Business Opportunity, a photo from California, West

Photographer's Note

If you're looking for a real-estate investment, here's a fixer-upper with a guest house and great view of the mountains. With a new roof and paint job this home might fetch a million USD...

Well maybe that would have been true a couple years ago in the robust California real estate market but times certainly are a changing.

Actually these structures aren't for sale. They're just some irresistible abandoned shacks fronting the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains just south of the tiny village of Lee Vining. They are rather close to Mono Lake and hard to miss when driving from Lee Vining to Mono's south shore. All and all though, they do have a spectacular location and would make great cottages for the eco-minded tourist traveling through the area.

The shacks are the type of subjects photographers find hard to pass up. And when your traveling with like minded photographers, you tend to linger at such places.

I have tried my hand at shooting this place from afar several times in the past. But this time at the prodding of Steve Sieren, I actually approached the shacks and took a look inside making a memorable physical connection with them. There wasn't much to see besides an old mattress, shabby clothes, and mostly rubbish but it was still interesting just the same.

Happy friday!
Doug

robertosalguero, jwmunro, delic, pboehringer, plimrn, bostankorkulugu, papagolf21, mpb001, gunbud, bakes888, John_F_Kennedy, Didi has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

robertosalguero (292) 2007-06-29 3:03

I think a residence in this place would be a great place to live. The sunsets and sunrises and the views of the hills make this location beautiful. I think you people had a great time during your meeting. The pictures you have posted are excellent. I like this compo because of the rustic scene it shows. The mountains create a great backdrop for the shacks. Nice work Doug.

Roberto

devimeuxbe (58557) 2007-06-29 4:37

Hi Douglas
You have very beautifull landscapes in your galery.
THis is a wild one. Very beautifull pictuire.
Have a nice day
Bertrand

jwmunro (286) 2007-06-29 9:25

Hello Doug -

Joanne wanted to stop and shoot these but she never was out of bed before 8 am when the really good light was gone. Sometimes you need to just jump the fence do it. In California that is not usually a problem but down in Texas don't even consider it. The strong side light has been handled well and all of the technical stuff looks to be spot on. Well done!

Thank you for sharing.

John

Cormac (26565) 2007-06-29 10:21

I don't know what it is about these types of abandoned buildings that is so irresistable to photographers, but it's certainly the case. I've stopped the car many times to photograph buildings very much like this. Maybe these buildings have a story, of their life and death, that is much more interesting than a new and perfectly maintained building. Maybe they show character and authenticity in a world of plastic sameness. Nice shot, with great light and the buildings sandwiched between the tumbleweeds and the mountains. Well done!

delic (6735) 2007-06-29 10:26

Hello Doug,
Looks like a miniature ghost town. Southern California has quite a few of these, and they are always of interest to us photographers, as you note. This is a fine capture of the run-down houses in the middle of the desert bushes. Soft light quite pleasing, and the composition is well-balanced between the foreground, background mountains and the center of attention houses. Regards,
Hakan

pboehringer (770) 2007-06-30 8:21

Hi Doug, it was real fun to trespass and get some real close-ups of this marvelous fixer-upper. We were so into this little shack that we almost missed the sunset at Mono Lake, although I keep thinking that a sunset here would have been something interesting too. Who knows, another meeting there?
John might be right in his critique. Sunrise gives problem the better light conditions for this place.

plimrn (21344) 2007-06-30 12:35

Hi Doug,
The light you captured is awesome and I like the way the photo has a strong foreground, middle ground anbd background. Larry is always joking about 'little fixers' too.
HLJ, Pat

bostankorkulugu (42866) 2007-07-01 9:39

hi doug,
this place reminds me of the movie "the lost room" somehow... you are right about the location i think, great view of the mountains and your shot is taken from a good pov to show both the shacks and them... the best part is your note though :)...

cheers

korkut

xavshot (69835) 2007-07-01 10:24

Bonsoir Douglas
joli paysage en effet. Ces maisons ne datent pas d'hier mais ont l'avantage de bйnйficier d'une belle vue. La lumiиre est trиs belle sur cette photo. Bravo.
Xavier

papagolf21 (152607) 2007-07-01 13:59

Bonsoir, cher Douglas,
J'ai regardй avec beaucoup d'intйrкt votre album. Votre talent pour transmettre la beautй de ce qui nous entoure est йvident. Ici, encore, vous avez su mettre en vedette ces vieilles constructions qui donnent а l'ensemble un aspect tout а fait particulier, par rapport а la magie de l'environnement. Fйlicitations pour cette trиs belle mise en image.
Amitiйs.
Philippe

mpb001 (4602) 2007-07-01 19:48

Nice shot, Doug
I like the composition showing the vastness of the area with this abandoned shack perfectly positioned. I can even see the old style asphalt siding on one side of the shack. Great details.
Mike

marioana (2256) 2007-07-02 0:41

Hi Doug.
I love these old places. My gallery is full of them. They are as you say, irresistible. Great composition and beautiful light. Well done.
Regards, Steve.

gunbud (34066) 2007-07-02 19:45

Hi Doug,
The beautiful scenery you have captured in this photo makes your real estate proposition very tempting. Excellent sky contrasting with the gray snow capped peaks and dry sagebrush really beckons back to the old western movies of the 40's, 50s and 60s.
Regards, Tom

bakes888 (18499) 2007-07-04 0:33

Hi Doug. The height of luxury ;-). Great photo. You have captured a slice of life long past and in such a beautiful locale. Nice work and thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

John_F_Kennedy (43797) 2007-07-09 1:39

Lovely landscape with the small building. Excellent POV you got here. Great composition.

kensimage (8563) 2007-08-11 11:19

No way you're getting over nine hundred thou for that place now--the market has changed.

It's a beautiful composition here, Doug, thanks to your POV which sets the big shack against the mountain and makes the dead tree visible between the shacks. Beautiful golden low light, too. Nice how the cloud line parallels the mountains. All-around really nice! Regards, Ken.

kmarscher (2887) 2007-08-20 19:24

These are irresistible and you have a fine composition here. Not easy to do. The sage bush (?) offsets the colors in the buildings and the background mts. are the icing on hte cake here. Great post!
Kathy

fserajian (2299) 2007-08-21 14:26

Hi Douglas,

Beautiful shot, well framed and detailed. TFS

Fara

Didi (61589) 2007-08-27 11:50

Hi Douglas
Very dry composition by the foreground quite interesting by the depht.
Nice lights who gives a good attraction in your composition.
Cheers.

clic (76) 2007-09-07 4:41

Hi Douglas
The arid environment suits very well to these venerable ruins that look squalid, compared to the majesty of backdrop!
Low side light renders much depth by its 3D effect.
Best regards.
Robert

Greg1949 (9011) 2007-09-29 10:57

Doug, this may in fact be a business opportunity but I am thinking more an opportunity for some real solitude. I find my self drawn to these shots of open places, it may be that my living in Asian cities has spoiled me forever, not that that is bad...

Your shot is crisp and very inviting, great capture.

Greg