Photographing the town Los Angeles destroyed (Keeler, California)
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- čas přidán 24. 02. 2024
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There are a number of abandoned ghost towns in California, but none as unique as Keeler. Hundreds of people once lived here until a man made environmental catastrophe forced nearly everyone to leave. Today there are a handful of people still living here amongst ghostly homes, vehicles and campers. In this video, I explore and photograph this fascinating town.
Archival images of Owens Lake and Keeler:
Digital Collections of California State University: digital-collections.csun.edu/
Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/
Owens Valley History: www.owensvalleyhistory.com/
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Update: I've published a limited edition zine containing twenty images from this project! At the time of this comment there are only a few copies left, so check it out if interested:
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This project was such a breath of fresh air for me. Hope you enjoy the video. :)
More than you know. I try to refrain from spamming, but boy. I feel like this was one of your best videos yet. So many things came together that I love: obviously the photography side, where you talk about how you set up compositions, and showing the final image, but also how you told some of the story of Keeler as well as how you yourself got to know Keeler and have met some of the locals. I also really loved the music selection.
I live in Germany, but short films like this (yeah, gotta use a term that differentiates this video from lower quality stuff on CZcams) make me want to go on a solo vacation in the American West. Camera, car, canned food, ... think that’s all I’d need.
Enjoy it? Loved it
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I'm a truck driver and see some pretty cool places. You may find Gabbs, NV interesting.
It's a rare treat to find a historical video on CZcams that's not narrated by AI. I could tell you are a real human within the first 20 seconds of your video, you had emotion in your voice. Thank you for being human.
I think this is one of the better photography videos that I've watched on CZcams, and I've watched way too many. The images were outstanding, but I equally loved the storytelling. I think that the choice of music and the overlay of old photos added to the storytelling immensely. Very well edited video.
Wow Todd. Outstanding imagery and storytelling. Thank you.
Thanks so much :)
I really enjoy hearing you go through your thought process when framing up a shot. This is the type of thing I love to shoot. You created some beautiful images in this location!
I could watch hours of this. Great stuff and beautiful captures 👏🏻❤
These photo and storytelling adventures are by far the videos of yours I look forward to most. Thank you for bringing us along with you Todd!
Really enjoyed this video. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely fascinating, really enjoyed that! Great work!
This brings back a Zappa song: "Those were the days. Well those days are probably gone forever unless nixon is going to bring them back." ;-)
I have to compliment you, Todd. It has probably been 18 months since I watched one of your videos. Not that they weren't good before, but they have gotten so much better. Your ability to see comps has become really impressive. You'll walk into a scene and I'll be like "nothing there" but you will come up with something that I would never have seen. And your ability to explain what you're seeing and what you're thinking really adds value to these videos. I'm going back through all the ones I've missed. Thank you for the great work.
All credit to you Todd. This video is right up there with the best particularly as you've retained an authentic feel throughout the footage. The photographs are wonderful too. Thank you so much for sharing this extraordinary piece of history.
Awesome video, Todd.
Thanks for sharing.
Antoine.
Beautiful images, thanks for sharing this video
amazing location, great shots - thanks for sharing !!!
Great video and excellent images!
Very nice episode in the field! More like this, please!
Found your channel about a month ago and just can’t get enough of your videos and your photography. Absolutely love the Cadillac shot. Inspiring work to say the least! Keep it up, one of the best photography CZcams channels out there.
Todd, what a beautiful story telling and images. The mixture of background music and actual sound was just beautiful. I could watch hours of this. I think this is one of those videos that you watch when you want to rejuvenate your love for photography. Great stuff !
Loved this!! very nice stuff!!!Thank you!!
Awesome video and story. You have brought Keebler back to life for a few short minutes. Great work. Keep snapping!
