ministry of hope (2021) (Patreon)

I believe I took this shot in Magnolia, New Mexico, one of the remnant dying towns of Route 66. If it was there, it was very early into my van-trip journey and I hadn't quite figured out my photographic style yet, but looking back, this photo is incredibly strong, a rarity for those early days on the road.

I think a lot of people—myself included—tend to see old buildings and aim for a dead-on architectural-drawing style photograph, which absolutely can be interesting, but the crucial thing the shot needs to really go from "good" to "great" is a sense of depth, which unless the light is just right, can be virtually impossible to get with a dead-on shot. (Indeed, if I'd shot dead-on at the front of this abandoned building, it would be entirely in shadow and look very boring despite the interesting neglect, imho. The things behind it—the painted wall and the highway bridge—would also be in shadow, and so any depth would be totally eliminated. It would look like a matte painting, which is an interesting background, but a dull scene.)

So in this shot, I managed to get interesting lighting by moving around to the side of the building, and the sense of depth that results from not just dynamic lighting but the whole town—the highway bridge bypassing the town visible in the corner, the vacant ministry building—make this feel like a full scene in a way that still stands out to me two years later. I even parked the van right to get the light of the building playing well with the lines of the roof, which makes me feel like it was actually a worthy addition to the shot rather than something I solely parked there because I felt I had to. 

Part of why I like to explain why old shots worked so well is I don't think I was as consciously aware as to how I shot before; I don't actually think like this (usually) when I'm out shooting, but it reinforces the creative processes to discuss it out loud. Plus, maybe someone will find it helpful!