Monday, August 24, 2015

For What It's Worth

House
House
(all photos by Brandon Smith)

______Something different for you all today! I've caught myself in another busy rut but managed to get out with one of my friends for a neat little photoshoot in a decrepit old house. These photos are all shot by my friend Brandon, but he allowed me the freedom of editing them to give them an eerie, ghostly feel. I'm all for that blue-tinted, ethereal spirit sauntering through an abandoned house aesthetic.

House
HouseHouse

______From outside, the house looked like one of those locations you'd expect an unruly gang of ghostbusters to have an absolute ball in attempting communication with spirits. It was quaint, victorian, and decaying, with a roof that sunk from gravity's relentless pull and chipped wooden white railings that lined the front porch. Vines crawled up crinkled blue paneling and into its crevices like sneaky snakes on a sneaky snake mission (whoa, slow down there, Ali). The shingles were warped and uneven like crooked teeth and the windows were barred.

______I mean, it was definitely a nice starter house if you weren't concerned about mold chipping precious years from your life.

HouseHouse

______The back door was open, which is where we made our entrance. Brandon gave me a large stick for protection, and he, too carried one.

______The air was stagnant and dust motes swam like minnows in the fading light that poured from the windows. Even the spiders had abandoned their webs. In the first room, half the ceiling's surface peeled back like an orange and hung limp against the floor. Another room had a broken window that fell out of itself. My favorite room, which most of the pictures here are in, had a lightbulb dangling at your eye's height, a crumbling fireplace, and the most delectable molded wallpaper. Can you say dream house?

  HouseHouseHouse

Nightgown: my mom's from way back when

12 comments:

Unknown said...

ohhh, that last photo is creepy as all hell! I love these, and your description of the house! Great shoot and very cool photos and editing! <3

Rachel said...

You are very brave to have gone in! I'd all be thinking about snakes and rats, but abandoned and falling down buildings have an alluring charm. The way you describe this one, I'm reminded of the falling down house in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" that Mr. and Mrs. Bailey move into when they get married and rain is pouring in right through the roof. :) Quite a cool photo shoot, I do say, and very spooky indeed. Seems like shots off of an interesting movie set...one that I probably wouldn't watch because...I don't watch scary movies. I watched "Ernest Scared Stupid" as a kid and had nightmares about it for years.

Lostvestige said...

These photos are beautiful and haunting! You look absolutely amazing in this dress. I love exploring old decrepit buildings, I always wonder what their stores are.

jess said...

These photos look great. I always get nervous exploring old buildings.

Frannie Pantz said...

I've always loved the appeal of an old abandoned house! I have always also been too chicken to go into one however because of my irrationally tremendous fear of ghosts. These photos are absolutely stunning! How fun!

The Dragonfruit said...

And this is why I'll always say: "ALI IS BAE!"
Haha, look at you being all dreamlike and ghosty in this setting. I remember seeing a short snap of the house and thinking "Photoshoot. There is a photoshoot happening here, I just know it."
So happy to see the results! Brandon did a fantastic job, and you're a natural model. Great editing job too, I like the blue tint a lot! :)

Jodie said...

These photos are fantastic- you look stunning. The delicate dress and the desolate house makes a fantastic pairing.

Sakuranko said...

Oh very beautiful pics darling
xx

www.sakuranko.com

LyddieGal said...

Seeing a house abandoned and left to rot makes me so sad. Actually photos of any abandoned things are just eerie and give you this extremely uncomfortable feeling.
But I'm glad you were able to take advantage of it for a great photo shoot location, and these shots came out really great.
Chic on the Cheap

E said...

These photos are absolutely stunning. I love the light and setting.

District of Chic

Lily Fang said...

Oh, Ali--how stunning! I love your artsy shoots because they're so resonant. This one feels timeless, adventurous, slightly dark and mysterious. I love your use of shadows and light, particularly that in the window silhouettes. What a gorgeous, delicate and flowy nightgown and descriptive writing to really complete the mood. Wonderful collaborative piece!

Wishing you the best and brightest with your art this year. I can't wait to see how much you learn and grow through your creations!

Imperfectidealist.com

Kristian said...

Oh- these are definitely stuning and very dream-like, in that way where you can't quite remember, in the dream, where you came from or what you were doing or where you are going. Its is soft and surreal and sensual- you feel you could reach out and touch the walls.

I used to go and explore abandoned buildings quite a bit in college and always was fascinated by the strange half-life left behind int eh debris. My favorite was " The Love Church." After a man threatened to shoot The Boy (a hill billy farmer. oddly seemed to be willing not to shoot me because I'm a female) we stopped the exploration, but I still love haunted images like this of abandoned places.