paulmullin

Broken Dreams

found this old pram in an attic over a carraige house. The scene is completely unstaged. It just speaks to me of dreams lost, unfulfilled or a life full of pote...
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found this old pram in an attic over a carraige house. The scene is completely unstaged. It just speaks to me of dreams lost, unfulfilled or a life full of potential dreams deserted in the wake of tragedy
Read less

NIKON D50

Aperture f/13.0 ISO 200

upload_date

Sep, 2011

Views

2218

Likes

+270

Awards

Featured

Contest Finalist in Haunted Photo Contest

Contest Finalist in Empty Rooms Photo Contest

Staff Favorite

Peer Award

+78

Superb Composition

+34

Absolute Masterpiece

+13

Top Choice

+12

Outstanding Creativity

All Star

Superior Skill

Magnificent Capture

Emotions

Impressed

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Paul this is absolutely wonderful and perfectly titled. You have captured this memory of yesteryear perfectly. Just love it!

Platinum

Excellent B/W capture with great composition and details!!!

wonderful scene, I agree there is a sadness to the mood, I imagine the loss of a child and a mother's grief. very beautifully done!

Paul, this is beautiful and tragic at the same time. Just excellent.

Ultimate

Great B&W. The composition is great. Clarity is great. The building through the window, across the street is in focus. Very nice.

PRO+

Great Composition! Love It!

Awesome!!

Nicely composed!

nice work

Intriguing...

a story behind! Nice

a beauti...nice light and shadow

This is absolutely brilliant! It looks exactly like the attic in the movie Sweeny Todd. I absolutely LOVE this!!!

See all

Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

Original post was a bit rough on this image, so I cleaned it up and uncropped it, adjusting the sat levels. By cropping it the first time I lost much

When I originally posted this image I struggled with my decision to do so. Over the years these roadside memorials have dotted the country's landscape

re shoot of the original with a few tweaks. Used the sunrise as a backdrop for some pop, also a bit of D&B for highlights.

Sunset in Chesapeake City MD. The light was right, the subject good and as always, I had my camera.

The breakdown of this old barn is much like the breakdown of relationships. A little neglect, a little folding of the hands and suddenly you realize t

After a bath, no nap,he's a bit more docile as the day's energy has been spent. Now, a little chocolate milk, some Spongebob and a story....and all is

Our dog Jack loves to sleep by the front door. Nice and cool. Today it's around 90 degrees. Luke was up early this morning so we figured he would need

An old cafe on the Brandywine River in the city of Wilmington,DE. during renovations.

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken in the attic over a carriage house at the funeral home where I work.

Time

It was around 11:00am. I was working at the time but not much was happening, so I took the opportunity to capture this image

Lighting

There is no electric in the attic so I wanted to have as much natural light in the room possible. The sun was at the right angle to highlight the pram and still allow for a somber mood in the room.

Equipment

I shot this in HDR with a Nikon D50, tripod mounted.

Inspiration

I love to explore old abandoned buildings. There is so much that you can capture in these places whether its a barn,a house,a factory. I pay no mind to the No Trespassing signs. No risk, no reward. There are stories and history and little gems of the past just waiting for someone to come along and catch them. In this case I didn't have to climb through any windows but it occurred to me one day that I never went into the upstairs of this building. When I reached the top of the stairs this was what I found. Immediately it brought to mind a sense of raw sadness & loss. I went out to my car and grabbed my gear (which I always have with me) and composed the shot. Nothing in this image was touched or staged.

Editing

I took 3 bracketed images -2.0/+2.0, merged them in photomatix pro and tone mapped them. I played around with the sat levels and eventually decided B & W conveyed a more appropriate mood for the image. (I originally posted it in color)

In my camera bag

I recently upgraded from the Nikon D50 to the D7000. I hope to make the leap to full frame one day but for now this works fine. SB 600 flash, and 3 lenses: 85mm 2:8, 35mm 1:8 and a 55-200mm zoom. It's old but still gets the job done when conditions are right. I have assorted SD cards, ND filters and extra batteries ( AA and EL EN) pencil and 3x5 index cards- this is crucial for me as I can not always pull over and start shooting something that catches my eye. I'll make a note of and review them periodically so I don't forget to come back and poke around.

Feedback

Don't be afraid to explore. Check out these old buildings However ****Please make sure you are not putting yourself in danger.****If it looks safe by all means look around. Start small and begin with the exterior. You can capture a beautiful image of an old building without having to step inside. Assess the entry way. If that little voice inside you begins to speak, don't ignore it. It's usually right. Move on to the next place. For example, I recently found an old barn that was damaged in a fire. The structure had a ton of damage but still and a lot of rich textures and tones inside. As much as I wanted to go in and explore, I decided to forgo that idea and have a look around back. I found a shed that was untouched by the flames and covered with some heavy thicket and brush. I made my way inside and found what looked to be someones work shop. Old paint cans, nuts, bolts and rusted tools littered the floor. In the window was a Skippy peanut butter jar with a rusted lid. Perfect opportunity!! It was the only thing I shot that day but it turned out nicely. Sometimes the little things offer the most satisfaction. Be bold but be safe.

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paulmullin

paulmullin

Broken Dreams

found this old pram in an attic over a carraige house. The scene is completely unstaged. It just speaks to me of dreams lost, unfulfilled or a life full of pote... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow paulmullin

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found this old pram in an attic over a carraige house. The scene is completely unstaged. It just speaks to me of dreams lost, unfulfilled or a life full of pote...
Read more

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