Quick run to the beach for “landscape” shots

Thinking I could get a few shots for a recent show at Notch8, I decided at the last second to make a quick run to Florida to shoot some landscapes. I ended up getting there just in time to meet up with Dylan and Kayla, eat a burger, then go shoot the sunset. After it got dark, I drove downtown to shoot a bit until I met up with Matt and Dylan later. We met intending to go into an abandoned hotel and possibly a tall office building, but after being denied, we decided to go check out a funeral home we heard about. None of had been there before, but a buddy had warned us that there’s a guy named Brian that lives there and we’re likely to run into him. When he was there, he gave Brian a little entry fee and apparently he left them alone after that. So after parking by a cop next door, then driving around the block a few times, we settled on a better place to park nearby. After we find our way in, I’m quickly reminded of a story of Brian scaring the shit out of everyone by coming out of a hearse unexpectedly. Using our flashlights, we check, and no sign of anyone in the hearse. Crazy that anyone would sleep in there though. I’m usually not a big fan of exploring at night, but we were told that this place actually had some lights on. We make our way down a hall and by a small staircase with one light, then into a small room with a bed turned over with just one bulb left in the chandelier, leaving a crazy shadow on the wall. It had rained most of the afternoon and this place was leaking everywhere. It was pretty creepy hearing water dripping everywhere around you, yet not being able to see anything you’re not pointing your flashlight at. The chapel area also had one single light, right above a podium with an open bible on it. After getting a few shots there, I tried to get a couple shots in total darkness, then we head upstairs. One of the first doors we try is barricaded, and I think we all kinda freeze and realize that it’s Brian’s room at about the same time. We leave that room alone. Next, we go into a large room holding a bunch of caskets and really old (from 1950!) human remains in wooden boxes. Whoa. Upstairs, it was completely dark, but using our flashlights we get a couple shots of Matt laying in one of the caskets (!), then realize maybe we should come back during the day to get better photos of the place.

After the weather cancelled our trip an hour away for the sunrise (and staying up way too late). I meet Dylan downtown for lunch and we decide to try a few other buildings downtown. We see the last couple people leaving the loading dock area of one place (where there were 9 people sleeping the night before), so we go next door to check out another building that is supposed to have a huge tree growing inside it. We find a way in and make our way through the pretty boring building. Rooftop didn’t really have any views and the higher you got, the sketchier the floors were. And no giant tree! We took a few shots then go back next door to see if everyone is gone. All clear, but the loose board we find does not have the kind of opening we were hoping for. We decide to go back to the hotel to give it a try during the day. Shut down once again. They’re pretty good and fast about sealing places up around here. We decide just to head back to the funeral home to get shots of the upper floor during the day. I didn’t get any use-able landscape shots that I went to Florida for, but this funeral home was worth it, by itself.

go back ←