About

Welcome stranger!

This website is a collaboration between The Idiot Photographer, Tabula Rasa, Moribund and Holly.  It was originally created by myself, the Idiot Photographer to share my photography as I thought I was pretty decent for an idiot with a camera.  I’ve come to realize how wrong I was about being pretty decent, though I’ve improved a bit since those first few years.

Some years ago (back in 2008 or so) Tabula Rasa and I discovered a building in Gary Indiana which we affectionately call “The House of Harm“.  Little did we know at the time that this would lead us down the strange path of urban exploring and photography.  Curiosity drove us to poke around the city of Gary a bit more, and from there what began as a bit of a lark soon became a serious hobby for both of us.  I started this blog as The Idiot Photographer because at the beginning I had no real clue how to use a camera, and learned mostly through trial and error supplemented by a few books and online tutorials.  I’ve kept the name since I freely admit that I have been known to do some things that may be considered rather idiotic in pursuit of a photo, and that I still have not attained the level of skill I strive for.   In late 2012 I invited Tabula Rasa to join me on the blog, as we drive each other to improve, learn new techniques and go the extra distance.

In February of 2014 Tabula Rasa and I met Holly, who flew out to Detroit from Canada to meet us and explore the ruins of the Packard factory.  She proved to be such a fun and wonderful person we invited her to join us here to share the experiences of Canadian rural exploring.

Moribund joined us both in real life and on the blog this summer.

While together Tabula Rasa and I spend many long hours stomping through dusty, moldy, decaying buildings while taking photos neither of us limit ourselves to just urban decay as a subject matter, though it is a favorite.  Here you will find landscapes from Tabula Rasa, as well as animal portraits from myself.  Sometimes we stray even from these subjects, every photo is a learning experience.

Why we explore.

We you to share in our travels and experiences as we explore everything from urban abandonments to the local zoo and occasionally (from Tabula Rasa) views from outside the borders of our country.  Comments are always welcome, as are honest critiques of our work.

-The Idiot Photographer

8.20.2013

*updated 9.28.2014

 

 

In the spring of 2013 I teamed up with fellow blogger and researcher extraordinaire Sometimes Interesting to bring the story of Gary  more fully to light.  S.I. did months and months of painstaking research and what started as a single article on the city of Gary eventually blossomed into a month of individual, building by building tales.  While the over all story of each of building echos the same woeful story of white flight and urban decline the city has suffered since the 1960’s, each building, like every person, has a unique story to tell.

Links, for the interested:

St. Mary Mercy Hospital

Horace Mann High School

Ambassador Arms Apartments

Gary-Aldering Settlement House  (Gary’s most forgotten building)

Palace Theater

City United Methodist Church

Emerson School

Sheraton Hotel

Mahencha Apartments (a.k.a. The House of Harm)