***Please note: We had direct permission from the owner to shoot here. This location is private property. Do not attempt to visit or access this site. I cannot provide any information regarding access or info of the owners. Thank you ***

Perched on the Mississippi bluff with the trolley line at its front door the Tennessee brewery was at one point the largest brewery in the South. With more than 1500 workers producing more than 250,000 barrels per year, the Tennessee Brewery was a titan in the beer making industry.  When prohibition hit, operations shut down, but resumed afterwards producing the best known leading beer in Memphis called “Goldcrest”.  The building which was erected in 1890 is basically unchanged today.  The brewery officially closed in 1954. The current owners (who gave us permission to shoot there) purchased it a few years before the 2008 market crash in order to keep it from being torn down. They are holding on it hoping that someone will make an offer to renovate or restore it as a mixed use building

Above Images from Wikipedia

The brewery has other claims to fame beyond beer. A few scenes from “Walk the Line” were actually filmed inside.  Memphis Paranormal Investigations have investigated overnight about 12 times and claim it is one of the most haunted buildings in Tennessee. During our 8 hour daytime shoot however we never felt any unease or heard anything other than the trolley out front coming by every 20 minutes on its circuit. That being said… I’m not sure I would like to spend the night there.

What really struck me as we entered the building was the massive open center shaft of the building which was adorned with beautiful metal worked railings. The windows mostly covered up with a semi-opaque corrugated plastic offered warm pleasing light to the enter the spaces.

As we walked around and explored all the twists and turns and hidden rooms of the seven story building we quickly realized that nothing was left inside, just empty rooms with interesting architecture. This presented a challenge for me as a photographer because many of the images that I take have a ‘human element’ that helps draw the viewer and place them in the scene. Instead I tried to capture the magnitude of the building and the beautiful decaying architecture all around me. I hope you enjoy the imagery:

Most of the time when I am photographing old buildings and locations, I try to tell the story of the location and create a ‘sense of place’, but while I was at the graveyard I really wanted to focus on the details and the parts. So I left my ultra wide angle lens in my bag for most of the day and oped to capture the old emblems and details of these beautiful old vehicles quietly rusting away out in the woods.

I hope you enjoy! 

This year there will be 10 films made instead of one, and celebrity directors such as Jamie Foxx and Eva Longoria will be directing the films under Ron’s tutelage. There are 91 winning images and the directors will be picking from that pool using 10 images from 10 different categories to use for inspiration for their film.

So as if that was not cool enough, I was just informed that Eva Longoria has selected my image to use for her film! I am blown away by this once again. It is such an honor and so cool to be able to be a part of such a unique endeavor. Here is a short video with Eva talking about the images that she picked and the reasons why:

Also here is a short video with Ron Howard talking to all 5 of the celebrity directors about the project:

Thank you so very much to everyone who helped make this happen! I truly have the best fans and supporters out there!

Stay tuned!

-Walter

Hot  Springs Arkansas has a rich history. Built around the natural underground springs the bath houses and spas attract people from all over the country. In the early 1900’s major league teams would bring their players here to get the players in shape for the coming season, and even the likes of Babe Ruth frequented the hotels including The Majestic.  Since the end of the civil war,  Hot Springs had become a favorite destination of Gangsters who would come to enjoy illegal gambling, and take a break from their lives of crime. Most notably, Al Capone would stay at the Arlington Hotel, just down the road from the Majestic where one of his most hated rivals Bugs Moran would stay. It was an unspoken agreement that while in Hot Springs everything else got left behind and didn’t spill over into this oasis of rest and relaxation.   The story of the Majestic Hotel situated in the heart of historic Hot Springs begins in 1876, “when the Avenue Hotel was built just north of where the Majestic now stands. In 1888, the Avenue’s name was changed to The Majestic Hotel before the structure was removed in 1902. A larger, five-story brick building took its place, and this is the yellow brick section that still stands on the east end of the hotel property.”   “The 1963 addition of the Lanai Tower brought the Majestic’s guest room total to 400. But the hotel’s heyday couldn’t last forever. Despite more updates and additions to the Majestic over the years, the shutdown of illegal gambling in 1964 took a toll on the popularity of the Majestic and other Hot Springs hotels. The Majestic underwent further renovations through the ‘80s and ‘90s, but nothing seemed to attract the crowds that had flocked to the hotel during its glory days. As the Majestic entered the 21st century, its days were numbered.”   “But nostalgia couldn’t prevent the inevitable. The announcement of the hotel’s closing came on Oct. 13, 2006, in the (Hot Springs) Sentinel-Record. Monty Scott, president of Southwest Hotels Inc., which had owned the Majestic since 1929, blamed the Majestic’s demise on the fact that casino gaming was available in states surrounding Arkansas, effectively drawing gaming tourists away from the state. After doing business in three different centuries, the Majestic would close on Oct. 22, 2006.” (Source: Arkansas Life)

People often ask: “ How do you find these old abandoned places?” My answer is “It Depends”. Often it takes quite a bit of research,  a little luck, and making the right contacts. When it came to the Majestic Hotel however,  I had a little help from an extremely kind stranger.  I ‘met’ Dee while playing words with friends on my phone. We played for many months and after a bit of in game conversations she found out I was a photographer and came to admire my work. She had just moved to Hot Springs Arkansas and had been telling me that I should come there to shoot the old historic bath houses and spas.  So when my good friend Casey and I planned our epic photo road trip we made Hot Springs a major stop on our trip.  While we were planning the logistics of the trip, Dee worked for weeks making phone calls to the owners,  tracking down the nice people like the architect who is working on plans for renovation of the hotel, and eventually she had secured us legal access and a key to the front door!  She even took it a step further and set up a speaking engagement for me at the “Fine Art Center of Hot Springs”  where I gave an hour long presentation of my work and had some of my pieces displayed in their gallery.   We met up with Dee bright and early out front of the Majestic. The old vintage signs still adorned the tops of the buildings.

