Sunday was a fantastic day for shooting.  The weather was beautiful and I was anxious to get some good shots.  I went shooting Friday, but it was one of those days where absolutely nothing was in sync.  No new locations, boring sky, and very little motivation meant a long . . . → Read More: Road Trip – Dec 20 shortest day of the year.]]> [singlepic id=729 w=320 h=240 float=center]

Sunday was a fantastic day for shooting.  The weather was beautiful and I was anxious to get some good shots.  I went shooting Friday, but it was one of those days where absolutely nothing was in sync.  No new locations, boring sky, and very little motivation meant a long day of driving and nothing to show for it.

On Sunday, I stumbled across two places that I had visited early in the spring but had not been back to.  The light was great and there was plenty of color, shadows, reflected light, and contrast to make things really interesting. It was one of the rare times where everything clicks and the time flies by.  After an hour at the first location, I made my way north past Siebert, Colorado to the second location.  This property is one of the most interesting , it is very close to the end of its existence as a standing structure.  This house was once occupied, then it languished for years, and by this time next year, or maybe two, it will be gone.  Rubble behind a stand of trees.

Two things strike me when I am at a location like this.  The lack of permanence of things, or more precisely, the illusion of permanence we assign to things.  It only takes forgetting about something to destroy it.  The other thing that strikes me is the power of nature. Throughout this spring and summer, I witnessed the power of nature in it’s most impressive form, scary ass storms.  But the more subtle power, the more powerful power , if you will allow it, is the capacity the earth has to refresh itself.  In 100 years, only people that know what they are looking for will know that this place existed.  Very few things we build will be able to survive this ultimate fate.

The final location of the day was a fantastic abandoned farm on the outskirts of the little town of Arriba, Colorado.  This tricky location is easily reached if you get off the highway at Arriba, but if you miss that exit, it is a round trip of 30 miles to return.  I have missed it more times than I can count, and I rarely double back to a location.  Must. Move. Forward.  I was determined on this day to capture this farm at sunset, so I drove along the country roads until the time was right, listening to music, pondering things that need pondering.  Mental maintenance, I guess.  I arrived at the farm with about 15 minutes of sunlight remaining.  The low sun poked through the pane-less windows, bathing the inside of the colorfully painted rooms with a very special kind of natural light.  I spent the rest of the daylight in that zone where the camera is just an extension of the brain.

The final 15 minutes of the shortest day of this year at a place like this.  A fitting end to my time in Colorado.  More daylight the next day, and a new season of adventure in a new place. I am very excited about the future and a brand new path.  For me, this is what life is all about.

Here are the shots from this day:

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This is one a shot from one of my first trips to the plains, taken on Hwy 385 near Cheyenne Wells, Colorado.  I had no idea how many abandoned places there actually were and this find seemed particularly lucky.  Over the summer I would discover dozens of other places, . . . → Read More: 2009 Favorite images – selection number three]]>

Stucco Shack, Eastern Colorado

This is one a shot from one of my first trips to the plains, taken on Hwy 385 near Cheyenne Wells, Colorado.  I had no idea how many abandoned places there actually were and this find seemed particularly lucky.  Over the summer I would discover dozens of other places, some much more dramatic.  But this location will always be one of my favorites simply because it was one of the first.

nov14, originally uploaded by RudyLopez.

// . . . → Read More: “Window Frame” photo by Rudy Lopez]]>

Looking through a window onto the porch of an abandoned house in eastern Colorado. This location was littered with old appliances and every other manner of large, rusty debris.

nov14, originally uploaded by RudyLopez.

