Sunsets, Trains, and Urban Decay
This is one of my favorite times of the year, and I suppose it is fitting considering my photography tends to focus on the fleeting transition between two larger, more defined elements. I was inspired by the weather this weekend to get out and express visually what we are feeling environmentally happen. I chose one of my favorite locations, but I pushed myself to wander outside of the typical boundaries I stick to. This particular scene is on the edge of the West Bottoms, and is almost to the bottom of Kansas City, Kansas. The sky set a wonderful canvas for the light to paint upon, and I was lucky enough to capture the colors it chose on Saturday night.
West Bottoms
Just below the busy streets of downtown Kansas City on the Western edge sits a district that was probably, at one time, a very active industrial powerhouse. That has since faded and now for the most part appears to be abandoned. There are a few restaurants, bars, shops, and loft style residences that dot the brick and mortar shells, and what were once windows are now replaced by the stains covering warped and weatherbeaten plywood. This is and will remain one of my favorite places to go shoot on any given day. The sodium halide lighting washes the aged facades which provide a great aesthetic complement to the rich blues provided by the civil twilight. Here are a few of my favorites.
Ryan Estes Photos 