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Decagon Gallery
Forgotten Architecture
Rediscover, Document & Reimagine the Hidden Ruin
A note from the juror
The depiction of ruins has a long and esteemed tradition in the history of art. Painters and print makers such as Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Hubert Robert, Caspar David Friederich, Thomas Cole and Albrecht Durer employed architectural ruins to express the transitory nature of human ambition as well as the fragility of civilization’s accomplishments. The romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, in his poem "Ozymandias", addresses this inevitability of decline, which seen as especially poignant for those kings and rulers who believe their worldly power has bestowed upon them immortality.
Modern day scenes of abandonment and ruin contain similar themes found in these great works of art; however, they also are informed by such contemporary issues like de-industrialization, climate change, extinction, pollution and environmental decay. The modern ruin can also be seen as a work of architecture that has been freed from its functionality (e.g. the need to shelter and provide comfort) and subsequently, they have become sites left open to a free play of the artist’s imagination. Also, as hinted at in the title of this exhibition, “Forgotten Architecture”, ruins are about memory, and whether they memorialize a loss or express a nostalgic yearning for a faded past, they ultimately are a means to meditate on our place in the vast wheel of time.
One of the extraordinary revelations of the many photographs in this exhibition, which were submitted from across the world, was the universality of this appeal and fascination with ruins. Rose Macauley, author of "The Pleasure of Ruins", wrote: “The human race is, and always has been, ruin minded. The literature of all ages has found beauty in the dark and violent forces, physical and spiritual, of which ruin is one symbol”. What I would add to this is that there is, or can be, an element of humor in the modern depiction of ruins. As I found in my work in Detroit, ruins have become a kind of urban playground and their imaginative reuse has infused them with new energy and in a sense, revived these abandoned places and brought them back to life.
As the juror for this competition, this was one of the main qualities I was looking for in the submissions: I was searching for pictures which created a living presence for a place that might otherwise be long forgotten. Given how many fantastic submissions there were, this was not an easy task!!
I want to thank everyone for sharing their work. I did my best to be as inclusive as possible in my selections. I’m also grateful to John and Teona for this opportunity to participate in this amazing global community and gallery they continue to grow and foster.
Andrew Moore
Click on an image for more information
First Place
Jael Hu
Shanghai, China
Stillness
Jael Hu is an urban explorer from China who has visited over 100 abandoned structures in the past five years. Dedicated to documenting places forgotten by the modern world amid rapid industrialization, he brings these hidden landscapes back into public view, inviting reflection and renewed perspectives.
This photograph was taken in an abandoned rural cinema on the outskirts of Shanghai, China. Built in the 1970s, it has been abandoned for over 20 years. The shot was taken from the lighting control room on the left side of the stage. The original equipment has been removed, leaving a circular opening. Looking down through this opening, the numerous old-fashioned wooden seats and stationary fans create a sense of orderly beauty, suggesting that the bustling moments are long gone, leaving only the eternal, unchanging passage of time.
Stillness
Jael Hu is an urban explorer from China who has visited over 100 abandoned structures in the past five years. Dedicated to documenting places forgotten by the modern world amid rapid industrialization, he brings these hidden landscapes back into public view, inviting reflection and renewed perspectives.
This photograph was taken in an abandoned rural cinema on the outskirts of Shanghai, China. Built in the 1970s, it has been abandoned for over 20 years. The shot was taken from the lighting control room on the left side of the stage. The original equipment has been removed, leaving a circular opening. Looking down through this opening, the numerous old-fashioned wooden seats and stationary fans create a sense of orderly beauty, suggesting that the bustling moments are long gone, leaving only the eternal, unchanging passage of time.
Ari Barusch
Salt Lake City, UT
Ray in the SS Sapona
Ari Barusch is a high-altitude desert dweller with an unfortunate love for the sea. When she isn't trying to photograph the world's apex predators, she works on her off-grid artist's retreat, Cactus Rat Ranch, with her two feline gremlins somewhere in the wild's of Utah's west desert.
The SS Sapona sank in the shallow waters off Bimini in 1926. Having a role in trafficking drugs and an illegal casino, now the sunken concrete hull hosts a thriving ecosystem, including this snoozing ray. I have been diving and taking underwater photos for more than a decade, but came to the Sapona after a period of extended illness that, surprisingly, ended and put me in a world that was waiting expectantly for me to get back to normal, which was a horrifying terror. Instead, I took to the sea. It turns out the ghosts in wrecks and the looming sharks don't care about normal at all, and I'll let you know when I plan to get back.
Ray in the SS Sapona
Ari Barusch is a high-altitude desert dweller with an unfortunate love for the sea. When she isn't trying to photograph the world's apex predators, she works on her off-grid artist's retreat, Cactus Rat Ranch, with her two feline gremlins somewhere in the wild's of Utah's west desert.
The SS Sapona sank in the shallow waters off Bimini in 1926. Having a role in trafficking drugs and an illegal casino, now the sunken concrete hull hosts a thriving ecosystem, including this snoozing ray. I have been diving and taking underwater photos for more than a decade, but came to the Sapona after a period of extended illness that, surprisingly, ended and put me in a world that was waiting expectantly for me to get back to normal, which was a horrifying terror. Instead, I took to the sea. It turns out the ghosts in wrecks and the looming sharks don't care about normal at all, and I'll let you know when I plan to get back.
Matt Emmett
Reading, UK
Condense
Condense
Otherworldly and unsettling symmetry at the centerpoint of a cooling tower, part of a large abandoned powerplant in central Belgium.
Condense
Condense
Otherworldly and unsettling symmetry at the centerpoint of a cooling tower, part of a large abandoned powerplant in central Belgium.
Alexandra Beach
Philadelphia, PA
Haunting in the Bottling Plant
As I’m learning to slow down and take time to really see the spaces around me, I realize the photos I take are a form of communication. I can capture scenes that spark curiosity; one’s that can encourage a moment of pause and contemplation about the story and history around a visual. I look for textures and depth that reflect the environments around us that we might take for granted. I’m most attracted to places where signs of humanity’s presence is overtaken by time and nature, because it’s a reminder that no matter how far we progress, we are still creatures of this world.