  The skeleton remains of what once was a luxurious awning  stood bare like protruding ribs.

  We unlocked the front door and stepped into the old hotel lobby. The front desk stood littered with debris.

Near the front desk stood a vintage rusted out fan.

In the center of the lobby stood a beautiful ornate vintage fountain, it’s tiles dusty and longing for the natural spring water to flow over them once again.

At the far end of the lobby was the entrance to the Veranda Room. A once upscale dining area softly lit by the afternoon sun shining through the tattered and falling curtains. We explored back into the dark kitchen behind the restaurant.

Heading back to the lobby we ventured towards the other side of the hotel and quickly discovered the old ice cream parlor.

Further down the building we ran into “Grady’s Grill” which was complete with an old rusty deep fryer in the kitchen and sad drooping ceiling fans in the dining area.

Not far from Grady’s was the Spa area. Two sections, one for men, and one for women.  This was where the spring water was once pumped in. When the water reaches the surface it can be as hot as 140 degrees creating natural saunas for the spa clients.

We wandered around the ground floor some more and then headed out to the center courtyard and the old round swimming pools.  The entire complex wraps around the courtyard  360 degrees.

We started heading to the upper levels and worked out way up to the rooftop.

When we reached the roof, we were standing directly behind the huge letters that we had seen from the street below. From the tenth story  we had a beautiful view of downtown Hot Springs.

My best friend Casey hanging out under the Majestic Signage.

Me, gazing off into the distance of Hot Springs.

We found a roof access door that led us into one of the wings of the penthouse suites. Some of the rooms were still in very good condition. Each room had a sliding door with balcony access. The old wood balcony had rotted away in spots and the boards were very soft.

My friend Casey shot a video of me squeamishly venturing out to get a shot of the Majestic sign.  Given that below the balcony was 10 stories of freefall  I was more than a little nervous as the old boards moved and gave slightly below my feet. Afterwards I was weak-kneed for about 10 minutes!   As we explored some of the rooms near the rear of the complex we found a ground level room that had massive overgrowth of vines through the windows and slowly taking over the room!

We spent the remaining time wandering around hotel, poking our heads into dark corners. There was so much to see in the massive buildings and we probably only covered about half of it in the 8 hours we shot there.

According to the Architect, David French, who is overseeing the proposed renovations, they plan to start remodeling in the coming months. The idea is to have apartments for disabled people, and possibly reopen some of the old storefronts attached to the hotel.  Who knows, maybe next time I visit Hot Springs  they will have brought the Majestic Hotel back to life!

 
I recently quit my day job as a banker and made the leap into freelance photography. To christen the major life change, I set out on a two week road trip with my best friend Casey Stern. Casey was also with me when we discovered the Airplane Graveyard in St. Augustine FL (now demolished)  where I was lucky enough to create some award winning imagery including an image of an airplane cockpit which was a winner in Canon’s Project Imagin8ion.  Our plan: to drive two and a half weeks from Asheville, NC to Nashville, TN, Memphis, TN, Hot Springs, AR, Kilgore, TX, Baton Rouge, LA, New Orleans, LA, Atlanta, GA, and then to our respective hometowns (NC and FL).

Fast forward to our first major stop: Memphis, TN. I had spent the month’s leading up to the trip researching abandoned, historic, and vintage locations. I made a connection with the owner of an old Marine Hospital in the French Fort district of Memphis who agreed to allows us legal access to the property which was locked up tight from the outside.

 
“The history of the hospital dates back to July 16, 1798, when President John Adams established the Marine Hospital Service.  Designed to care for sick and disabled seaman (working on the Mississippi River), it was the precursor to the U.S. Public Health Service… The hospital opened in 1884 and consisted of six buildings – the surgeon’s house, a stable, the executive building, two wards and the nurses’ building. The facility was originally used to treat Civil War soldiers and to conduct scientific research in hopes of finding a cure for yellow fever. Only two of the original buildings survive today, the nurses’ building (located on the east side of the 1930s hospital building) and the executive building (the white building that houses the Museum’s library and permanent collection). Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During the 1930s, several new Works Progress Administration buildings were added to the site. To make room for the new buildings, the wards and stables were demolished and the executive and the nurses’ buildings, both of which faced the street, were moved three hundred feet to their current locations on wagons pulled by mules. “

“The largest of the buildings is the three-story, neo-classical brick hospital building that dominates the site. The Georgian-style building has slate roofing, a copper cupola on pedestals, and large limestone columns, capitals, and gutters. It cost $1 million. Although built to serve the needs of ailing seamen, the building has been used by the Coast Guard, cadets of the state maritime academies, members of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, Public Health fieldmen, the Army Corps of Engineers and employees and federal workers injured on duty… “ Source: Metal Museum

After unlocking two padlocked gates, and entryway doors, we parted ways with the owner as he allowed us full access to explore the massive complex as we wished. The three story building was a kind of “Y” shape so exploring each floor involved us walking up the center staircase and heading out in all three directions and back to the center each time.  Peeling lead paint, dust, dirt, decayed drop ceiling tiles, and more than likely asbestos particles wafted through the air as we walked around, our footsteps softly stirring up the debris.
 

