I wanted to share some images I’ve edited as part of a photography project called Structures in Decline. Over the past few years, whenever I found time, I would explore my neighborhood and the surrounding area, discovering buildings and structures in various states of disrepair or decay.
I found myself drawn to the buildings because they seemed to haunt the landscape in Syracuse and Central New York, expressing a feeling of loneliness. And although they have deteriorated and been forgotten, most of the buildings once served a purpose in the community and became part of the region’s history.
A major part of this project was capturing the demolition of the former Kennedy Square public housing project near downtown Syracuse. I photographed the site at various stages of the demolition process and was particularly drawn to the winter scenes, punctuated by shimmering piles of construction debris covered with snow.
I also photographed the Interstate 81 viaduct/overpass running through downtown Syracuse. I feel I must also mention that this was my first attempt at shooting with DSLR cameras, after having made the transition from my beloved Pentax K1000 35mm camera (which still resides comfortably in my storage closet and can be pulled out when needed for a dose of photo nostalgia).
Here’s a Flickr album where you can see some of the images from the Structures in Decline project.
And I’ve added some others here.
Interstate 81 with Crowne Plaza (photo by Francis DiClemente)
Interstate 81 Structure (photo by Francis DiClemente)
Irving Avenue Apartment Building (photo by Francis DiClemente)
Townsend Street Building Front (photo by Francis DiClemente)
Fayetteville Auto Garage (photo by Francis DiClemente)
Empty Gas Station (photo by Francis DiClemente)
Westcott Street House: Side View (photo by Francis DiClemente)
Westcott Street House Porch (photo by Francis DiClemente)
Francis DiClemente 