Some cheeky graffiti in the ruins of a bottling plant in Valley Forge, PA
Haunting in the Bottling Plant
As I’m learning to slow down and take time to really see the spaces around me, I realize the photos I take are a form of communication. I can capture scenes that spark curiosity; one’s that can encourage a moment of pause and contemplation about the story and history around a visual. I look for textures and depth that reflect the environments around us that we might take for granted. I’m most attracted to places where signs of humanity’s presence is overtaken by time and nature, because it’s a reminder that no matter how far we progress, we are still creatures of this world.
Some cheeky graffiti in the ruins of a bottling plant in Valley Forge, PA
Maureen Ravnik
Littleton, CO
Tomorrow Never Came
My methods and techniques are largely self-taught. I am deeply inspired by the work of Ansel Adams and Art Wolfe. My work is also derived from my imagination. My greatest satisfaction comes from taking the file from camera to computer to develop composites. The results reflect my personal feelings, beliefs, events, culture, etc. that are best expressed through artistic interpretations. My work is delivered in an array of styles that arc between realism, passionately abstract and doggedly figurative.
Tomorrow Never Came
My methods and techniques are largely self-taught. I am deeply inspired by the work of Ansel Adams and Art Wolfe. My work is also derived from my imagination. My greatest satisfaction comes from taking the file from camera to computer to develop composites. The results reflect my personal feelings, beliefs, events, culture, etc. that are best expressed through artistic interpretations. My work is delivered in an array of styles that arc between realism, passionately abstract and doggedly figurative.
Elizabeth Sanjuan
Delray Beach, FL
Cape Romano
These homes were on land at one point, with the sea level rise that have gone to sea. Since this image was taken, they are no longer above water, a hurricane took them out.
Elizabeth Sanjuan is a visual artist whose passion is to discover, through travel, the vast mosaic of people, lands and cultures that the world offers; and to record, as faithfully as she can, the incredible panorama of color, pattern and energy that greets the receptive, intuitive eye. Photography gives her the opportunity to observe, but she believes that the lens intensifies her ability to truly understand the world we live in. She ranges worldwide, and draws on imagery that includes not only people, but the natural and man-made surroundings that define and shape our cultures and our communities. For Elizabeth, the camera provides objective proof of the remarkable commonality of humankind, and reinforces the urgent need to protect the cultural and environmental heritage that defines us all.
Cape Romano
These homes were on land at one point, with the sea level rise that have gone to sea. Since this image was taken, they are no longer above water, a hurricane took them out.
Elizabeth Sanjuan is a visual artist whose passion is to discover, through travel, the vast mosaic of people, lands and cultures that the world offers; and to record, as faithfully as she can, the incredible panorama of color, pattern and energy that greets the receptive, intuitive eye. Photography gives her the opportunity to observe, but she believes that the lens intensifies her ability to truly understand the world we live in. She ranges worldwide, and draws on imagery that includes not only people, but the natural and man-made surroundings that define and shape our cultures and our communities. For Elizabeth, the camera provides objective proof of the remarkable commonality of humankind, and reinforces the urgent need to protect the cultural and environmental heritage that defines us all.
Second Place
Third Place
Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention
Director's Choice
Albert Simkins
Baltimore, MD
Cast Iron Pipe
There is something about Man Ray's rayographs that has always fascinated me. That ordinary objects are transformed. They are the point where abstract and representation meet. I have been a photographer for decades but recently I needed to do something different. With cyanotypes, I could make contact prints from negatives from my back porch and I don't need a darkroom. From there it was a simple jump to try photograms with items from around the house. I had finished reading a falling apart copy of A Day That No Picks Would Die and thought it might make a good medium for my photograms. So with vegetation (leaves, stems, vines, grasses) from my back yard, I create mostly diptychs and triptychs. They carry the flow of the vegetation across the book pages. Exposures are done outside, under the sun.
Cast Iron Pipe
There is something about Man Ray's rayographs that has always fascinated me. That ordinary objects are transformed. They are the point where abstract and representation meet. I have been a photographer for decades but recently I needed to do something different. With cyanotypes, I could make contact prints from negatives from my back porch and I don't need a darkroom. From there it was a simple jump to try photograms with items from around the house. I had finished reading a falling apart copy of A Day That No Picks Would Die and thought it might make a good medium for my photograms. So with vegetation (leaves, stems, vines, grasses) from my back yard, I create mostly diptychs and triptychs. They carry the flow of the vegetation across the book pages. Exposures are done outside, under the sun.
Carlos Talbott
New Orleans, LA
Tower of Neglect
As photographer and artist, my goal is to capture how the world feels to me. I'm drawn to a specific aesthetic, often focusing on the overlooked or unnoticed—the details that most people pass by without any interest. To me, everything ever created has inherent beauty, and those are the things that inspire me. In my work, everything is fair game to be imagined or depicted in some way, without overthinking or adhering to popular conventions. I use a variety of tools and media, including pencils, charcoal, and both film and digital cameras. The brands and types are secondary to their ability to help me convey my vision. I've been a photographer for many years now, and when I look back at my work and see that it stands by its own merits, a sense of detachment in it—a feeling that lets me know I've done a good days work. The most fulfilling part of my work is when someone pauses, even for a moment, to truly see what I've created.
Tower of Neglect
As photographer and artist, my goal is to capture how the world feels to me. I'm drawn to a specific aesthetic, often focusing on the overlooked or unnoticed—the details that most people pass by without any interest. To me, everything ever created has inherent beauty, and those are the things that inspire me. In my work, everything is fair game to be imagined or depicted in some way, without overthinking or adhering to popular conventions. I use a variety of tools and media, including pencils, charcoal, and both film and digital cameras. The brands and types are secondary to their ability to help me convey my vision. I've been a photographer for many years now, and when I look back at my work and see that it stands by its own merits, a sense of detachment in it—a feeling that lets me know I've done a good days work. The most fulfilling part of my work is when someone pauses, even for a moment, to truly see what I've created.
