PHOTOGRAPH INFO

These photographs were taken Saturday at the old Bethlehem Steel plant in nearby Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. They're part of a series I'm posting this week from my six-hour trip to the plant.

These shots are from the employee locker room building, which I only discovered during the last 20 minutes of my trip, so I had to rush through here, unfortunately. If I had known about it earlier I probably would've spent the whole six hours in this building. It's fascinating.

Top Photo: I'll explain the cacophony of chains as best I can. I'm not sure of its accuracy but it made sense as I looked at the gadgetry: When reporting to work, an employee put his valuables, i.e., wallet, watch, etc., into a basket. He raised the basket high above his head by pulling on the corresponding chain. The chain was locked into the high position on the long, cylindrical metal tube and the key was retained by the employee.

Middle Photo: I'm not sure who "Rat Face Jones" was, but he had a lot of company in the funny-names-scrawled-on-walls category. Another handwritten sign I saw in the locker room said, "Dumpster Diver Dubbs Did It!" One thing that sticks with me about the graffitti is its relative "innocence": there was little profanity (or gang tags) for the most part, just funny and occasionally clever little signs of comradery and rivalry amongst the employees.

Bottom Photo: It seemed like there had been a party for Austin "Skip" Gramme just before the plant closed. I hope he fared well in Pittsburgh. :)

For more information on this series of Bethlehem Steel photos, please read the 'comments' section on the previous three posts. I have a few more to post over the next few days, some from the blast furnace which are pretty interesting.

Post-processing: Shot with the Canon EOS 5D and the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L as follows: First photo: 17mm, ISO 3200, 1/20s, f/7.1. Second photo: 17mm, ISO 3200, 1/30s, f/7.1. Third photo: 17mm, ISO 3200, 1/30s, f/5. No noise reduction on any of these. Adjusted white balance for more warmth, multiple curves adjustments for contrast and saturation, some color balancing for tone.

Thank you for visiting Durham Township!

--Kathleen

sweet photos, i really like the first and the second.

This chain system was (is) used in many old factories, also here in Europe. Nice photos - I really like how the saturated colors work for them.

Great series you're on at the moment; I just HEART old buildings, especially factories :-)

These are my favorites in this series so far. I can see why you would have wished to have spent more time in this area. It's more intimate and has a lot of "ghosts" left behind. Fascinating.

The lockers are very interesting, but I would think they'd be a little dangerous; I wouldn't want to be under one if it slipped. OUCH!

I want a 5D; 3200 ISO and zero noise??? Amazing. The color is amazing and the compositions are fantastic. Great peices of historical photojournalism.

I like the qutie dark comical side of the last couple of shots! as well as the quality of the pictures themselves, absolutely brilliant!

I can now see why you spent 6 hours in this place :|

Skip might be one of the lucky ones to have a job after the plant closing. I wonder if they knew then that their plant would be closing.

Out of the three, the name and flyer make the third the most emotional.

Wow--you must have been in heaven! These are short stories in pictures...each and every one. Facinating.

A friend gave me the link to your site, and I am blown away, and will definitely be spending more time here. I think you are an amazing photographer. Most amazing to me are your mastery of color, perspective, and your ability to be successful photographing landscape, architectural docmentary, and people. I would love to know which you enjoy most and any tips that you would have for others to acheive these balances.

fantastic color/texture stuff. And the center shot has to be the CD cover for the sca band, Rat Face Jones......Right? AND the orange vs green......are you sure you weren't back at the Crayola buildings?

Another page in the "854 Best Shots Ever" KC coffee table book.

Thank you for sharing.

It's Desolation Row and the B is for Dylan.

I really like this series. It sort of takes me back (I think it's the mess and the lighting) to when I was younger and my father took me around his shop for the first time just after he had rented the building and just before he had moved in. It had this abandoned feeling.

These are so wonderful. Thanks for giving us a glimpse into another world and time. You are so fortunate to have the opportunity to visit Beth. Steel with all its history and ghosts. Wow, if those walls could talk.

wow, loved all 3. Especially the fact that you used the 17-40 and 3200 iso...

The 5D is amazing..isnt it?

Nice natural lighting in there.
I wonder where Austin is now?