And here, Jason's taking us to the slammer, with some fantastic images. As always, I suggest you click on the images to enlarge -- and, better yet, go to Jason's gallery (link at the end of the post) Enjoy!
I recently visited some friends in Philadelphia where we spent a weekend doing "casual" photography. One of our stops was Eastern State Penitentiary. This prison opened in October 1829 and was one of the first institutions built to put inmates in a solitary situation "solitary confinement and labor." It uses a radial floor plan, with each cell block corridor extending outward from a central hub. By 1913, the system of "confinement with solitude" was abandoned in Pennsylvania.
Some of ESP's famous inmates include Al Capone, who spent eight months at the facility in 1929-30. His cell was well-furnished via his "connections" and it has been refurbished. Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot sentenced Pep, a "cat-murdering" dog, to ESP in 1924 for allegedly killing his wife's cat! ESP closed in 1970 and has been decaying ever since. It is open to the public for tours. If you want to photograph at ESP, there is a $10 tripod fee for photographing in public areas. Given the low level of light inside, a tripod is a good idea for photographers planning to visit there. You can also arrange a tour of the non-public areas, which is where many of these images were made.
Prisoner's Cell
Capone's Cell (restored)
Flooded Cellblock & Misty Corridor
Misty Corridor
Barber Chair
Solitary Desk
Cell block and watchtower
SwitchboxAbout the images:
My images from Eastern State Penitentiary were made using multiple exposures blended together in software via a technique called High Dynamic Range tone-mapping. This technique allowed me to capture the full range of tones inside ESP and also create interesting images that seem to look like painted works. You can see more images from this series on my website at: http://www.luminescentphoto.com/galleries/esp2011/index.html
24 comments:
Prisons creep me out. I don't think I'd survive hearing the door close behind me. Al Capone...I guess there are advantages to having the right connections :)
Happy Weekend!
I've been informed that my prints of some of these shots are not permitted to be hung in the house. :)
Carol - capturing the creepiness is part of the allure of these shots.
Jason - not even next to the skulls?
These pictures are amazing. How interesting that Capone's cell has such grandeur. As for the rest of the photos, they are enough to scare me straight! Well done!
These are fabulous. The color saturation . . . the comparison between a typical cell and Capone's. Beautiful!
Donnell, Peg - I'm proud of his talents. I mean, there has to be some tiny DNA component, right!
Jason's a frequent Friday Field Trip contributor, and he's always got fantastic images to share.
Very nice. Jason is a wonderful photographer/artist.
Hmm...the first image reminds me of my very first apartment.
Thanks for dropping by, Lee, and I know Jason appreciates your kind words. I'll bet your first apartment wasn't that bad--and if it was, Jason could have created an image to make it look good.
It occurred to me that these cells really weren't that much smaller than my dorm room at UCLA, which I shared with two other guys!
Terri: Great images. One could write a whole story gazing at that shot of Al Capone's restored cell.
Joyce - I agree - and thanks should go to Jason. All I do is post them. He does all the hard stuff.
Captivating stuff--no pun intended (but appreciated), and so well rendered.
Chris - thanks for stopping by. I come from a family of punsters, so no problem. Hope to see more of you here.
Your characters listen to Sarah? Love it! And Highlander fan fiction? Awesome. I'm a longtime Highlander fan. In fact, I'm working on an outline right now for a novel that involves an immortal.
As a matter of fact, I even have a character named Sarah. Good luck with your novel. You lost me at "outline" Shudder.
I don't think you ever had this many comments ever.
I also thought the photos are very impressive,
but you know how I feel about Jason's talent.
GREAT work Jason!
Delia Parr wrote a romance novel that started in this prison, back in its hay day. I couldn't wait to finish it to find out where the happy ending was. These pictures brought back that book. (shuddering here).
Great pictures, Jason. Old Al really had it rought, didn't he? I enjoy it when you post them.
Those are some really creepy photographs.
Wow! Those photos are amazing! Hard to imagine living or working in a place like that!
Thanks for all the kudos, everyone!
-Jason
Jason, as always your photographs are amazing. I never knew about Al Capone. I agree with Carol, it does pay to have connections.
Terry, another great field trip.
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
Stunning photos! I have wanted to investigate (paranormal) that location for a few years. You have definitely captured the essence of it.
Thank you for sharing!
Amber
Mason - thanks to Jason.
Amber - I'll bet there are all sorts of ghostly possibilities.
These photos are amazing. What a great talent you have Jason.
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