It’s hard to take a bad photo when you’re in some gorgeous, rugged, exotic, or otherwise exceptional location, but unfortunately I don’t get to be a travel photographer in real life and I had to work overtime this weekend.  This means that I either have to drive somewhere interesting that’s close or work with what I’ve got.  I thought that finding interesting things to shoot in a location where I live and work would be, at the least, a fun challenge.  Now, I would LOVE to be able to take my camera to work because it’s a gold mine of industrial decay and I love shooting that, but it’s not allowed, so the next best thing is shooting downtown Bremerton.  I’ve heard that Bremerton has really cleaned up in the past 10 years or so and I’m just going to have to take their word for it, because it’s always looked pretty decent to me.  Either way, I chose to bring a friend on this adventure because safety in numbers and she has a new camera and wanted to play with it.  We began our little trek with some coffee and snacks from Fraiche Cup (my favorite “rough day at work” treat).  Our photo expedition started over by the ferry terminal, but we didn’t quite make it to the pretty park with fountains before I found a creepy alley and beelined down it. I’ve realized that I enjoy taking photos of the small things that no one else notices: graffiti tags, peeling paint, garbage, etc.  I don’t think any of my photos will be featured in the downtown Bremerton travel brochure anytime soon! We were out there for a few solid hours until we both got hungry for lunch and were ready to stop.

 

Blue chairs and tables in the courtyard.  They're way heavier than they look.
Blue chairs and tables in the courtyard. They’re way heavier than they look.
The fountains down the steps to the water and marina
The fountains down the steps to the water and marina
Ivy on a brick wall
Ivy on a brick wall
Does this mean its fall?
Does this mean its fall?
Interesting lighting behind the ivy.
Interesting lighting behind the ivy.
Fall colors!
Fall colors!
Leaves on the ground
Leaves on the ground
parking garage lights
parking garage lights
I love parking garages
I love parking garages
Water line and electrical conduit in a semblance of pleasant composition
Water line and electrical conduit in a semblance of pleasant composition
Cheery yellow razor wire
Cheery yellow razor wire
Bikes by the ferry terminal
Bikes by the ferry terminal
Stairs by the ferry terminal
Stairs by the ferry terminal
Lots of texture here
Lots of texture here
Lines are everywhere
Lines are everywhere
One way...or another.
One way…or another.
Crack on a wall
Crack on a wall
The paint removal of graffiti is, in itself, graffiti...just by DOT.
The paint removal of graffiti is, in itself, graffiti…just by DOT.
Tag and ladder.  Is it a coffin? or a tub of French fries?
Tag and ladder. Is it a coffin? or a tub of French fries?
Park at the big red dot.
Park at the big red dot.
Kitsch for sale
Kitsch for sale
This is what Bremerton thinks of salad...
This is what Bremerton thinks of salad…
Under construction
Under construction
Blue square
Blue square
Tag on plywood
Tag on plywood
Wrought iron railing on one of the many old homes
Wrought iron railing on one of the many old homes
Opposite colors attract
Opposite colors attract
Mailboxes
Mailboxes
Park off limits
Park off limits
Who is behind bars?
Who is behind bars?
Lines and nothingness
Lines and nothingness
links and divides
links and divides
Their barista promise
Their barista promise
Another brick in the wall
Another brick in the wall
blue
blue
Vintage Porsche!
Vintage Porsche!
Empty
Empty
Light in the darkness
Light in the darkness
394
394
Seven
Seven
We have a basketball team?
We have a basketball team?
Our hawks...
Our hawks…
Peeling paint. Love the loop in whatever that pipe is...
Peeling paint. Love the loop in whatever that pipe is…
Colors and shapes
Colors and shapes
Under the stairs
Under the stairs
Stoop
Stoop
Pistachio green
Pistachio green
No more windows
No more windows
Rust
Rust
Color and texture
Color and texture
The prettiest downspout
The prettiest downspout
Love the paint and the shapes
Love the paint and the shapes
Fire door
Fire door
Factory windows
Factory windows
Flowers
Flowers
Pipe
Pipe
Fork this...
Fork this…
Tag on the power meter
Tag on the power meter
Ruckus.  These look fun.
Ruckus. These look fun.
Worst handicapped spot ever.
Worst handicapped spot ever.
Remnants of a colorful sticker
Remnants of a colorful sticker
Reflection
Reflection
Misdirection
Misdirection
Love the old sign on this building
Love the old sign on this building
I also love the pink flamingo
I also love the pink flamingo
go-go boots for halloween
go-go boots for Halloween
Kirby's Bremelo girlfriend
Kirby’s Bremelo girlfriend
Creepy puppet museum. Way worse than any of the alleys we went down...
Creepy puppet museum. Way worse than any of the alleys we went down…
The old Roxy theater that I had no idea existed
The old Roxy theater that I had no idea existed
Lights under the awning
Lights under the awning
Ticket booth
Ticket booth
Old bank building
Old bank building
Looking back at Roxy
Looking back at Roxy
One last rose
One last rose
Café chairs. Empty.
Café chairs. Empty.
Fishing for men.
Fishing for men.
Animals on the wall
Animals on the wall
They will return
They will return
Squirrel!!!
Squirrel!!!
Cat with rat
Cat with rat
Life advice from a wall
Life advice from a wall
Breaker
Breaker
Abandoned
Abandoned
Looking down
Looking down
Patches and decay
Patches and decay
Vandal.  Yes we know!
Vandal. Yes we know!
Bremerton can be better.
Bremerton can be better.
Yes it can.
Yes it can.
Rule of thirds
Rule of thirds
Got it the first time...
Got it the first time…

IMG_7854

Doors
Doors
Exit door
Exit door
Dysfunctional window
Dysfunctional window
Cracks
Cracks
Prioritize
Prioritize
Tie it down
Tie it down
Cables
Cables
The nicest third gen firebird I've seen in a long time.
The nicest third gen firebird I’ve seen in a long time.
This is Milo's box.
This is Milo’s box.
I love finding pleasant composition out of nothing
I love finding pleasant composition out of nothing
Wood fence post
Wood fence post
"E"
“E”
Creepy random portrait wall
Creepy random portrait wall
I like finding "hidden portraits" but this almost made it too easy...
I like finding “hidden portraits” but this almost made it too easy…
BLUETOOTH! Get it?!
BLUETOOTH! Get it?!
Face off
Face off
Eagle building
Eagle building
Building that looks like an old castle
Building that looks like an old castle
Nice little path
Nice little path
Round door and everything
Round door and everything
That's quite the list of things you can't do.
That’s quite the list of things you can’t do.
stairs
stairs
Admiral theater
Admiral theater
Choices
Choices
Vintage fire alarm bell. love it!
Vintage fire alarm bell. love it!
Old tile
Old tile
Triangle
Triangle
Rize or die
Rize or die
That's polite
That’s polite
Vintage road bike
Vintage road bike
Painted faces
Painted faces

Overall it was quite a fun morning! Having looked back at all my photos I realize that a lot of these are not in focus or very sharp.  Not quite sure what happened there.  It was pretty dark so maybe my shutter speed is a bit too slow, but I do have an image stabilized lens and I wasn’t shooting that fast.  Seems like the autofocus might not have been working that great. Have to look into that. Maybe I’ll get to redo it next weekend!