Jenn Brown
Ridge, NY
Abandoned Stilt House
My name is Jenn Brown, and I've spent the past nine years photographing abandoned architecture across twenty-six states. I've always been fascinated by the beauty in what's been left behind—old homes, forgotten factories, and places most people pass without noticing. I photograph these spaces because one day they won't exist. Through my camera, I try to capture the small details that tell their stories—the light, the textures, and the traces of life that remain. I come from a family of woodworkers and seamstresses, so I've always appreciated craftsmanship and the work that goes into building something meant to last. My photography is a way of preserving that effort and honoring the history within these structures.
Abandoned Stilt House
My name is Jenn Brown, and I've spent the past nine years photographing abandoned architecture across twenty-six states. I've always been fascinated by the beauty in what's been left behind—old homes, forgotten factories, and places most people pass without noticing. I photograph these spaces because one day they won't exist. Through my camera, I try to capture the small details that tell their stories—the light, the textures, and the traces of life that remain. I come from a family of woodworkers and seamstresses, so I've always appreciated craftsmanship and the work that goes into building something meant to last. My photography is a way of preserving that effort and honoring the history within these structures.
Zahra Momeni
Philadelphia, PA
A Loneliness of the Window
A sealed window sits in the center of a crumbling wall. Once, it may have looked out onto a vibrant street, filtering sunlight into a family’s daily rhythm. Now, its wooden frame is warped and its view obscured — not by curtains, but by silence. The plaster wall beneath it has cracked open, as if the house itself is breaking apart in the absence of voices. Below the window, I have placed photographs of a family celebration — a child’s birthday, filled with warmth, laughter, and the presence of loved ones. These images, full of life, create a poignant contrast with the physical emptiness above. The wall holds no decoration, but the photos beneath restore its emotional texture. This piece invites us to imagine what the window once saw. It asks us to hold the tension between presence and absence, between memory and erasure. In that in-between space lies a form of peace: the act of remembering without needing to rebuild, of seeing value in what no longer serves its original purpose. The window may no longer open, but it still offers a view — not outward, but inward, toward what remains.
A Loneliness of the Window
A sealed window sits in the center of a crumbling wall. Once, it may have looked out onto a vibrant street, filtering sunlight into a family’s daily rhythm. Now, its wooden frame is warped and its view obscured — not by curtains, but by silence. The plaster wall beneath it has cracked open, as if the house itself is breaking apart in the absence of voices. Below the window, I have placed photographs of a family celebration — a child’s birthday, filled with warmth, laughter, and the presence of loved ones. These images, full of life, create a poignant contrast with the physical emptiness above. The wall holds no decoration, but the photos beneath restore its emotional texture. This piece invites us to imagine what the window once saw. It asks us to hold the tension between presence and absence, between memory and erasure. In that in-between space lies a form of peace: the act of remembering without needing to rebuild, of seeing value in what no longer serves its original purpose. The window may no longer open, but it still offers a view — not outward, but inward, toward what remains.
Roger Archibald
North Quincy, MA
Inquire Within
After structural "adaptive restoration" . . .
Roger Archibald is a freelance photographer and writer based in Boston who is also founder and director of the Documerica 2020 Project, an effort to replicate and update imagery produced fifty years ago for the original Project Documerica, an initiative launched by the Environmental Protection Agency during its first years to create a photographic baseline portrait of the American environment as it them appeared. Earlier, Archibald was one of the thirteen original co-founders of the North American Nature Photography Association, serving on its charter Board of Directors, and as first editor of the organization’s publication, Currents. His occupations outside of journalism have included eight years as a seasonal smokejumper with the U.S. Forest Service in California and Montana, as well as serving as a U.S. Merchant Marine officer and able seaman aboard traditional sailing vessels from the Caribbean to Japan. A U. S. Navy Vietnam veteran, Roger Archibald holds a bachelors degree in anthropology from Cornell University and a masters degree in communications from the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Pennsylvania. His thesis for the latter degree examined what motivates otherwise seemingly normal people to seek a career in photography.
Inquire Within
After structural "adaptive restoration" . . .
Roger Archibald is a freelance photographer and writer based in Boston who is also founder and director of the Documerica 2020 Project, an effort to replicate and update imagery produced fifty years ago for the original Project Documerica, an initiative launched by the Environmental Protection Agency during its first years to create a photographic baseline portrait of the American environment as it them appeared. Earlier, Archibald was one of the thirteen original co-founders of the North American Nature Photography Association, serving on its charter Board of Directors, and as first editor of the organization’s publication, Currents. His occupations outside of journalism have included eight years as a seasonal smokejumper with the U.S. Forest Service in California and Montana, as well as serving as a U.S. Merchant Marine officer and able seaman aboard traditional sailing vessels from the Caribbean to Japan. A U. S. Navy Vietnam veteran, Roger Archibald holds a bachelors degree in anthropology from Cornell University and a masters degree in communications from the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Pennsylvania. His thesis for the latter degree examined what motivates otherwise seemingly normal people to seek a career in photography.
Sigita Rusina
Riga, Latvia
Contrasts
I was born in Liepaja, Latvia. I live and work in Riga (Latvia), but I take pictures also to other countries. I studied at high school with a major in art history and drawing. After that studied art photography theory and practice with the well known Latvian expert R. Lielbriedis and M. Kundzins. From 2006 I am a full-time photographer. 2007 presented the opportunity for my first solo exhibition "Mexico: colorful, unfamiliar, different”. It's been followed by others personal exhibitions: “Way to harmony”(2011), “Invisible in the visible”(2016) and “Rise in Light”(2017). My main themes are nature, the urban environment, man and abstract photo. I am not limited to realistic landscapes, facts, people's fixes. Close to me is everything amazing, irreversible, unpredictable. My work is primarily the result of my need to take photos; it is both a challenge and an outlet; a discipline and a passion. The ultimate goal is to seek truth, and be unafraid to share what I find.
Contrasts
I was born in Liepaja, Latvia. I live and work in Riga (Latvia), but I take pictures also to other countries. I studied at high school with a major in art history and drawing. After that studied art photography theory and practice with the well known Latvian expert R. Lielbriedis and M. Kundzins. From 2006 I am a full-time photographer. 2007 presented the opportunity for my first solo exhibition "Mexico: colorful, unfamiliar, different”. It's been followed by others personal exhibitions: “Way to harmony”(2011), “Invisible in the visible”(2016) and “Rise in Light”(2017). My main themes are nature, the urban environment, man and abstract photo. I am not limited to realistic landscapes, facts, people's fixes. Close to me is everything amazing, irreversible, unpredictable. My work is primarily the result of my need to take photos; it is both a challenge and an outlet; a discipline and a passion. The ultimate goal is to seek truth, and be unafraid to share what I find.
