Alleys & Ruins no. 98, Misstep (2007, Phoenix, AZ, 11:30pm)
Alleys & Ruins no. 98, Misstep (2007, Phoenix, AZ, 11:30pm)
This was shot in Phoenix's south side which is supposed be a bad neighborhood. But the only tense moment occurred when, during my scouting, I passed two guys who stared me down with some contempt. That was tense but no one else seemed to care that I was there. I saw several syringes on the ground and I know there are street gangs in Phoenix but they are not prominent, and I certainly won't avoid a shoot because I might run into a gang. Otherwise there would be three photos in my Alleys & Ruins series.
Walking in one of the few run down areas of the city, I came across this peculiar scene. This beat up industrial building had these glorious steps, one of them out of place. Then I noticed someone had punched a hole in the door right next to the doorknob - I'm guessing to unlock it from the outside. A magical scene, this was not, but it was my duty to make it so. Across the street, a loud bar/nightclub thumped away, which was loud and distracting but also welcome, since its always good to have people around when I'm working in sketchy places at night.
I set up my strobe with a blue gel (to offset the yellow sodium street light) and fired the light through the leaves of a tree, lighting the door and steps with beautiful shadows. With a few curious stares from across the street, I finished my job and moved along, content with my work.
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