Overheard a guy at an abandoned mill say we're just vandals with cameras

I was at the old Hudson Textile Mill last Thursday taking photos of the peeling paint and rusted looms. This older guy walks by with his dog and says we're just vandals who pretend photography is preserving history. Got me thinking. On one hand, we document places before they collapse, but on the other, some people definitely kick in doors or step on stuff to get a shot. Where do you draw the line between exploring and just wrecking things?

2 comments

2 Comments

stone.evan2d ago

...and I'm definitely one of the ones who's guilty of it. I tripped over a rotten floorboard at the old textile mill yesterday and now my knee feels like it's full of gravel. That's what I get for trying to get a shot of some broken window light. But yeah, I see his point. I've seen people kick open doors that were perfectly fine, just to get a shortcut. I guess the trick is to remember we're guests in these places, not owners. If a pile of debris is holding up a ceiling, maybe don't move it just to frame the shot better.

scott.mia2d ago

Third step into the Hudson mill I put my foot through a floorboard up to my thigh. So yeah, some of us are definitely vandals with bruised egos.