Angela Holm • The Locks

'The Locks' Entering into the decommissioned West Linn Paper Mill is like entering an art museum.  While the machines all once had a functional purpose, on the most basic level they are beautiful. The rooms of abandoned machinery become galleries of colorful sculpture.  Driven by curiosity, I explore everywhere I can, and then I’ll return and do it again. With each repeated visit, I get to know the Mill and its contents more.   For the “Aesthetics of Industry” project, I have been exploring the grounds of a decommissioned paper mill in West Linn, Oregon. I make use of a variety of cameras to reflect the different ways that I see this industrial landscape. If I am looking to make an image that my eye does not yet perceive but imagines is there, I use my Zero Image pinhole to help reveal what I am experiencing. Such is the case in this image.   The vast majority of the images I have made during this project have been on film.  Using film slows me down. Film allows me to focus on the moment and create one image at a time. I am not bogged down by immediate results; making the photos is purely about creating. I choose my film and my camera for the aesthetic I am looking to achieve and I love experimenting with different films and cameras to allow me that creativity.   Angela Holm is the founder of 'Photo Club PDX', a city-wide photography club that focuses on the passion and creativity of photography. She is also the creative director of 'Poppn Mag' and owner of Angela Holm Photography. See more of her work at www.angelaholmphotography.com