The old vintage equipment still bolted to the floor were covered in layers of dust and dirt. One of the units, which looked like a wash basin with  articulating arms to hold dental tools stood near a window… it’s arms outstretched like an abandoned  “Star Wars” server droid who would bring around drinks and food at a bar on Tatooine!  I never was much of a fan of going to the dentist (only looking forward to the occasional chance to space out to some music on my iPhone while sucking down some nitrous oxide..) but  hanging out here with the old vintage equipment in the swirling dust and decay made me appreciate the high tech comforts (and clean surfaces) that my current dental provider treats me to! Nonetheless I totally geeked out over the outdated abandoned equipment and cursed the person who removed the old dental chair that must have been there at one point!

 

 

 

 

 

 
Just down the hall from the dentistry rooms was the old operating wing where medical tests, operations and exams would have occurred. I got a few cool shots of an old surgical light and some lab testing equipment but you can see some more of the wing on our “Photo Adventure Road Trip Video Blog” if you like (the video blog is also embedded at the bottom of the blog)!
 

 

 

 

After breaking for an extravagant lunch comprised of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and luke warm water we snapped a few images of ourselves in an old rocking chair and delved back into the massive complex.
 
 

Walter

Casey

We headed up to the third floor and then the roof to check out the view.

Last on the list (for good reason) was the basement… And the morgue. Of course it was completely pitch black, dank, dark, dreary, and just a little bit creepy if you stopped long enough to think about it… The morgue had an old embalming/examination slab, and an old florescent light fixture hung just above. In the corner of the room sat two slide-out containment units for the dead bodies to be stored.  After we got past the creepiness factor, we set up the camera and began to “light paint”.  Remember the was NO light down here, but we did have four led flashlights that we were able to play with and strategically place, aim, and “paint” with in the room. Most of the shots in here were 20 to 30 second exposures using the flashlights.

Of course we also had to get up on the embalming table!!
 

 
 

 
 
 
After shooting the morgue we explored the rest of the pitch black basement and headed back up for our gear.  At this point we had been exploring the location for just about six hours and were wiped out from heat, exhaustion, and  copious amounts of unidentified particulates we had breathed in while they floated around in the air. I used what energy I had left to drag my gear out to the front of the building and photograph a few outside shots of the magnificent campus.

Aerial View From Google

Old Postcard Aerial View

  
The more I travel and explore historic, abandoned, vintage, and forgotten places, I learn everything revolves around the adventure, the experience, the journey… My recent road trip from North Carolina to New York was no exception. The first leg of my journey took me to Philadelphia, PA where I was to meet up with fellow photographers A.D. Wheeler and Lou Quattrini.  I set out from Hendersonville, NC at the crack of 9:15am and made my way up. My iPhone decided that a simple straightforward trip would not be in my best interest and routed me through the heart of DC during 5pm rush hour traffic.  It could have just kept me on I95 North but instead it took me on a wild goose chase through traffic jams, road accidents, through the slums of Baltimore and then slapped me right back on I95. The three hour detour  allowed for a late arrival to my hotel at around 10:30pm. After checking in I discovered that my right rear tire was completely flat…  So after hauling my bags up to the dingy hotel room I was staying in I called AAA hoping they could patch the tire for me. As I waited for them to arrive I listened to a couple screaming obscenities at each other and throwing things in the room next to me and considered calling the cops but after about 10 minutes the fight ended in silence and I simply figured one of them had killed the other and took solace in the fact that maybe now I might have a peaceful night’s sleep (I’m kidding of course  )

AAA arrived a few minutes before midnight and informed me that my tire was so damaged from the object that I hit, that I would need to have it replaced. He put on the doughnut for me as I googled directions to the nearest tire shop. Luckily there was one just 4 blocks away that opened at 8am. Back in my hotel room I all but passed out after the long and crazy day of travel.

My iPhone alarm roused me at 7am and I begrudgingly pulled myself out of bed, showered, and gathered my gear into the car. Before I checked out I used my pass for a free breakfast and a nice Jamaican gentleman directed my to the breakfast buffet and gestured to the food explaining that I could help myself to “All this cool stuff over here!”  So I loaded my plate up with bacon, sausage, some hash browns,  and a cup of yogurt and plopped down at a table. A minute later the same guy ran over angry about something.  He explains that the free breakfast pass was only for the COLD items… Oops!

So after stealing my hot breakfast I dropped my car at the tire shop and one of the mechanics gave me a lift over to Eastern State Penitentiary.  I was the first person there at 9:40am and followed the girl in as she unlocked the prison for business.

Eastern State “was operational from 1829 until 1971. The penitentiary refined the revolutionary system of separate incarceration…which emphasized principles of reform rather than punishment. Notorious criminals such as bank robber Willie Sutton and Al Capone were held inside its unique wagon wheel design. When the building was erected it was the largest and most expensive public structure ever constructed, quickly becoming a model for more than 300 prisons worldwide. The halls were designed to have the feel of a church.”

