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Hey guys and gals, LifeIn35mm here!

LifeIn35mm

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Joined
Apr 5, 2014
Messages
122
Location
Boulder, Co
Format
35mm
Ive recently stared shooting 35mm film after taking a high school film class (have been shooting for about 1.5 months now). I really love taking pictures of urban decay. I use a Canon ae1 that I got off of ebay for $40. Here are some of the pictures I have taken, please let me know what you guys think. I mostly shoot black and white but I develop that at school so I do not get it scanned. I hope that there are a few others here that like urban decay also. Thanks!
 

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It looks like you are in the American West. Let me be the first to say: Welcome to APUG!
 
A welcome to APUG from the Left Coast of Canada (Burnaby, BC - at the edge of the rainforest). Keep up the good work!
 
Welcome to APUG. I'm drawn to similar subject matter. A suggestion I would give is to get closer and isolate what you want us see. With the green and red pick up, the image might be more interesting if all I see is the transion from green to red. How important is the other stuff? We each shoot differently and I try to have no ambiguity about my subject matter. If something is not important for my composition, it doesn't get included. Get closer, keep releasing the shutter and keep posting images. Again, welcome to APUG. Bill Barber
 
They have potential, I like them.
Keep it simple, uncluttered shots are usually stronger.

The highway shot feels a bit rushed with the crooked horizon, and the gas station (?) one could benefit from a bit more exposure.

Also, they make sense as a set, especially the ones involving the abandoned cars or gas pumps.
Even if a bit cliched, you could make a nice gallery/exhibition on the subject, if you keep shooting that subject matter.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Thanks for the advice! I really appreciate it. Ill note to only have the important things in shot.
 

The one of the highway was taken out a car window at 60mph lol. I just thought that it would turn out interesting. I like how the gas station one turned out actually. How the gas station is dark and the sky in light, I thinks its awesome. But hey, everyone likes different things. I fail to see how they are cliche (except on the highway one). Please elaborate. I appreciate your advise and look forward to more, thanks.
 
Don't take it personally, but the whole "urban decay" thing -along with various New Topographics derivatives- is a popular theme.
Just google urban decay, and you'll see innumerable photos with similar subject (most of it HDR vomit probably, but also some well executed ones).

I'm not saying not to do it, because someone else has already done it. Art is derivative anyway.
I'm suggesting that you "personalize" it, find unique elements so it reflects the vibe of *your* place/surroundings, and it's not just "urban_decay_shot_#4594".
I don't know your place to tell exactly how to do so, but you'll find something if you look hard enough.

Regarding the gas station shots, I like the second one, my comment was for the first one (I'll correct the typo).
 
What does the American West have to do w/"Urban" decay?
 
Ok, so I should work on making my photos more unique and singling out only the important aspects. Any other tips? I would love to get some more so if anyone has any please feel free to tell me.
 
my advice: do what you want and stop listening to advice. approval from others is nice but fades in about 10 minutes. the photos you love yourself will give you lifetime of enjoyment.
 
welcome to apug!
nice images

my main advice would be take as many photographs as you can
so seeing becomes second nature.
the more you do the better you will get ...

don't forget to have fun !
john
 
Btw, you'll need criticism.
I'm all for having a vision and going against the critics to bring your vision to life.

But not in the beginning. In the beginning you'll need objective criticism, not pats on your back.
There are very few places that you can get that, since in most photo communities irl and online, the "critique" is just circlejerking.

There'll be a time to go against critiques.
Just not in the beginning.
When you start out, dismissing all critique as people "not getting it" is the easy way out.
 

I agree that I need to make my photos different from others and there where some things that I accidentally included in my pictures that ruined the mood. But besides that, I like the way my pictures turned out.
 
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