Bryan Thompson of Graffiti Photographic and Little Alice set out to Gary, IN on March 9, 2013.  It was a clear day out, no snow or rain, but it was windy and the sky was slate grey.  The Cloud Orchid Team duo headed into the abandoned church were several other photography teams were also utilizing the decayed building.  One team was headed by Brett Stoddart, a close friend of COM.  He invited us to join his team and share the space.  We were only too happy to accept and use the day as a test shoot for the OSR 2013 Project.

The filthy floors, crumbling walls, and broken windows were a perfect template for what we will utilize on our April trip.  Graffiti Photographic brought a ladder to practice his new concept for this year- levitation.  Little Alice also brought several sets of wardrobe for a specific concept she will be directing at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.  They scouted the building, saying hello to the familiar and new faces that were also prowling about.  Photographer Abby Garton-Elliott also made an appearance that afternoon.  The Cloud Orchid Team hopes to collaborate with her in the near future for more abandoned building projects.

Brett Stoddart brought his antique wheelchair, and allowed the team to use it for a few shots.  Little Alice squeezed every minute, ripping through wardrobe in order to get the shots she needed for the final decisions.  Some of the shots turned out hauntingly beautiful.  Our good friends Che Correa and Abby also own antique wheelchairs.  Between the three of them, our team hopes to bring one of the chairs with us on the caravan.

Graffiti Photographic made good use of the church, choosing hallways and cramped spaces to test out his levitation concept.  Little Alice climbed up and down the ladder.  He later edited the photos, removing the ladder, so Little Alice appeared to be floating in the air, or stuck to the walls.  He is currently perfecting this concept for the project.  His goal is to unnerve the viewer.  We think he has already achieved this with the test shots.  We can only imagine what he will come up with once April comes.

Our team hopes to have at least one more test shoot before the big project.