If you love to golf or love vacationing in beautiful, manicured surroundings, then you know about Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Standing 90 ft tall in the Sea Pines area, the Harbour Town Lighthouse has become an enduring symbol for Hilton Head Island itself.

Ironically enough, many purists don’t consider this a ‘real’ lighthouse. Despite having a beacon that can be seen from 15 miles away, this lighthouse was constructed with private money and purely for commercial reasons. Today, guests are welcome to climb to the top of the lighthouse to take in unparalleled views of Hilton Head Island and the marina that sits below.

In this shot, I was able to capture the iconic lighthouse without the obstruction of passing boats. Leaving red as the predominant color during post processing gives a unique look, and helps the lighthouse to really pop out of the print.

If you don’t have the privilege of being in Hilton Head everyday, you now have the opportunity to enjoy the view of this majestic lighthouse in your own home. Offered in 11×14 size for $325. Please see ordering prints for more information.

Boy does this bring back memories – but not memories that look like this. Here sit the two boats that ferried passengers to Bob Lo Amusement Park outside of Detroit for over eight decades. In spite of their current appearance, there are some remarkable facts that go with these ships.

First of all, they’re the last two remaining propeller driven excursion steamships in the entire country. This type of ferry was popular back in the early 1900’s but now is part of boating history. They also have the longest record of service on a single of run of any vessel in the US. These ships were taken out of active service in 1991. A conservation group in New York has (had?) plans to relocate Columbia to the Hudson River for restoration, while the corporation Maximus is restoring the Ste. Claire – which you can see behind the Columbia in the above picture. While the New York group claims to still be moving forward to restore the Columbia, as you can tell time is certainly against them. Most of the wrapping has torn away, exposing the Columbia to all of the harsh elements that Michigan has to offer.

These ships have offered so many happy memories to so many people for so many years that it’s a shame to see them disintegrating and left in this condition. But these are far from the only classic items left rotting from Detroit’s heyday. Only time will tell if either restoration effort is full successful, and these boats can continue making happy memories for another generation.

It’s always interesting to see how places sort of de-evolve when left alone for decades. Sometimes, like here in this former mess hall, the randomness of the decay makes for a quite interesting display.

The decayed red box grabs your eye first. Your gaze then trails upward, where the ceiling has deteriorated to the point of allowing insulation and whatever else had been lurking up there to spill down into the room. Then you can take in the other interesting details – the open window trying to keep the air fresh, the broken tables, and the random placement of the chairs. The idea I had here was to transform this chaos into an urban, gritty scene that wouldn’t look out of place in a modern horror movie. Washing out some of the colors, intentionally blowing out some highlights, and using strong contrast all help to create the dark mood of this scene. It is a picture that I really enjoyed working on, transforming it from a somewhat drab scene to one with a distinct story to tell.

Some photographers would have you believe that all of their best shots are done on purpose, or that each click of their camera results in a masterpiece. Don’t believe it. This picture helps explain why:

The shot of this stunning Lamborghini was actually taken at an auto show. Auto shows are notoriously hard to get good shots at – people walk in your way, the lighting sucks, etc etc etc. Or sometimes (like in this case) it’s your own fault and your camera settings are wrong. This photo was actually taken with a way too slow shutter speed. However, when reviewing the shot the dim look adds to the mystery and wonderment that already exists anytime Lamborghini’s flagship makes an appearance. The added benefit was that it also deleted the usual auto show ‘bad’ stuff – people in the way, lights blowing out highlights on the car, and so forth.

This picture reminds me to experiment, to think outside of the box. “Technically” perfect isn’t always best. And so it is with so many other things, even outside of photography. Play around a little bit at whatever your job or chosen craft is. You might be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Here is Michigan Central Station – one of the greatest urban ruins in the entire country. This structure is amazing in countless ways. Built in 1913, at a cost of $15 million, no detail or expense was spared in its construction. The workmanship is unlike anything made today, from the plaster work inside to the solid marble walls on almost every floor. MCS was designed by the same firm who designed Grand Central Station in NYC. This building has been a personal photo project of mine (see more of MCS here) and you’ll see it make more than a few appearances on Lens Artwork. You’ll also notice the opposing daytime shot is used as the leading picture for my urban decay category.

Unfortunately, both natural and unnatural elements have taken their toll on this incredible building for the better part of two decades. Yet, there is still a haunting beauty about this place that gets magnified at night. Most of the time, the street lights around the station aren’t in use. But this night, one of Detroit’s signature blue-green streetlamps illuminated the front of the station, revealing details usually hidden in the darkness: the chain link and razor wire fence surrounding the perimeter, adding to the city reflections in what’s left of the front glass, the different color stones used in the construction of the main lobby and tower, the steam rising into the chilly night air from Zug Island, and the words “save the depot” added to the top by the conservation group dedicated to preserving this storied structure. Ironically, at the same time, the light also seems to deepen the foreboding darkness emanating from the inside.

Whether you’re approaching Detroit from the suburbs or from Canada, this 18 story monument is plainly visible for miles in any direction. It stands alone outside the clutter of buildings that make up the downtown area, a reminder to all that pass of what Detroit used to be and a physical representation of the decline that the city has seen. Yet even in its decayed state, MCS has the power to captivate your attention. You cannot help but stare at this marvel and wonder just how could things have gone so wrong for this once great building and the city that it sits in.

Now you can enjoy its powerful beauty for yourself. Offered in 14×10 size for $395. Ordering prints

Taken inside an abandoned military fort in San Francisco, the sun was poking through the window at just the right time and just the right angle to light up a sliver of the floor, making this scene look like something straight out of the Twilight Zone. On its own the building was interesting enough, but this adds a whole new dynamic element to the environment.

For those that dare, this is available to you for wall mounting in 10×14 size for $345. Ordering prints

Ordering prints