ABANDONED & ECCENTRIC PLACES

The Dutch photographer Henk van Rensbergen introduced me to this kind of photography. I am intrigued by forgotten and abandoned places. They force you to co-write their story.

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You'll find several pictures in this section of Desert Shores and Bombay Beach, more or less abandoned places near the Salton Sea, California. These places flourished half a century ago, when (wealthy) people came to the Salton Sea for holidays, water-skiing and sunbathing. Due to salinization, an ecological drama took place. Fish and other fauna and flora died, spreading a terrible smell. Some people stayed, in this hot place in the desert not too far from the Mexican border. It attracts people who want to or need to live off the grid. Going for gas is too far a drive and too expensive, so they use golf cars to get around. If you pay close attention, you can see that this place also attracts artists, e.g. the Belgian mural artist ROA.