Unexpected
I travel to sites for my job all over the central part of Texas, so I see lots of abandoned places on my way to those locations. For this journey, I was on the way to La Grange to inspect a pavilion under construction, and as I was driving there, I happen to see this abandoned gas station all by itself on the side of the road.
The Station: In Color
I developed this series with two different looks through the lightroom editing process. The First version is processed using one of my presets inspired by the look and feel of classic Fujifilm X400 film stock. I wanted to make sure the greens of the grass and trees didn't lose their deep range of colors while trying to make the building stand out at the same time. I think the feel here is light and safe.
The Station: Black & White
The second set I developed is probably my favorite. This set was done in black & white, based off of the look of Ilford's HP5 film stock. The punchy contrast definitely allows the shadows and highlights to dance beautifully throughout each image. The grain also helps in giving more texture to each image, making them feel grittier and more uncomfortable. The goal for doing this style was to feel uneasy about the building, since there was no indication if anyone was in the building or not. To this day, I think there were squatters in there, which kept me from going inside. That, and the possibility of creepy crawlies that like to bite when you get to close.
A Few Favorites
The Main Entry
This is what originally caught my eye. This is what you see from the highway when you're driving by. The high grass really does a great job of adding to the abandoned feel of the place. It's a great teaser to seeing the rest of the building.
Under the Cover
First of all, the black & white is so much better than the color version, in my opinion, because it allows you to focus more on the details. It's almost like looking through a window back out at the road that at one time used to bring people to this station. So near, and yet so far away.
Around the Corner
I love the layering to this shot, especially since the roof was missing in spots, so you could see the sky through parts of it. The shot was composed well, and the leading lines constantly make you scan from left to right, each time you find something new to examine. The station felt like it held several secrets, but I was too nervous to find out for myself.
