Spent last Saturday at an abandoned drive-in theater in Ohio

I was out near Mansfield last weekend and stumbled on this old drive-in that's been closed since the 80s. The screen is still standing but the paint is totally peeled off in these wild patterns. I shot a whole roll of Ilford HP5 trying to capture the texture of the rusted speaker poles and the weeds growing through the gravel. The light was tricky since it was midday and harsh, so I ended up pushing the film to 800. Has anyone else tried shooting abandoned places in direct sun and got good results without a ton of contrast blowout?

2 comments

2 Comments

claire37812d ago

Yeah exactly, I shot an old factory at noon and the shadows just ate the details but it worked somehow.

ward.piper13d ago

Actually I'd argue midday sun is perfect for abandoned places if you lean into the harshness instead of fighting it, those deep black shadows and bleached highlights give it that decayed, forgotten look that soft light just can't match.