An Unexpected Adventure
February 9, 2020
In 2006, years before my friend Britt forsook Oberlin for Santa Barbara (and before I started this blog), she and I drove to nearby Elyria, Ohio, to see what we could see. Starting with a promising alley, we had not been there long when a man approached and invited us into the building we had been photographing. He was renovating it and thought we might find interesting things to photograph inside. Did we ever. Were I to do these photos over, I would take many of them differently, most often by pulling back a bit to include more in the frame. But I had so much fun taking another look at these even as they are that I decided to share them here.
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Romancing Reality 
I realy like the idea and the result is very good photography.
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February 9, 2020 at 3:08 AM
Thank you, Benny. On your “About” page you write, “What I learned was to consider the composition over the subject.” That’s the guide I try to follow also.
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February 9, 2020 at 4:46 PM
Your eye is a gift, skillfully used. These are magnificent.
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February 9, 2020 at 3:15 AM
Thank you, Michael. I’d love to find another building at the same stage of renovation.
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February 9, 2020 at 4:47 PM
Great shots, Linda.
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February 9, 2020 at 3:44 AM
Thanks, Jessica. These required so much fussing in Lightroom! Either the camera I use now is much better, or I have learned how to make better exposures. Or both.
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February 9, 2020 at 4:51 PM
It’s a great set of shots. My favourites at first look are number 9 and 15 but they are all good and you’ve captured some really interesting subjects with some nice compositions.
I like it when I’m out with my camera and how it can often help to gain access to places that otherwise might not be seen. I’ve been invited into places of historic interest, shops and even a digital print factory! The process and experience of taking photographs is as important to me as the images I take. These are a great example of photographs that can come from those pleasant unexpected surprises when out and about with your camera.
Thanks for sharing, best wishes, Mr C 🙂
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February 9, 2020 at 4:39 AM
Today’s post was originally going to be my collection of photographs of ladders, and #9 would have been in it. But I got caught up in the photos from this photo shoot. Speaking of unexpected surprises, I had one while out photographing this morning. I was lining up a shot of the facade of a new restaurant in town when the owner came out, pointed at the building’s lit sign and said, “I turned it on for you.” How nice. We Oberlinians have been waiting forever for a Thai restaurant to hit town, so I was planning to eat there anyway, but now I’m all the more eager.
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February 9, 2020 at 5:01 PM
Those moments when we connect with people while out with our cameras are important and I like that the owner didn’t only speak to you but invited you in.
I was photographing a tanning and beauty salon for my Shop Fronts of Sheffield site and the owner came out and asked what I was doing but then said she would roll up the other shutter. It was a double fronted shop and only half was open on the day of my visit. I got some nice shots and advised where she would be able to see them and to get in touch if she wanted any. I declined to get my nails done or to have a spray tan but we had a few laughs at the prospect of me joining the other customers… 🙂
I hope we still get to see your collection of ladders 🙂
Best wishes
Mr C
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February 10, 2020 at 1:01 PM
Nice story, Mr. C. The ladder collection may yet make an appearance.
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February 10, 2020 at 1:03 PM
The story of an empty house; I like it! 🙂
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February 9, 2020 at 5:54 AM
It is a story, isn’t it, Harrie. Thanks.
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February 9, 2020 at 5:02 PM
Such a sensibility for the materials / subjects. I especially like how white was so prominent in each image.
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February 9, 2020 at 7:06 AM
Thank you, Clare. Many rooms had that old-fashioned green color shown in #10, but the renovator was turning it all to white. I wonder how all the units look now, but I also wonder if I’d prefer the appearance of things as they were when I was there.
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February 9, 2020 at 6:57 PM
Bless you. You see beauty where others see detritus.
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February 9, 2020 at 8:16 AM
Thank you, Leslie.
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February 9, 2020 at 6:59 PM
What strange fruits of decay. I’d like to see the ladder get up and stride on its padded feets.
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February 9, 2020 at 9:23 AM
I’ve since seen other ladders with padded feet. I suppose the padding is to lessen the possibility of the ladder slipping on the floor when it’s set up. Thanks for writing , Steve.
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February 9, 2020 at 7:02 PM
Probably also to keep the base of the ladder from scratching the floor.
I just notice a strange s on the end of feet in my original comment. That was quite a feat.
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February 10, 2020 at 1:29 PM
I thought it was cute.
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February 10, 2020 at 4:13 PM
I’d say you had a pretty good day, Linda. I particularly like #14. Cast shadows have always appealed to me and I’m glad you found this interesting, too.
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February 9, 2020 at 10:38 AM
I think it would have been a good day even if none of the photos had turned out. It was really fun to be there. Yes, I’m a big fan of shafts of light like this, too.
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February 9, 2020 at 7:10 PM
Hi Linda, My favorites are 15 and 17. It looks like a fun place to find unusual subjects. Lynda
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February 9, 2020 at 11:47 AM
If I remember right, the object in #15 was a smallish piece of plywood propped up perpendicular to the floor. I thought at the time that the marks were of someone’s shoes, but now I’m not so sure. Number 17 is one photograph whose tight framing I don’t regret. I like how the circle is cut off at the bottom. Today I think my inclination would be to include the whole circle. I’ll try fighting that inclination the next time I have it.
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February 9, 2020 at 7:20 PM
Interesting images, my friend – my favourites are 8 and (especially) 14. 🙂
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February 10, 2020 at 2:37 AM
Thanks, Adrian. So, especially because it’s one of your favorites, it was worth my while to fuss at #8 in Lightroom and Color Efex Pro. I don’t usually do that much fussing, but that image really needed it.
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February 10, 2020 at 1:15 PM
What a great story – the invitation to come inside was a gift. Joe just went through these with me – he appreciates the images and enjoyed identifying obscure things in them, but was puzzled by the “foot” prints in #15. I wonder what they were from? As for me, well, there are too many treats here to enumerate. What’s best, I think, is the overall picture that the images paint of an older building being renovated. The photographic narrative swings back and forth between scenes that are more (e.g. #1,9, 10,14) or less (e.g. #5,6,15) expected, which gives it a nice rhythm. That being said, I don’t have any problem picking out favorites: #1,2,(maybe #2 is my top fav), 5,7(#7 is a fabulous still life),9,10,17. I am glad you spent time trolling the archives!
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February 13, 2020 at 5:03 PM
I just noticed that I didn’t respond to this comment. I’m sorry. The “foot” prints in #15 will have to remain a mystery, I’m afraid. The surface (a piece of plywood? I no longer remember.) was propped vertically when I saw it, but I’ll bet it was horizontal when the marks were put down. Your identification of which photos are expected and which not is helpful. It’s interesting that your favorites include the expected ones. I’d never before seen a ladder with bandaged feet (#2) before, but I have since. The still life of #7 was totally untouched by me. I wonder if the worker who left the faucets there a a still life in mind. Probably not. Thanks for all your comments, Lynn.
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March 5, 2020 at 10:44 AM