Honoring and Preserving a Cold War Legacy When passing through the idyllic and peaceful countryside around Lumberton, New Jersey, one would never expect to come across a fearsome relic of the Cold War. Yet, until recently, just outside of town, were the remains of a Nike missile battery built in 1956 and designated with the catchy name PH-23/25. In the 1950's and 60's the army built [...]
Strange Trees, Stranger Rock Formations and That Beautiful Desert Moon A few years ago a visit to Joshua Tree National Park was a photographic bust for me. Part of it was timing. We were only there for 2 days, the weather was really hot, blah blah blah. In retrospect, mediocre vision on my part was the real reason my work wasn't what it should be. As a result I [...]
Winter Berries by Richard Lewis 2013 Happiest of Holidays to all of you who celebrate at this time of year. Thank you so much for visiting, sharing, commenting and being a part of this blog. HAVE A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Creepiness in a Not-So-Old and Abandoned Home Old and abandoned buildings are usually a ruin that results from age and abuse. Damage from water, mold, deterioration, and vandalism is commonplace and expected when entering one. I recently photographed an old bungalow that was a bit different. Parts of the home were in pretty good shape. A little time with a broom and mop would make the place [...]
Shop Local is Good, But is Photograph Local Better? Between commitments and our annual family reunion occurring during Thanksgiving, I decided to challenge myself and spend a week only creating photography in the New Jersey Pinelands. My self-imposed limits were to shoot within a 20 minute drive from my home and to hike no more than 1 mile after I got to a location. [...]
Strange, Surreal, and Fantastic Light in the Arizona Desert I'm going to depart from the rust, mold and decay of the abandoned places I've been photographing this Fall and return to our Arizona trip in October. This post reflects my first morning in the Copper State. Every now and then a photographer is blessed with an amazing sunrise or sunset. I had an [...]
More photographs from Pennhurst, the "Shame of Pennsylvania" Pennhurst Deteriorated Exterior by Richard Lewis 2015 Pennhurst Asylum by Richard Lewis 2015 Pennhurst Wheelchair by Richard Lewis 2015 Pennhurst Day Room Couch by Richard Lewis 2015 Rags and Deterioration by Richard Lewis 2015 Pennhurst Medication Dispensary by Richard Lewis 2015 [...]
Photographing the Pennhust Asylum In the little town of Spring City, Pennsylvania are the remains of a place that is considered the Shame of Pennsylvania. In the early 1900's, a state run asylum was built to house "feeble-minded" children which was called Pennhurst. Overcrowding, neglect and abuse of the mentally and physically disabled patients at that asylum was common place and eventually the [...]
Composition Still Rules This year we were fortunate to experience the Fall colors in Arizona, New England and New Jersey. Photographing these colors on the trees can be challenging because it is easy to be seduced by their beauty and forget what it takes to create a great photograph. The art of photography is more than pointing a camera in the general direction of a [...]
When my friends told me about you, I couldn’t wait to meet you. They said you were absolutely beautiful and that we would really hit if off. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out. Sure, you are really gorgeous, but I just didn’t feel that spark between us. Every relationship is a two-way street and our failure to connect isn’t entirely my fault. For one thing, [...]
Attempting to Rate the Beauty of the American Landscape The Grand Canyon Grand Canyon Afterglow by Richard Lewis 2015 New England View Towards Mt. Monadnock by Richard Lewis 2015 In the last couple of weeks we were on a whirlwind tour, first in Arizona and then in New England. As a photographer, I am often perplexed, awed, inspired and completely [...]
Sunset At The Old Cabin by Richard Lewis 2013 One winter evening, I came upon this old cabin in the New Jersey Pine Barrens by accident, resulting in the image above. For some reason I keep feeling the need to return and see it in different light and at different times of the year. As an added benefit, I recently was given [...]
An Urban Wasteland in the Middle of the New Jersey Pinelands. Brooksbrae Brick Factory 1 by Richard Lewis 2015 Brooksbrae Brick Factory 2 by Richard Lewis 2015 Brooksbrae Brick Factory 3 by Richard Lewis 2015 Brooksbrae Brick Factory 4 by Richard Lewis 2015 No matter how long I live in the New Jersey Pine [...]
Tool of the Defender by Richard Lewis 2015 No American has trouble remembering what happened on September 11, 2001. Our country was attacked and civilians died, not soldiers. We were all thrown into a different world. Today, I'm thinking of those who died in a senseless act of terrorism, and those who are wearing military uniforms that dedicate themselves to preventing any more [...]
Old and Abandoned Trains on A New Jersey Trail Old Train Car 1 by Richard Lewis 2015 Old Baggage Car 1 by Richard Lewis 2015 Overgrown Train Car by Richard Lewis 2015 The bicycle is as big a part of my life as my camera and hiking boots, but when one rides a bike, it is good [...]
Photographing the Past While Remembering Mine Scranton Lace Company Loom by Richard Lewis 2015 I recently attended a workshop led by one of the master photographers of abandoned places, Matthew Christopher, at the old Scranton Lace Company in Pennsylvania. The Scranton Lace Company was established in the 1890's and remained in business until 2003. It is a massive, once thriving, complex [...]