All posts by C.Scapes Studio of Cheryl Matsumoto

Insights: Rural Abandonment

Rural abandonment has always been one of my favorite subjects to photograph! These structures are a testament of history and are often overlooked as remnant shadows filtered in the background. Due to debt, exodus, technology, and competition, the rural landscape has been speckled with structures that have been left behind as evidence of a life that once was.

Standing against the times of modernization with their regal stature, these beautiful structures are majestic. The natural hues only magnify the radiant allure. I love to capture the vibrancy of these exposed colors.

By using my photo lens to tell the story of past and present, I can bring together the beauty of things that once were and the beauty of things that are. This is where I find the photographic appeal.

As I look through my camera lens, I often wonder what stories could these decaying and crumbling structures tell me? I start asking myself questions and start listening for the answers. 

Who was the child flying high into the sky giggling on that swing? 

Can you see the billowing white cotton sheets blowing in wind?

Where did this camper travel and what adventures did it have?


As you click on the photos, put yourself behind the camera lens. What questions are you asking yourself? 

The sad part is that the answers will never be known because many of these structures have vanished from our sight and the only thing left is the archived moment of captured time! 

This is why rural abandonment is so precious to me!

Always,

Cheryl