I have admitted to a fascination with graphical elements — shapes, textures, colors, curves, and more. Finding them in the urban or natural landscape can make fairly mundane subjects interesting, at least to me. Here we see a small section of the corrugated metal wall of a very green industrial building. A couple of loops of chain hang from a gap between panels, for reasons that seem inscrutable.
Continue reading Green Chain
I am a fan of these old industrial buildings with the corrugated metal walls. I see them all over California in older areas including military bases, factories, agriculture facilities, and more. Most seem to date to a least the mid-20th Century. Some are still in use, by original or successor occupants, while quite a few appear to be abandoned. This is one of many that I pass on long walks.
I’m fascinated by what old surfaces record, from streets in Europe where street art is constantly wearing out and being overlaid with new work, to old buildings that often give hints about their former use. From the looks of it, “James Grain Co,” may have come along a bit later than “Purina Chows,” and who knows what the words say below that. A close look also reveals some fascinating coloration from old paint and decay, ranging from blues to yellow/orange to red.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email
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This photograph is a companion to another one I recently shared featuring a different part of the same old building. It is a weathered structure with loading docks on both sides that is in a very slowly gentrifying light industrial area of San Jose. It has all the features you’d expect — it is next to an old rail line, it is on a fairly major street, and its exterior features concrete, corrugated metal, and very weathered wood.
I had been thinking about photographing it for a while but never seemed to get around to it, despite going there fairly regularly. There are now some newer businesses in the building that we patronize. I finally remembered to bring a camera as I went out for a long walk that would take me there, and I paused to photograph this old loading dock, now obviously abandoned, with its interesting textures and geometric forms.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
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Some subjects turn out to have been right in front of you all along. These window frames are at an old industrial building that I visit frequently. There’s a coffee place inside where we sometimes grab an espresso. Even better, there’s a fine local brewery. Beyond that, the building happens to be on one of my walking loops (the “four mile loop”) and I frequently pass through the parking lot where these windows are located.
Yet, despite having gone there for several years, I first noticed the windows only recently on one of my walks. I resolved to bring the camera with me the next time, and target the late morning hours when I new the sun would be almost in line with the wall, producing some interesting diagonal shadows.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email
Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.
Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)
All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.
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