The most photographed wall in the valley. Been photographing here for a long time. Won a couple of awards from some of my series' on this place. I usually try and keep locations protected, but it's nice that you are making some good images. The residents know a lot about the history, and since they are always around, they'll give you some good insights. 👍
Very nice video. I really enjoyed your perspective, learning about the history of a “forgotten” place, and your photographic “eye” for composition.
amazing video and stunning shots 👏🏻
A great video from a great place. I was really enjoying your explanation to the place and your pictures and editing perfectly captured the atmosphere. Very well done!
Fascinating, glad I found your channel.
Fantastic video Todd!
Really enjoyed this. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts
Amazing work Todd ! really enjoyed the tones and colors, fantastic photography.
Wow! I’m commenting before finishing the video but I love shooting locations like this and I really appreciate you taking us on your walk through of the area. Thanks again.
What a cool place to photograph. Love the images you got.
Thanks so much Todd for taking me as a viewr along for the ride. I enjoy these tours so much, and to me they’re equally entertaining as well as educational. Little sidenote: thanks for listing the music! The bluesy piano piece REALLY hooked me and I’m gonna go check it out when the video is over.
Awesome. Someone shared this on VERO and so pleased they did. Absolutely brilliant video soooo looking forward to following your work 😍📷❤️
Ya nailed it Todd! What a dream project. Nicely captured. I couldn't help thinking that plant (the green colored one in front of the brush) that you filmed on the b-roll looking at the caravan might have been included in the shot. But, really lovely images and amazing color. Looking forward to more of this anytime. Thanks.
Thoroughly enjoyed this, Todd. Utterly delightful. I love the way you see the environment around you, and the compositions within them. The shots of the pool, the Cadillac, and both shots of the caravan were gorgeous. And at least 10 other shots besides!
This town is full of history and stories, and you did a great job of capturing some of those stories. Outstanding job Todd, I’m glad I found your site. One thing I love about photographing objects like Abandoned buildings and cars is that you don’t have to ask them to smile.
New to the channel and looking forward to seeing a few more. Great work and thank you.
Fantastic images Todd! Love the pool at sunrise!
Well done! Love the stills.
LOVE this whole series of images - the location is a perfect blend of so many photographic elements. Thanks for capturing it all for us. Wish I could get out there myself! Cheers.
As always, Todd, you have given me some great ideas. Great video.
RDR reference, that was awesome! Such a fantastic video and great photos.
Great video. I'm planning on going to Keeler next year and this was VERY helpful!
Love the quiet morning light. And the foreground shrubbery at 17:00 : ) Thank you.
what an amazing story you are telling, beautifully crafted and bravo to the color grading!!
WOW Todd, you are a real artist. I really enjoyed listening to the history of Keller and your thought processes as you created ART. Thanks for this captivating video and inspiring me to work harder on my own photographic experience!
Absolutely love this. Incredible location and a perfect eye for composition and detail.. 👏👏
Todd!! You have an amazing eye!!! And that's why I just subscribed to your channel!!!
Thank you for sharing your talent with us!!
Very cool. Thanks for the information and background on the result of diverting the water.
I enjoy thinking outside of the box. While everyone is capturing photo's of mountains (I do too sometimes) etc... I LOVE capturing photo's of old abandoned buildings and vehicles. The stories they hold, the stories they could tell of the ppl and families that once lived there. OUTSTANDING video and shots. I look forward to seeing more.
Absolutely love this insight, style and story. A super interesting way to document tales from your corner of the planet 👏
A true treat. I love your channel and this is one of my faves. Albiet, such a tragedy for Keeler. This "lesson" is never far from my mind because it could happen to the Great Salt Lake. Cheers from a fellow R5 shooter.
I love how that music melted into sad decay at 11:30. A perfect union of before and now.
Indeed, that’s how it struck me
I’m exceedingly jealous that place is incredible your images are amazing thank you
Wonderful video. Thank you
Great adventure Todd!!! Love the commentary about history and your photography thought process. Bravo
Bravo!!!! 👌👌👌 Everything spot on... Storytelling, photos taken and above allí, the music that wraps everything up perfectly. Greetings from the Basque Country in Spain
I really enjoyed this video and seeing what you managed to achieve as final images from this decaying place. I saw a display in a museum around Lone Pine or Bishop that told the tragic story of the Owens Valley and what was lost. Great work!
