Strickland Cotton Mill, built in 1899 - Remerton, GA

[Corran]

I don't usually make my own thread but I thought this might deserve it.

Strickland Cotton Mill was constructed in 1899, and the resultant village that grew up around the mill was eventually named Remerton. It is a small sub-city of Valdosta, GA now. The mill was one of the largest employers in Lowndes County, and many of the houses built for workers are still used today. There were also churches and a school built in this "company town." This mill has been a historical artifact for this area since closing down in 1979, but is now scheduled for demolition.

A good friend of mine was able to gain access to the mill for a historical photographic survey of the mill, and we are both going to be shooting extensively in it before its ultimate demolition. Our first foray into the massive complex was yesterday, and I've got a few 4x5 sheets to show. I will keep updating this thread as we produce more work. We are planning on exploring options for a gallery show featuring these photographs.

More info on the mill and the city of Remerton can be found here: http://www.cityofremerton.com/history.htm

On to the photos. These were all taken on T-Max 100 film with a Nikkor 90mm f/8 lens and developed in Rodinal 1:50:

http://www.oceanstarproductions.com/photosharing/StricklandMill01.jpg

http://www.oceanstarproductions.com/photosharing/StricklandMill02.jpg

http://www.oceanstarproductions.com/photosharing/StricklandMill03.jpg

[ImSoNegative]

nice images, i particularly like the last one.

[northcarolinajack]

Good work. I spent my "paid" working life in the textile industry. We have many mills like this, but I have not been able to get inside. I have quite a few from the outside, closed.
Good luck and I will follow your progress.

Jack

Take a look: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jack-Harris-Photography/109348465760954?sk=photos_albums

[Corran]

Thanks, both of you. I am very excited to get in the darkroom and print these to 16x20!! Or at least the first and last. I have a color shot to get developed of the middle one that I think I'll like better.

Nice photos Jack!

[jcoldslabs]

Looking good, Bryan. Can't wait to see more.

Jonathan

[keith english]

Great tonality. I use to love Rodinal. Where do you get it now?

[Corran]

Looking good, Bryan. Can't wait to see more.

Jonathan

Thanks!


Great tonality. I use to love Rodinal. Where do you get it now?

It's actually marketed by Adox as "Adonal," but is the same formulation. I always struggled with T-Max RS, getting just the right development (always too contrasty). I finally tried Rodinal with this film just a few months ago and it's been much easier to deal with. Plus it's cheap! See here: http://www.freestylephoto.biz/12054-Adox-Adonal-17-oz.-500-ml-Rodinal-Formula

[evan clarke]

Just Excellent..

[rjphil]

Nice work !!

[Petzval Paul]

Nice, indeed!

[Corran]

Thank you much for all of your encouraging praise!! Another trip inside is planned for this weekend...

[Oren Grad]

A worthy project and a nice start! Thanks for sharing - I'll be looking forward to your updates.

[Corran]

Round 2!

My favorite image of the day, I processed this at N-4 (!)
http://www.oceanstarproductions.com/photosharing/StricklandMill04.jpg


This is the original water tower built in 1899
http://www.oceanstarproductions.com/photosharing/StricklandMill05.jpg


An icon of a time long past? Something like that perhaps.
http://www.oceanstarproductions.com/photosharing/StricklandMill06.jpg

[Corran]

A couple more...

This was not the shot I intended but the light beam was moving so fast it ended up not working out. This is a crop and straighten job because I had no idea what I was doing in pitch black darkness, save for the shaft of light, with a completely guessed exposure.
http://www.oceanstarproductions.com/photosharing/StricklandMill07.jpg


Need to re-take this one with better skies.
http://www.oceanstarproductions.com/photosharing/StricklandMill08.jpg

[jcoldslabs]

N-4? Damn! Still looking good. What a great opportunity. I need a project to get me out of the house with my camera. Last year I was invited to photograph the inside of that old theater and it was great fun.

Jonathan

[Corran]

Yeah and I can see how it affected your photography positively, having a motive and specific subject.

