Archive for Grunge Photography – Page 2

Locomotive Graveyard

Dead Locomotive

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. Read More→

Finding Beauty In a House of Entropy

Empty House 1 - 1
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. Read More→

How To Photograph A Dead Car

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.

Dead Car (1 of 6)
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. Read More→

Exploring A Ghost Train

Two Train Cars

Along US Route 209 in Hurley, New York, sits a series of railroad coaches and freight cars. These were the same cars that used to travel the Ulster and Delaware Railroad throughout the Catskills during the early tourism days.

Railroad To Hell
This section of track shows the effect years of disrepair and neglect can have on a railroad line.  The good news is that the rail cars will likely not be going anywhere anytime soon. Read More→

Abandoned Train Depot

Stamford, New York, located in Upstate New York, was a major tourist and vacation destination at the turn of the century.  In the early part of the 20th century, Stamford reached its peak in the tourism industry.  The advent of the automobile and modern advances in long-distance transportation such as commercial jetliners contributed to the decline of tourism and vacationing in the Stamford area.

Abandoned Train Depot - Full View

Some grunge-style photography is not only for artistic reasons, but sometimes can serve as a historical record.  Sadly, many of the abandoned places I have had the opportunity photograph did not remain in existence for very much longer afterward.  The photos used in this article are part of this Abandoned Train Depot set on Flickr. Read More→

New York City Grunge Photography

Those lucky enough to live near a big city or urban area know that these places are perfect for locations for grunge photography. The last time I took a trip to New York City, I took a lot of photographs of grunge and street art, and whatever else caught my eye on the street. Here are some of the highlights; the entire set is available here on Flickr.

I've Seen Better Times
One of the most recognizable facets of Urban Grunge are, without a doubt, stickers. In New York City,
stickers are everywhere. Most are promoting music bands, websites, businesses, or blogs.
A small minority of stickers that are posted are just simple pictures, like this one, which unfortunately,
has been scratched and torn.
On a side note, my business uses stickers as part of its advertising campaign; click here
for more information. (Please stick stickers responsibly.) Read More→