This is my first video I’ve watched on your channel. I really enjoyed it. I love how you implemented everyday old rusted items into the landscape. Being a swimmer your pool image was my favorite. 😊
terrific imagery. loved that last image with the music. ❤
Thanks for taking me to Keeler.
Great video!
Awesome video and pictures. I'm visiting Irvine later in the year from the UK and could spend my entire three weeks stay in Keeler painting and taking photographs!
Gorgeous pool shot. Amazing colors. ❤
I particualrly enjoyed this video. The photos you share are always wonderful, but the photos in this video told a particularly compelling story. I definitely liked the shot of the cadillac best. Do you ever shoot photos of people? Without knowing how the property owner appeared, i wonder if she cpuld have added the most interesting element to the scene by being the main subject. Very Joel Sternfeld-esque.
Man, you nailed it. Sternfeld has always been one of my favorite photographers. I got the same vibe when shooting that Cadillac at the end, which told me I was on the right track. Will probably end up being my favorite image from my time there. Concerning people, yes. I spent time with two locals, but felt uncomfortable asking them to be involved. I guess I'm sensitive to people's privacy, being an outsider and all. But yes, I agree. Next time.
Super wonderful photos. Daniel
A small book of your images in Keeler would be nice. Mike
Definitely! You could mail it over to Ted Forbes so we'd see it on his AOP books and zines review
This was ABSOLUTELY AWESOME, I saw some PANORAMIC shots in here as well, I am from NYC but would love to get out there someday and shoot this amazing OLD TOWN, SOOOOO many amazing photos that can be had, your cadillac pic was ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! My favorite of this series. Thank you for this video.
I enjoyed a very brief visit to Keeler when I was driving from Death Valley to the Alabama Hills on a workshop. I wish I could have taken more time because it’s such an interesting place. I appreciate you sharing this video of you documenting the town and sharing more of the history of this place that I was not aware of. I have ordered your Zine and look forward to seeing your work. On my next visit I need to carve out more time to spend here.
Your narration regarding the historical elements made this video unique and interesting. One of the better photography videos I've watched; thanks for all your efforts.
On a side note, that is one expensive camera, a 100mp marvel that shoots amazing video in log format.
Thank you Todd, fabulous video. I really appreciate how you talk is through your shot. I would be happy with just getting a good shot of the blindingly obvious image😂. However, when you explain why you like the shot of the edge of a building and the utility poles leading into the mountains, it becomes amazingly instructive for me. Thank you. ❤❤❤❤
What a place, you took amazing photos and I really enjoyed it the video. Personally, I would also watch the post processing of these images
Super content. Love your images and explanations. Ironic, as Keeler can now watch Los Angeles destroy itself.
This is why you’re one of my favorite photographers on CZcams. Interesting subjects and really intentional with your compositions.
It may not be your thing, but I would love to see you go back and try your hand at some Milky Way shots there in Keeler. Those foregrounds would be amazing.
What a fantastic location, great photos Todd , that pool shot is brilliant. I could spend days at that town and not get bored , nothing that comes close to that here in the UK
Hey man. I don’t normally watch photographers… But this is pretty rad 🤙 I look at abandoned towns and structures the same way. It’s really fun exploring. The pool shot you got with the early light is my favorite 👍 Good work, man 🫡
first video I’ve seen of yours and the composition of the van and Cadillac was super impressive. I rarely think to go higher when composing and you really nailed it.
I love to capture stuff like this. I loved this video.
That Cadillac composition was so hard, but you nailed it. Great video and story.
Very nicely put-together video. About ten years ago I had the opportunity to photograph another of those ghost towns along the Sierras, with considerably less impressive results; I’d like to think that I’d do better now.
This video is quite remarkable and some great images came out of it!
The ghostliness of lives past is so eerie. Where did they all go, and leave so much behind?