As I walked the long halls which radiated from a center hub like spokes on a wagon wheel, I truly got the feeling of walking though a crumbling sanctuary. If the high ceilings with arched skylights had sweeping frescos painted on them I would have sworn I was in a church. A church with iron bars and locking doors on the end caps of the pews!

“The Quakers were the moving force behind construction of the prison, and they wrote that the exterior appearance should be “a cheerless blank indicative of the misery which awaits the unhappy being who enters.”

“During the previous thirty-five years, the reform-minded Quakers tirelessly lobbied the Pennsylvania legislature to build a prison based on the idea of reform through solitude and reflection. The Quakers hopefully and naively assumed that an inmate’s conscience, given enough time alone, would make him penitent (hence the new word, ‘penitentiary’). “

“Some believe that the (cell) doors were so small so as to force the prisoners to bow while entering their cell. This design is related to penance and ties to the religious inspiration of the prison. The cells were made of concrete with a single glass skylight, representing the “Eye of God”, hinting to the prisoners that God was always watching them. Outside the cell, there was an individual area for exercise, enclosed by high walls so prisoners couldn’t communicate. Each exercise time for each prisoner was synchronized so no two prisoners next to each other would be out at the same time. Prisoners were allowed to garden and even keep pets in their exercise yards. When prisoners left the cell, a guard would accompany them and wrap a hood over their heads to prevent them from being recognized by other prisoners.”

Each cell had accommodations that were advanced for their time, which included a faucet with running water over a flush toilet, as well as curved pipes along part of one wall which served as central heating during the winter months where hot water would be run through the pipes to keep the cells reasonably heated. The toilets were remotely flushed twice a week by the guards of the cellblock. Other than a bed inmates had only a copy of the bible to keep them company. The exception to this rule was Al Capone’s cell:

The Famous Barber Chair:

Cell block 15 aka “Death Row” housed some of the most violent inmates in the Pennsylvania prison system. The building was the only one as Eastern State that had electronic door locks. The inmates were only housed here, none of the executions actually took place at Eastern State.

Over the years only about 100 prisoners managed to escape, most were recaptured but one man Leo Callahan managed to escape completely.

I walled the long halls imagining what life must have been like in a place like this. It was around 85 degrees outside but inside with no air moving it was stifling and muggy. I can’t imagine what life must have been like for prisoners during the heat of the summer… Although given some of the horrors that took place at Eastern State in the form of punishments for the prisoners, I’m sure that a hot summer day was the least of their concerns.

Distant murmurs of other visitors quietly echoed around the halls like detached voices of ghosts of old prisoners giving a flicker of life to the quietly decaying cells.

The amazing thing about Eastern State was that they kept the majority of the facility in a decayed state. They had done and were doing many repairs but they left the crumbling rocks in the cells and piles of dust and dirt as the were. It was a very odd feeling exploring this place as I am used to exploring locations like these with no one else around. One minute I’d feel completely alone and then next a tour group would pass by talking and laughing. It was a strange juxtaposition for me!

After a long day of shooting from 10am-4pm we called it quits and the three of us debriefed at Luigi’s Pizza a few blocks down the road and scarfed down slice after slice of delicious Neapolitan pizza. I picked up my car which now was outfitted with 4 brand new tires and hit the road for the four hour drive  from Philly to Elmira, NY. Day one of my road trip was in the bag! I had memory cards full of images, and a head full of stories and history from Eastern State Penitentiary. I could not have been happier!

Sources:

http://missioncreep.com/mw/estate.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_State_Penitentiary

Asheville, NC Event: (Thanks to Jared Kay of Amplified Media for taking these pictures!)

Both events were tremendous successes and we had an awesome time greeting everyone in the lobby of the theaters that had displayed huge twelve foot banners depicting the astounding 96,000+ images submitted as well as the final 8 selected by Ron Howard himself.
The excitement grew as everyone waited in line for a chance to get a ticket to the film. Local media was on site doing live broadcasts, interviews, and even joining us to screen the film.
At the Elmira, NY event we had sold out of seats 40 minutes before the show even started and everyone packed into the theater for a standing room only showing!
Movie goers viewed the making of the film, followed by the film itself, and then we held a Q+A session and gave away a large assortment of prints and donations from local businesses.
A wonderful evening was had by all. Tears were shed, as well as laughter and roaring applause!

Elmira, NY Event: (click arrows to advance slideshow) – Thanks to Andy of A.D. Wheeler Photography for taking these images!

I must say from a personal standpoint it was a both an exhilarating and humbling experience for me. To see so many faces (old and new) show up in support of my accomplishment was such an honor. I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful people rooting for me and cheering me on. Never in a million years would I have ever dreamed that by simply doing what I love to do would lead to such an achievement. Even today I am still lost for words to describe how thankful and how fortunate I am to be a part of this ground breaking Endeavour.
Thank you Ron Howard, Canon, friends, family, fans, and most of all my loving wife Amanda, step daughter Brianna, and my parents. NONE of this would have been possible without your love and support.
Now… the big question: What happens next??? – I for one, am eager to find out! Stay tuned!

