Weekly Challenge-Focus (on Milltown’s Old Mill)
“Instead of focusing on how much you can accomplish, focus on how much you can absolutely love what you’re doing.”
Leo Babauta
This week Cheri has challenged us to focus on FOCUS – a wonderful topic for photographers. Fortunately, my trip to a family wedding in New Jersey last weekend provided me with a perfect subject.
In the town where I grew up there is an old, abandoned mill, after which the town, Milltown, was named. For the first time, after seeing it hundreds of times over the years, I decided finally to photograph some of the long-abandoned site. In the opening shot above, I used Aperture f/2.8 to bring the iron post into focus, blurring the crumbling facade in the background. The second shot above was taken at f/11 to include the elements of the facade. Clearly the effect is quite different between the two captures.
“There are an infinite number of reasons to say no. Instead, try to focus on one good reason to say yes. ”
Jarod Kintz
So what is it about urban decay that is so interesting to photographers? And not just photographers – my post back in July about the Michigan Asylum for the Insane (here) was one of my most-commented, second only to my post on Angkor Wat.
“Focus on remedies, not faults.”
Jack Nicklaus
Whatever the reason, I found the abandoned mill most interesting, especially when I researched its history. The first record of its existence was an advertisement for its sale in 1769. It was sold in 1777 and almost immediately raided by British troops who captured two local militiamen that later escaped. Between 1789 and 1812 it changed hands no less than 6 times; in 1812 an ad by the then-owner referred to the settlement around it as Milltown – the town’s name ever since.
“The more choices we have, the greater the need for focus.”
Tom Butler-Bowdon
Between 1812 and 1906, the mill burned down twice (once burning the owner’s home as well, thereby driving him into bankruptcy). It was rebuilt each time until finally being taken over by the International Rubber Company around 1900. Soon afterwards the Raritan River Railroad Company made its first run, including Milltown in its route. The biggest change occurred in 1907 when Michelin Tire acquired the company, and with it, the mill. (Duh, it never occurred to me, growing up surrounded by ballgames at Michelin field, and driving along Michelin Avenue, that the names had an obvious heritage!)
Following Michelin’s acquisition of the Mill, streets were paved and electric lights were installed. 200+ bungalows were built by the company to improve living conditions for their employees, which during peak years included almost 3,000 people. Those homes for the most part still stand today and are actively occupied by members of the community.
In 1930, as a result of the Great Depression, Michelin closed their US operations and returned to France. Several firms subsequently used the mill, including a large division of Johnson & Johnson (yep, makers of baby powder and Band-Aids!), a printing company, a knitting mill and a wire company. Since it has fallen into disrepair, there have been attempts to demolish the remaining structures and create a residential and/or retail environment. There is also a historical preservation society focused on saving and restoring the site. Local rumors note the probable existence of toxicity as a complication affecting the potential cost of either effort.
“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.”
Ansel Adams
Whatever its future, I must admit that after years of ignoring the site, which is within easy walking distance of my parents’ home, I was thoroughly captivated by its forlorn appearance and quite impressed with its convoluted history – who knew?! Better late than never though, don’t you think?
Hello Tina. I am first timer to your site, drawn by the photography / travel theme. Your photography is just wonderful. Happy travels!
Well welcome LB! Thanks for the lovely compliment – looking forward to seeing you again soon!!
Wonderful post, Tina. How much beauty there is in forgotten places, in details that are usually passed by not even noticed or thought about. And a great choice of quotes. I am still working on saying “yes” more than “no” and hopefully getting there step by step 🙂
Thanks Ese! The “yes” vs “no” thing is a challenge for me too, but at least we’re trying LOL.
Tina, I have so many mixed emotions when I observe abandoned buildings! As a photographer, it is such a delight to capture all the textures etc. but then I start getting emotional with how many life’s were affected there and the building not being in use anymore. Your processing is perfect for this post my friend.
Good point Laurie – in this case the impact was, for the most part, a very positive one – so that’s a good thing! Thanks for your comment and compliment; much appreciated!
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As always Tina, wonderful series and great quotes! FERROUS FOCUS-THE MILL POND FALLS is my fav! 😀
Thanks David – a lovely compliment :D. Ferrous Focus is a runaway favorite it seems. Could it be because of the very clever title I gave it LOL?!
Very nice pictures
Thanks Swati, appreciate your visit and compliment!
Feast for the eyes. Well done.
Many thanks Pieter. Now if I could just raise my cleverness quotient to match yours I’d REALLY be in business LOL!
Remember Tina, sheer brilliance doesn’t require any gimmicks and I’m full of gimmicks, I need truck loads of it.
Beautiful pictures of the old buildings!!!!! looking glorious in the pictures…
Thanks for the lovely compliment – I suspect they are more glorious now than they ever were in their heyday!
Great Post Tina ! Your pictures demonstrate the focus in the photographic sense and also bringing the past into focus too .
It’s true , there is something about decay and crumbling edifices which appeals to many of us . So much history has been lost by reckless redevelopment I appreciate the chance to see something with a ‘past’ and wonder at the changes which have been wrought by those very times, by different owners and changing uses.
