Abandoned gold mine in Alaska
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Jul, 2021Views
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Eccentric01
November 20, 2021
It was the pump house pumping sea water to the gold mines of Treadwell Alaska. It is the only complete surviving structure after all the mines collapsed and the town burned down.
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at abandoned Treadwell Alaska on Douglas island. The sand beach is made of the crushed rock from from the gold mine. It is the pump house that supplied ocean water to wash the crushed rock from the gold. It was the largest gold mine in the world by the end of the 1800s. The gold competing gold mines dug numerous tunnels under the ocean channel that then collapsed in 1917 causing the entire town to sink into the grown and what remained catch fire. This structure is out in the water and the only complete structure to survive.Time
I took this in the early afternoon in July.Lighting
The area around Juneau, Douglas Island is now part of the city of Juneau, is usually very rainy. This day was exceptionally clear skies and warm.Equipment
I used an IPhone 11 pro for this shot and took only three quick pictures when walking along the beach when I noticed the lighting and view of the unique structure was perfect.Inspiration
I grew up on Douglas Island and the abandoned Treadwell mining town (1882-1922) on it has a rather spooky history. I still enjoy going back and visiting my dad there and walking among the ruins of the ghost town. This one shot encapsulates the the enigmatic and curious history of the place. It makes everyone who sees that lonely structure sticking out of the water wonder what it is.Editing
I did absolutely no post-processing on this photo. It came out exactly the way I wanted.In my camera bag
I simply keep my iPhone ready at all times to snap shots that make me say “what story does that tell?”Feedback
Look for scenes that make the viewer ask what it is or what the story is behind it, rather than just a pretty shot. The only art in my house are things that have stories to tell. Not just pretty things. I have had people who tour my collection frequently and finally put together a 20 page booklet of the stories behind each.
