Alleys & Ruins no. 150 (woohoo !! ) was shot in North Philadelphia in a huge abandoned industrial building. You can see an aerial view below. To get to this location you needed to walk through the length of the building which had me seeing one great location after another, but the moment I saw this little corner, I knew I had found my spot.
North Philly has some of the highest crime rates in the city, so I had three friends with me for the 3 or 4 hours we were there. It was a 30 minute exposure (seems to be my norm these days), and I did 4 exposures including the one Polaroid test. The shoot went without a hitch... I had time to think about the lighting, then I took my time with it. In the end, I was thrilled to finally add a Philly shot to my collection.
The shots below were made during a day and a half of scouting locations. The day after shooting Alley 150 I did my 2nd Philly photograph, which did NOT go as planned. I injured myself pretty badly and had to go to the emergency room. But the good news is, yes! I got the shot! I'll release that one within the month.
I've tried researching this building to know what it used to be, but have had no luck so far. I saw no signs, inside or out, and online research has lead me nowhere. The address is in the aerial below. If any one knows, please let me know! Many people spent decades in here from 9 to 5 and I would love to know more.
Below:
One of the few times I decorated the set... The smashed chair on the right was moved into the shot.
You had to walk inside the length of the building to get to our location. This room became slightly creepier in the pitch black of night.
