Report - Parkland Prison, USA May 2016

[mookster]

First off I must apologise for the terrible grainy photos in this report, as I had temporarily misplaced my tripod in someone else's car. As such I had to resort to shooting handheld photos in a very dimly lit building using a wide angle, which is a recipe for photographical disaster. It's one place I hope to one day return to, as the largest building on site which contained the recreation hall and chapel had been freshly sealed on this visit. We were also very pushed for time from what I remember, so had a somewhat rushed visit as well.

In a former life this facility was originally a mental health hospital, or 'state school' as they are sometimes called over there. It was then converted into a large prison complex and closed down some years prior to my 2016 visit. After closure a lot of the land was turned over to the public, with the grounds now a freely accessible park for recreation and sports. A new sports facility was built next to the largest building containing many tennis courts and American Football pitches, there was also a very large number of school buses being stored on site as well due to the presence of a maintenance facility.

After avoiding the rolls of razor wire being used to try and put people off entering the fenceline around the buildings, and dropping through a basement window into the cafeteria we were in. The buildings didn't have a lot left inside them, but they had some of the craziest peely paint I've ever seen.

Thanks for looking ​

 

[Calamity Jane]

Cor that place has a bad case of derp eczema. Photos are good, steady hand. Isnt a wide angle with low iso good for dim places? Im just asking as Im trying to learn about my camera & getting better photos?

 

[jST]

Looks ace.

Didn't you find it freeing not to have to set up and lunk a chunk of Manfrotto around with you and just wander the building without the constraint of a leggy piece of aluminium?

 

[jtza]

That's really nice, enjoyed looking through that!

 

[mookster]

Looks ace.

Didn't you find it freeing not to have to set up and lunk a chunk of Manfrotto around with you and just wander the building without the constraint of a leggy piece of aluminium?

In some ways I do find it easier, and it's certainly much less effort to not have to lug a tripod around with me - I find I also take a lot more photos if I'm not using a tripod as I can simply point and shoot without spending time setting up the shot, getting it level etc etc.

I do love my BeFree though!

 

[KPUrban_]

Nicely done, pictures are ace. Peely paint galore there.

 

[Bikin Glynn]

In some ways I do find it easier, and it's certainly much less effort to not have to lug a tripod around with me - I find I also take a lot more photos if I'm not using a tripod as I can simply point and shoot without spending time setting up the shot, getting it level etc etc.

I do love my BeFree though!

I agree, u ofter get better composition freehand & take more shots, its just them low light situations u have no choice.
I get lazy & try & shoot hand held when I know I shouldn't but can get down to about 0. 3 sec shutter without blur if I'm careful

 

[Coxieboy]

Cor that place has a bad case of derp eczema. Photos are good, steady hand. Isnt a wide angle with low iso good for dim places? Im just asking as Im trying to learn about my camera & getting better photos?

Yes, but that then leads to a slow shutter speed and anything less than 125 will lead to camera shake, hence the use of a tripod or support. I always carry a bean bag, cheap but effective.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Yes, but that then leads to a slow shutter speed and anything less than 125 will lead to camera shake, hence the use of a tripod or support. I always carry a bean bag, cheap but effective.

Cheers @Coxieboy a bean bag sounds a good weight to tie onto my tripod

 

[KPUrban_]

Cor that place has a bad case of derp eczema. Photos are good, steady hand. Isnt a wide angle with low iso good for dim places? Im just asking as Im trying to learn about my camera & getting better photos?

If you're taking photos without a tripod the lowest shutter speed would be around 1/60, with ISO and F/Stop adjusted accordingly, and with a heavier camera it helps alot with stability.

 

[Bugsuperstar]

With my entry level dslr canon potato I’m lucky if I can shoot without a tripod outside at high noon to be honest.

Decent shots there @mookster. The place looks great.

 

[Wappy]

always like looking at prisons and secure units theres just something about them that interests me thanks for sharing