Photography: Abandoned by JP Hanson
Showcasing a photography series focussing on abandoned buildings by Portland-based filmmaker and photographer, JP Hanson.
There’s something thrilling about stepping foot in an abandoned building. Perhaps the wooden planks will break beneath you, or a ghostly figure will pass you by in the dark. I never feel more alive when I’m facing death—in this case, the death of a structure. With so many stories to tell, I wander these properties and imagine them in their most bustling days. I try to capture them in their most deteriorating state knowing it will only become worse in the coming years. I’ll do anything to get the shot I want and I have the scars to prove it.
I once was exploring an abandoned hospital in Indiana and while trying to take a picture, my leg fell right into an uncovered manhole. I actually needed to go to the newer version of that same hospital down the street to get stitches for my knee.
I have a great little travel digital camera I use: FujiX 100V. You can program it to re-create any film-inspired look. So I do basically no editing in post-production. I create filters within the camera itself to achieve the look I want.
The sand house photos are taken in Newberry Springs, CA — a town that was swallowed by sand over time.
The abandoned house is somewhere outside of Portland, OR and I found it on the way to a waterfall nearby. There were a lot of rat droppings upstairs so I stayed downstairs.
The “abandoned asylum” in Downey is the derelict Rancho Los Amigos South Campus, originally the LA County Poor Farm. I tried coming here a second time and was chased by security. Jumping off a ledge, I actually got cut by a rusty nail and had to immediately go get a tetanus shot. Fun times!
Instagram - jphansonphotography
jamiephanson.com
Thanks for reading.
If you enjoyed it and think you could contribute something similar (or better), we’d love to get you involved. Drop us a message or an email to find out how you could write for Pop Valley.
popvalleypress@gmail.com