Abandoned Cells

The Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield is a vast abandoned prison that looks more like a medieval castle than a jail with its stone walls, towers and pointed turrets. Inside it is a photographer's playground of rust and decay with rows of empty cells full of peeling paint, flaking steel bars, and light spilling through tall broken windows. The centrepiece is the East Cell Block where six tiers of caged steel are stacked on top of each other, making it the tallest free standing steel cell block in the world. Almost every angle in here gives you something capture. You can experiment with the long vanishing point straight down a row of cell doors, the leading lines of the tiers, or a tight frame from inside a single cell looking out through the rusted bars. After the East Block you can take some time to explore the older brick cells of the West Block and the peeling grandeur of the warden's quarters for some contrast to the bleak inmates area. Don't forget to take some time outside to capture the imposing, castle-like stone exterior from the lawn. The tall windows are what shape the light in here, spreading it sideways across the tiers, so a bright morning or afternoon throws dramatic rays of light and bars of shadows down the block. An overcast day will fill the place with soft, even light that suits the rot beautifully and gives a moody vibe to your shooting. The preservation society runs the Reformatory as a museum now, so there is an admission fee to access the prison. You can explore the grounds on your own, participate in a guided tour, and sometimes they also run dedicated photography tours at times that give you more room, lots of time and quiet space to work. Those will need to be booked in advance and often fill up quickly. (Mansfield, Ohio, USA)