Kate Kirby
Hartwell, GA
Left Behind
Clothing left on hangers, holding on the nails or pegs, still visible through the windows. What was the story of their departure... what struggles did they have.
I have long been fascinated by crumbling structures, cars, trains—anything falling apart and deserted. Instead of removing the decay that is so visible, people choose to just walk away, leaving debris in their wake. If I can get up close without trespassing and have a camera handy, I'll spend time collecting images to study—for moments of pride or accomplishment. I always wonder about the people who walked away and what struggles they endured.
Left Behind
Clothing left on hangers, holding on the nails or pegs, still visible through the windows. What was the story of their departure... what struggles did they have.
I have long been fascinated by crumbling structures, cars, trains—anything falling apart and deserted. Instead of removing the decay that is so visible, people choose to just walk away, leaving debris in their wake. If I can get up close without trespassing and have a camera handy, I'll spend time collecting images to study—for moments of pride or accomplishment. I always wonder about the people who walked away and what struggles they endured.
Lynn Doran
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Goat Abode
One of the old ruins in Petra now the home to a beautiful blue eyed goat roaming free.
In this series, I explore the delicate intersection of memory, architecture, and identity. Using projection, double, and long exposure techniques, along with both large format and digital cameras, I combine photographs of abandoned spaces, old homes, and cemeteries with portraits of my family and myself. These layered images reflect on forgotten places and forgotten people, spaces of life and death, belonging and distance. As an immigrant, I perceive architecture not only in walls and windows but also in the body and the memories that carry time within them. The cracks, ruins, and fading forms mirror the emotional decay that accompanies migration, aging, and loss. Yet, they also reveal a quiet resilience, what remains when everything else fades away.
Goat Abode
One of the old ruins in Petra now the home to a beautiful blue eyed goat roaming free.
In this series, I explore the delicate intersection of memory, architecture, and identity. Using projection, double, and long exposure techniques, along with both large format and digital cameras, I combine photographs of abandoned spaces, old homes, and cemeteries with portraits of my family and myself. These layered images reflect on forgotten places and forgotten people, spaces of life and death, belonging and distance. As an immigrant, I perceive architecture not only in walls and windows but also in the body and the memories that carry time within them. The cracks, ruins, and fading forms mirror the emotional decay that accompanies migration, aging, and loss. Yet, they also reveal a quiet resilience, what remains when everything else fades away.
David Bueschel
Menomonee Falls, WI
Once A Farm
Old buildings and structures have a patina, character, and wear that cannot be duplicated by any quick means other than many years of exposure and use. I photograph these too short remaining elements in our new development hungry world so they are remembered. The memories of self accomplishment and endurance that people from long ago accepted and faced is an important lesson for us "modern" folk; perhaps we too have the ability to live life without the technology that seems to make things so sterile and disconnects relationships rather than join them.
Once A Farm
Old buildings and structures have a patina, character, and wear that cannot be duplicated by any quick means other than many years of exposure and use. I photograph these too short remaining elements in our new development hungry world so they are remembered. The memories of self accomplishment and endurance that people from long ago accepted and faced is an important lesson for us "modern" folk; perhaps we too have the ability to live life without the technology that seems to make things so sterile and disconnects relationships rather than join them.
Alexander Carrion
Brooklyn, NY
Choose Mindfulness
In the throes of addiction, sanctuary is not a place. It's a dream. No place is safe in a mind that is determined to hurt itself. I felt often that what haunted me was not a substance, but a twisted desire to fill a hole in my heart with things that only wedged the wound wider. I found six choices that saved me from self-destruction: Reality, Connection, Mindfulness, Freedom, Faith and Healing. Each choice was a new sanctuary from the impending ruin of my own making. I depict each step in a photo series, a portion of which I depict here. I pray that as you witness the role each friend of mine played in depicting my choices to peace, that they help you see the wound in your heart that can be mended as well.
Choose Mindfulness
In the throes of addiction, sanctuary is not a place. It's a dream. No place is safe in a mind that is determined to hurt itself. I felt often that what haunted me was not a substance, but a twisted desire to fill a hole in my heart with things that only wedged the wound wider. I found six choices that saved me from self-destruction: Reality, Connection, Mindfulness, Freedom, Faith and Healing. Each choice was a new sanctuary from the impending ruin of my own making. I depict each step in a photo series, a portion of which I depict here. I pray that as you witness the role each friend of mine played in depicting my choices to peace, that they help you see the wound in your heart that can be mended as well.
Bruce Flye
Greenville, NC
Dickinson Avenue
Once elegant, now destitute; it's hard to separate what's seen now from the voices in its past, talking on top of one another.
Bruce is an artist with a particular interest in pointed reminders of our impermanence and the often disconnected layers that make up any single perception. Reality is not something to be captured; it's to be questioned.
Dickinson Avenue
Once elegant, now destitute; it's hard to separate what's seen now from the voices in its past, talking on top of one another.
Bruce is an artist with a particular interest in pointed reminders of our impermanence and the often disconnected layers that make up any single perception. Reality is not something to be captured; it's to be questioned.
