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Challenge: Abandoned Buildings VI (Standard Editing)
Collection: Portfolio
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Lens: Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 M.Zuiko Digital ED PRO
Location: Bombay Beach
Date: Jan 1, 2021
Aperture: 9.0
ISO: 320
Shutter: 1/60
Galleries: Rural, Textures
Date Uploaded: Jan 1, 2021

 Bombay beach, on the eastern shore of Salton Sea, has a trove of very picturesque abandoned buildings that were subsequently taken over by graffiti and other street artists.

For those unfamiliar with its history, Salton Sea emerged in the middle of Anza-Borrego desert in California in 1905 as a result of engineering errors in re-routing water from Colorado river for irrigation of Imperial valley in the Southern California. One rainy day swelling water broke the canal wall and over the next 2 years it spilled over into the Salton basin, some 70m below the ocean level, and formed a huge lake that is now called Salton Sea. For years, nobody cared much about this place, and then in the 1950 somehow it suddenly became a popular tourist destination. Whole new towns and communities were established, new roads were laid, and real estate developers jumped in. The boom lasted for about 10 years, until people realized that this "resort" is not sustainable and not very enjoyable. Why it took them 10 years, I am not sure. The lake was steadily receding (there wasn't any water supply coming in except for rare rains and runoff from nearby fields that brought in plenty of fertilizers and pesticides. It became more and more saline and unhealthy for swimming. Fish was dying by the millions every summer, and its rotten smell permeated the air. So most people left, real estate market collapsed, resorts and other real estate projects were frozen unfinished, whatever was built started to decay. Vagrants moved in and occupied some of those places. That's pretty much what it is now – abandoned lake, decaying ghost towns around it, and a small number of rather strange people living mostly off the grid. In other words, a perfect place for photography )).

P.S. I agree with some comments that the star lens effect was probably a bit too much, but I still like how the sun rays echo the eyelashes of the eyes on the wall.

Statistics
Place: 4 out of 39
Avg (all users): 6.5833
Avg (participants): 6.3500
Avg (non-participants): 6.7500
Views since voting: 1176
Views during voting: 109
Votes: 48
Comments: 12
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
Sony Alpha a7R III
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 FG HSM Art
 01/12/2021 10:31:42 AM
this one was in my top 2.
great image!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-5D
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
 01/11/2021 01:24:33 PM
Congrats
Really nice image, looks like they tried to brighten it up.

Message edited by author 2021-01-11 13:26:07.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon Canon 1d x Mark II
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 FG HSM Art
 01/11/2021 07:51:20 AM
Vivid Lev!

And that burst, brilliant!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III
OM System 90mm f/3.5 Macro IS PRO M.Zuiko Digital ED
 01/11/2021 12:53:08 AM
i'll have to disagree with you and anyone else who wasnt a fan of the sunflare .. or the intensity of it .. ;)
i love it .. as well as the excellent edit you have given this .. so grungy .. and appropriate ..
congratulations on a great place in the challenge .. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D7100
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II
 01/11/2021 12:25:46 AM
My kinda place to shoot! Well seen and love the light. Congrats on the HM!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
Canon EOS R5
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM
 01/10/2021 07:59:14 AM
Your composition is intriguing and interesting. So much I want to know about it’s structure and the drawings on the walls. I think the artificial sunburst through the roof is a little over dramatic and takes away from the natural beauty of the scene. Still not a bad shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Olympus 60mm f/2.8 Macro M.Zuiko Digital ED
 01/09/2021 09:24:28 PM
Oh, how awesome is that starburst in combo with the wall art?! Sweet find. Nice job of handling the various light levels here.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III
OM System 90mm f/3.5 Macro IS PRO M.Zuiko Digital ED
 01/05/2021 04:18:02 PM
what a fantastic find ..
of course the sun flare lifts this tremendously ..
great grungy treatment ..
great image .. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon Z8
Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8
 01/05/2021 10:18:29 AM
Nice job with the light. Adds quite a bit of interest to the scene.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony Alpha a6700
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
 01/05/2021 06:42:18 AM
Not sure how to rate this one. I like the room, the colors, the light. I think probably a viewpoint which would not be from the middle and at normal view height could be better. Also the star effect seems a bit overdone.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony Alpha a7R III
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 FG HSM Art
 01/05/2021 12:02:42 AM
looks like great studio for modeling. The ropes on the ceiling are scary..:)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony DSLR-A550
Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED
 01/04/2021 08:27:43 PM
top 3 contender excellent photo
  Photographer found comment helpful.
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