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“So, what do you photograph?” – a frequent question I get.
 
I usually don’t get into how very much I love to find abandoned places that include reflections of whatever is behind me. But, yeah: that’s what I photograph.
 
Tahoka, Texas
photographed 2.28.2026
PS – Sometimes I’ll say I document the decline of small towns on the High Plains of Texas as a symbol of greater declines in environmental and societal safety that are mirrored across the country. Other times, I’ll say “rural towns” and if I’m really in a mood, I say “old crap I find.” It’s too hard to explain my deal with reflections.

 

the passage

An abandoned farmhouse on the High Plains tells a story – a story of dreams, of rural traditions and expectations, of change, of endings.

An abandoned farmhouse with a wheelchair ramp tells a story that seems more complicated. And more sad.

Lynn County, Texas
photographed 2.28.2026

flat/screen

Last week I had to drive to Tahoka for a meeting; on the drive I kept my eyes open for future photos.

This farmhouse was one of the things I saw and it was my first stop on a weekend photo-drive.

Every one of these old houses looks basically the same on the inside, with crap just piled up everywhere. But then again, each one is different. I’ve seen shoes and clothes and books and dolls and tires and jars of applesauce.* This one featured not only a deceased rat lying on its back on the sofa, like it was taking a little nap, but it also had the morning light coming through windows and a broken flat-screen television.

Lynn County, Texas
photographed 2.28.2026

*I first wrote “jars of applesauce and tires” which sounds like an impossible thing but also sounds like something I’d really like to see.

hammond

I have issues. Not in general (although of course I do have quite a few general issues) – but with the things in this photo.

First of all, it bothers me a lot that the star on the hot-cold thing is wrong side up. I can almost understand the decision to point in down toward the round thing* but, it is just wrong.

But what gets me even more is that cloud that has a hand (A hand! What the hell?) growing out of the bottom of it.

And let’s not even get into the discussion about if the building that’s held by the cloud-hand is supposed to be a hand-held size or if the cloud-hand is actually gigantic enough to hold an entire building.

Tahoka, Texas
photographed 2.28.2026

*to use the technical term

joubert

I cannot even think about this abandoned place without hearing “It’s you, Joubert!” in the style of style of Jean Valjean getting shouty with Javert in Les Misérables.

And, you’re welcome for putting that music in YOUR head: just another free service I provide.

St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
photographed 10.22.2017