Inspired by a shoot I am doing tomorrow, I decided to lighten things up around here and share some shots of a slightly more mouth-watering nature. One of the things I always enjoy about shooting weddings and other catered events is that the food is always so darn pretty you almost don't want to eat it! So I always make sure I get off some shots of the goodies before they've been devoured by the crowd... Enjoy!
Ever since going into the squatters' house with Jen a couple weeks ago I have been keeping my eyes open wide for other old abandoned homes to document. I got my new camera a couple days ago and just happened to have it in the car with me while running errands when I caught sight of a nearly obscured window in an old house on Telegraph Road. I was alone, so I hesitated a bit but then quickly turned the car around and headed back to see what I might find. I had to battle my way through a good 30 feet of blackberry brambles to reach it (sans clippers, mind you) but I was well rewarded when I finally did! Even without going inside I found some cool things just waiting to be photographed..
I can't even imagine how long it has been since anyone called this place home... only the basic structure of the roof still remains while most of it lies on the floor below and the majority of the house is covered in ivy, blackberry and other vines. It was really quite spooky inside and I found myself jumping out of my skin every time I inadvertently bumped up against something while shooting or a vine tickled the top of my head but I was still intrigued by what I might find around every corner...
It was a bit of a gray, gloomy day and despite it I managed to get off a few shots in every room except the very dark old kitchen where the ceiling was sagging down to just above my head. After seeing the rusty old appliances I knew I was going to have to brave this place one more time. I headed back out yesterday afternoon and am glad I did (despite falling through the floor boards twice this time) because the kitchen was much brighter and I managed to get some shots of the old stove and refrigerator.
After leaving the house on Telegraph Road, the urge to shoot was not yet quite satisfied so I decided to head north a bit to see what I might find elsewhere. I don't know how many places I saw that I would loooove to get inside but they were close to inhabited homes and I just wasn't feeling up to knocking on doors and asking permission when trespassing is so much more fun ; ) I ended up finding an old yellow house on Smith Road that looked intriguing so I got out to take a closer look. 
I really did not expect to find a way inside but the door pushed right open and so, in I went! The old appliances and bits of left over furniture gave a sense that life simply stopped in this home a good fifty years ago.
When I am inside places like this I often find myself asking "What are you doing here, Sandi? Why are you doing this?" I was thinking about this last night when I realized that the pictures I've taken in these homes are not really about the objects in the photos... they're about people... the people who once owned them, used them, called them their own. If you know me, you know I am fascinated by human beings and that they are by far my favorite subject to photograph, so these photos of objects are really just an extension of my work with people... even without a single person in the image, they make us wonder... who....? what...? why...?
An unlikely scene is always one of my favorite things to photograph so when I noticed these two chairs sitting in a swampy woodland a short distance off the street not far from my home, I decided immediately they needed their picture taken. I dashed home, grabbed my camera and headed back up the road. I couldn't get very close due to the several inches of water but I did my best to break through the brush to get a clear shot (all the while thinking I really needed to invest in a pair of Wellies for occasions like these!) I couldn't help but wonder who the heck put these two chairs in the middle of a swamp and if the culprits actually sat there for a bit before leaving them? Then I started imagining the culprits sitting there on those chairs having an ordinary conversation in the middle of a swamp while I took their pictures and how cool those shots would look! I love thinking that there is nowhere else on the planet where two chairs just like those are sitting in the middle of muck looking like they are just waiting for friends to stop by and take a seat.
My photographer friend Jen has a thing for trespassing with her camera, just to see what she might find. I admit I've never once looked at an old abandoned house and wanted to go inside to take pictures, but that is what we did today and from now on I'll be looking for more old buildings to crash. Going inside a squatters' house is an experience I'll not soon forget. It amazes me that there are people out there who actually spend time inside this place, the presence of filth & destruction was overwhelming and disturbing. In fact, it didn't bother me too much while I was there shooting, but looking that the photos this evening was bothersome. I have to wonder, how does what was once a family home eventually become a veritable landfill?
I found the presence of this particular textbook to be rather ironic. I've come to the conclusion there are some things about humans and society I'll just never understand, the state of this house being one of them.
The graffiti covering on the walls speaks volumes about the people who have spent time in this house. Anger was expressed everywhere. Jen has more pictures of the graffiti from her first visit to this house here.
Of all the things I might expect to find in a squatters' house, fine imported capers is not one of them!
I'm guessing there is no toilet seat lid like this anywhere else in the entire world. I had to climb over two feet of garbage to get a shot of it and I'm glad I did. I love it!
I can't figure out if it's a misspelling or directions to those who venture up the stairs?
More photos from today's adventure can be seen here.
I had a specific project in mind when I set out shooting this afternoon, and got totally sidetracked by a building I have driven by hundreds of times but never really *saw* until today. I've learned by now to act on my creative inspirations, so I pulled a U-turn, parked the car and spent an hour wandering around with my camera and my new eyes.
These barrels were my favorite subject of the day. I had fun examining their details from every angle! See more shots here .
