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| Mercy Hospital |
My husband and I spent last weekend in Gary, Indiana. Now if you are from the mid-west you are probably thinking, what the heck were you doing there? The only things in Gary are danger and abandoned buildings. But if you know me at all, you will also know that I am okay with a little bit of danger and a whole lot of abandoned buildings.
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| Photo Credit: Glen Huizenga - City United Methodist Church |
We were in Gary (during the day) for a two day photography workshop with Rad Drew and Sally Meyer Wolf, called Abandoned Gary.
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| Photo Credit: Rad Drew - Group photo minus two. |
There were fourteen of us seekers of decay. Most of us hailed from the mid-west, but a couple arrived via plane. This photo was taken at the last destination on the second day. We were a motley crew by then: so hot, so sweaty and so dirty. But there were still hugs all around as we parted ways. I can't imagine spending two days wandering derelict buildings with any other group.
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| City United Methodist Church |
This is the second workshop Glen and I have done with Rad. Last summer we did a one day workshop at Conner Prairie near Indianapolis on Mobile Photography. You can read that post here if you are interested.
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| Photo Credit: Glen Huizenga - City United Methodist Church |
The Abandoned Gary workshop started on Friday night with a meet and greet dinner. Glen and I enjoyed a date day first, so we trickled our way down to Indiana by way of a few wineries in southern Michigan, and a late lunch at a favorite restaurant - The Stray Dog. We checked into our hotel in Merrillville, had a quick soak in the hot tub, and rested before going to the restaurant.
We spent the bulk of Saturday morning here at City United Methodist Church. Built in 1925 for $800,000. It was closed in October of 1975. You can see the destruction that abandonment will do.
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| City United Methodist Church |
The other place that intrigued me on Saturday was Mercy Hospital. A whole hospital completely abandoned.
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| Mercy Hospital |
Nothing left except for peeling paint, trash and dripping water. The dripping water can sound a little creepy when you are on a floor by yourself.
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| Mercy Hospital |
We were suppose to be on the buddy system, except every time I looked around for my buddy husband, he seemed to be MIA. That's because he was busy climbing up on the roof.
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| Photo Credit: Glen Huizenga - Mercy Hospital |
This is my favorite shot of Glen's for the day. So I guess the climb up to the roof was worth it, and he did bring me up there eventually.
We ended the day with beauty of a different sort. Sunset over Lake Michigan in Michigan City.
I'll be back with Day Two and my favorite place from the workshop...
17 comments:
Susan,
What a great blog post! The images are tremendous and thank you for the mention and kind words. Among my favorite of your images are the one of Mercy Hospital and the sunset shot. How did you catch that sailboat in that perfect spot!
Thanks for being with us. You and Glen are a blast and welcome anytime. I look forward to seeing you on another workshop soon. There's always Tuscany in May! Very romantic! :)
Best,
Rad
Rad Drew Photography
317-506-9901
RadDrew@gmail.com
http://www.RadDrewPhotography.com
God. I called you Susan. In my defense it's VERY EARLY on Sunday Morning and I haven't had my coffee yet. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
The buildings are abandoned but to a photographer they are treasures.
I've been watching yours and Glen's instagram posts with much fascination - wondering what the heck you were doing in abandoned buildings in Gary, and then thinking - oh yeah, Sarah - of course. Somehow it didn't seem so odd for you :-) and I mean that as a compliment! Your photos have been so much fun to watch, and this is a wonderful post, pulling it all together. I love your photo of Glen - absolutely worth the climb.
What a cool weekend adventure! This is my kind of getaway. Thanks for sharing this.
Wow . . . you do the best adventures . . .
Great pictures says it mildly . . . Really GREAT . . .
Love the pink piano pic, motley crew . . . I can see it was HOT . . .
UMC and Mercy abandoned pics tugged at my heart a bit . . .
Oh the stories they tell . . .
Great post Sarah . . .
Great blog and great to meet you both! Sailing ship in the sunset is brilliant. How did he get on the roof???
How wonderful to do a two-day photography workshop with Glen. It looks as if you had a grand time in good company!Love the shots!
There was a spiral staircase in a closet area that led to the roof.
What an interesting photo workshop, and as far as I can tell from your blog right down your ally. You make these places look really interesting, atmospheric and intriguing. I always wonder about these abandoned buildings, and you have put a certain kind of magic into these locations.
What a fun adventure! I did not know that Gary was such a lost place. I think it's great that your husband shares this hobby/skill/art/job with you!
What a great workshop! All of those abandoned buildings...only two days? I think I could spend a week there. :) Your photos are wonderful. I can't wait to see day two.
Hauntingly beautiful. Wow this would be so cool to photograph. Thanks for sharing.
What a great idea for a photo workshop! I'm going to have to check into this. As always your photos are hauntingly beautiful.
That first shot - it has so much power to it. What a wonderful opportunity.
sounds like fun. There was a crew doing this I. Chicago last year at the Out of Chicago workshop.
It's so hard to believe that such a beautiful church was just abandoned! It breaks my heart, but it did lead to some amazing photos! I know you and Glen had a wonderful time!
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