random buildings @downtown jamestown (nikon d70)

On a trip to New York, I stopped by downtown Jamestown in search of decaying buildings. We were there on a Sunday evening and the area seemed more abandoned than it is. Aside from the people I was with, we only saw three or four others wandering the streets.

One of the first interesting buildings I found is the Arcade Building. Over the years, attempts have been made to renovate and reuse the building, but nothing has ever actually happened and it's still vacant.

Up the street from the old Arcade Building is an abandoned display in a vacant store window. From the debris, it appears the store has been out of business for quite some time.

Finally, despite several vacant buildings, there are still plenty of going concerns in downtown Jamestown. An example is this display in the window of Bro Laines.

more of the former cotton warehouse @grantville (fujica ax-5)

On yet another trip to Grantville, I convinced a friend to go as well. This time, to mix things up, I shot some black and white film. I especially like how this vine on the side of a former cotton warehouse came out. I am also fond of this black and white version of a valve on the wall of a former cotton warehouse.

While wandering around downtown, we were disappointed to discover that Nick's Pizza Stop was closed for the holiday. However, we did come across an ancient Chevrolet Suburban with "No Fear" spray painted on the side.

sunlight and garbage @ castleberry hill (fujica ax-5)

Despite being invented by musicians in the 1930s, Kodachrome is still better than any modern color film. I was overjoyed to discover it is still manufactured and processed. While some clarity and color depth of the slides is lost in the scans, enough of the unique feel is retained to be worth posting.

While hanging out with the Atlanta Photographers Guild and shooting models, I was rather bored. I noticed the evening sun on a railing and took a shot, as I knew the Kodachrome would reproduce the colors well. Conversely, in cold light, Kodachrome is capable of producing some fabulous blues and greens, as shown in this photograph of garbage in the ghetto.

bad neighborhoods @castleberry hill & downtown atlanta (polaroid 1200si)

One of the nicer aspects of Castleberry Hill is the never ending supply of garbage everywhere. Most of the litter can be attributed to the filthy animals that are Falcons fans, but the neighborhood also seems to attract more than its fair share of random dumping. The City of Atlanta's inability to provide basic services like street and sidewalk cleaning does not help.

To the northeast of Castleberry Hill is downtown Atlanta. This part of the city features some of metro Atlanta's premier office space. Right next to that fine office development are premium downtown Atlanta condominiums. I'm not sure if those are abandoned residences or a vacant hospital of some sort.

Back in Castleberry Hill, the residentially challenged are living large, as evidenced by this bum's nest. I hope everyone enjoyed this tour of scenic downtown Atlanta!

old barn and old truck @douglas county (fujica ax-5)

Tired of photographing urban decay, one evening I headed west along US 78 (Bankhead Highway) towards Douglas County, Georgia, to see what I could discover. Driving randomly down country roads near Villa Rica, I came across a dilapidated barn. The ancient barn was in bad shape, as evidenced by this photograph showing a hole in the structure. Also, the rusty roof was decaying badly and panels were missing.

Headed back to Atlanta through Villa Rica, I found an old Ford truck parked just outside of downtown. Surprisingly, the headlight of the F100 was in decent shape. In the window of the truck was a sign that read:

Ford F100
1964
V8 3SPD
Runs Great
No Title
$1995

Obviously, a bargain at twice the price!

bad neighborhoods @castleberry hill & vine city (polaroid 1200si)

One day, while strolling through my neighborhood, I came across this low budget car wash. When I went back in the evening to photograph the car wash in the evening, the proprietor - at least I assumed he was - was sitting in front of it. I went back a few more times and was finally rewarded with a people free flick.

Although the car wash looks like it could be anywhere in the rural southeastern United States, it is located only a few miles from downtown Atlanta. As far as I know, the car wash is still there and still in business.

Homelessness is a serious issue in Atlanta. It is a problem, because they irritate me by asking for money all the time. However, there were two agreeable (i.e. they never talked to me) fellows engaged in urban camping in my neighborhood. Most of the time, they simply sat in a field with their limited posessions. After several tries, I was able to take this flick of a bums' nest, minus the residentially challenged persons.

While out strolling on another day, I discovered this Atlanta Falcons fan's recreational vehicle, located in a vacant lot on the eastern edge of Vine City. For readers unfamiliar with Atlanta, Vine City is a serious slum, mostly famous for its open air drug market. I went early in the morning to get the photograph, while all the crackheads were still asleep. Even then, I did not dare venture inside. By the time I found someone willing to explore the interior with me, the RV was gone.

more ideas from the professor @oakland cemetery (fujica ax-5)

Oakland Cemetery is one of my favorite places to shoot flicks, mostly because several visitors have expressed they are not wild about cemetery photographs.

A few years ago, during a conversation with my friend The Professor, he mentioned riding through Oakland Cemetery as a child and wondering about the monuments reflecting the Downtown Atlanta skyline, which is visible from the graveyard. As this was an excellent idea, I set off to implement it.

This monument is similar to the Suntrust building in the background, yet different from the other buildings in the skyline. Also, the monument appears to be the same scale as the buildings and slightly taller than Peachtree Center. This photograph reverses the dynamic, with the tombstone dominating the Westin in the background.

The next two flicks focus on the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills building, now converted into lofts. The first is a monument reflecting the water tower and building and the second is a different marker reflecting the water tower. I think these photographs work well with the Professor's idea, what do you think?

Those who missed it may wish to peruse The Professor And His Ideas @Oakland Cemetery.