the MacPherson Memorial Infirmary at Belchertown State School.

Saints and Sinners Redux

For the first time on this site I'm going to post a set of photos without the real name of the site. This particular building, while no longer in use, houses the offices for a local development company and was slated to become condominiums. However, the state of the economy and the housing market has forced the developers to put their plans on hold so the building will remain empty except for the offices. Here are a few exteriors that I took on my way home this afternoon. Please enjoy!

Ring Bell

"To Enter Please Ring Bell". So of course I rang the bell but unfortunately, no one answered even though there was a car parked outside the front door. I was hoping to get a glimpse of the inside of the building but no such luck!

A Riot of Color

A beautiful stained glass door on the front of the building.

Angels in the Shadows

The back of the building was by far the most beautiful, shady, and tranquil spot on this 180 acre campus. This perspective just offered some very interesting shadow and angles.

A Soak in the Light

Even after innumerable trips to this particular location, I'm still amazed each and every time I see a room like this. It was a perfect day and I was undisturbed for over three hours, just happily shooting away in one of my favorite spots.