Okay, kiddies. Let’s go to class. (Continued from Part I)
So as I mentioned in the last post, this is probably the most photographed abandoned classroom ever. It’s easy to see why people like it so much. It’s so quaint!
I wonder if Mrs. Cuff is still around. If she is, I wonder if she knows her name is still on the blackboard, or that she’s been immortalized by a small circle of niche photographers.
That blackboard paint hasn’t aged well, has it? Look how creepy it is. This place is the farthest thing from creepy, though.
You know how you can tell this place wasn’t creepy? Because I spent a lot of time shooting the bathrooms, which I found oddly beautiful. It helped that they were well-lit. Bathrooms make me anxious sometimes. Too many dirty mirrors and nooks for unseen creepies to be hiding behind.
In this bathroom, there were pigeons in the rafters. Again. Feathers went up my nose and I sneezed. This scared the pigeons, which came hurtling out of a hole in the wall, which prompted me to make a truly embarrassing noise.
A leak in the ceiling was dripping water down on this dirty floor. Moss and plants were growing out of it. Mother Nature is amazing.
I’m realizing right about now I did a poor job dividing this set into two equal-length posts.
Alright, let’s finish up with the thing everyone really comes here to see; the theater.
That green color cast is not a post-processing choice. This is how it looks in real life. The theater’s large windows have been “boarded” with opaque green plastic, which lets light flood the room tinged with color. It’s gorgeous in person. Some people color-correct their photos to eliminate the green and show the theater as it should look without the cast. I actually did both, and saved each version. I’ll show you a few at the end.
Yes, the piano still plays.
Tetris!
Now lemme wave my magic wand…
Isn’t it amazing how much color can affect the overall feel of an image? The corrected ones have a totally different vibe to me, but I like them just as much. Just different.
Gonna try to squeeze one more post in before the holidays, though it’ll probably be a short one. My wanderlust is coming back strong, which is annoying this time of year because I hate shooting in the cold. Not that I can complain, because we’ve had a very mild winter thus far. I’m just kinda floundering on where to go next and when, but I have more edits in the queue to keep me busy for the moment. See you soon.
Loved every single photo at this site! So glad it wasn’t all destroyed by graffiti. Can’t wait to see your next one!!!
Thank you Mama S.! ♥ I think you’ll like my next planned post too. 😉
Another great post from a fantastic location…I understand the decisions that need to be made when you have a color-cast going on…certainly neutralizing (or not) green from the overgrowth of summer is always a thing that you need to decide upon. My personal preference is always to lean towards a warmer-toned image…but after all, it is the photographer’s choice in the end. I too am getting antsy about getting out and shooting – the only thing I have near future is a “sanctioned” visit to Lansdowne Theatre (Philly) mid January.
Thanks Robert! The color casts always require some playing around. I really couldn’t make up my mind this time, so I just edited them all both ways. I’ve seen some cool photos of Lansdowne, that’ll be a great place to shoot. I’m going to try a nearby spot next weekend with a local friend, but I think it might be a crapshoot. This place closes up really quick. I’m missing hospitals/asylums. The last one spoiled me.
I’m anxious to see what you get…happy shooting!