MINE REMNANTS PHILIPSBURG, MONTANA

I've found that trespassing on abandoned mine sites always gets the

adrenaline flowing. Sometimes it makes for good photos.

I like this composition a lot. The multiple levels, each different and at the top the two smoke stacks pointing to the sky. The exposure is V8 on and the colours are nice. You came there in the right season - the white snow enhances the colours and shapes. I'm sure you have the caption wrong, though. It's not "mine remnants". This is one of the pueblos used by the American Indians long time ago. This must be one of their latest models, because of the tall smoke stacks. They finally realized that having them short caused the smoke from the heating/cooking fires to go back down into their dwellings (so they spent lots of time crying and stank like a barbeque), so they made them tall. I can also see a couple of the meth tanks up there on the lefft. Guess they ran out of meths and moved on. Cheers, Micheal

You are a true nutcase. Adjust the V8 level. Without checking your pulse and looking into your eyes to check for dilation, I can't tell if you are over or under dosed on that stuff. Anyway, hilarious interpretation.

Check the level of vodka that is mixed with the V8 that Micheal is drinking and I think that you may find the answer.

David as long as you have already trespassed into the area why not go for the full Monty and get some wonderful photographs from inside the brick, hillside enclosures? Take me and Susan along next time and we'll show you how it is done! I have a photograph of Susan while she is inside a building and pointing through an opening to the "No Trespassing!" sign that is on the outside.

OH! By the way, I love this image (viewed larger) and think it is almost the cat's meow!

Another interesting picture of that rugged part of our country's heritage. It's a solid composition as befits this old mine, no zooms or acute angles but as a photographer might have pictured it (and hand colored it) in 1900. The color saturation is a little strong, I think, especially against the white snow and the trees tend to lose a little detail. I tried desaturating it, just to see what it would look like and ended up spending far too much time for too little improvement if any. I've appended it here for your amusement. Hope you don't mind. Regards, Jack

Part of the problem is that Juan and the truck were about 500 feet up the road, and I could not see him or know what was going on. He did not feel comfortable driving down to this location, so I took off on foot by myself. I had been gone quite awhile, and I feared that Juan would be concerned for my safety (that's a joke, Juan) and felt like I needed to get back to where he was. So, I foolishly left after climbing up to close to the chimneys, but by going way over to the left, and up a road. I dearly would have loved to have crawled in and around all those orifices (I hope the oral of the orifice is not "orifeces".)

You get Suzy and I'll meet you there.

I'm not sure what my opinion is on your alteration. It may be better, and Dog knows I have a tendency to soak my photos in saturated hellfire coloration. I'm really not sure where I stand on this. At any rate, I would never consider it anything but an honor for you to "mess" with one of my images. Most of you guys are far more accomplished technicians than I. But I'm learning.