I didn’t realise what was missing until near the end. Graffiti, there is none at all…
Go back with a film crew Tom and make a feature documentary. Even along the same lines as this amazing video of yours. Well bloody done mate! ✌️🇦🇺
Magnifique !!!! Bravo. Et vos images sont splendides.
I'm composing a list of places to visit for an upcoming road trip west, to photograph such places. Glad I found this video.
Inspiring!
Thank you Todd for sharing your photos of Keeler, CA. I photographed Keeler in 2009 with a Nikon D300 (12.3 megapixels) and I found the town to be quite magical. Your recent visit has inspired me to return and to perhaps visit Cerro Gordo. I only live 5 hours away by car so a visit is quite doable. Thanks again for the inspiration to return and for reminding me of a place I photographed some time ago.
Awesome! I'm betting it hasn't changed a bit since you were there.
I appreciate the artistic vision you put in your photography.
The last time I was in Keeler was about 15 years ago and you could tell people still lived in those old houses because I would see curtains being pulled aside so the residents could peek out. It was a bit mysterious but I did wander into a quiet town with six other men in three pickup trucks so I probably would have been a bit weary too if I lived there not knowing what we were up to. We were touring the old railroad history through the Owens valley.
Fantastic video Todd, I thoroughly enjoy looking at things like this and derelict towns on Route 66 for instance. I`m from the UK and we have loads of history, but I`m drawn to this type of thing and trying to imagine all the many people that lived, loved, raised families and died in what was once a thriving community. More please Todd
One of those strange places where I will unlikely visit from the other side of the world but know so much from CZcams with Cerro Gordo. Loving your notated thought process of seeing your photos along the way.
I hear you. I live in Germany, so getting to visit and photograph an American ghost town would take quite a bit of commitment. But I want to do it at some point.
The talent! the shots, the commentary 👏
There is something spiritual about abandoned spaces.
Brilliant! The combination of your voice-over and the music is perfect. You are the Tony Bourdain of photography.
What I found amazing is that the road is maintained to the level that it is. The street signs have high intensity retroreflective sheeting, pavement markings with message and stop bar that appears to be epoxy, and the road surface has had a rout & sealing of the cracks. There are many urban areas with lesser maintained roads.
This is honestly a “fine arts” kind of storytelling. The visuals are breathtaking! Just beautiful!
My favorite shot of this series is definitely 24:11. It’s poetry.
The colors, subject, composition, all very nice. Your eye is ultimately lead to the negative space in the bottom right area of the frame and to what it seems like a carcass or a dead horse. A very strong metaphor!
Impressive place! Unbelievable, and all for yourself, no one around. And what a grand finale! 👏🏻✨
Fantastic Video and great shots - Would be a great place to hold a photography workshop :)
It's funny, I watched the beginning of the M20C video, and was totally sucked in, then it stopped, skipped forward and basically saw everything the rest of us said, all the time hoping for more. So I'm so happy to stumble upon this video. A breath of fresh air as you put it.
I've been a massive fan of this type of photography for years. I absolutely love this type of scenery, the deserted, the history, the lack of people. I've been to Salton Sea so many times solely to photograph it, and I've actually driven past Keeler but didn't manage to stop as was in a hurry to get to Tahoe. I've been thinking of this type of content myself, and when I saw the intro this morning, decided to leave the 25 mins for the couch in the evening. It flew by. Everytime I fly to America, I search for places like this, you just put Keeler on my Google Maps as a must.
Great work, great photos. Looking forward to more.
I really like your style of photography. I need to get out and explore more around South florida, feel like im running out of things to photograph!
Very enjoyable and thanks for telling the story.
Have you been to Salton Sea? Would love to see a video from you from there!
Your videos are the nicest blend between documentary and cinematography elements. All with your rational but not clinical approach and down to earth personality. Your channel doesn't get the recognition it deserves!
Thanks, I enjoyed this. I've been to Keeler and you've done a nice job of capturing the spirit of the location. Did you also go to Darwin (on the road to Death Valley)?