I should note that the N-4 was taking in to effect a reciprocity failure calculation... N-3 for the scene, + one more for an increase in exposure, and still didn't quite tame the highlights. I developed it for 6:30 in Rodinal 1:50, 68F, whereas my N development is 13 minutes. I believe the shadow by the barrel metered at EV3 and the outside area was EV17, or something to that effect.

Also, not pictured was me running around evading wasps that had made several nests in that room :eek:

[jcoldslabs]

When I shot inside the theater I dealt with lots of reciprocity issues, too. My film testing is not particularly rigorous (ahem!) but I shot TMY rated around EI 100 and pulled it at least 40% from my normal development time. My exposures were all around 2-4 minutes. I was surprised at how well this worked. To my eyes the theater was very low contrast and poorly lit so shortening the development time seemed counter-intuitive, but overexposing it and pulling it worked out well.

Jonathan

[Doug Howk]

I've used Rodinal/Adonal for a few years and like the results. However, in high contrast situations (common in Florida) the resulting negs are difficult to print. Rather than using N- development, I've recently switched to Divided D23. The Metol-based developer creates a sharp image while the 2 step developing controls the resulting dynamic range.

Very nice images from inside the factory. Looks like a great building. Will have to swing by there while at nearby Banks Lake.

[Corran]

One of the reasons I switched from T-Max RS to Rodinal was because I found the highlights were tamed much easier with Rodinal. I've found my negatives really easy to print now myself. That being said, I've done a little bit with divided Pyrocat and preliminary tests were very nice, and I've been planning on trying it again. Just need to buy some more developer.

I have photographed at Banks Lake many times!! I'm always surprised when people know that lake, it's in the middle of nowhere. Ever shoot LF there?

[Doug Howk]

I've only done LF from the shoreline at Banks Lake. It isn't very well known, except by fisherman. Guess I should dust off the Graphlex and rent a canoe next time I'm there. Here's an image from Banks Lake done with 8X10 camera an printed on Centennial POP WhereIsWally (http://www.vanhuyckphoto.com/WhereIsWally.jpg)

[Corran]

Cool, yeah I recognize that vantage point for sure! I wish there was more of the lake accessible by land, I'm not much of a canoe guy. I flipped one the last time I tried and killed my Nikon F5 :(

I go to Banks for astrophotography often. (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LqjAly-4qrs/Tq5bSQDNVDI/AAAAAAAAAFI/9MM8Gkth_Io/s1600/BRY_5528x.jpg)

[Corran]

So, more photos incoming tomorrow when I can scan them, but for now here's the one I managed to scan tonight.

There was some rain last night and when we got in the mill we noticed water cascading down a wall. There was a pool of water outside that was leaking inside, and had just started. I very quickly set up my camera and grabbed this. You can see the water falling and dancing around in the light, and the expanding puddle, along with a makeshift bedding that was probably used by a squatter.

Nikon 90mm f/8, 4 minute exposure, on T-Max 100 in Rodinal, N-4 development:

http://www.oceanstarproductions.com/photosharing/Untitled-19ss.jpg

[jcoldslabs]

Right on, Bryan! Looks great. N-4 still kills me, though. I'll have to try that someday when the occasion warrants. Can't wait to see the other shots.

Jonathan

[Corran]

Yeah it seems crazy to me too. That being said, as my mentor likes to say, "N minus some more!" - it probably could have used another stop of exposure and N-5 (!).

I wish you could see the water falling down the wall better on this. That's why I'm definitely planning a 20x24 print of this...assuming I can source/make some sort of easel and related equipment.

[Corran]

A couple more, as promised. Both taken with a Schneider 300mm f/5.6

This first is the roof of the building and the Remerton water tower. Rain overnight made the roof a reflecting pond. Kind of neat.

http://www.oceanstarproductions.com/photosharing/Untitled-21ss.jpg

This is the building's original elevator shaft:

http://www.oceanstarproductions.com/photosharing/Untitled-20ss.jpg

Larger files can be seen on my blog, for all these images.

The destruction of the mill is drawing close. They hit the deadline on "starting" deconstruction, and some crews have apparently starting coming in and fooling around. We noticed ladders and some boarded-up windows being opened up since last we visited. As the real work starts I'll probably start documenting that as well...