Heads up for anyone shooting at the old mill in Cedarville

I was there last weekend with my Pentax K1000, trying to get some shots of the rusted machinery. I set my bag down on what looked like solid ground near the main wheel, and when I came back, the whole side was soaked through. There's a slow, constant drip from a broken pipe overhead that you can't hear over the river. It ruined two rolls of Portra 400 I had in there. Has anyone else run into hidden water traps in places like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

tylerbutler5d ago

Honestly, my buddy lost a whole Mamiya 7 back in that old textile factory off route 9. He leaned it against a wall to change lenses and didn't see the moss was covering a crack that seeped water straight up from the ground. The bottom of the camera bag was a soggy mess in like ten minutes.

graytorres5d ago

It's always the quiet water that gets you. @tylerbutler's story about the factory moss is a perfect example. These old places look solid but they're slowly falling apart in ways you can't see. I've started checking walls and ceilings for damp spots before I put anything down, like some kind of building inspector. Ruined film is such a gut punch after you've spent the time to get the shot.