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Located in western Germany, these structures seem straight out of a science fiction movie. There are 24 of them, but they are only horticultural greenhouses. The site once belonged to the neighboring monastery. In 1985, it was sold to an institute specializing in helping the long-term unemployed. In 1987, the institute built the complex which then became part of a reintegration program to provide training in commercial gardening to unemployed workers, thus enabling them to find new jobs. The complex has 24 greenhouses, each in the shape of a dome made up of pentagonal and hexagonal glass panels. During my visit, there were still tables and shelves on which the flower pots were placed inside certain domes. I also discovered an automatic heating and humidification system to create and maintain ideal conditions for plants throughout the year, especially during the winter months. The site was abandoned in 2005 for some reason. In 2010, the land was sold to the city and we could then hope for a better future for these incredible greenhouses. Unfortunately, in 2019 they suffered a partial demolition and today only five remain. -
I made a first visit to this sanatorium in September 2021. I found two things that I really liked: a beautiful stairwell with beautiful blue glass tiles and this small room. I do not know what its function was. This building on the mountainside overlooked one of the beautiful lakes of the North of the country but this kind of loggia, yet very beautiful, overlooked the back. Anyway, it seems that his last function was to store chairs! During this first visit, there were twice as many, along the entire length of the room. Unfortunately, as with all the last places visited during this trip, a material damage prevented me from taking a good wide-angle photo. The wide angle was here a sine qua non condition to capture the essence of the room. Indeed, to be able to show this framing, I had to position myself in the door frame, with the tripod in the back room. I went back in November 2022. I was very apprehensive about this visit because I know that these places have their own lives. They can be barricaded, demolished, monitored overnight. So from one year to the next... I really wanted to redo this photo, so I hoped that it would always be perfectly abandoned. If you see this picture, it is because this second visit was a success! So there were half as many chairs... Go find out why! I told you that these places had their own lives... This sight amputated of a few chairs initially disappointed me, but in the end, I prefer it. It removes a symmetry that I did not necessarily like and lightens the photo. -
This synagogue is located in a Jewish cemetery in Chisinau, the Moldovan capital. It is in fact the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe. It is partly active, so it is very easy to enter. The same goes for the synagogue which can be easily found while strolling through the cemetery. It dates from the end of the 19th century. I don't usually give as much information about a place but this one is known so the title of the photo was enough to find it. It’s a beautiful ruin as I like them with colors, textures and above all, a good hole in the roof which allowed the vegetation to return. Small detail that is important, the two stars of David on what was the main door clearly illustrate the fact that we are in a synagogue. -
I found this statue in the park of an abandoned thermal baths in Italy. It was along a path where there were several others. This one was the last, the clearest at the end of the path, the others being for the most part very covered by vegetation. So I naturally preferred it because it offers a more airy background and context. In addition, I took several shots while moving around the statue. This one was my favorite because I particularly like the tree that seems to emerge from it and which gives the whole thing a hybrid appearance. Moreover, I who love to break the rules, for once I respected one: that of thirds, a principle of image composition which consists of positioning the subject at the limit of the left or right third of the frame. It’s rare enough to be highlighted! -
It's been a long time since I offered you a Lusitano print. This is corrected. This room on the ground floor of a mansion is a marvel to me. Moldings on the ceiling and beautiful windows which give a basic character to the room, “cachet” as we say in French. A beautiful blue on the wall. A beautiful light that we feel penetrating through a curtain of ivy. And of course, nature is coming back, slowly progressing on this old parquet floor and will end up invading the space as it does each time. A marvel I tell you! I can't believe it took me this long to release this print, which has been one of my favorites since I photographed it. That must mean I have a few gems left in stock... ;-) -
Memory of my first trip to the Balkans in 2016… 5,500 kilometers solo and an extraordinary stage: a bay with six abandoned hotels in Croatia. I spent a whole day there. A true paradise. Concrete, nature and all with a view of an azure sea. In this photo the vegetation has returned so much that the view is obstructed but it is to my greatest happiness. I prefer green to blue! The geometry of the window and the false ceiling tiles add to the interest in this framing. Not to mention the fact that I'm a huge waffle lover. Still missing chocolate and whipped cream though... I still lick my chops every time I see this photo!