Interesting to hear how the Michelin Co looked after their workforce in much the same way as the Cadbury family who built the Bournville Village in Birmingham and Lord Leverhulme at Port Sunlight in the Wirral over here in the UK .
Thanks for the very thoughtful comment PT. In this case I found the history even more interesting since it was in my hometown and I’d never given it much thought. To think that it went all the way back to our Revolutionary War really amazed me, and then to learn it was in large part responsible for the town’s naming and establishment as an entity made it that much more incredible. Finally, to learn that one of my neighbors here in South Carolina was a previous owner really brought the concept of “small world” home to me. Quite a fun subject as it turned out!
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I can’t help but wonder if the draw of urban decay has to do with our pursuit to find out what happens after we die. These are haunting and intriguing shots, Ms. Tina.
Sincere thanks SSM–love that you found them haunting! As it turns out, they do a haunted river walk every year around the site. If there are indeed such things as ghosts one has to believe there’d be some here, don’t you think? Love your thought about the reason behind the draw too!
Oooh, that sounds like a fun event. Although I’ve never participated in a haunted tour, I always imagine they’re less macabre and more historically educational than one might think. Great subject you captured!
~~ssm
I can see I’m not the only one who finds beauty in abandoned, crumbling buildings. In fact, I love the textures, fading colors, and forgotten exteriors of them, and these you have shown are especially good. Love the Ferrous Focus! http://ohtheplacewesee.com
Many thanks Rusha! Somethng about those textures that appeals to the photographer’s eye I guess! Appreciate your visit and comment!
Old buildings are just old buildings but throw in some history…now you have something else. Everyone loves history…nice photos.
Thanks Barbara – it’s all about the history really, isn’t it?! Appreciate your stopping by.
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Very interesting, Tina. The name is very appropriate considering how important the mill was for some many years. I also especially liked the Ferrous Focus.
Thanks Sue! Yes, and incredible that I never thought about it when I lived there. Amazing how much perspective a little hindsight gives us!
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Thanks for the history lesson! The sepia photos really enhance your subject matter.
🙂 my pleasure Jane! Appreciate your artist’s eye’s review of the sepia.
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wow, I am happy you decided to explore this mill. You should have done earlier, but then your focus ( 🙂 ) might not have created this portfolio. I really love the tones you use, that adds time in a gentle way to the subject. I would love to see more of this mill, more details. I love the watertower, that is iconic. Indeed, focus is a container with loads of meanings. You showed here that it is about seeing and then showing what you want people to see in their eyes through your eyes. Well done! So go back!
Thanks Chris. Love your comment about the tones adding time “in a gentle way”. Exactly my goal but you expressed it beautifully! And interesting that you say go back–I’ve been thinking I with I’d had more time with it. We visit again at Christmas, perhaps ill get a chance to shoot it in the snow!
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My pleasure! Looking forward to seeing them!
Enjoyed the post Tina…interesting place.
Thanks for your visit and comment–I enjoyed exploring it!
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There’s something mysterious about old worn-out buildings. You’ve captured that beautifully Tina!
Thanks Uday! Yes, perhaps it’s that mystery which attracts us in the first place 🙂
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Very interesting, and your use of a sepia style tint is very apt.
Thanks LD, appreciate your visit and comment.
Hi Tina,
I love the history you share along with some great photos.
Many thanks Naomi! I was astounded by the rich history-really had no idea, so it was a nice surprise for me 🙂
You’ve nailed it, Tina. 🙂
Thanks Jo! I enjoyed this one I must admit 🙂
Wonderful! Simplicity IS a matter of focus!
Thanks VC! So many definitions of focus – all different but inter-related. In photography as in life, right?! Appreciate your stopping by!
You are quite welcome! Kathryn
Once again with your photography challenges, you have captured interesting sights, but also introduced me to new spaces, and best of all with your comments, a depth of character and personality about you personally that I did not know. Also a motivation for me to challenge myself more.
Thanks so much
Ann S
Thanks so much Ann for the lovely comment. The challenges are a great way for me to focus (pun intended) and push me to be creative, which I love. Always good to push ourselves a bit right?!
Great, great photos, colour treatment and focus! And a lovely informative post to go with them. You asked an interesting question as to why photographers love decay – my answer is that it provides unusual angles, textures and a sense of history I suppose as decaying places are usually old.
Jude xx
Thanks Jude, for your lovely compliment and thoughtful comment. I agree, the textures that go with decay are fantastic as are the angles. In this case the history turned out to be wonderful as well!!
Really nice shots, Tina! The sepia tones add great ambience to the overall feel of the photos. 🙂
Thanks so much M/U; I do love the sepia tones for emphasizing age. Just keep them away from self-portraits LOL 🙂
Ha, ha! You and me both. That place looks really interesting – and what a crazy history! I may have to go check it out. 🙂
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T, funny how we drive by or live with places and and scenery that we never really take note of until we focus. Hope the family reunion was fun at the wedding!
ps-
Love your comment , Sharon!
Pun Intended Gin??? Wedding and family were fantastic, thanks! Miss you-hope you’re having fun out there!
great photos and interesting article, Tina. Thank you for sharing.
groetjes, Francina
Thanks so much Francina! Appreciate your visit and lovely comment.
