Detroit via Texas Leica

Eddie90723

Eddie90723

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Hung around Detroit scared for a few hours over the summer. Here's a pic from that day.
 

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Certainly an interesting photo. What is that and what did you hve in mind as what you wanted to depict for the viewer?
 
I could spend a day shooting the building itself. It looks so interesting. I like the grass with the path leading to the building but it is a little too centered for me but it does work. I'd also have shot it from a lower perspective with more of an up angle but I am used to low level visualiztion as I use a wlf camera quite often. I also, think it might work better as a lead in shot if it were vertical and a wider lens was used exagerating the front to back distance and possibly placing the subject building more in perspective with the surroundings.

Of course not knowing the building, terrain, etc. I'm only shooting from the hip here so trea it as a Sunday quarterback with 3 too many from the pub.
 
Ahhhh yes, the old train station. I love taking pictures of that place. Too bad I don't have the guts to sneak in. If you like old and decrepit without all of the fear, go to the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. Easy to get away from the tourists and take some cool photos. Btw, if you're ever in the area of the old train station in Detroit again, eat at Slow's BBQ. Sooooooo good.
 
It's a very addicting building to photograph to say the least. I shot who knows how many photos of it with my arsenal of cameras. Scary little place Detroit is.
Oftheherd: good question on what I wanted to depict. My best guess is confusion. Reading about it, it was supposed to be a major transport hub in the Midwest over shadowing NYC's Central Station. But once I arrived there to only be met by dry grass, empty streets, and this imposing dead building I thought... Wow, center of nothing.
 
G690BL and chrome 65mm

G690BL and chrome 65mm

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Yes, the old train station. I was visiting family last weekend in SE Michigan and drove around downtown Detroit with my Leica to take some old building pics. Stopped by the old station and found this beautiful woman walking down the street. There's a story here, which I won't tell, but you gotta love Detroit for it's wackiness.

station2+copy+3.jpg


Jim B.
 
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Eddie90723 said:
It's a very addicting building to photograph to say the least. I shot who knows how many photos of it with my arsenal of cameras. Scary little place Detroit is.
Oftheherd: good question on what I wanted to depict. My best guess is confusion. Reading about it, it was supposed to be a major transport hub in the Midwest over shadowing NYC's Central Station. But once I arrived there to only be met by dry grass, empty streets, and this imposing dead building I thought... Wow, center of nothing.
Click to expand...
If you haven't seen it, definitely watch this :

http://www.palladiumboots.com/exploration/detroit
 
Eddie90723 said:
It's a very addicting building to photograph to say the least. I shot who knows how many photos of it with my arsenal of cameras. Scary little place Detroit is.
Oftheherd: good question on what I wanted to depict. My best guess is confusion. Reading about it, it was supposed to be a major transport hub in the Midwest over shadowing NYC's Central Station. But once I arrived there to only be met by dry grass, empty streets, and this imposing dead building I thought... Wow, center of nothing.
Click to expand...

I believe it was such a hub from the 20s through the early 50s. What Detroit can show is material evidence of urban de-population and efforts to re-orient itself to another scale, among other phenomena. Did you happen to try the BBQ down the street from the depot?
 
Sure thing!
They did a great job with it. I think there's more on the Vice site. Kind of makes me want to detour through on my next trip cross country. Kudos to everyone there that's staying positive, there doing some pretty cool things all alone. Kind of like the wild west.
 
That palladium piece is the best on Detroit I've seen.

It's a very real, stripped away village. You do feel like you know just about everyone and there is no support, so you make up your own path. Don't bother telling anyone how cool life can be there (young and single anyway). My first job was at the Fleetwood-Clark St and Poletown Cadillac plants and the years I spent there were some of my most memorable. It was very free and wild.
 
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Sad photo. I remember that station from when we would go down to meet my dad coming in on a steam train circa 1950, Beautiful. I remember it circa 1978, shabby. Now I get to see that photo, it may seem like a nice photo op to many, but all I see is decay.
 
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