I’ve been waiting to photograph this spot for over a year. I got it done today. Happy New Year.
Washington's Street Art
I did a small photo walk today with Joe and Brad in downtown Washington Pennsylvania. I also did a photo walk in this area a few weeks ago with Blair and Lisa. Here is just a small sample of the street art that the City has sponsored to help improve the downtown.
Clemente Mural
Before we got snow in Pittsburgh this winter, Blair and I spent a little time in the Lawerenceville area photographing graffiti. This one takes up the entire side of a building honoring the great Pittsburgh Pirate Roberto Clemente.
Click the photos below to see larger (complete) versions.
Homer
The morning of New Year’s Eve, Blair and I walked around Lawrenceville taking photos of graffiti/murals. We found this painting on the side of a building. Homer’s hand is reaching for the donuts which if you look closely is a shipping container. It wasn’t the best mural we found that day, but I loved the Homer.
West Baltimore Steel Wool
Here is a throwback photo for you. I took this photo during a Shutter Rush weekend at the very beginning of 2020. Jason, Jake and I spent the weekend photographing parts of Baltimore, creating digital content and capped the weekend off by covering the Ravens-Steelers game. When it was all done, we put the photos and videos together to create the “Shutter Rush – Baltimore Edition” documentary which is still available on Amazon Prime. This photo is from our time in West Baltimore. We found this graffiti alley and played with steel wool.
Bonaire Flamingo
Blair and I explored this partially built, abandoned hotel the last time we were in the country of Bonaire together. Since then, I think someone has started to redevelop this site.
Either way, I loved the graffiti flamingo painted on this patio column.
Reykjavik Graffiti
On one of our evenings in Reykjavik, I spent a couple hours wandering around photographing the city. I was trying to capture a bunch of iconic spots and happened upon this mural. I love it.
Abandoned Detroit
Honestly, I don’t remember which location this is around Detroit. I think it is the Fisher Body Plant, but I’m probably wrong. Either way, I like the final outcome of the photo from 2019
Abandonment Fine Art
This photo is from our Shutter Rush weekend in Gary Indiana. This spot was inside the abandoned Methodist Church in the downtown area. This artist actually creates similar murals in abandoned sites all over the Midwest. You can she her work on IG @poetrybyboots
I'm Not Okay
I’m posting this photo today, because it reflects how I feel right now…. I think I’m just getting tired and it’s been a long year for all of us. I’ll be better tomorrow.
By the way, I captured this photo in August when the Shutter Rush Team (Jason, Blair and I) explored an abandoned performing arts theater in Pittsburgh. The footage from that weekend explore will be in the next Shutter Rush film (currently in production). The first two documentary films are currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
Chernobyl Mural
Here is a mural I captured inside an abandoned building in the city of Pripyat. Sorry I can’t remember which building. Maybe some of my travel companions will remember. I think it was the Post Office in the town square….maybe????
To view a larger version, click HERE
Change The System...
“Change the system, not the climate, the future is for children”… nice graffiti message on an alley wall in Regensburg Germany. We saw lots of graffiti around Europe with this type of style, interesting how different it is compared to the very modern (almost pop culture) graffiti style in the United States. By the way, I have no idea if this is random or supported by a specific group or political party.
To view a larger version, click HERE
Jackson 5
This massive mural is in downtown Gary Indiana. I captured this during my Shutter Rush trip to the Urbex hot spot. We had a great time (laughed a lot, explored some cool locations and burned up memory card space with ton of photos).
To view a larger version, click HERE
I Am Free Now
I took this photo in March (right before COVID blew up our world) on our urban exploration trip to Gary Indiana. As you know by now, that was the last @TeamShutterRush trip which resulted in our 2nd film on Amazon Prime. This specific location was an abandoned classroom.
To view a larger version, click HERE
Detroit's Eastern Market
I know that others like great graffiti art like I do, but we’re probably in the minority across the population. Of course, everyone hates bad graffiti, basic “tags” or just people tagging any random building, wall, etc... But great graffiti is as good as fine art, just on a larger scale in a public location. So, if you like that type of thing, Detroit’s Eastern Market and Miami’s Wynwood Walls are amazing spots for this. This photo is from the Eastern Market area of Detroit. They host an international graffiti festival every year where they feature some of the world’s best. This specific painting would probably fall into the Pop Culture art category, similar to Peter Max and others who work in this art genre. Sorry I don’t know the name of the artist who completed this painting.
To view a larger version, click HERE
Broken Window
I captured this beauty during our Gary Indiana exploration of abandoned buildings. This is from inside an abandoned school…honestly, I don’t remember which school. I liked this view with the graffiti through the broken glass.
To view a larger version, click HERE
Welcome to Baltimore
Tonight, I’m sharing a photo I captured in Baltimore while we filmed “Shutter Rush – Baltimore Edition.” Our film crew was walking around the Baltimore Harbor taking photos and video until after sunset. Afterward, walking back to the hotel, we came upon this spot, which I almost missed since our back was to it as we walked down the street. Somehow it caught my eye and the rest is history.
To view a larger version, click HERE
Graffiti Alley Sparks
When we (Jason, Jake and I) filmed “Shutter Rush – Baltimore Edition” we captured some steel wool photos and video inside the famous Graffiti Alley. This is an unedited cut of footage that didn’t make it into the film. This is Jason spinning and I filmed this video. By the way, big thanks to Nanuk Cases and Under Armour for sponsoring the film. “Shutter Rush” is available on Amazon Prime.
Gary's Graffiti
I was lucky and got to visit Gary Indiana recently with a great group of photographers (Blair, Jason, Jake, Mike and Bob). You might ask, why visit Gary Indiana??? We went to capture the beauty of their numerous abandoned buildings and film our experience for the next edition of “Shutter Rush”, which is now entering post-production. I don’t know the release date yet, but I’m looking forward to watching the final product.
By the way, I captured this photo inside the abandoned Post Office. I love really good graffiti and I appreciate the talent it takes to create art like this. I’m not exactly sure what it says, but I loved how the light comes down through the roof lighting the art.
To view a larger version, click HERE
Graffiti Alley
Here is another Baltimore photo for you on back to back nights. This is from the famous Graffiti Alley in West Baltimore. We (Jason, Jake and I) hung out here for a while capturing photos, video, drone footage and steel wool shots. At this location, we met a large group of young men who kept saying they were “100% Bangers” whatever that meant. Jake got wrapped up into photographing them all, like a mini photo shoot.
To view a larger version, click HERE
