![Beautiful Things (5 years ago today...) | by [jonrev]](http://live.staticflickr.com/3821/11885462214_e7fe43549a.jpg)
Beautiful Things (5 years ago today...)
About 10 years ago I became fascinated with "dead malls" after reading about the impending demolition of Waukegan's Lakehurst Mall. It was when I researched Lakehurst's decline that I also came across the Deadmalls.com article on Harvey, IL's Dixie Square Mall.
From there, thanks to the work and inspiration of many - including Chuck Janda, Michael Brown Jr., Paul Mcvay and others involved in the infamous "Dixie Square documentary": I was instantly hooked!
Five years later - five years ago today - I got to tag along with them on my first venture into the place, and it got me hooked on something else: professional photography. I had been taking pics for awhile, but that day taught me the basics: patience, composition and how to use a camera with manual features... because [between the severe limitations of what I had then, and that place having CRAP natural lighting] I had to. I built on everything I learned at Dixie Square that day, and it shaped me as the photographer I am now.
Today also puts my entire archive of DSM footage online and closes my book on documenting the final years of the original dead mall, and filming location of one of the most-amusing scenes in American cinema. I've been posting the un-edited b-roll footage from each visit over the last 13 months, and today's upload is the last one.
Beautiful Things (5 years ago today...)
About 10 years ago I became fascinated with "dead malls" after reading about the impending demolition of Waukegan's Lakehurst Mall. It was when I researched Lakehurst's decline that I also came across the Deadmalls.com article on Harvey, IL's Dixie Square Mall.
From there, thanks to the work and inspiration of many - including Chuck Janda, Michael Brown Jr., Paul Mcvay and others involved in the infamous "Dixie Square documentary": I was instantly hooked!
Five years later - five years ago today - I got to tag along with them on my first venture into the place, and it got me hooked on something else: professional photography. I had been taking pics for awhile, but that day taught me the basics: patience, composition and how to use a camera with manual features... because [between the severe limitations of what I had then, and that place having CRAP natural lighting] I had to. I built on everything I learned at Dixie Square that day, and it shaped me as the photographer I am now.
Today also puts my entire archive of DSM footage online and closes my book on documenting the final years of the original dead mall, and filming location of one of the most-amusing scenes in American cinema. I've been posting the un-edited b-roll footage from each visit over the last 13 months, and today's upload is the last one.