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.

Hope.

I tried to write a long-winded description of this photograph, and repeatedly deleted and rewrote the entire post. To me, this image is a metaphor for the location in which it was photographed; a wildflower, fighting for survival, in front of what seems like dying tree. Do a quick Google search for "Braddock Pennsylvania" and read the countless news articles of this dying town's struggle against its own demise.


More images from Braddock and its neighboring communities coming soon, as well as my first attempt at an Artist's Statement in over a decade.

Preview of Braddock

This past weekend my friend Andy and I went on a roadtrip to Pittsburgh and its surrounding communities (in particular, Braddock). Below is a small sampling of the over 600 photos I took over the three day trip. More images to follow in the coming days and weeks as I have time to work on them.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Roadtrip!

May 9 marked the two year anniversary of when my fiancé, Tara, and I met. To celebrate we decided to take a weekend roadtrip to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. More specifically, we decided to take a roadtrip to Dogfish Head brewery and brewpub.

Tara and I hit the road, with our sights set on the brewery (and it's awesome steampunk treehouse!) for an afternoon tour and tasting. As our trip took us through south eastern Pennsylvania, we made note of a few dilapidated buildings (and a vineyard) to check out on our way back home on Sunday.

We eventually made our way to Milton, the home of the brewery. As we passed through the small town, Tara and I both noticed a gorgeous brick wall, with remnants of the structure that shared it's support long ago. Hoping to have time later in the day, with better light, we continued on to the brewery. We arrived far too early for the tour, and didn't realize the tasting room couldn't serve beer outside of the tour. We ventured back into Milton, and were taunted again by the wall.

I didn't have enough courage to trespass and photograph the wall, as I didn't really want to tempt fate on our anniversary. I don't like trespassing, but it seems the subjects that call out to me aren't exactly on public property.

Flash forward a few hours and a few tasty beverages, I was determined to not miss this opportunity. I parked my car, hopped the gap between the fence and the water, and started composing. When I find a location that I connect with, I feel like a painter standing in front of a blank canvas. I paced back and forth a few times, looking. Seeing. I waited out the sun, and feverishly photographed when the light was right.

(photos by Tara Duffy)

Tara and I continued on to Rehoboth, and had an great weekend. Delicious Italian food, a Bruin's sweep, a few fun brunches, an afternoon tasting some really great beer, delicious non-seafood at a seafood restaurant. Oh, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Not really wanting the weekend to end, but facing reality with work on Monday, Tara and I hit the road. Hoping for a scenic drive, we headed south. Unfortunately that portion of the roadtrip was a disappointment, and we shortly turned around.

A few hours later, we were back in PA and decided to check out the winery we passed a few days earlier. Afterwards we zigzagged north for the next few miles, making stops at an abandoned gas station and two crumbling barns.