The Theresa Mine

[Alskoj]

Hi Alskoj, Thanks for the thumbs up.

To answer your question: a painting that practically defines landscape is John Constable's "The Hay Wain." The hay wain itself is central to that painting. I'd go further and say that a landscape without man made objects usually is boring. Humans respond to other humans and to their artifacts. I love trees, and lakes, and mountains, and wildlife, but by themselves they rarely ring the bell the way a good street shot does.

Good point.  I just wasn't sure.  I did see a very old farm implement, sitting on the shore of a creek here locally that would make a good subject.  The Theresa mine would be a great subject in all kinds of lighting and weather conditions.

[RSL]

Thanks, Joseph. Yes. If I remember correctly there should be a ton of interesting stuff, especially wabi sabi stuff, around Longmont to shoot. I agree with what you said about the Theresa, and I've shot it in all sorts of weather (well, not blizzards), and this is my favorite shot. As I'm sure you know, later in the summer the snow disappears off the Sawatch range, though you do get clouds like these. This time the snow was there and so were the clouds. Vindicator valley was about a half-hour drive from my home in Manitou Springs. I used to spend a lot of time up there in those hills. I miss 'em.

Speaking of blizzards, I shot this picture of Bull Hill Station with a 4 x 5 on a tripod in the middle to late sixties. There was a blizzard on the way in as I made the shot, so I stuffed everything back into the car and got out of there as fast as I could. A couple years later they hauled this structure down to Cripple Creek and turned it into a gift shop for the little tourist railroad. Bull Hill Station was at Goldfield. If I'd swung my camera to the right from here I'd have been able to shoot a picture of the Theresa from the side. (Yes, Jeremy, I've posted this picture before on LuLa, maybe even more than once.)

[LesPalenik]

Did you get answers, Rajan? It's at the mouth of Vindicator Valley, which is next to the now almost non-existent town of Goldfield, which is just outside Victor, which isn't far from Cripple Creek. I have hundreds of pictures from this area going back to the middle sixties. Nowadays, instead of burrowing out tunnels beneath the earth, this is how they mine for gold.

Russ, the mine is a fine shot, but I like the second photo of the surface mining with the truck in the middle even more.

[RSL]

I've got a bunch of those, Les, but I have a problem with that kind of mining. I started shooting in the Cripple Creek mining district in 1966. That was before they began tearing up the earth this way. Actually, in those days the price of gold was low and mining was at a minimum. But once gold jumped and they started strip mining they began destroying the history in the area.

Here's an example: This little ghost town was named Elkton. Last time I looked it was still on the map, but it's now under a mountain of tailings several hundred feet high. I've got plenty more like this. I just hope they don't come for the Theresa mine, though I suspect they will eventually. I've already watched them destroy a bunch of the history in Vindicator Valley, and I think they've started ripping up American Eagles Overlook. (google it) I'm not sure I've posted pictures from the Overlook. If I did it was quite a while ago. Maybe I should post some again.

From the standpoint of somebody who loves wabi sabi the whole thing is a tragedy, but it's "progress."

[LesPalenik]

I'm with you on the subject of strip mining. But photographing it doesn't have to endorse such methods.
Ed Burtynsky specializes in the capture and portrayal of the large industrial landscapes. Here is one of his images of surface mining in Utah:

[BobDavid]

Thanks, Joseph. Yes. If I remember correctly there should be a ton of interesting stuff, especially wabi sabi stuff, around Longmont to shoot. I agree with what you said about the Theresa, and I've shot it in all sorts of weather (well, not blizzards), and this is my favorite shot. As I'm sure you know, later in the summer the snow disappears off the Sawatch range, though you do get clouds like these. This time the snow was there and so were the clouds. Vindicator valley was about a half-hour drive from my home in Manitou Springs. I used to spend a lot of time up there in those hills. I miss 'em.

Speaking of blizzards, I shot this picture of Bull Hill Station with a 4 x 5 on a tripod in the middle to late sixties. There was a blizzard on the way in as I made the shot, so I stuffed everything back into the car and got out of there as fast as I could. A couple years later they hauled this structure down to Cripple Creek and turned it into a gift shop for the little tourist railroad. Bull Hill Station was at Goldfield. If I'd swung my camera to the right from here I'd have been able to shoot a picture of the Theresa from the side. (Yes, Jeremy, I've posted this picture before on LuLa, maybe even more than once.)

Wonderful photo, Russ.