Our next meeting will be Tuesday January 13th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.

Presentation

Stephen Greenberg will talk about infrared (IR) photography at our next meeting. Greenberg is a freelance photographer for a local newspaper and a volunteer photographer for Bagaduce Music in Blue Hill, covering events all over the peninsula. He rents studio/gallery space in Brooklin called Naskeag Gallery, where he does some printing assignments and sells his work. Last year Greenberg signed up for an Acadia Photoshoot conducted by J.K. Putnam and met Sally, both of whom are MDI Club members. He became a member and has enjoyed club events since then. He also had the honor and pleasure of leading a photoshoot on Deer Isle for club members last August. Greenberg’s involvement with IR photography has been as an amateur which, through this presentation, might encourage others to explore this niche as well. Join online via Zoom. Register to get a Zoom link by emailing Contact@ MDIphotoclub.org.

Assignments

Abandonment Photography

Abandoned Buildings, Homes, Barns, Cars, Factories, etc.

Deteriorated, Decayed, Rotted, Decrepit,

Collapsed, Crumbled, Withered, Waning,

Degraded, Corroded, Ramshackle, Perished,

Decomposed, Disrepair, Dilapidated, “Tumble

Down”, i.e. “Gone to Pot”

Abandonment Photography

Camera club challenges for abandoned places focus on themes like “Decay & Rebirth,” “Nature

Reclaims,” or simply “Abandoned,” pushing members to use wide angles, creative angles (low to

ground), light painting, or black & white to capture stories of forgotten spaces, highlighting textures,

isolation, or the contrast between structures and nature. Key challenges involve composition

(showing context), technical skill (light/shadow), and interpretation (metaphorical vs. literal

abandonment), always emphasizing safety and legality.

Common Themes & Ideas

Literal Abandonment: Focus on derelict buildings, vehicles, amusement parks, or factories.

Metaphorical Abandonment: A forgotten toy, a lonely figure in an empty space, or a person feeling

isolated.

Nature’s Reclamation: Show plants growing through floors, vines covering walls, or rusty objects

being consumed by the environment.

Black & White (B&W): Emphasize texture, mood, and the starkness of decay, often with long

exposures.

Light & Shadow: Use flashlights for light painting or capture dramatic natural light coming through

broken windows.

Photography Techniques for Challenges

Composition: Use wide-angle lenses for vastness; shoot from low angles for disorientation; frame

shots through cracks or doorways for depth.

Storytelling: Capture details like peeling paint, ornate architecture, or unique textures to tell the

building’s history.

Technical: Experiment with long exposures in dark rooms or use flash to highlight specific details.

Challenge-Specific Examples

Mystery Object: Photograph an intriguing abandoned item, then a “normal” shot of it for club

guessing games.

Ugly Location: Prove beauty exists anywhere by making a junkyard or abandoned lot look artistic.

“Entropy”: Focus on the process of decay, often done in B&W.

Important Considerations

Safety First: Always prioritize personal safety and wear protective gear like masks.

Legality & Permission: Obtain permission before entering private property.

Respect: Take only pictures, leave only footprints; don’t steal artifacts.

Our challenge this month is ABANDONED. It’s more artistic, rather than technical nature, which

means that this brain exercise is more open to interpretation than some of our other challenges.

You can go the metaphorical route and photograph a person “feeling” alone or abandoned, or

perhaps a physical object, something that people tend to leave behind (cigarette butt, a forgotten

plant, sports equipment gathering dust in a corner).

You can photograph an object inside of an abandoned building which would really drive this emotion

home. Of course an abandoned building would be an ideal canvas for a challenge of this kind, just

make sure you are keeping safe and obeying your local laws

The Contents above are attributed in part to the Red Wing Camera Club and the Clearwater Camera

Club. 

The January 2026 Gallery

of Photographs


Critique

The following images were submitted for Critique, a supportive conversation among members to help a photographer achieve their vision.


Assignment

The assignment for the January meeting was “Abandonment Photography”


Share

Members shared these additional images.

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