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In the late 1960s, the Niagara Falls suburb of Chippawa was predicted to be the direction that an explosive expansion in city housing was headed. The Niagara District School Board tried to plan ahead for this, hitting the area with as much fire-power as they could. They drafted up plans for a massive 38,000 square foot elementary school and snatched up 33 acres of land - which included a historic rear perimeter forest thought to be the location of a significant encampment and battle in the war of 1812.
Construction in 1970 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
However, after only 42 years of operation, the school proved to be not economically viable. Although Chippawa continues to expand with new neighbourhood developments, the growth of the area fell far short of decades-old predictions. Although they tried to modernize it - they knocked off the front corner chimney, for some unknown reason, and added an elevator in 2006 - it was a losing battle.
The school was closed and put up for sale in 2012, with a price of $1.8 million. It sold to a numbered development company and a minor variance application was made over a year ago with a proposal to turn the building into a private school. Whether that plan was going to be adopted by the new owner or not was unknown at the time. This week that question was answered: heavy wrecking equipment showed up and instead demolished the building.
FJ Rutland - 01 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
The school has been tightly secured for many years, but with the demolition crew showing up on site every day, I figured a lackadaisical locking up of the building each night was likely. I did a quick jaunt in just to make sure.
FJ Rutland - 02 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
Then it was time to get my vehicle out of there and make my way back the long way. I surprised a small herd of deer nearby at Legends International Golf Course while searching for a place to stow my vehicle. Then it was off to the empty hallways....
Off Season - Legends Country Club by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 04 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 05 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 06 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 07 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 08 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 09 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 10 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 11 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 12 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 13 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 14 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 15 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 16 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 17 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 18 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
And a successful sunny evening of urbex was completed, the deer running off as I approached my vehicle. However, when I got home and fired my pics up on the computer, the following flash photo of the pitch black gymnasium bothered the heck out of me. I just couldn't stomach the lifelessness of it and felt that I had missed a photographic opportunity. Not to mention the orbs of dozens of dead people haunt the photo and I really felt they deserved better.
FJ Rutland - 19 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
It gnawed at me so much that I had to return to the school and redo the gymnasium with some real effort. I figured I could also spend a bit of time practicing my light-painting skills (or should I say "development of so-called skills") in the darkest areas. No deer this time!
End Game by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 21 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
FJ Rutland - 22 by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
Late for Class by Ground State Photos, on Flickr
If you're seeing this here on UER, please let me 'Follow' your work on Flickr: https://www.flickr...otos/91808861@N04/ | |
Stellar set, man.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rob666/ | |
Glad you had only the Lovely Deer seeing you come and go. Really like the sun reflecting on the broken glass in pic 11. 13 is quite cool too as sundown streaks across the floors. NICE redo on the gym shot 
A place of Mystery is Always worth a curiosity trip!
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image 05 is so beautiful; the destruction seems almost natural. Fluid.
J->
www.sacramentalperception.com : www.jonathancastellino.com | |
Thanks all!
Posted by MisUnderstood!
Glad you had only the Lovely Deer seeing you come and go.
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Me too... I was a bit worried cuing up for shot #15, because I heard the crunch of gravel under car tires directly below the gaping hole in the outer wall. I crept over and found a police officer in the lot and my heart sunk a bit. Like a typical schoolyard, there's no escape to quietly slink off - open schoolyard in all directions. Luckily though, the cop was just using the school's lot to turn around and head back into town.
Here's an updated photo from yesterday. Things didn't last much longer here:
The Coming End
If you're seeing this here on UER, please let me 'Follow' your work on Flickr: https://www.flickr...otos/91808861@N04/ | |
That final shoot is fantastic. How did you do that? is it Photoshop or physical manipulation.
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Posted by OH_ZOG_NO
How did you do that? is it Photoshop or physical manipulation.
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It was my first attempt at a shot like that, so an experiment. I used a bright flashlight to illuminate the scene and square things up on the tripod. I set the camera for 15 second exposure, and a 10 second countdown so that I could get ready, then I blasted the end of the hallway with light so the camera would focus sharply and lock on the endpoint. I started the timer and shut off the light, walking forward about 10 m so that the foreground didn't get too brightly lit. Then when the camera started, I just walked down the hallway swinging my flashlight back and forth. There were 3-4 different 'partial ghost' images of me in the final shot that I had to erase (that's why the floor of the hallway looks a little bit smooth and blended). The only ghost that was complete enough was the one right at the end of the hall. Thanks, glad you like it.
If you're seeing this here on UER, please let me 'Follow' your work on Flickr: https://www.flickr...otos/91808861@N04/ | |
These shots are incredible, great job!
Into the Fray. https://www.ninjalobster.com/ |
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