Backspaces Showcase: Go Fish with aKwamarina
To see more from iPhonehipsta or other stories from the #wearejuxt tag click here
Go fish from aKwamarina
Abandonment Issues Vol. 1: Devin Graf
To kick of the Abandonment Issues Series let me introduce you to North Dakota native Devin Graf @durty2shoes. His eye for rural abandons caught my eye quickly and pretty soon I realized I had been wandering through these homes of his for over an hour. His attention to detail and mood make these abandoned homes almost cozy, his tones denote a measure of comfort as he shoots these crumbling, dilapidated beauties.
Soundtrack
She’s Mean by Fargon.e.
Thrift Shop by Macklemore
Never Cry Wolf by DarkTimeSunshine
I Don’t Need Love by Evidence
A: Tell me a bit about yourself sir.
D: My name is Devin Graf. I was born and raised in Fargo, North Dakota. I’m 23 years old and currently work in the hospitality industry. I’ve been shooting mobile with the iPhone 4s since January 2012 and started shooting abandonment later that spring.
A: Tell me how you started shooting abandoned places.
D: My interest for abandonment all started when my good friend Nick aka @harvymoon mentioned to me about an abandoned high school located about 20 miles from my home town. I’ve heard about people going there before so it instantly caught my interest. There was just something about that place that made me want to see more of these old decaying places and how they have aged over years of no upkeep. We live in a city that’s not too far from endless miles of farm land. So exploring all this rural area for abandoned homes seemed like a great idea. It’s really unbelievable how many places we have found and keep continuing to find in just one area.
A: What i hear most when people find out I shoot abandoned places they ask about trespassing. Whats your take on it?
D: I guess my justification for trespassing would have to be that I have never broken in anywhere to take photos. If a place is locked up or is made obvious that whoever owns this property absolutely doesn’t want anyone there I will simply turn around and walk away. I wouldn’t want any trouble from something as harmless as just looking around and taking photos. I look at it as art and I stress that to everyone that asks me what my thoughts are when it comes to trespassing at these old abandoned homes.
A: To date what has been your favorite discovery?
D: I really had to think hard about this one. Old homes are definitely my favorite type of discoveries, but there has been so many amazing and unique homes I’ve explored that it’s hard to decide on just one. But besides that I guess I would have to say an abandoned church in eastern ND. It’s the only one that I have ever got the chance to explore. It was just really awesome to see the sun beaming though the stained glass windows and to look around at everything was left behind.
A: Is there a site somewhere else you would like to visit one day?
D: Some day I’d love to make it way up north towards the border to a place called San Haven. It was a former tuberculosis sanatorium that later on became a home for the mentally disabled. This site has been abandoned since 1989 and was so huge that they gave the area its own zip code. I’ve seen a few photos of this place and it just looks absolutely insane because of the amount of buildings and underground tunnels there are at this location.
A: If you could give one tip for people who want to start exploring what would it be?
D: One tip I would give to people who want to start exploring is safety. Many things go along with this such as, never explore alone, don’t explore places if you have the slightest concern about any trouble that may occur from being at such a place, and if you do this on a regular basis make sure you have the proper respirators so you don’t get any long-term effects from any harmful materials that have been left behind.
A: How has having a camera that doubles as a phone every once in a while changed the way you shoot or view your surroundings?
D: It’s really awesome actually. I was never involved with taking photos or owned a camera until I got my iPhone. So to me it’s just much more convenient to have something small in my pocket rather than a bulky camera that I may not even have with me if I see something that catches my eye. Plus now days they have all kinds of lenses and tripods I can use with my iPhone which in my opinion gives me endless possibilities for capturing many different types of scenes.
A: Who are a couple of photographers you draw inspiration from?
D: It’s hard to pinpoint just a couple of photographers that inspire me because there’s just so many talented people out there. I would have to say that my two good friends @harvymoon and @yelenaa__ are a huge inspiration to me because a main topic of conversation always seems to be photography and editing photos. A couple more well-known guys out there would definitely be @mrevidence and @tonydetroit. I’ve seen their work since my start on instagram and it’s always been so unique and on point.
Thank you Devin for allowing us to walk with you through these homes and for being our first artist in the series.
Abandonment Issues
Abandonment Issues by Anna Cox
Many photographers are drawn to photographing abandoned or dilapidated sites across the globe. These locations hold mystery, history and a hint of danger, which for many explorers, is a heady mix. Locations such as abandoned hospitals, houses and amusement parks are hot commodities but there are groups solely dedicated to exploring storm drains also. Serious explorers will tell you they go to these locations just to see them, to experience them.
