IT'S ALL OVER NOW, BABY BLUE

Beautiful. This unreal, almost ghostly scene in magic white tones is fantastic. We have the feeling we're entering another dimension. The light again is wonderful, Montana must be such a great place for picture-taking. A great find, very well-seen and captured, David.

Glad you liked it. I was photographing an old and abandoned hotel in Dubois, Idaho, when I chanced to look inside. I, too, was struck with the ghostly nature of this scene. Because I had to shoot through the window, I got some foggy sort of stuff on the right lower portion, but I decided that it only added to the ghostly effect.

This begs to have the story told. Where was the tree and who were the people, and why did they move on? There must be those folks out there somewhere who remember that Christmas and that tree. I'm glad you looked in that window.

I think you would have very much liked to have been there with me in Dubois, Idaho. The one block heart of the town was completely abandoned. Both sides of the street had fairly substantial buildings on it, but every single one of them were abandoned. Yet, nearby was a fairly new county courthouse, that was about the only substantial building in town. The population for this town is about 500 souls.

 

I took somewhere between 75 to 100 photos, and they will provide me with a lot of material over the next couple of months.

There I was in Dubois, Idaho, photographing the abandoned buildings of

what once was the downtown. I looked inside the old hotel, and this

was the scene. It seemed evocative and poignant to me.

the tree white color seems like unreal...an albinos x-mas tree...you might deduce I am obsessed with details (which I might well be :-), but I really like the light and shadow area on the floor, like a projection of what's outside to be seen through the window...

The whole scene is kind of unreal to me, sort of an alternate universe thing. That forlorn tree is just the cap on a desolate view of a place maybe kind of private. I think the voyeuristic nature of the photo is part of the attraction for me. Thanks for the comment. Cheers

...and maybe they did, Dave. You seem to find lotsa abandoned towns, or parts of towns. I haven't seen this here, in Canada. Yes, it has a ghosty atmosphere. The orange whatever on the tree give it some colour-contrast. Cheers, Micheal

One of those scenes which when encountered by the attentive photographer sets the neurons sliding around like bumper cars. Beautifully composed and presented, but more than than that, the kind of photograph the sparks a feeling of immediate visceral recognition in the viewer, that peculiar emotional element that lifts the photo to the level of art. Wonderful shot, David.

 

I have to laugh at the ratings this received. I feel that many of the viewers here at P.Net wouldn't know a truly great picture if one slid into bed with them and kissed them on the ear. A diet of too many calendar pictures, I presume. Thank god for a few creative souls like the folks who commented here at some length. (The sign of a provocative picture.)

Yes, I do tend to find abandoned towns, because they fascinate me. And, in the American west there are plenty around for me to feed on. We are a dynamic population, so we often leave our past behind and move on.

While I blush a bit at the praise, I cannot say that I disagree with your analysis of the condition of pnet. Stray too far from the accepted standards of beauty, and you are in for a bit of a rough ride. Quite frankly, the only reason I stay in the game is guys like you and a select coterie (I'm sure you know most of those names) who seem to enjoy finding expression in something other than a sunrise, sunset, nekid lady or the most time worn landscape. I've said it many times before, but I'm on my soapbox now, so I get to say it again, "Beauty has many voices, the obscure is preeminently silent." I think you are one of the few who finds great pleasure in giving a voice to that preeminent silence. Thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated.

My pleasure, David, half the fun is in the intelligent commentary, the give and take between fellow snappers. I would really like to have some explanation for some of the scores I find on my own and other's pictures; Scores alone are absolutely meaningless. At least if you leave your name I can check out your portfolio and see what kind of pictures you like. Anonumous ratings are almost cowardly.

yes, the story of this one does beckon...the almost colorless scene...did the rest of the colors leave with the people? i like the foggy areas on the glass. they definitely add to the atmosphere.

Thanks for the visit. Having seen your work, I'm not surprised you would find this interesting.

This desolate scene is rich in interpretations and I can see why it can be so appealing. The Christmas tree is like a once grandiose actress that has lost her "spark" and desperately tries to hold on to her past. She no longer commands the attention that she once received. The opened door with the light reflected on the floor suggests a hopeful instance in which a person might enter the room and starts to appreciate her for what it was acknowledging her previous glory. Perhaps a far fetched interpretation, but a truthful one.