The Car Graveyard series (13 images)

[Ola_Jovall]

THE STORY
In the small community Ryd in Småland, Sweden, Mr. Åke Danielsson made his living from peat-digging on a piece of land he owned (Ryds bog). At the end of the forties, when the income from peat-digging dropped significantly, Åke instead started up a car junk yard. He placed the cars on his property and sold whatever spare parts that could be collected from them. The remaining parts of the cars where just abandoned. He run this business until 1992, when he moved to a home for old people.

He was by the authorities, due to environmental protection issues, asked to move the abandoned cars to an authorized facility. He did neither make it himself nor had the money to pay someone else to move the cars. So, they are still there in the bog, and is nowadays a tourist attraction called the Car Graveyard.

THE IMAGES
Last week on a vacation travel me and my wife visited the Car Graveyard in Ryd. It was tourist visit, so I could only take some snapshots with my travel camera. Also, the light was very harsh, making it very hard to achieve good images. However, when possible I tried to use the light to my advantage.

Anyhow, below are shared some images from this very strange place. These are not nature images, so maybe not fully suited to be posted at NPN, however I wanted to show this place and I am also interested in advice how to improve the images and the series. The images at least show what nature will do with abandoned man-made things.

Specific Feedback Requested

Any comments are welcome!
How to improve the images and the series?
I used the same general post-processing for all of the images. I used a rather saturated green color to emphasize the contrast between the dead cars and the living nature. Was this a good choice, or do you have any other suggestions or ideas?

Technical Details

Is this a composite: No
Different settings, travel camera Olympus Pen E-P7, Olympus lens 14-42 mm pancake, handheld, JPEG

#1

#2

#3

#4
The red tag says “Fore sale: 800 Dollars”

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13

[Harley_Goldman]

Excellent series. I quite enjoyed them individually and as a portfolio. I like to photograph old cars, trucks, drilling rigs, etc out in the desert, so this series is right up my alley, as us Americans say. Very well done.

[Ola_Jovall]

@Harley_Goldman thanks for your kind comments. I am myself rather satisfied, but since this was my first time shooting this type of subjects I am happy that you find them acceptable.

[Kris_Smith (Kristen M Smith)]

I love what you’ve done with these. Small slices and details are your jam, Ola. Those really stand out to me. Numbers 6 & 7 are so wonderful for their abstract qualities as well as detail and proportions. Your use of shadow in 11 and 9 helps remind us of where these wrecks are - the woods and nature will subsume them eventually. Number 13 - the tire is so great. The light and the grass surrounding the nearly perfect circle. Well done!

As a side note coming from an avid abandonment photographer - I like that you didn’t desaturate and rough up the images with a lot of grain. That’s a trope that I try not to go to often, but it’s popular with this kind of imagery. The color saturation is deep and a bit odd for the subject, but I like your sense of nonconformity.

[Tony_Kuyper]

The close up details are my favorites. Junked cars truly become art when examined at this level.

[Diane_Miller]

These are wonderful and this place is a treasure – a target-rich environment! Places like this are great to shoot textures, for abstractions in themselves and to use for compositing with other images. You did a great job with the small camera. I love them all but if I had to choose, I’d say #8 is my favorite. The bit of green leaves in the LL bring my eye to the headlight.

I love this sort of subject and may have to put up a few myself. (I’ll see if I can find some with leaves in them – that was a good idea.)

[Ola_Jovall]

@Kris_Smith, @Diane_Miller and @Tony_Kuyper thanks for your kind comments.

@Diane_Miller

These are wonderful and this place is a treasure – a target-rich environment!

Me and my wife are already planning to return to this place, then bringing the big trunk of photo equipment!

[Patty_Frank]

Great ‘motor mania’ for a motor maniac like myself. The patina and textures, especially #4, #6 and #7 are particularly well captured. Trucker Tess has all aspects and a story. #6 is my favorite. Look forward to your next trip.

[Ola_Jovall]

@Patty_Frank thanks for your kind comments. Glad you liked the images.