It is a common mantra to only leave footprints and to take only photographs. True explorers value and love the places they experience and want to protect them for the explorers that come after them. I’m sure as a reader, you’re thinking something along the lines of “honor among thieves” aren’t you? I mean, we are already trespassing right? Unless you have a love for these types of locations I am sure any justification on my part will fall short. But, if you understand what it feels like to stand in a forgotten home that is strewn with belongings or a cavernous space that once housed hundreds of people you will know the story is worth the risk. Trespassing normally goes hand in hand with exploration as do respirators for bad conditions. Both of these things, and a host of others, are worth the risk for the experience for most explorers.
Types of exploration are limited only by the amount of sites people can find to explore . The first and most widely known is Urban Exploration, or urbex, and includes locations found in urban environments. Urbex can also include locations that are still in use but here we are only speaking to uninhabited sites. Think abandoned theme parks, hospitals or factories and you have a pretty good idea of urbex. What was once a largely anonymous genre has begun to have more of a recognizable face as mobile sharing apps gain popularity. On Instagram tags like #filthyfeeds or #beautyindecay have thousands of photos dedicated solely to exploration.
The another subset of UE which is gaining more popularity is rural exploration and is mostly made up of abandoned houses and barns. I fall among these explorers. The wonder of walking through rooms with peeling paint, forgotten shoes, and books flipped open to random pages sets my imagination wild. Sometimes, standing in these houses I can hear the bustle of a mother cooking dinner or children playing upstairs. The phrase “if these walls could talk” always runs through my mind.
An antique mall was my first and most favorite exploration I’ve ever done. I’ve gone back and visited multiple times. The first time I visited I was fixated on the lone chair with no legs. I thought and thought about that chair. About all the items that were left behind. Something in me clicked. These items were a metaphor for my life then and now.Their purpose had changed, they were no longer utilitarian items. They were left behind, forgotten, derelict. Everything that they were meant to be had been cast aside when the doors closed. At the time, every door that had been open to me had been shut tightly. The roles I had been so practiced at had to be cast aside. My purpose had been derailed. When I walked into the upstairs of this place the chair called to me. I sat beside it and just looked at it for a long time. It wasn’t until the third time I visited that I finally understood what thought was holding me captive. The chair was still a chair. Even with no legs to stand on. It still had purpose even if that purpose had changed. I was still me. Even if I had no legs to stand on. Even if what I was meant to do was no longer an option. I had a story, a history. I’m drawn back to these places that mirror my heart so completely.
As far as camera gear goes, I like to have a wide angle lens to capture as much as possible. Mobile photography is perfect for exploration in that all you have to carry camera wise is your smart phone. That saves valuable room in your backpack for other items that may be needed for your excursion.
Before you make the trip, do some research on your location. A simple google search will usually bring up blogs and photo accounts of the location. Take your time reading through them. Many times there will be hints on when to go and how to get into the structure with the most ease. If you want to find more 
information on the location you’re interested in do a record search at your court house. This comes in especially handy for houses out in the country. It’s good to know wether or not a farmer will be showing up carrying a gun. Also, be prepared that you may be sharing the space with squatters or other explorers once you are inside. It’s always wise to have a buddy along with you to explore just in case you get into trouble. At the very least, let someone know where you are going and when to expect you back. Apps like Device Tracker Pro can be a solution to roaming alone. This app,once installed on two separate phones, can track either phone using a mix of GPS, cell tower triangulation and WIFI. If one party goes missing it only takes a couple steps to login and start locating the phone. Although, I would firmly suggest having a friend with you.
Exploration in and of itself is an adventure in your backyard. It’s an experience like no other and can open your imagination to untold stories. Going into these places is paying homage to those that came before us. Those that lived and worked where we are standing. Those stories alone are worth the research, hazard, and time spent before you even get there. It’s about respect, even if we are going in through the back door.
Think you might like to explore? Here is a checklist of things that might come in handy. It is always a good idea to be overly prepared. You never know what could happen and how long you might be on location.
•respirator or dust mask
•headlamp
•multipurpose tool
•boots preferably with heavy soles
•waterproof camera case
•long sleeves and hat especially if you are rural. Ticks aren’t your friend.
•water
•bug spray
•coat depending on the time of year.
Are you ready now?
You’re thinking of a building you drive past every day, aren’t you?
Join us every month for a different look at derelict photography in the Abandonment Issues Series. Today we are headed to North Dakota to explore with Devin, @durty2shoes
so grab your boots! We have some exploring to do
so grab your boots! We have some exploring to doVirtualinstawalk Febuary 23-24th
• Walk • Shoot • Grid • Edit • Post •
What is an instawalk you ask?
Virtualinstawalk was first created by Jenny @lowf about a year ago. Her ideas was, since many photographers can’t meet up for instameets and instawalks in real life, why not still have a day where they could do a photowalk and share it with others on Instagram! Join us February 23rd and 24th for our next walk.
