Rusty gold: finding beauty in unexpected places

Text and photos by Heather Cline 

I have always leaned more towards nature and away from cities, traffic, and commercial buildings for my photography subjects. However, there is something about historic buildings, rusted out old cars, and ghost towns that capture my attention. Perhaps it is the imperfections or the stories that lay in every photos, but I find these places and artifacts fascinating. 

This article will show how what I refer to as "rusty gold" can be leveraged to create outstanding images including intimate landscapes, abstracts, story telling, and fine art. 

I have a lot of additional photos in the Rusty Gold Gallery, if you would like to view them. 

Intimate Landscapes

While landscapes are a popular choice for historic locations. Don't discount the value of the vignettes and intimate landscapes when exploring historic locations. Many ghost towns are also state parks that preserve and protect these places. Because of this, you can often view objects  that were part of every day life when these places were bustling with residents. 

Some ghost towns, like Bodie State Historic Park in California opens it's doors from time to time, allowing you a glimpse into the various buildings. As one of the best preserved ghost towns, this is a rare treat which allows you to capture an entirely different type of landscape. 

Abstracts

Capturing abstract images might be one of my favorite things to do when I'm wandering around historic locations. This is a chance to use the juxtaposition of old and new, nature and man made, and light and dark to create unique and compelling images. 

Story Telling

Historic locations provide a wealth of crumbling structures, buildings, and objects that make for images that tell a story - more importantly - and interesting story. And all you have to do is show up! 

These can be anything from big grand landscapes that provide a view into what life might have been like. Everything from the architecture, the materials, the local landscape and climate, all contribute to that story. While other images are much smaller and create questions like, "what's the story behind that bullet hole?" That is part of the fun of these places. You may never know the entire story but you can fill in the blanks to the degree your creativity will allow. 

Some stories are about the current landscape and how we protect these places so that future generations can enjoy them as well. 

Fine Art

Another piece of rusty gold you will find in these locations is fine art. If you let your creative eye wander, you will find plenty of opportunities to create images that people would display in their homes, business, and galleries. 

The combination of the colors, textures, genre, and story telling all work together to create fine art images. 

These are the types of images you ca have a little fun with in post process as well. For example, I really bumped up the saturation on this train wheel to give it a little extra interest. 

Portraits 

I don't so a lot of portrait photography but I do enjoy capturing portraits from time to time. My dad loves ghost towns so this was a great opportunity to get a candid picture of him at an old bank building in Belmont Ghost Town in Nevada. Many of these locations would be fantastic for engagement, wedding, or even senior portrait sessions. Some locations do require a permit for commercial shooting but it's generally pretty easy to obtain one if you aren't bringing in a massive film crew. 

I hope this article has provided valuable information on what aperture is, and how to use it to improve your photos.