Places Close To Home

Here are some random images, all shot within an hour or so of my home in Southern New Jersey. We are situated between Philadelphia and Atlantic City in a region know as the Pinelands, a dense oak and pine forest known for its diverse flora and fauna. Living here has its own advantages … photographically speaking and I enjoy capturing the local scenery. The forest has many sand roads that lead to ponds, streams and bogs worth photographing. Rural scenes and Americana interest me so I also enjoy the surrounding farmland, known for it’s Jersey corn, tomatoes, blueberries and cranberries. Another plus is that we have the Jersey Shore nearby where areas on the bay and the surf coming in along the ocean offer even more possibilities. Representing the Pinelands, rural scenes and even the coast, here are some photos from places close to my home.

‘Long Barn’ © Denise Bush

‘Rural Relics’ © Denise Bush

‘Distant Reflection’ © Denise Bush

‘Old Indian Mills House’ © Denise Bush

‘Thru The Trees’ © Denise Bush

‘Swamp Maples in Spring’ © Denise Bush

‘Three Trees With Birds’ © Denise Bush

‘Sea Captain’s House’ © Denise Bush

‘Research Station Sunset’ © Denise Bush

 

Inside Pennhurst

Here are my last images from Pennhurst … for a little while anyway. I wanted the images to tell a story of Pennhurst as an institution. Images I chose not to show are those I shot in areas that had a lot of graffiti. Those images seemed to be more about vandalism and less about the past of the place. Here I converted a few to black and white. The rich textures work well but in some I still prefer to show the unusual color palette. As stated in the previous post I worked to replicate the dark lighting. Having learned from my first shoot here I am looking forward to going back and trying some different angles and approaches.

Scroll down to see and read two more posts from Pennhurst State School & Hospital. To return home at any time click on Denise Bush’s Photo Blog at the top. And feel free to leave a comment in the areas below each post!

‘Adjacent Room’ © Denise Bush

‘Visiting Emily’ © Denise Bush

‘Forgotten Friend’ © Denise Bush

‘Crib By A Window’ © Denise Bush

‘Chair & Radiator’ © Denise Bush

‘Empty’ © Denise Bush

Seating Arrangements

Upon processing my images from Pennhurst State School & Hospital I realized that many of them feature the random chairs that were left behind. For me they represent evidence of human existence. I was drawn to the windows, draped with dingy curtains … at one time allowing just a glimpse of the world outside these walls. As I walked among the remains I thought about all the secrets from the past that are buried here and the spirits that surely linger. While processing the images I relied on my visual memory to stay true to the dark lighting and haunting feeling about the place.

Pennhurst was known as Eastern Pennsylvania State Institution for the Feeble-Minded and Epileptic when it opened in 1908. When admitted, patients were grouped into mental categories of imbecile or insane, and into physical categories of epileptic or healthy. Within three years of opening, Pennhurst was over-crowded, and at one time housed more than 2,700 patients as well as wards of the state … the majority children. Relatives were discouraged from visiting explaining that it would be ‘better for the patient’. In 1968, conditions at Pennhurst were exposed in a five-part television news report anchored by CBS reporter, Bill Baldini and titled, Suffer the Little Children. In 1983, nine employees were indicted on charges of abuse followed by the Halderman Case which detailed further, widespread abuse resulting in closing the institution in 1986.

‘Sitting Room’ © Denise Bush

‘Room With A Desk’ © Denise Bush

‘Wheelchair II’ © Denise Bush

‘Reflection From The Outside’ © Denise Bush

‘Chair & Ball’ © Denise Bush

Sneak Peek

Here is a sneak peak at a series of images I am working on. They were shot at Pennhurst State School and Hospital located less than an hour west of Philadelphia. I had been wanting to photograph at Pennhurst for some time and finally got my chance. The campus consists of several buildings and we were allowed to photograph in two that were three-stories each. After learning of the sad history and chilling abuse that took place there, the experience was like none other … evocative and haunting. As I looked and photographed, I couldn’t help but imagine what it was like for the many unfortunate souls that were put there, and forgotten. And I continue to think about them. Pennhurst made an unforgettable impression. (Look for more images from this shoot in an upcoming post.)

I am leading a Private Group Photo Tour to Pennhurst on Sunday, August 24th. If you would like all the details let me know by leaving a note in the comments area below this post.

‘Adult-Sized Crib’ © Denise Bush

‘Wheelchair I’ © Denise Bush

‘Room With Chair’ © Denise Bush

Shades Of Green

You just have to love the brilliant greens of spring … too bad they are so short-lived. Going north to the Catskills in the spring helps to extend the bright colors for me. There, spring is usually 2 weeks behind the warming and progression at home. Everything seemed especially green this year … maybe it was all the rain or maybe we hit it just right. And yes, it really was that green!

‘Spring Greens’ © Denise Bush

‘Artist’s View’ © Denise Bush

‘Dandelion Portrait’ © Denise Bush

‘Orchard Below’ © Denise Bush

‘Clouds Over The Clove’ © Denise Bush

‘Trees In A Field’ © Denise Bush