Industrial shooting locations in SE wanted

[Michael Mutmansky]

Greetings folks,

I'm planning a trip from Pennsylvania to Houston at the end of this month, and thought I might get some recommendations for locations to photograph between here and there.

I have been focusing on industrial subject matter recently, and would like to continue working with that as much as possible. I am interested in disused industrial locations as well as active sites.

My route is not specifically selected yet, so I have a good bit of flexibility on how I get to Houston, and how I get back.

If anyone is familiar with locations that they think may be interesting and worth shooting, please email or PM me, and I'll get back to you. I'd certainly be interested in shooting a location with anyone as well, so if you have a location near you and want to spend some time shooting with me, that would be great. I'll be using my ULF cameras on this trip (7x17 and 10x12).


---Michael

[Mark Sampson]

Bethlehem Steel in PA? I think most of it is gone now. Or follow the rivers around Pittsburgh, the old steel towns are there, even if their industry is mostly gone.

[Michael Mutmansky]

Mark,

Yes, I live in PA, and am familiar with Pittsburgh and Bethlehem. You're right there's almost nothing left in either place (of the industrial sites that were closed).

I am hoping to find locations of big industry in other states as well for a body of work that I have been compiling recently.


---Michael

[Mark Sampson]

As a New York Stater, I don't know about other big industry on your route. But they're doing some large-scale earth-moving on Route 15 in north-central PA, between Tioga and Mansfield, to further improve the road. Big construction, anyway... pretty impressive, up above a big reservoir. I see in the National Geographic that in the coal mining areas they're taking the tops off entire mountains. Probably not what you're looking for either- perhaps more Chris Jordan's subject matter.

[Jim Rice]

http://www.slossfurnaces.com/media/html/sloss_story/index.html

[Jim Rice]

Also drop down toward Mobile and head west from there. Lot's of port/shipbuilding stuff at Mobile, Pascagula and New Orleans. The best vantage points can be scouted from US 90 though most major bridges on 90 are still out requiring diversions onto I-10.

[John Powers]

Also drop down toward Mobile and head west from there. Lot's of port/shipbuilding stuff at Mobile, Pascagula and New Orleans. The best vantage points can be scouted from US 90 though most major bridges on 90 are still out requiring diversions onto I-10.

Michael,

Take a look at this book and the review on Amazon
Industrial Perspective: Photographs of the Gulf Coast (Hardcover)
by Andrew Borowiec
http://www.amazon.com/Industrial-Perspective-Photographs-Gulf-Coast/dp/1930066341

Andrew teaches at Akron Univ, did Yale Grad school in Photography, uses 6x17 Roll film. Great work. He did an earlier book on the OH River valley which I can loan you if you like. The arlier book is geared more toward what it is like for the people who live there rather than the industry.

John

[Michael Mutmansky]

Thanks folks,

Jim, I received the Sloss recommendation from another person as well, and it looks promising, so I will plan on stopping in there. I will drive along the gulf coast and see what there is to see.

John, I think I've seen that book, and it is a nice piece of work. Too bad he uses such a small camera...


---Michael

[Jim Boyd]

Michael,

The Sparrow's Point Steel Mill in Sparrows Point, Maryland, close to Baltimore is being used again, and may have some good material to photograph. I have been wanting to go there myself, but have not yet had the opportunity.

Jim

[Ed Richards]

There are a lot of wrecked sites from Katrina on the east side of Baton Rouge to Mobile, and from Rita, from Lake Charles to Port Arthur. I have been concentrating on the residental and infrastructure (roads and bridges) and have not located specific sites. Would that be of interest?

Ed

[Michael Mutmansky]

Ed,

As long as they are industrial, I'm interested. I am going to specifically avoid gawking at general Katrina damage if I can for various reasons, but industrial locations would be of interest to me.


---Michael