Now that I have done my initial research of different photographers, I am now going to come up with my first idea of a potential theme and locations where they could be taken. Here is my first idea and the different locations that they could potentially be taken in.
For my first test shots I would like to touch on the theme of dilapidation which both Schreck and Feijen’s work revolved around. I’d like to try and take photos of places which, similarly to theirs, are not often seen or visited by the public, such as dilapidated, overgrown, forgotten buildings in potentially run down areas. One important thing that I am aware of is that I may not be able to get access to the places that would best fit my theme best, so I will try and find a variety of locations that could work well with this theme.
I’d like to be able to take my photos without a flash as to get a natural feel to the photos and a true representation of the locations. I would also like to try both styles that I learnt from Schreck and Feijen and see which one I think looks better at the end. That means one photo edited to be gloomy and scary and the other to be natural and unedited.
The first potential location that I could take these test photos at is the old military barracks in Weedon. A lot of them are still in use and are rented out to businesses, but one of them seems quite dilapidated and as if it is completely unused. This is the one that I could potentially take my photos in, due to it fitting the theme well and having a lot of history. One of the things that I thought was quite unique about this location is that it could have old military equipment that was left behind such as tools and potentially old broken down machinery. These kinds of items would make for some good unique photos, allowing them to illustrate the story behind the building itself.
My second location idea for this theme is an old farm building that I found whilst I was on holiday in Norfolk. This location is easy to access and doesn’t pose any danger to me as you can’t actually access the inside of the building, but you can see the dilapidated inside through holes and windows in the buildings walls. This location fits my theme as it is clearly abandoned, and there are lots of things such as crates, containers and potentially other farming equipment that has been left inside. It also has the overgrown and forgotten kind of look that I would like within my images. What makes this location unique is that it’s a lot more hidden away than my other location ideas, and even the people that live in the area wouldn’t know that the place existed due to the area being very overgrown.
My third location idea for this theme is the abandoned hospital in Northampton that is awaiting refurbishment. This building is most definitely dilapidated and dangerous, so I like the idea of telling its story and allowing people to see the story through dramatic and moody photos from inside the hospital. The hospital is quite unique as hundreds of people see this location daily, but most likely never think about it as it sinks into the background. There could also be hospital equipment left in there, giving my photos an eerie and creepy look just like Schreck liked to make his photos. Although I like this idea, it’s highly unlikely that I will get permission to take photos here due to the condition of the building and who it’s owned by.
My fourth and final location idea was a windmill which is located near Staverton. Although this location isn’t as dilapidated as my other location ideas, this one is quite unique because it dates back a long way and it’s likely that most people don’t pay any attention to it, even though they may see it. I also believe that the windmill isn’t used any more, making it an old, forgotten building that not many people pay attention to. This made me feel that the windmill has a lot of history and its own story, but nobody really wants to listen to it. What I find unique about this location is that it’s in the middle of nowhere, making it one of the more secluded location ideas.
Molly Cadman's Photography 