The town of Last Chance is barely more than a few dozen buildings at the intersection of highways 36 and 71 in eastern Colorado.  Limon is 40 miles to the south, Brush is 80 miles to the north.  Denver is 80 miles west.  An abandoned motel slowly deteriorates on a large lot at . . . → Read More: Abandoned Colorado: The Last Chance Motel in Last Chance, Colorado.]]>

The town of Last Chance is barely more than a few dozen buildings at the intersection of highways 36 and 71 in eastern Colorado.  Limon is 40 miles to the south, Brush is 80 miles to the north.  Denver is 80 miles west.  An abandoned motel slowly deteriorates on a large lot at the northeast corner of the main intersection.  The 4 or 5 buildings have been stripped and vandalized.  Missing floorboards and dangling roof elements make entering any of the buildings very dangerous.  I was fortunate enough to have a fantastic sky, adding an extra dimension to the eerie scene.  An operating burger stand occupies the lot directly east of the old motel.  I have never seen it open, but it is clearly used on a regular basis judging from the obvious upkeep.

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All images were captured as HDR, using 5 images covering two stops over/under a matrix reading.  Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-70mm.  HDR processed by PhotomatixPro.

It had been six weeks since I was able to get out of town for a full day of driving and shooting. By the time shooting day arrived, I was very anxious to hit the road. My route would be: I-70 east to Burlington, Hwy 385 North to Julesberg, . . . → Read More: Road Trip: 703 Miles through eastern Colorado and Nebraska]]> [singlepic id=439 w=320 h=240 float=left]

It had been six weeks since I was able to get out of town for a full day of driving and shooting. By the time shooting day arrived, I was very anxious to hit the road. My route would be: I-70 east to Burlington, Hwy 385 North to Julesberg, then back roads into Nebraska. I wanted to end up in North Platte, Nebraska by sundown.

By mid October the days are short, and an early start is critical. I left Denver at 9am, stopping briefly for fuel and provisions. By 10:30 I was cruising past Limon, only an hour or so from Burlington. Heading north from Burlington on Hwy 385 is pretty typical of the highways that course through the plains, there are plenty of farms and quiet little towns. I passed through Wray, where I photographed one of the creepiest locations I have seen. Abandoned structures are scattered along the route, some provide great photographic opportunities, but most do not. I arrived in Julesberg, Colorado mid afternoon, the sun was well on its path across the southwestern sky, and the light was getting warmer as the sun got lower. I drove the country roads between Julesberg and North Platte, the opportunity to shoot came rarely, but I did get some great shots of some old cars as the sun set. It was a 4 hour drive back to Denver, it was time to get into get in the zone and hit the road.

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It was a remarkable year for severe weather in Colorado.  There would be many chances to follow large storms and hopefully capture dramatic, unique shots of the great power of nature.  On this particular day in late August, I followed a large band of severe thunderstorms that began brewing . . . → Read More: Colorado Weather: Large cell storm near Akron, Colorado]]> [singlepic id=418 w=320 h=240 float=left]

It was a remarkable year for severe weather in Colorado.  There would be many chances to follow large storms and hopefully capture dramatic, unique shots of the great power of nature.  On this particular day in late August, I followed a large band of severe thunderstorms that began brewing over Denver then raced northeast along the Interstate 76 corridor.  Powerful cells dotted the landscape, I captured this monstrous storm near the small town of Akron, Colorado.  I found an abandoned structure that worked beautifully as foreground to the massive storm.  The storm was still growing, but it moving away from me very quickly.  I felt I only had a few minutes to capture this incredible scene.  I ended up with nearly 30 minutes of fantastic light, the images made from this location were remarkable.  It was a very special day.

These images are all HDR, 5 images over two stops.  Nikon D300, various lenses.  HDR processing by PhotomatixPro.


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I drove thousands of miles during this shooting season, hour after hour on quiet country roads.  The geology changes, the foliage and vegetation change, the weather and lighting change, but one thing that is ubiquitous is the stuff that just gets left behind to rot in the elements.  It . . . → Read More: A look at old cars]]> [singlepic id=450 w=320 h=240 float=left]

I drove thousands of miles during this shooting season, hour after hour on quiet country roads.  The geology changes, the foliage and vegetation change, the weather and lighting change, but one thing that is ubiquitous is the stuff that just gets left behind to rot in the elements.  It doesn’t matter if it is a treacherous mountain road or the most remote farm road on the eastern plains, people abandon appliances and cars out in the middle of nowhere.  This is a collection of abandoned vehicles I came across this year, it is only a fraction of the material I have on this subject.

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