Robyn Daly
Ballymahon, Ireland
Forgotten Beauty
Robyn Daly is a South African photographer living and working in Ireland. Over the past 30 years she has shot in a wide range of genres – from travel and African wildlife to commercial product photography. She moved to Ireland in 2020 and has settled in the rural Midlands in a run-down and neglected 1920s house that has provided the backdrop and inspiration for many of her works. As an immigrant woman in her mid-50s, Daly is intrigued by the connections we establish with structures and how place and identity, age and beauty, decay and desire intermingle to offer a glimpse of who we are and how our sense of self evolves with time and place. Surrounded by a vivid landscape peppered with derelict homes, she is captivated by the traces of human experience these buildings hold: stories of love and loss, joy and pain, birth and death, all embedded within their crumbling walls. Ironically, transience is a constant theme. Many of these old houses are vanishing — demolished to make way for modern, energy-efficient homes, or stripped of their character through renovation. Daly typically presents the spaces as found, with as little styling intervention as possible, and often unashamedly includes contemporary details such as power lines, sockets, and lights in her compositions, using them as quiet talismans of the new set against the remnants of the old. Characteristic of her photographs is a blurry, ghost-like figure, mostly solitary, moving within a sharply defined space, sometimes ambiguously merging into or emerging from the walls and structures. In these images decay of forgotten homes is a mirror for the human condition. Deteriorating architectural and decorative elements, such as wallpaper peeling from building walls, are a metaphor for the passage of our own lives and the body’s aging process.
Forgotten Beauty
Robyn Daly is a South African photographer living and working in Ireland. Over the past 30 years she has shot in a wide range of genres – from travel and African wildlife to commercial product photography. She moved to Ireland in 2020 and has settled in the rural Midlands in a run-down and neglected 1920s house that has provided the backdrop and inspiration for many of her works. As an immigrant woman in her mid-50s, Daly is intrigued by the connections we establish with structures and how place and identity, age and beauty, decay and desire intermingle to offer a glimpse of who we are and how our sense of self evolves with time and place. Surrounded by a vivid landscape peppered with derelict homes, she is captivated by the traces of human experience these buildings hold: stories of love and loss, joy and pain, birth and death, all embedded within their crumbling walls. Ironically, transience is a constant theme. Many of these old houses are vanishing — demolished to make way for modern, energy-efficient homes, or stripped of their character through renovation. Daly typically presents the spaces as found, with as little styling intervention as possible, and often unashamedly includes contemporary details such as power lines, sockets, and lights in her compositions, using them as quiet talismans of the new set against the remnants of the old. Characteristic of her photographs is a blurry, ghost-like figure, mostly solitary, moving within a sharply defined space, sometimes ambiguously merging into or emerging from the walls and structures. In these images decay of forgotten homes is a mirror for the human condition. Deteriorating architectural and decorative elements, such as wallpaper peeling from building walls, are a metaphor for the passage of our own lives and the body’s aging process.
Randall Royer
Pierre, SD
Harrold School - built in 1922, abandoned in 2012
There is a history of this school as stated; built in 1922 and abandoned in 2012. Harrold, SD now has less than 100 residents, and the very few students are bussed to Highmore school. The entrances are labeled as Boys Entrance, and Girls Entrance. The insides are a disaster and very little taken away. The building is still very stout and somewhat regal.
I mainly use photography as recreation and as a reason to get outdoors. I enjoy the process of gathering images as much as the actual product, sometimes maybe more. I have taken photographs, off and on, for almost 50 years. I take mostly scenic, landscapes, and wildlife images. Yes, I have a fascination with water and waterfalls, especially in this semi-arid environment in which we live. In my photography, I look for fascinating forms, colors, textures, and/or patterns, and sometimes incorporating geometry, to make intriguing and mesmerizing images. I enjoy most finding images in unusual locations, with abnormal weather and/or light conditions. The challenges of extremes are an undertaking I enjoy to encounter, whether I got the image I had in mind or not. I am now retired from teaching at Black Hills State University as Professor of Music, and from Associated School Boards of South Dakota as Leadership Development Director. I still count photography as one of my many hobbies.
Harrold School - built in 1922, abandoned in 2012
There is a history of this school as stated; built in 1922 and abandoned in 2012. Harrold, SD now has less than 100 residents, and the very few students are bussed to Highmore school. The entrances are labeled as Boys Entrance, and Girls Entrance. The insides are a disaster and very little taken away. The building is still very stout and somewhat regal.
I mainly use photography as recreation and as a reason to get outdoors. I enjoy the process of gathering images as much as the actual product, sometimes maybe more. I have taken photographs, off and on, for almost 50 years. I take mostly scenic, landscapes, and wildlife images. Yes, I have a fascination with water and waterfalls, especially in this semi-arid environment in which we live. In my photography, I look for fascinating forms, colors, textures, and/or patterns, and sometimes incorporating geometry, to make intriguing and mesmerizing images. I enjoy most finding images in unusual locations, with abnormal weather and/or light conditions. The challenges of extremes are an undertaking I enjoy to encounter, whether I got the image I had in mind or not. I am now retired from teaching at Black Hills State University as Professor of Music, and from Associated School Boards of South Dakota as Leadership Development Director. I still count photography as one of my many hobbies.
Rene Roalf
Viborg, Denmark
Abandoned 7
As an artist, René Roalf is distinguished by an extensive body of work that reflects a highly diverse range of themes and subjects. He is also known for exploring various experimental techniques, such as hand-coloring and even baking his motifs in the oven as part of the creative process. René Roalf is married and has two children. For several years, he has also cared for foster children, helping them find their path into adulthood.
Image from a series I have been working on over the past eight years. I have sought out abandoned houses and buildings and interpreted these places with several questions in mind: Who lived here? What happened? Why was the place abandoned? What is the story? In some cultures, homes and buildings are believed to have a soul. This is an idea I have pursued and tried to infuse into my images. I work with both full frame cameras - and my mobile phone. In editing I have made a layer made out of details from walls, doors etc. and pasted into the original image. I dont care about the equipment - I care about the expression. A closed pharmacy in a small provincial town. I love the color and the symmetry — which is why the white mailbox bothers me just a little :-)
Abandoned 7
As an artist, René Roalf is distinguished by an extensive body of work that reflects a highly diverse range of themes and subjects. He is also known for exploring various experimental techniques, such as hand-coloring and even baking his motifs in the oven as part of the creative process. René Roalf is married and has two children. For several years, he has also cared for foster children, helping them find their path into adulthood.
