About the Image(s)

This ruined wall is part of the Old New-Gate prison in Connecticut. It is the site of the first chartered copper mine (1707) in early America. Colonial mining ended in the mid-1700s and the site was sold to the state of CT, which used it to house prisoners in very tough conditions. Part of the prison was below-ground in the mine, while part was above-ground in various brick buildings. This wall is part of one of the old walls, now overgrown with vegetation. The site is now a state park, and I have come here off and on for years.

Intent: I like to photograph ruins and also old brick walls, so this place is a “two-fer” for me. It was a rainy morning off and on, so finding good light was a bit of luck. I wanted to capture the texture and richness of the walls and a sense for how old they are (this wall was part of a cell block that dates to 1824). I also wanted to capture the desolate look of the door and window openings (one window still has bars), but at the same time I wanted to convey how nature is overrunning it.

Edit: Done in Capture One 16, but not a lot was required. I did tweak white balance to warm it up a little, pulled back highlights and shadows, also slightly dropped saturation. I used the levels tool to slightly darken mid-tones, used a little dehaze, and a slight boost to structure and clarity to bring out some texture in both the leaves and the bricks.

Tech details: Camera: Sony A7RiiiA Lens: Sony 24-105mm F4 G zoom. Focal length: 55 mm. ISO: 200; f/5, 1/100 sec. Shot in manual mode, handheld.