Hue Waterpark

When you're in Hue you can go to see some of the old tombs, temples and pagodas or take a trip on the Perfume river.

That is all fun but if you want to see something different you have to head to the abandoned Hue Waterpark.

The watermark was a short lived attraction in Hue which now lies abandoned and overgrown a short drive outside of town.

As is typical in Asia but unheard of in the (more boring) western countries, you can walk and climb around all the old disused buildings and slides as you please.

Going during the week means you have the park almost for yourself, during the weekend however it's full of mostly students having picnics and taking photos around the park.

It's definitely an interesting sight and something else than just seeing temples and tombs. If you like to explore a bit and get off the beaten path it's well worth a trip.

The camera most fitting to take for this was the Epson R-D1 with the Ricoh GR lens although I should have also taken the Heliar 15mm for the wider angle.

Nobody Around

GF1, f5, 1/20, ISO 400, JPG, 40mm

Old and Rusty

GXR, f4.5, 1/45, ISO 218, RAW, 50mm

The weather has been nicer so I decided to take a walk. I took a few pictures of the local power switch station only to have one guy asking me what I was doing. The paranoia can get a bit too much at times.
I prefer this picture though and like the rusty gate and faded paint.

Back Door

GRD III, f2.5, 1/250, ISO 64, RAW

Did not take many pictures today. On my way to see friends I came across a few old and abandoned buildings and really liked the doors.

Nobody Cares Anymore

GRD III, f3.5, 1/400, ISO 64, RAW

This was the very first cinema I ever went to so it is very sad to see that it's been abandoned and left to rot for the last 10 years.
Like a lot of things in Romania, people stopped carying about them and now they are abandoned and fall apart. With a bit of care this old cinema could get back to the glory it deserves but people are too preoccupied with themselves and how to make easy money in order to care.

I have also updated my gallery if you want to see more pictures from Romania click here.

No More Games

GRD III, f1.9, 1/1740, ISO 64

I took this on my way home in North Greenwich, I liked the feel of the abandoned parking lot and the lonely ball there.
I used f1.9 and focused on the ball to try and get a bit of shallow DOF. This worked very well although the ball was 3-4m away.

Blue Door

GRD, f2.8, 1/160, ISO 200, JPG

I find old doors fascinating. Like old or abandoned buildings I have to ask myself where these doors lead and what their story is. Why is that a door was once usefull and is now overgrown and disused? Is there still an entrance on the other site or does it open to a blank wall?
Mostpeople look for beautyin new and nice things as it is obvious and easy to find but for me, old things and ugly things have a special beauty about them that can't be found anywhere else.

Burnt Out

I posted quite a few series recently so my motto of 'One Day. One Picture.' did not quite apply. But sometimes it is necessary to show a series of 5 pictures to give a better feel to a place or theme.

I took the pictures today in a burnt out building nearby with the Panasonic LC1. Always wanted to go there and take pictures but never really got round to. It was really lucky that I could go in and take pictures close up. As much as I enjoyed taking pictures in Bodiam Castle, I somehow found taking pictures of this building more inspiring but also more challenging. It is easy to take a nice picture of a beautiful place or great building but taking interesting pictures of decay is a bigger challenge. The weather was on my side today and I went there at the right time to have the sun provide great light and shadows inside.

Abandoned

GRD, f4, 1/250, ISO 400, JPG b&w

When I passed this car the first time I liked the setting but the light was not right, it was cloudy so I did not take a picture. On my way back, the sun came through and the light was much better. This shows that although a scene or setting can be right, without the right light you can't get a good picture. After all photography is all about the light. Took the picture in black and white but added a sepia toning to it, since it gives it more of a timeless appearance.