Image from a series I have been working on over the past eight years. I have sought out abandoned houses and buildings and interpreted these places with several questions in mind: Who lived here? What happened? Why was the place abandoned? What is the story? In some cultures, homes and buildings are believed to have a soul. This is an idea I have pursued and tried to infuse into my images. I work with both full frame cameras - and my mobile phone. In editing I have made a layer made out of details from walls, doors etc. and pasted into the original image. I dont care about the equipment - I care about the expression. A closed pharmacy in a small provincial town. I love the color and the symmetry — which is why the white mailbox bothers me just a little :-)
David Ottenstein
New Haven, CT
English Station
As an avid observer of landscapes, both natural and man-made, I am driven by a curiosity to understand the forces that shape them. Through my photography, I seek to capture the essence of the land and explore the intricacies of how light, time, and human interaction influence its appearance. Through my photographs, I explore the subtle yet profound impact that humanity has on the landscape. Whether capturing fading tire ruts etched into the desert floor, sprawling urban development encroaching upon majestic mountains, or the crumbling remnants of a grain elevator standing against an open sky in rural western Canada, my work serves as a reminder of our presence in the world. I do not aim to judge or offer praise in my images, but rather invite viewers to pause and reflect on the scenes before them. I hope to evoke the same sense of wonder and contemplation that I felt when encountering these moments, allowing viewers to connect with the emotions and experiences that inspired me to capture them.
English Station
As an avid observer of landscapes, both natural and man-made, I am driven by a curiosity to understand the forces that shape them. Through my photography, I seek to capture the essence of the land and explore the intricacies of how light, time, and human interaction influence its appearance. Through my photographs, I explore the subtle yet profound impact that humanity has on the landscape. Whether capturing fading tire ruts etched into the desert floor, sprawling urban development encroaching upon majestic mountains, or the crumbling remnants of a grain elevator standing against an open sky in rural western Canada, my work serves as a reminder of our presence in the world. I do not aim to judge or offer praise in my images, but rather invite viewers to pause and reflect on the scenes before them. I hope to evoke the same sense of wonder and contemplation that I felt when encountering these moments, allowing viewers to connect with the emotions and experiences that inspired me to capture them.
Ann Donahue
Los Angeles, CA
Where The Tide and Ashes Meet
I am a photographer whose vision is shaped by analog film. The cinema has influenced my point of view and inspired me to work with different cameras. My images revisit evocative memories through merged landscapes, obscure figures, rustic habitats, and filmic self-portraiture. These particular images I am submitting is part of my Deja Vu series. We all experience Deja Vu at times. When I have this fleeting feeling I wonder where it occurred. Was it in a dream, from a past experience or perhaps another time? That's what interests me: often we cannot pinpoint an exact moment that is triggered by an image, but we know a prior experience must be there. My Alternative Landscape series discovers these pasts by photographing in film with my plastic camera. I use a specific setting on my Holga which melds the images together in camera. The images can repeat or merge together creating a dreamscape. These images express a fleeting impression of a place as a memory. I invite the viewer to stay a bit looking as it may conjure a prior experience.
Where The Tide and Ashes Meet
I am a photographer whose vision is shaped by analog film. The cinema has influenced my point of view and inspired me to work with different cameras. My images revisit evocative memories through merged landscapes, obscure figures, rustic habitats, and filmic self-portraiture. These particular images I am submitting is part of my Deja Vu series. We all experience Deja Vu at times. When I have this fleeting feeling I wonder where it occurred. Was it in a dream, from a past experience or perhaps another time? That's what interests me: often we cannot pinpoint an exact moment that is triggered by an image, but we know a prior experience must be there. My Alternative Landscape series discovers these pasts by photographing in film with my plastic camera. I use a specific setting on my Holga which melds the images together in camera. The images can repeat or merge together creating a dreamscape. These images express a fleeting impression of a place as a memory. I invite the viewer to stay a bit looking as it may conjure a prior experience.
Zahra Asli
Clemson, SC
Radio City Tehran
My photograph "Radio City, Tehran." is inspired by the history of the Radio City Cinema, one of Tehran’s most celebrated modernist buildings from the mid-20th century. Designed during a period of cultural growth and architectural experimentation, the cinema became a symbol of modern life in the city. Today, its structure stands as a silent witness to that era, a reminder of how architecture can hold memory even as time moves on. Through this image, I wanted to reflect on the endurance of form and the quiet beauty of what remains.
Zahra Asli is a Ph.D. student in Rhetorics, Communication, and Information Design at Clemson University. As a designer and researcher, she explores how memory and emotion are embodied in forgotten architectures. She is drawn to quiet spaces where silence holds traces of life, sound, and movement that once animated the place. For Zahra, photography from buildings is a way of listening to architecture, capturing how light, shadow, and texture preserve untold stories. "Radio City, Tehran." was taken inside the remains of the old Radio City Cinema, once one of Tehran’s most iconic theaters. Though its walls are cracked and its light fractured, its spirit still breathes quietly beneath the dust of time.
Radio City Tehran
My photograph "Radio City, Tehran." is inspired by the history of the Radio City Cinema, one of Tehran’s most celebrated modernist buildings from the mid-20th century. Designed during a period of cultural growth and architectural experimentation, the cinema became a symbol of modern life in the city. Today, its structure stands as a silent witness to that era, a reminder of how architecture can hold memory even as time moves on. Through this image, I wanted to reflect on the endurance of form and the quiet beauty of what remains.
Zahra Asli is a Ph.D. student in Rhetorics, Communication, and Information Design at Clemson University. As a designer and researcher, she explores how memory and emotion are embodied in forgotten architectures. She is drawn to quiet spaces where silence holds traces of life, sound, and movement that once animated the place. For Zahra, photography from buildings is a way of listening to architecture, capturing how light, shadow, and texture preserve untold stories. "Radio City, Tehran." was taken inside the remains of the old Radio City Cinema, once one of Tehran’s most iconic theaters. Though its walls are cracked and its light fractured, its spirit still breathes quietly beneath the dust of time.
Rion Huffman
Pittsburg, KS
Childhood Home
I am a photography professor at a small university. My teaching focuses on advertising and commercial photography, but my personal passion is storytelling through portraiture and still life.
I had a very traumatic childhood. This is a recent shot of my childhood home that has been uninhabited since my mother died twelve years ago. I have a complicated relationship with this home. I wish it were just bulldozed, but it serves as a reminder of good times as well as bad.
