No. 5235

Pittsburgh Vicinity, Part Four [Yeah, I know...]

Sometimes a little separation is a good thing. It's been a few weeks now since the Pittsburgh trip, and that time has allowed me to take a fresh look at the images shot during the weekend. This trip was one of the few times where I was really excited about what I shot immediately. Normally I wait a few days (weeks, months...) before reviewing what I photographed during a trip. This allows me to look at the images with fresh eyes. It allows me to look at the image for the image itself, not the memory of the circumstances. I didn't allowed myself that separation for this series of images, mainly because I was too excited about them to wait. I have since gone back over the images from the trip, and found a few images that I missed during my initial review. Below are a few of those images.

Pittsburgh Vicinity, Part Three [McKeesport]

I found myself with a few extra hours on Sunday to find one more location to shoot. I didn't really have anything in mind, so Andy and I opted for a drive south, and to see what we happened upon. As we headed down 148, I saw several fading brick buildings ahead. We meandered through the town of McKeesport and its virtually vacant business area. With rain on the horizon, I moved quickly as I found a few interesting spaces. I started to feel like I overstayed my welcome, and was getting some unwanted attention. Rushing my last location (and of which I have nothing decent to show), we continued on. Regaining our anonymity, I discovered a few more locations to shoot before a little fishing, a quick (and tasty) lunch, and a long drive home.

Pittsburgh Vicinity, Part Two [Springdale and New Kensington]

Following the morning in Braddock, and a much needed file dump onto my laptop, Andy and I followed the Allegheny River north. Wandering through the small towns that dotted the valley, I was especially drawn to Springdale and New Kensington. I spent the better part of two hours in the latter, enthralled by the fading murals and crumbling facades. Below is a sampling of the images I found during the afternoon adventure.

Pittsburgh Vicinity, Part One [Braddock]

Finally, the first full length post from the roadtrip Andy Reed and I took a few weeks ago. We set out on Friday evening, with the Pittsburgh area set as our destination. Rather than drive the Pennsylvania Turnpike, we ventured west on the historic Lincoln Highway, through rolling hills and small towns. Shortly after we began our adventure, I noticed a misty fog setting into the valleys. Knowing we were near Gettysburg, we took a short detour to Devil's Den. I was hoping to photograph the area while the fog was there, but upon arrival, it looked nothing like I had hoped it would. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, however, we climbed around one of my favorite places as a kid before hopping back in the car and continuing our journey.

The next few hours passed with good conversation, bad music, and a plethora of random roadside sights. At times we were slowed down by rain and a very heavy fog, but eventually arrived at our hotel in Harmarville. Wanting to get started early the following morning, we crashed pretty much the moment we checked in.

7 AM arrived quickly, but I was too excited for the day to try to sleep any later. Our first (and only predetermined) destination was the town of Braddock. The weather was perfect. Overcast, with the remnants of a heavy rain the night before. The skies at times looked like they would open up at any moment.

Braddock is a ghost town that just won't give up. Over the past 20 years, more than 90% of the population has moved out. Unemployment if over 3 times the national average. Most of the residential buildings, and almost all of the business are closed and abandoned. Yet amongst all of the decay and desolation, there is a glimmer of hope. Vacant lots are being taken back by the community and transformed into gardens. Blank walls are given new life with bright murals.

We weren't sure quite what to expect. As I drove into the town, it was eerily quiet. The silence made me nervous. Knowing I wouldn't create anything worthwhile if I wasn't comfortable, I made myself take some photographs. Looking back, those first few images look forced and rushed. I was becoming more comfortable, and with my comfort came inspiration. I had scoped out about two dozen locations using aerial photography. Sadly, several were lost to the wrecking ball. We zigged and zagged through the town, stopping wherever I saw something inspiring.

There were a few locations that I chose not to investigate, due to safety concerns, but for the most part we were ignored. I had one run-in with a local, an old man that basically yelled "Get off my lawn!" at me. I tried to explain what I was doing, and that I didn't mean to cause any trouble, but he didn't want to hear any of it. I respected his "request" and quickly left the area.

Determined to not let the encounter interfere with our adventure, we drove to the other side of town and continued exploring. The morning passed quickly, and before I knew it I had over 300 photographs. Below is a small sampling of those images.