The Beauty We Overlook

Not every photograph needs to be made in a place that is considered beautiful. Sometimes the beauty is not in the building itself. It is in imagining the people who once filled it with life.

My wife and I explored an abandoned school in rural Tennessee. Walking around the building, it was impossible not to think about what it once was. There are still shelves standing, light fixtures hanging from the ceiling, and classrooms that have slowly been reclaimed by time.

To think that at one point this building was full of life.

Students filled the hallways. Teachers wrote lessons on chalkboards. Conversations echoed through rooms that now sit silent. For a period of time, this was a place where generations grew up, friendships were formed, and memories were made.

Photography has changed the way I see places like this.

Years ago, I would have driven past an abandoned building without thinking twice. I was always trying to capture what everyone else thought was incredible instead of photographing what I found intriguing.

I have realized that beauty is not always found in pristine places. Sometimes it is found in worn floors, peeling paint, weathered wood, and buildings that quietly remind us that nothing lasts forever.

These places deserve to be remembered too.

Maybe that is what photography has taught me more than anything else. The world is full of stories waiting to be noticed. We just have to take the time to look for them.