Childhood Home
I am a photography professor at a small university. My teaching focuses on advertising and commercial photography, but my personal passion is storytelling through portraiture and still life.
I had a very traumatic childhood. This is a recent shot of my childhood home that has been uninhabited since my mother died twelve years ago. I have a complicated relationship with this home. I wish it were just bulldozed, but it serves as a reminder of good times as well as bad.
Justin Curtis
Philadelphia, PA
Erosion of Justice
The crumbling walls of an abandoned jail stand as a silent witness to confinement and neglect. Rusted bars and peeling paint speak to the passage of time, while the emptiness echoes the struggles of those left behind by a relentless capitalist system.
As a photographer of these places, my journey is driven by a dual commitment: to safeguard the integrity of abandoned urban spaces while offering a curated glimpse into their hidden worlds. I am a visual archaeologist, preserving fragments of history and offering a glimpse into worlds that time and society have left behind. Through my images, I evoke a sense of nostalgia, curiosity, and reverence for the hidden gems amidst the urban sprawl. My artistic exploration is to reveal the beauty in decay and to provoke contemplation on the passage of time and the inevitability of change. The textures of rust, the interplay of light and shadow, and the haunting silence of these spaces speak volumes about the transient nature of existence.
Erosion of Justice
The crumbling walls of an abandoned jail stand as a silent witness to confinement and neglect. Rusted bars and peeling paint speak to the passage of time, while the emptiness echoes the struggles of those left behind by a relentless capitalist system.
As a photographer of these places, my journey is driven by a dual commitment: to safeguard the integrity of abandoned urban spaces while offering a curated glimpse into their hidden worlds. I am a visual archaeologist, preserving fragments of history and offering a glimpse into worlds that time and society have left behind. Through my images, I evoke a sense of nostalgia, curiosity, and reverence for the hidden gems amidst the urban sprawl. My artistic exploration is to reveal the beauty in decay and to provoke contemplation on the passage of time and the inevitability of change. The textures of rust, the interplay of light and shadow, and the haunting silence of these spaces speak volumes about the transient nature of existence.
Lukas Kloke
Dortmund, Germany
Through Fracture
This image confronts the viewer with a layered reality: a broken window framing a building that has itself fallen into disrepair. The fractured glass becomes both barrier and lens, forcing us to see the architecture not as a relic, but as a mirror of time’s persistence. What was once whole is now fragmented, yet in its decay there is a strange poetry — textures of peeling paint, scars of neglect, and the quiet endurance of form. By looking through ruin, we are asked to reckon with the beauty and inevitability of impermanence.
Photography, for me, is not about documenting what is already visible, but about uncovering what lies hidden in plain sight. Through the practice of multi-exposure photography, I create images that merge different places and moments into a single frame, transforming the ordinary into something unexpected. Each photograph becomes a unique intersection of perspectives — a way of seeing the world anew. My process is rooted in discipline and restraint. I work exclusively in-camera, relying on Fujifilm’s distinctive film simulations to shape the mood and atmosphere of my images. Beyond minor adjustments such as cropping, I avoid digital manipulation. This commitment is essential to my practice: it ensures that the surreal and abstract qualities of my work emerge organically, through the act of photographing itself, rather than through post-production. The result is a body of work that feels both spontaneous and intentional, balancing technical precision with creative intuition. I am drawn to the abstract and the surreal, not to tell literal stories but to evoke atmospheres that linger in the imagination. My images are less about narrative and more about sensation — the quiet dissonance of overlapping realities, the dreamlike quality of spaces that should not coexist yet somehow do. In this way, I invite viewers to pause and reconsider the familiar, to find the unusual within the everyday. Influenced by photographers such as Tom, known as BewareMyFuji, I embrace the philosophy of trusting the process. Each photograph is part of an ongoing journey of learning and refinement. I see my work as a dialogue between control and chance, where every frame teaches me something new about perception, patience, and possibility. Outside of photography, my daily life is filled with challenges that demand solutions. Multi-exposure photography offers me a counterbalance — a way to reset my mind, to step away from problem-solving and instead embrace ambiguity, imperfection, and play. It is in these layered images that I find clarity, not through answers but through exploration. Ultimately, my goal is simple: I want my viewers to see the unusual. To look at my photographs and feel a shift in perspective, however small. To recognize that even the most familiar places can hold infinite possibilities when seen through a different lens.
Through Fracture
This image confronts the viewer with a layered reality: a broken window framing a building that has itself fallen into disrepair. The fractured glass becomes both barrier and lens, forcing us to see the architecture not as a relic, but as a mirror of time’s persistence. What was once whole is now fragmented, yet in its decay there is a strange poetry — textures of peeling paint, scars of neglect, and the quiet endurance of form. By looking through ruin, we are asked to reckon with the beauty and inevitability of impermanence.
Photography, for me, is not about documenting what is already visible, but about uncovering what lies hidden in plain sight. Through the practice of multi-exposure photography, I create images that merge different places and moments into a single frame, transforming the ordinary into something unexpected. Each photograph becomes a unique intersection of perspectives — a way of seeing the world anew. My process is rooted in discipline and restraint. I work exclusively in-camera, relying on Fujifilm’s distinctive film simulations to shape the mood and atmosphere of my images. Beyond minor adjustments such as cropping, I avoid digital manipulation. This commitment is essential to my practice: it ensures that the surreal and abstract qualities of my work emerge organically, through the act of photographing itself, rather than through post-production. The result is a body of work that feels both spontaneous and intentional, balancing technical precision with creative intuition. I am drawn to the abstract and the surreal, not to tell literal stories but to evoke atmospheres that linger in the imagination. My images are less about narrative and more about sensation — the quiet dissonance of overlapping realities, the dreamlike quality of spaces that should not coexist yet somehow do. In this way, I invite viewers to pause and reconsider the familiar, to find the unusual within the everyday. Influenced by photographers such as Tom, known as BewareMyFuji, I embrace the philosophy of trusting the process. Each photograph is part of an ongoing journey of learning and refinement. I see my work as a dialogue between control and chance, where every frame teaches me something new about perception, patience, and possibility. Outside of photography, my daily life is filled with challenges that demand solutions. Multi-exposure photography offers me a counterbalance — a way to reset my mind, to step away from problem-solving and instead embrace ambiguity, imperfection, and play. It is in these layered images that I find clarity, not through answers but through exploration. Ultimately, my goal is simple: I want my viewers to see the unusual. To look at my photographs and feel a shift in perspective, however small. To recognize that even the most familiar places can hold infinite possibilities when seen through a different lens.