The things we never noticed growing up… Thanks for the interesting tour… That site employed a lot of folks though the years and was quite a myriad of successful companies. Hope the wedding was a great one! Linda
Yes, it really did shape the town although I never realized it. When we’re young we’re much more interested in ourselves I suppose 🙂 wedding was wonderful, thanks GF!!
Tina, I love everything about this post! I think I may finally understand Fstops! :-)The quotes were wonderful. But the best, being a history wonk, was the amazing story of the mill itself – I loved the story – how the mill impacted both the town and the lives of the people who lived there! Great story and photos!
Why thanks Mary Lynn – what a lovely comment!! I was amazed by the history myself–about time I looked into it! BTW, there’s a Kiawah resident among the many previous owners of the mill (Trivia quiz!!) do you know who?!
Hmmmmmmmmm! Was Buddy Darby planning to put a golf course there?
Haven’t the foggiest! ML
Facade in Focus is my favourite. Very well written and so nicely presented, Tina, love the monotone work. The quoes are a gem.
Thanks Dina! I think that’s my favorite as well. Appreciate your lovely compliment. BTW, where ya been? Haven’t seen any posts of late 😦
Working most of the time. Nursing in a university clinic is timeconsuming. Tina. That’s why I have to rush off again. 🙂 Enjoy your Sunday. ♥
These photos are perfect for the focus, they also tell the stories and part of mill history. Thank you for providing the background informations.
Thanks Amy – the timing was perfect for Cheri’s challenge–lucky me 🙂
A very interesting post Tina . love the sepia tone you have selected for these photos. just perfect 🙂
Many thanks Sriram – I like the options with the Nik tools, and especially like them for characterizing old or run-down scenes. Appreciate your visit and comment.
I loved all these shots, Tina. Especially interesting since I lived in NJ a couple of times. Ridgewood in the north and Cherry Hill in the south. Some of those photos look very familiar.
Also, you have validated something for me. I used to love taking those shots where you focus on the subject and blur the background. My step-father, who was an accomplished and published photographer, hated them and would get all over me about shooting that way. I argued with him constantly about it being personal preference and having it’s own sense of artistry. Pretty silly, huh?
Nice post.
Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder but for me, the blurred background shots are always among my favorites. Good for you for sticking to your guns!!
Striking set of images–simplicity is often more than the sum of its parts.
Thank you Sally; Hard to believe I passed it by so many times!!
WOW!!! Where to begin…..LOVE these photos …especially the FALLS with the water blurred in the background..as was in the first photo….very interesting!! The captions that accompany the shots are just exquisite….very thought provoking!! I too spent a lot of time in Milltown NJ growing up as my aunt lived there….who knew the mill was there…will have to look for it when I return!! Just great stuff..once again!!
Thanks April!! Had no idea you knew Milltown – we must compare notes some day soon. And as a quiz – do you know which Kiawah resident used to own the mill?!?!
Love it Tina. Makes me think of focus for sure. In and out, right on, and how “lack of ….” would change the same composition or situation! SQ
Thanks SQ – so many photo ops, so little time LOL
love these shots and your processing is wonderful..
great commentary as well!..much enjoyed!
Many thanks! I had fun exploring and shooting the buildings I’d so long ignored! The history was quite a bonus for me personally 🙂
The one thing i had been focusing on became less important when i saw the bigger picture.
Thanks Sharon – in photography as in life!!
I love how you weave the history in with the photos (which tell a story by themselves).
The closest town to us is home to a now abandoned decaying former cotton mill. It was built after the Civil War and once employed most of the town. It too has “seen better days.”
Thanks for sharing this excellent photo-essay.
Thanks Bill! Now get out there and shoot that cotton mill – I’m looking forward to seeing it!!!
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A lot of wisdom and great focusing in this post. Ferrous Focus photo is my favourite 🙂
Many thanks Paula – I think that was my favorite as well 🙂
Fascinating place, Tina. And great work for the ‘focus’ challenge 🙂
Thanks Sue! It was lucky timing for me when Cheri published the challenge!
What a great post, the photos are of course brilliantly executed and processed, and the words weave them together beautifully. A very interesting post Tina 🙂
I agree. Well done all around, Tina.
janet
Thanks Janet! It was a really interesting experience for me, having ignored it for so long!
You’re the best Seonaid, thank you as always for the lovely compliment.
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Beautifully photographed and presented.
Many thanks Frances! Appreciate your visit and comment.
Stunning entry Tina and love the Sepia effect. Looks great! 😀
Thanks Sonel! I do like the sepia tones for giving a flavor of yesteryear!
Sharp and Elegant B&W, with that tone works very well.
Great job Tina
Thanks Hachege – I’m a big fan of the Nik tools. Appreciate your visit and compliment.
Super interesting post Tina! It is true that, sometimes, the closer things are somehow forgotten or ignored…
I really love the Ferrous Focus!
Thank you Ilargia! Yes, our son has lived in NYC for 20 years. He just went to the top of the Empire State Bldg for the first time to share it with his daughter! Appreciate your comment!