Let me start by saying; never in a million years would I have imagined that I would win a national photo competition, let alone one where almost 100,000 people entered, or one where a Hollywood movie director selected the winners and made a movie based around the shots….

I am blessed…honored… and deeply humbled.

These last four months have been a whirlwind of emotions, events, and triumphs, and I am so thankful for every one of them. From Shooting Sigma’s international Ad Campaign, to getting married and going on a honeymoon in Italy, to walking the red carpet at the movie premier for Canon’s Project Imagin8ion… 2012’s going to have to be a pretty epic year to top this one!

Canon flew up the eight winners from the Project Imagin8ion contest from all corners of the country to New York City. My wife Amanda and I came up a few days early since she had never been to NYC. We checked in to the Park Central Hotel, just a few blocks south of Central Park and across the street from Carnegie Hall.

I played the role of tour guide as we visited the obligatory sights; Times Square, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Center, Radio City, Statue of Liberty and the Staten Island Ferry, Grand Central Station, The theater district, and of course Ray’s Pizza!

We met up with another one of the winners; Chris Wehner, and his girlfriend Sarah, who had also arrived early. We had dinner at the Red Eye grill and afterward, explored the city together at night.

Chris had remembered seeing an old firehouse on a side street nearby so we set out to find it. After walking about 15 blocks we finally stumbled across it! The door to the station barely looked big enough to get a truck through! As Chris and I were admiring the vintage facade, Amanda and Sarah were in the entrance and one of them unknowingly brushed against the doorbell to the station. We were about to walk away when a fireman literally burst through the door, scaring the living daylights out of all of us! He was laughing pretty hard at startling us as Chris and I introduced ourselves. Not only did he not mind us photographing the outside of the building, he raised the garage door and invited us inside to shoot wherever we liked! We explored the vintage fire hall which was built in the early 1900’s and photographed everything we could. Mike, the fireman that let us in told us some interesting facts. Such as, each day at least 3 three people are hit by cars, and that they usually have well over 3000 calls a year! Also that truck that we thought could never make it through the door, really only has INCHES of clearance and they have to back that giant rig into the garage over 40 times a week!

After two days of exploring the city, the night of the film premier was here! “When You Find Me” directed by Ron Howard and his daughter Bryce, premiered at the American Museum of Natural History on 11/15/2011. The eight winners met in the lobby of the hotel, many of us meeting in person for the first time. We had a few short minutes to chat, congratulate, and take a few snapshots before we were ferried over to the museum.

None of us really knew what to expect. We were all excitedly nervous and anxious to see what was in store for us.

Our ride pulled up in front of the entrance to the museum where a long red carpet was laid out from the curb to doorway. We walked into the museum and just around the corner was the ‘real’ red carpet where 25-30 reporters and cameramen awaited us. ABC, CBS, NBC, E! Tv, Access Hollywood, all there…. With big cameras, microphones, and banks of LED lights and flashes to fire in our faces! This was the point where I had expected I would get really nervous. However, in the second we marched out in front of everyone, the magnitude of the situation overwhelmed any sense of fear or apprehension and I just ‘lived the moment’. It’s hard to describe, but it was so overwhelming that it had the opposite effect on me and I actually calmed down and relaxed. At least that’s how I felt on the inside; I may have looked like a deer in headlights for all I know!

After group shots, we moved aside for the guests of the hour, Ron Howard and Bryce Dallas Howard, as the made their way onto the red carpet. We all watched them talk to the press and take pictures, and then we had our opportunity to get a group shot with the both of them.

After the red carpet we headed towards the movie theater, but on the way we found ourselves in a hallway which (brace yourselves) had all 96,000+ images printed on the walls from floor to ceiling! It was at this point that we all fully realized the magnitude of this project and the enormity of it all. The best word I can use is ‘dizzying’. I had never seen anything like this and it really helped me understand just how lucky I was to be selected out of a sea of images from all over the country.

The gallery progressed to larger images of the top 30 semi-finalists in each of the 8 categories, and then finally large framed photos of the winning 8 images.

Then, the theater…

The winners got front row seats and we took our spots. Moments later Ron and Bryce walked in and sat directly behind us. I mean I could have leaned over and asked for a stick of gum I was so close!

The lights dimmed…

Then…

WOW….

Who knew, that so much emotion and drama and feeling could be packed into a 25 minute time span? Not only did the movie do justice to every one of our winning photos, but we were all blown away seeing them come to life right before our eyes! I am sure I was not the only one in the theater choking back tears during the film. It was very emotional and powerful on many levels. Both Bryce as director and Dane Charbeneau as the writer masterfully crafted our images into a cohesive story that gripped the viewer from the very first seconds of the film.
After the film we watched Ron, Bryce, Dane, David Edelstein, (Chief Film Critic, New York Magazine) and the head marketing rep from Canon talk about the movie, the making of, and the inspiration from the photos. It was so cool to hear them talk about our individual photos and call us collaborators of the film. Truly surreal!

Then it was time for the after party!

