sadandbeautiful (Sarah)'s photostream  

Two nights in a row I went out! I wore my coveralls again. They are my Confidence Coveralls. In them I can do ANYTHING.

This bridge is the bridge I used to walk over (from the other side) to go from my house to elementary school. It closed to cars over a decade ago, then shortly after to pedestrians as well. It is one of Pennsylvania's many "orphan" bridges, and the little borough where I'm from has sole responsibility for demolishing it even though it connected to another township and runs over Amtrak lines. So it sits there, rotting. They say it will be taken down this spring, but they said that about last spring too.

I spied this little plow in the far corner of the local supermarket parking lot near me as I drove by it earlier today. I asked my daughter if she might come be a look-out for me after dark so I could try and be brave and take self-portraits there. I wasn't sure if I'd climb on it or not because I hadn't really scoped it out. I decided to wear my coveralls thinking if it seemed out of sight enough I'd go for a naked shot. I also started wondering about perhaps using these coveralls as some sort of security blanket--like, use them to try and feel braver than I am. I can sort of see a series like that, me in the coveralls, but it's very loosely defined at the moment.

Anyway. This was REALLY well-lit and completely visible from a main intersection, as well as car headlights would shine right on me every time one went to exit the lot near where I was. I am certain I wouldn't have done it if my daughter wasn't urging me on, but I left her in the car a few yards away and went ahead and set up my tripod. I figured I could do some shots in the front plow there and even if a cop came, I wasn't climbing on the equipment so technically not doing anything wrong (though a "getting in trouble" doesn't phase me as much as being embarrassed by being seen does...totally nuts, I know).

Again. Baby steps. If I do stuff like this more often with my daughter or a friend keeping me company, then hopefully eventually I'll get over my issues and be able to do this on my own as well. I want to get over this fear because I'm only hurting myself.

Meanwhile, I am feeling desperate to get into an urbex setting. Ideas are swirling.

This was not easy! I went with my parents yesterday out of town for my cousin Joel's surprise 60th birthday party. I took a few shots out around the restaurant, but was really cold and wayyy too self-conscious with so many people around (remember, baby steps). I did take shots, but they were crap.

So on the way home I set up the tripod in the back seat and locked the focus using the light from my phone, then did many long exposure attempts, with cars sometimes passing us, sometimes no cars around at all. This came out the clearest despite the fact that the tripod was anything but steady, and I liked the feel of it. It is closest to what was in my head when I decided to try this. :)

1. saints., 2. yellow and blue, 3. Quietly disturbing the undead..., 4. wrong fackin' door........, 5. Old Glory Indeed, 6. wind, 7. Untitled, 8. All Day, 9. selfies, 10. First Light, 11. game over, 12. Another engine, another engine, 13. Neither Here Nor There