Becky Chapman
Morrison, CO
Door of Perception
Somewhere in eastern Nebraska. How old? Unknown. Sitting alone in the meadow, no house or barn nearby. Its story is lost to the passage of time.
Door of Perception
Somewhere in eastern Nebraska. How old? Unknown. Sitting alone in the meadow, no house or barn nearby. Its story is lost to the passage of time.
Maryam Ghasempour
Manhattan, KS
Graves of Light 2
A double exposure of my self-portrait layered with a cemetery landscape explores the fragile presence of life among forgotten graves, reflecting on how memory itself becomes an invisible architecture of the dead.
In this series, I explore the delicate intersection of memory, architecture, and identity. Using projection, double, and long exposure techniques, along with both large format and digital cameras, I combine photographs of abandoned spaces, old homes, and cemeteries with portraits of my family and myself. These layered images reflect on forgotten places and forgotten people, spaces of life and death, belonging and distance. As an immigrant, I perceive architecture not only in walls and windows but also in the body and the memories that carry time within them. The cracks, ruins, and fading forms mirror the emotional decay that accompanies migration, aging, and loss. Yet, they also reveal a quiet resilience, what remains when everything else fades away.
Graves of Light 2
A double exposure of my self-portrait layered with a cemetery landscape explores the fragile presence of life among forgotten graves, reflecting on how memory itself becomes an invisible architecture of the dead.
In this series, I explore the delicate intersection of memory, architecture, and identity. Using projection, double, and long exposure techniques, along with both large format and digital cameras, I combine photographs of abandoned spaces, old homes, and cemeteries with portraits of my family and myself. These layered images reflect on forgotten places and forgotten people, spaces of life and death, belonging and distance. As an immigrant, I perceive architecture not only in walls and windows but also in the body and the memories that carry time within them. The cracks, ruins, and fading forms mirror the emotional decay that accompanies migration, aging, and loss. Yet, they also reveal a quiet resilience, what remains when everything else fades away.
Mauro Scarfone
Milan, Italy
All Roads To Milan #5
I have been engaged in photography for many years, beginning with a focus on landscapes as spaces of silence and reflection, where light serves as a means of visual narration. Over time, my work evolved toward reportage, exploring human presence through everyday gestures and stories. In recent years, my research has centered on urban landscapes and a contemporary interpretation of architectural photography, with particular attention to the traces and transformations of inhabited spaces. My artistic training and advanced courses in photography have allowed me to refine a conscious and expressive visual language, aimed at conveying the relationship between light, space, and human experience. While my participation in photography competitions was previously limited, in 2025 I chose to engage more actively, achieving several distinctions: a first prize in the Life category, a gold medal for a portfolio on urban architecture, and multiple honorable mentions in international contests.
All Roads To Milan #5
I have been engaged in photography for many years, beginning with a focus on landscapes as spaces of silence and reflection, where light serves as a means of visual narration. Over time, my work evolved toward reportage, exploring human presence through everyday gestures and stories. In recent years, my research has centered on urban landscapes and a contemporary interpretation of architectural photography, with particular attention to the traces and transformations of inhabited spaces. My artistic training and advanced courses in photography have allowed me to refine a conscious and expressive visual language, aimed at conveying the relationship between light, space, and human experience. While my participation in photography competitions was previously limited, in 2025 I chose to engage more actively, achieving several distinctions: a first prize in the Life category, a gold medal for a portfolio on urban architecture, and multiple honorable mentions in international contests.
Ricky Workman
Santa Fe, NM
Sun Slats and Shadows
My approach to photographic art merges timeless traditions with contemporary exploration. From the moment of capture in the field to the intricate experimentation in my studio, each creation is an intensely personal and joyful journey. Every image reflects my inner response to the subjects I encounter, offering a window into the story I seek to share.
Sun Slats and Shadows
My approach to photographic art merges timeless traditions with contemporary exploration. From the moment of capture in the field to the intricate experimentation in my studio, each creation is an intensely personal and joyful journey. Every image reflects my inner response to the subjects I encounter, offering a window into the story I seek to share.
Sigita Rusina
Riga, Latvia
Northern Forts 2
I was born in Liepaja, Latvia. I live and work in Riga (Latvia), but I take pictures also to other countries. I studied at high school with a major in art history and drawing. After that studied art photography theory and practice with the well known Latvian expert R. Lielbriedis and M. Kundzins. From 2006 I am a full-time photographer. 2007 presented the opportunity for my first solo exhibition "Mexico: colorful, unfamiliar, different”. It's been followed by others personal exhibitions: “Way to harmony”(2011), “Invisible in the visible”(2016) and “Rise in Light”(2017). My main themes are nature, the urban environment, man and abstract photo. I am not limited to realistic landscapes, facts, people's fixes. Close to me is everything amazing, irreversible, unpredictable. My work is primarily the result of my need to take photos; it is both a challenge and an outlet; a discipline and a passion. The ultimate goal is to seek truth, and be unafraid to share what I find.
Northern Forts 2
I was born in Liepaja, Latvia. I live and work in Riga (Latvia), but I take pictures also to other countries. I studied at high school with a major in art history and drawing. After that studied art photography theory and practice with the well known Latvian expert R. Lielbriedis and M. Kundzins. From 2006 I am a full-time photographer. 2007 presented the opportunity for my first solo exhibition "Mexico: colorful, unfamiliar, different”. It's been followed by others personal exhibitions: “Way to harmony”(2011), “Invisible in the visible”(2016) and “Rise in Light”(2017). My main themes are nature, the urban environment, man and abstract photo. I am not limited to realistic landscapes, facts, people's fixes. Close to me is everything amazing, irreversible, unpredictable. My work is primarily the result of my need to take photos; it is both a challenge and an outlet; a discipline and a passion. The ultimate goal is to seek truth, and be unafraid to share what I find.
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