As a kid I had been to the Museum of Natural history more than a few times, and the one room that I can still remember to this date was the “Whale Room”. This massive two story room held dioramas and exhibits all around the perimeter, but hung from the ceiling was a gargantuan life size blue whale. Who could forget something like that??? So imagine my surprise when we rounded a corner and entered the very same room, now decked out as an upscale NY nightclub. Fancy spotlights cast light and shadows all around the room which was filled with couches and a few standing tables. Digital screens surrounded the upper levels of the hall with “Canon” and “Project Imagin8ion” flashing on them. The center of the room held the (open!) bar, for which they had purchased giant digital touch sensitive countertops which displayed thousands of pictures from the contest that you could swipe and sift through with your hands by touching them. It was phenomenal!

We hung out at a cluster of couches and snacked on some food and drinks. Ron and Bryce mingled nearby and we were able to grab them for a few moments to chat and take pictures. The thing that struck me the most about Ron and Bryce is how unbelievably kind and down to earth they were. They were two of the nicest people I have met. Even though they were being swarmed with people looking to talk to them, they didn’t mind to take a few moments to chat and have their picture taken with us.

( Bryce the Director and Dane the writer)

Some of the press were still there and we did a few more interviews one on one. We were also able to hang out and talk with some of the actresses from the film. They were so wonderful to talk with; they were just as excited to meet us as we were them. I complimented them, telling them how impressed I was that they were able to evoke so much emotion in the film in the very short time span they had to film. I met some of the top Canon execs from Japan as well as some of the marketing guys from Grey (the advertising agency for Canon) who actually came up with the idea for Project Imagin8ion. Everyone was so excited to see this production come full circle and be executed flawlessly.

Around midnight we made our way back to the main entrance, claimed our gift bags which had a large framed print of the 8 winning images, a signed screenplay by Ron, and a Project Imagin8ion hat! We joined the winners and a few of the folks from Grey and Alliance Agency (the PR company for Grey) at Columbus Tavern a few blocks away for an ‘After After Party’. We celebrated some more until 2am when we hailed a cab back to the hotel.

Words cannot express all of the emotions and moments of the evening. Suffice it to say that it was a once in a lifetime experience and one that I will never forget!

Best of all, it’s not over yet! The film will air online in December 2011 for a few weeks, and then it will be coming to each of our regions in 1st quarter of 2012. Also it will be shown at Sundance, Tribeca, and will be screened by the Academy for a potential nomination for an Oscar!

So a big THANK YOU to Canon, Grey, Alliance Agency, Ron and Bryce, all the 8 winners, and all of my fans, friends, and family who have been so supportive, cheering me along every step of the way. I thank you ALL from the bottom of my heart!

Now… On to the next big thing!!!

A few weeks ago on my drive home from work, I got a phone call that I never in a million years would have expected. I looked at my phone and saw an out of state area code. I answered the phone and the voice on the other end said “Hello Walter, this is Jennifer with Alliance Agency and I would like to inform you that Ron Howard has selected your image for the Project Imagin8tion contest and you are a grand prize winner!” I was completely taken off guard, and it was all I could do to keep my car on the road as my stomach filled with butterflies and my head started spinning! I must have blacked out for a few minutes because I don’t remember the next moments of the conversation. All of a sudden I found myself parked in my driveway talking to Jennifer! The only thing I can remember is apologizing to Jennifer for not knowing what to say and assuring her that I was indeed excited, but just speechless! Verbally I was paralyzed but in my mind I was slow motion running on the beach pumping my fist into the air to the sound track of Chariots of Fire! Jennifer went on to tell me that Ron Howard had selected my image “The Final View” (The interior of an abandoned airplane cockpit) as the image that inspired the setting for his upcoming film. She went on to say that I would be flown up with a guest to New York City for the red carpet film premier, the after party, an opportunity to meet Ron Howard, and a selection of Canon photography equipment!

If you have not seen the TV ads for the contest you might be wondering what the heck I am talking about! Project Imagin8tion is a contest sponsored by Canon and YouTube where photographers submitted images to one of 8 categories; setting, time, character, mood, relationship, goal, obstacle and the unknown, with the hope of having their image selected by movie director Ron Howard as inspiration for his next film. Back in June I casually submitted 5 images to the contest. I picked a few shots from Grossinger’s, and the Airplane Graveyard and submitted them to the “Setting” category. I thought that any of these settings would make a great location for a movie. A few weeks later, beyond all odds, three of my images were selected as top 30 semi-finalists, and then after a nationwide vote, I made the top ten with “The Final View”.:

After going over more of the details she dropped the bad news on me. “Now I know this is an extremely exciting time” she said, “But we must ask that you not tell ANYONE about this news. Canon is preparing its marketing campaign and will be announcing the news in a very exciting fashion sometime next month.”

Sometime next month?? Can’t tell anyone??? How am I supposed to keep a secret like that when I am already pricing out how much it would cost to have a loudspeaker and a megaphone attached to my car to tour the country and share the news!?!? And so began the longest month of my life trying to keep the biggest secret I have had to keep. So there, I said it! Cat’s outta the bag! Whew!

In all seriousness, I would like to thank everyone for their support and kindness over the years as I have pursued this hobby of mine which has evolved into much more over the last year. Thank you to all the followers of my blog and my work. Thank you my friends and family and to my wonderful fiancée Amanda who I can’t wait to have join me in NYC at the premier!

