Well, we found another adventurous couple willing to explore our Urban Decay project. This time we we brought Celeste and Dan to Tobin’s First Prize Center, an abandoned hot dog factory. Apparently the animals to be slaughtered used to roam in the fields right behind the property. These days it is quite shy of a first prize though. If anyone is interested in a bit of its history, All Over Albany did a story on this dilapidated building a few years back. Again, our challenge was to capture striking images in a place where neglect, decay, and an era gone by was palpable. Being urban planners, these two were perfect for the job of seeing potential beauty in something overtly ugly. We began around the outside of the building then braved our way up some old stairways. There were surprises at every turn. Ironic signs instructing to keep the place clean, hung over mold and scattered debris. There was even a giant room filled with filthy and broken toys, perhaps the local chapter of the island of misfit toys. The roof was the most stunning part by far; an unintended wild garden of weeds growing through a bed of broken glass. A gorgeous sun set behind the giant sign bearing the factory’s name. We are happy this adventure has a new chapter and are looking forward to adding more shoots to this project. If you are local to Albany and have any ideas about another good location to shoot for this project or are interested in being the next brave couple, drop us a line.
