Spent years taking photos of dead malls with a flash, then a security guard politely asked why I was ruining my shots

I have been exploring abandoned malls for like 5 years now, and I always used my camera's built in flash. Felt like it lit up the dark corridors and old storefronts just fine. Last month I was at the old Smith Haven Mall near Long Island and a security guard who was cool with me walking around asked why I was using flash. He said it washes out all the texture and makes everything look flat. I took a shot of the old food court without it, and the difference was crazy. The peeling paint, the dust motes in the air, the weird green light from a broken skylight all showed up. Now I feel like I wasted years of photos. Anyone else have a random tip from a stranger that changed how they shoot?

2 comments

2 Comments

riley_ramirez8125d ago

That's a tough feeling, realizing you might have missed out on better shots for years. But hey, at least you ran into that guard who actually gave you solid advice instead of just telling you to leave. Now you can look forward all the cool stuff you'll capture without flash from here on out.

zara_perez6225d ago

Ugh I know right? That feeling stings a little.