Here’s a link to the Huffington Post Article

When I first heard about an abandoned castle in upstate NY I all but booked my plane ticket before even researching it! The prospect of exploring a castle deep in the overgrown woods of NY was irresistible.  I started researching and making phone calls, and in doing so made contact with a local historian who had done extensive research on the castle and its history. Her name was Dr. Joyce Conroy and she not only provided us with useful information, she also gave us a 35 minute interview in person, and also gave us copies of historical images of the castle for us to you in our write up and video. Here is some of what  we learned from her:

I flew up to NY and met up with fellow photographer A. D.  Wheeler, and his colleague Jon. We set out on our first day of exploration with the castle set in our sights. We made the trip from Elmira to the site of the castle without knowing much about how to get in or even its exact location. We neared the castle and after a few miles of  unmarked back roads we spotted one of the towers of the castle up on a hill buried deep in the woods and overgrowth. After parking our car and gathering our gear, we trudged up a steep ravine and into a clearing which revealed the outer bulwarks of the castle. It’s gothic windows and ‘witch’s hat’ spires that adorned its towers loomed through the trees and immediately hinted at the mystery and fantastical stories that this location might hold.

We quickly ducked in under a beautiful stone archway and into the sprawling courtyard. We all stood in awe of what we were seeing. It was like being transported back to medieval times, as if somewhere in the woods we stepped into Narnia without knowing it. I quickly checked my back to see if any talking beavers or goat-men named Mr. Tumnus were sneaking up on me!  :-)

After taking in the awe-inspiring architecture of the inner courtyard we ducked into the first open doorway we saw, and found ourselves in the kitchen of the castle. Tiled floors and marble window sills surrounded  us. Every window and door we encountered was beautifully peaked, and every corner we rounded and room we entered spoke of mystery  and an untold history.

It was a strange juxtaposition to be exploring the hallways and rooms of what one would imagine to be a castle out of the dark ages and then notice an old push button switch on the walls which was once used to turn on the electric lights. It was like a modern day fairytale gone wrong. I felt like Alice going through the rabbit hole discovering crazy distorted visions of reality that immediately clashed with my senses and perception of what should and should not be.

The majority of rooms were completely cleared out of anything that would have resembled human habitation . The only vestiges that remained were bathroom fixtures, and electric heaters, which only furthered the surrealistic perception that what appeared to be something from the dark ages was still indeed a modern ruin.

We explored all three main levels of the castle, poking our heads into every room, and even ventured down into the depths of the blackened basement. We spent hours peering into abandoned rooms and speculating on the stories and history that the castle held.

A few days later we had the  honor of speaking with  local historian Dr. Conroy who donated her time to give us a full interview and history lesson regarding the castle. There are very few websites dedicated to this location and many of them contain historical information that is not entirely accurate. We were able to talk with Dr. Conroy to uncover what was myth and what was factual. She was very generous and donated a number of digital scans of old historic photos of the castle.

The Mason’s Castle was an incredible location and a true gem of American history. Please note that due to the fact that the land is actively owned I am unable to disclose the exact location of the castle or provide any information regarding gaining entry. Please do not attempt to visit this location, as it would be considered trespassing. I hope you enjoy the photography and the history!

This is very sad for me as a photographer. These planes were a staple of the landscape, the giant tail fins and cockpits looming from the side of the highway for upwards of 30 years. For locals, the landscape has permanently changed.  The once watchful guardians of highway 1 have been relieved of their post with no further standing orders. From a personal standpoint I feel like I have lost quite a few of my dear friends. As funny as that may sound, these eight planes represented much more to me than a decaying hunk of metal in an overgrown plot of land. They had spirit, character, history, and countless stories to tell.  The maintenance dates stamped onto their fuselages told a great history of service to the United States. Whether they were used in warfare for tracking of submarines and reconnaissance missions, or whether they were used for domestic purposes such as fighting off wild fires, there are countless pilots out there that could tell you incredible stories of the missions these planes flew.

The planes were housed on this plot of land specifically for scrap, the owner selling off pieces of equipment to be used for newer planes as needed.  As the years went by nature began to take her toll. Vines grew up into the cockpits, propellers, and other vital pieces of machinery were removed and sold for reuse as the planes silently slumbered in the field.

The times I visited them became a turning point in my art. I was just getting into Urban Exploration, and photographing abandoned decaying locations. After seeing the sheer beauty that the Airplane Graveyard held, I was completely head over heels in love with the idea of finding and exploring many more locations of its type. These planes embodied everything that I was fascinated with; the juxtaposition of man-made vs. nature, the joy of finding beauty in uncommon places, the oddity of discovering such a unique location hidden in plain sight of us all. The sheer beauty of ‘Nature’s reclamation’ was all around us at the Airplane Grave Yard.

I remember exploring all eight planes climbing into and examining each unique cockpit. Some had vines growing up through them, some had broken windshields, some had a strange lichen growing on the glass that resembled blood, but none the less, each one of them was unique, amazing, and full of life even in its decaying state.

I guess all in all I spent about 18 intimate hours with the planes over multiple visits. It’s an indescribable feeling sitting inside something like this; listening to the dead leaves rustle around in the breeze, looking at the old bundles of copper wires hanging from the ceiling like vines in a jungle, reading old signs and warnings, and advisories printed onto the rusted metal. I guess you just begin to picture the people that flew these planes, and their lives, experiences, and stories. When you start to envision the glory and excitement of what used to be, and combine that with the saddening decay of what remains, you begin to form a bond.  It is something that is hard to put into words.  Something that when you watch the video of these beautiful machines being ripped apart, begins to have the same effect on you.

