Norwich State Hospital was established as a psychiatric hospital in 1904 in Preston Connecticut. It was the second public mental asylum for the state and opened with only 95 patients. Within a few years, the need for more buildings grew. The campus continued to grow and eventually contained 30+ buildings.
Photo: "Lights Out"
Part of a halted housing project in Bethel Island, California, scheduled to have been completed by 2008. The project plan contained 494 plots, 416 docks, 19 new streets and a marina, but the only elements constructed thus far are the docks.
Night. Full moon. 3.5 minutes. Lit by moonlight.
Photo: "Disregard"
This psychiatric hospital in rural New York opened in 1931 with 60 male patients, but had sufficient beds for over 5,000. As with many early psychiatric hospitals, this one also had its own working farm, a power plant, industrial shops and bowling alley inside the Assembly Hall.
Photo: "Three Brothers"
Three Brothers, Yosemite National Park.
Night. 85% moon. 15 minutes. Lit by moonlight.
Photo: "Lower Yosemite Falls"
I just returned from a great 3-day weekend in Yosemite with a bunch of Google+ photographers where I spent 3 nights photographing under the moonlight. It was my first time seeing the park and I couldn't have had a better experience. My goal for 2012 is to photograph the park during each season, but maybe even squeeze in a few other trips, like when there's snow.
Lower Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park.
Night. 85% moon. 8.5 minutes. Lit by moonlight.
Photo: "Afflicted"
Draperies still hang on batons backstage inside Noble Hall, an early 1900's era theatre on the grounds of a semi-active psychiatric hospital on the East Coast.
Photo: "Pillow Fight"
Bed inside the Forst Building at a New Jersey Psychiatric Hospital.
Photo: "Oil Derrick"
Oil derrick in Stockton, California.
(Night. Full moon. 120 seconds. Lit by moonlight.)
Photo: "Tractor Pull"
Big M Auto. Williams, California.
Night. Full moon. 240 seconds. Lit by moonlight.
I Love G+
I was one of the lucky people who was fortunate enough to get an invite (thank you +Cody Bratt) to Google+ within the first week of Beta testing. Immediately after joining, I was discovering and conversing with a number of new photographers I found to be fun and inspiring.
A few months later in November, +Thomas Hawk organized a Death Valley trip on Google+. I drove my tired little Honda 1,200 miles round trip with +sly vegas (whom I had never met) to meet a bunch of new photographers in a place I had never been, while shooting something somewhat unfamiliar and it was one of the best trips I've ever taken.
Following the Death Valley trip, I used G+ to keep in touch with those I met on the trip, to meet even more photographers online and participate in a handful of hangouts until the early hours of the morning.
Then last weekend, a bunch of the photographers from Death Valley reunited in Big Sur because +Tony Payne sent out a post on Google+ mentioning that he would be up in the area and wanted to see if anyone would be interested in camping in Big Sur. About 10 of us jumped on the opportunity to shoot together and hang out again and of course, it was another great trip.
Next weekend, I will be going to Yosemite with some of the same people for a 3-night full moon photo walk.
For those of you who still don't believe there's a reason to join or be active on Google+, I can say without hesitation that joining Google+ has made such positive impact on my life and I am so thankful for and inspired by the people I have met there.
Photo: "Erosion"
Sunset at Zabriskie Point, Death Valley.
Photo: "Reel"
Reels left behind inside Noble Hall, an early 1900's state psychiatric hospital theatre.
Photo: "Mercury"
Big M Auto. Williams, California.
Night. Full moon. 135 seconds. Lit by moonlight.
Photo: "Cyan"
Bowling balls left inside the bowling alley of a former New York Psychiatric Hospital.
Photo: "Life Aquatic"
Hallway inside the Forst Building, used as a patient building or nurses quarters, at a New Jersey State Psychiatric Hospital.