How to play along:
• Walk • Shoot • Grid • Edit • Post •
The grid idea started with people taking screenshots of their camera roll to give an overview of their walk and has now evolved into beautiful collages. The tag was just #virtualinstawalk for the first walk then they started adding numbers to separate the walks from each other. At the tenth Virtual Instawalk it was decided that the tag should be shortened to just #viw then the number.
Below is a map that shows all the locations of instawalkers around the world.
Meet the photographers behind this great idea
The @Virtualinstawalk profile was created by @amudays and is managed by @leftcoastadventures, @gromitmagick, @chik_pea and @fooferann
Rhea (@gromitmagick) lives in Airlie Beach, a small town on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia. She mostly shoot her daily life so her feed is full of pics of her son, Felix, and her town. She also love capturing sunsets and macros. She has grown up around photography and owned cameras for years, but mobile photography has changed it from something for special occasions into something that is a part of her everyday life. Mobile photography has also introduced her to editing, which facilitates a whole extra side of creativity.
Kris (@leftcoastadventures) was born and raised in Southeast Alaska and moved to Southern Oregon 2 ½ years ago! Photography has always been a huge part of her. I love exploring and taking pictures just goes hand in hand with her adventures. She shoots a lot of outdoor pictures and close up nature shots. She feels like Instagram has changed the way she explore and see things in a different perspective. She never imaged that she would be laying on the ground getting the perfect shot of a dandelion or getting the real close to a rain drops on the grass.
Vicki (@chik_pea) lives in the beautiful decay that is Birmingham, Alabama. She loves to shoot photos of her adopted city. It’s all there – natural beauty, fab architecture, sweet industrial sites and living museums like Sloss Furnaces.
Want more details? Head to @virtualinstawalk
Backspaces Showcase : My Father by Nathalie Beaurin
When I see oranges, especially at Christmas Time, I think of my father. He was born in 1943. He always used to tell us how at Christmas Times all they used to get was an orange. And that it was a huge treat for him and his 3 siblings. He always used to quarrel about the material aspect of that Time of year.
My Dad was a school teacher who went into “l’école normale” – the French Institution where you had to study to become a teacher – at a young age… He loved what he did and cared about his students. He had tons of note books with lesson plans, drawings, and songs. I found in his stuff some of his old students’ notebooks
He left France at the age of 21 to come to a tiny Island in the Caribbean that no one ever heard about, leaving the life he knew for the unknown. At the time there was not much in St Martin, electricity in some parts, not much cars, not much anything. It was 1964, St Martin was poor financially but the people welcomed him with open arms and even fed him and housed him during a few months before his pay money followed. He and 2 of his colleagues were the first “white Europeans” to come live there. At first he taught all subjects to children from various ages. Then a few years later he became a French teacher at the High school. He was a hard but good teacher. I know because he taught me 🙂
My father was passionate about everything from animals to photography. I grew up in a house full of aquariums (wall to wall), with birds singing, plants and flowers all over. My Dad also played football, had a radio show, organized a Movie Night and so on. He used to get old reels from all over. He loved Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. He loved music and songs, he never played any instruments but he sang well. He ended up staying longer than he thought on that small island. He fell in love with my Mom, got married and had 2 children.
His old students still remember him. As I said he was tough but just. His students respected him. It is no wonder because doing this essay, I have been digging in his stuff and found some books full of pictures and notes about his students, about the “where” and “how” they lived, if they had difficulties at home that could affect them at school, if they needed help in any area and so on. He respected his students too and he cared for them as well. These note books are dated from 1970.
My dad is no longer with us, He passed away in April 28, 2010 from liver failure, he was 67. He had been in and out of the hospital. Towards the end he told us he wanted to stay at there. I think he didn’t want to burden us by staying at Home and having us taking care of him. He died with his children and wife around him. I miss him. He was opiniated and he always wanted to be right, he told lame Jokes at Times but he loved us, even if he wasn’t shown love growing up. He was a people’s person, he could make friends with anyone, talk with them about anything, so unlike me. He could also fix anything: from a broken pipe to a broken fan. He was a good Man. He was my Dad.
Je voudrais oublier le temps Pour un soupir pour un instant Une parenthèse après la course Et partir où mon cœur me pousse Je voudrais retrouver mes traces Où est ma vie où est ma place Et garder l’or de mon passé Au chaud dans mon jardin secret
Je voudrais décrocher la lune, Je voudrais même sauver la Terre Mais avant tout je voudrais parler à mon père Parler à mon père… C. Dion”
“I would like to forget the time For a sigh for an instant A parenthesis after the race And depart where my heart pushes me
I would like to find again my traces Where is my life where is my place And keep* the gold of my past In the warmness of my secret garden
I would like to take down the moon, I would as well like to save the Earth But before everything else I would like to talk to my father Talk to my father.
To see the original story by Nat or to read other stories click here