It’s hard to describe the feeling and emotion I felt while watching the video of the ‘removal’ of the planes. For me it was like watching a friend getting beaten to a pulp and then disemboweled for the world to see. I understand the company that was hired to demolish the planes, performed the task in the manner in which was most efficient, but to watch the video of the planes being rocked back and forth and gutted was just too much for me.

After years of looking at these pictures and sharing them with countless people who had flown these planes, it is much more than witnessing a piece of machinery being demolished. This was the loss of a group of dear friends.  With this demolition, I further recognize the importance of what I, and many other photographers strive do; that capturing of the images of such locations goes far beyond the desire to portray the “beauty of decay”. It also grows out of the need to share the history, spirit, and the stories that these artifacts of history stand for.

So farewell to the war machines of the Airplane Graveyard.    You will be missed. But your legacy and that of the heroic pilots who flew your missions will live on.

Recently, I was offered a very unique exploration opportunity. I was invited by “Photographer’s for Historic Preservation” to travel to Maryland and shoot an abandoned Silk Mill. A select group of photographers from all over the country were invited to legally shoot this location in exchange for donating to the owner to help preserve and repair his building. The silk mill was in operation from 1907-1957. Construction of the Mill was begun in 1905. Initially, silk was imported from Japan and China and the factory produced silk thread. During World War II, rayon was made. In the 1920s the payroll included over 300 people, but in later years fewer than 200 worked there, and by the 1950s antiquated machines in a small mill made competition with larger facilities difficult. In 1957 the mill closed. Since its closure, the owner has done his best to keep the building intact, but nature and vandals have taken their toll.

I invited fellow photogs, Andy Wheeler and Jared Kay, to come along. Andy traveled from New York and Jared and I made the 8 hour drive from Asheville NC.

We arrived and met the owner, who told us of the struggles he had faced over the years keeping the building up physically and financially. Recently someone broke in and stole thousands of dollars of materials from the location. Leaking roofs, broken windows, and buckling floor boards needed to be fixed, to name just a few of the countless maintenance issues. We made our donation and entered the building.

The massive three story brick structure welcomed us into its former office where we were greeted by our first piece of history; a vintage fire extinguisher.

This strange hand grenade looking phial on the wall was filled with carbon tetrachloride, a chemical compound used in early fire extinguishers. If a fire broke out you hurled it at the fire and it would (hopefully) extinguish it. These types of fire extinguishers were discontinued due to the hazardous effects of the chemicals on the human body.

Stepping out of the tiny office room and into a vast workspace, we were treated to our first jaw dropping sight: hundreds of rows of silk spinning looms.

It was overwhelming. There’s no other word for it. It took a moment to get over the magnitude of what we were seeing.  Then we scrambled to get out our cameras  and start shooting!

It was hard to miss the bright red buckets hanging from the end of each row of looms, which had FIRE stamped on them in bold black lettering. This was a reminder of how far back in history we were stepping.

On the end of each row were a faded grimy tag and a label. We learned that each employee was responsible for a different row and they would tag their row (and the finished silk spools) with their label which had their employee number stamped on it.

The next sight, that quickly became commonplace, was the hundreds of thousands of bobbins that were still sitting in the machines, on the floors, on racks, and in decaying cardboard boxes.

It was apropos that everywhere I looked were thousands of little spindles, each resembling the core of a film canister that would have been used to wrap film from a camera. The catch line for the day was “These Bobbins are Dirty!” which became a running joke between Jared and me (such as, the two of us leaving a note to housekeeping in the hotel we stayed at complaining about the dirty bobbins in our room) But I digress…

As we walked around we wondered at the amazing relics of Americana the building still held. It was like time stood still here. The mill management had simply shut down the machinery leaving behind everything as it stood the moment they closed and locked the doors.

Vintage posters advertising workers compensation laws or safe driving habits were found in dusty corners.

A lunch menu advertising a local eatery was found defaced on the wall.

Even a dusty romance novel had been left behind!

And my personal favorite was a tattered old calendar featuring a picture by Norman Rockwell for the Boy Scouts. I found the old poster hanging face down against the wall in the basement. It wrinkled, bent and torn, but it was a beautiful sight.

The second floor held more looms, but they were taller and looked much different from the first floor ones. Some of them looked more like torture devices than manufacturing devices.

More pieces of history and Americana were strewn about on the second floor.

After about 3 hours we finally ventured down to the basement through a dark stairwell encased in peeling paint.

Still more treasures were to be found in the darkened depths of the mill.

An old scale loomed in the corner.

Vintage newspapers lay in a stack of boxes nearby.

Old labels from Japan which were once included in shipments of silk were found on an old work bench.

Another one of my favorite finds was an old empty oil barrel, ironically labeled with the words “Gulf Harmony Oil”!  Many more looms, and vestiges of the mill haunted the darkened basement.

Jared and I spent some more time talking with the owner as we wrapped things up. (Andy had left earlier.) We thanked him profusely for allowing us legal access to his property for the sake of preservation and art. After 5 hours of shooting, we packed our things back into our car (including our complimentary “Dirty Bobbins”!!!) and bade farewell to the Silk Mill.