Project 2022
Abandoned Cresson State Penitentiary, Cresson, Pennsylvania
197/365 Confinement and restriction. A hundred years of restraint. Originally opened as Cresson Tuberculosis Sanatorium in 1916, having undergone several transformations best characterized by the surrounding razor wire, and finally closed one hundred years later - in 2016 as the the Cresson State Penn - a medium security, all-male correctional facility.
196/365 The day began early for us as our bus trudged through the already stop-and-go and smog-laden traffic out of the city. The morning was indeed already in full swing. As our window onto the local world absorbed the passing sights and sounds, we could see many groups of residents lining the nearby parks and medians rigorously committed to their ritual exercise routines. Others were rushing off to work, or home from shopping, carefully bearing the fruits of their successful shopping. On this day, scrambled eggs came to mind as the world passed by…
Town Cove, Orleans, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
191/365 Early morning fog over the Town Cove slowly lifts to expose a few boats rippling in the near-calm waters. Color, texture and light blend together for a restful feeling as the new day begins…
Carrie Blast Furnaces, Swissvale, Pennsylvania
190/365 A colorful, yet rusting relic along the Monongahela River, the Carrie Blast Furnaces remains a testament to Pittsburgh’s industrial past and America’s gone-by leadership in steel. Centerpiece to the mill site is the Carrie Deer, covertly built in 1997 by a group of artists who would sneak in at night and construct the towering deer head from parts of the mill found around the site. As with so many abandoned sites of the past, color and texture mix to create opportunity for unique artistry that will live on for the future.
Skatet Beach, Orleans, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
189/365 They watch and wait … and take in the final rays of the sun as they slip over the horizon, burnishing the remaining skies. Waffle-like clouds take over the night. While the crescent moon casts little light - it remains a beacon to guide their way home…
Between Orleans and Beaune, France
188/365 Rolling hills, warm summer skies, and a striking medieval castle welcome us back centuries to old Europe and a time that was …
187/365 The Old City of Jerusalem is divided into four quadrants - Jewish, Christian, Moslem and Armenian. Even so, wandering through the Old City, one cannot help but be struck by the magnitude of religious sects that are invested in some part of this ancient city. Some have responsibility to maintain a certain part of Jerusalem - however big or small the area may be - and constantly monitor their “territory” for any breaches, such as it appears is taking place in this image. These groups look very unkindly upon those who may violate their “space”. In fact, the police department in Jerusalem has specific leadership responsibile for resolving differences between such groups, even for minor violations.
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico
185/365 The sky is full this October morning. As the day breaks, a Morning Ascension has blocked out every inch of blue sky, only to be filled by patchwork color and odd shapes as far as the eye could see.
Abandoned Cresson State Penitentiary, Cresson, Pennsylvania
184/365 Wandering the tunnels and halls of the Cresson State Pen, one finds rooms in wide-ranging states of destruction. At the same time, light - so key to a photographer’s arsenal - can flood a hallway bringing warmth and contradiction to an otherwise restrictive past. Ahhh, the color of abandonment. Opened in 1916 as the Cresson Tuberculosis Sanatorium near Altoona, PA, this facility underwent several transformations living its final days as the Cresson State Penitentiary - a medium security facility for men - before its close in 2016. Now the site serves as part farm, and part conflicting abandoned site in mid-Pennsylvania. Parts of the facility look clean and updated while others look like a recent hurricane blew through the site - all making for interesting imagery.
Sonoran Desert, North Phoenix, Arizona
183/365 Just past full, this Waning Gibbous moon lights up the desert floor in north Phoenix. As the detail comes out of the shadows, the vegetation take on an almost eerie, repetitive, and medusa-like drawing. The glowing ring around the moon casts an odd light against the flowing clouds, and if you look closely, the night sky starts to give up hints of the big dipper.
Glenorchy, South Island, New Zealand
182/365 About an hour north of Queenstown, on the way to Paradise, and in the shadows of Isengard is Glenorchy. A small settlement, off the beaten path, with a simple image that gains its strength from strong color and mixed texture. It stops me every time I see it…
181/365 This week in July is the time of the Full Buck Moon or Thunder Moon The rich history of these names comes from the native Americans who used these full moons to mark time. Most tribes counted 12 or 13 moons for a full year where each moon was tied to a season or an activity associated with that time. The moon names we are most familiar with come from the Algonquin tribe who were living primarily in the New England area. Full Buck or Thunder marls the season when bucks begin to grow new antlers and when thunderstorms are so frequent. Who knew? The moon shown here was photographed in October near Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyon, and is a nearly full Hunter’s Moon - marking the season when leaves start to fall and when most game is fattened. Now was the time for hunting and storing food for the winter season.
Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
179/365 Sunset at Acadia National Park brightens the rocky coast line below the Bass Harbor Head Light Station. There’s a story here. Arriving well before sunset, I worked my way out on these widely spaced-out rocks, trying to get as far off the coast as possible. Finding the perfect spot, I staked out my territory, firmly planted my tripod, and waited for the sun to drop below the horizon burning up the late day sky. There might have been a foot of craggy rock, at most, between me and the twenty foot drop into the cold ocean. And yet, somehow, much to my surprise, I was soon joined by another photographer who squeezed into that narrow gap between me and the deep blue sea. Determination… I give her credit.