burtoo

[burtoo]

Today I learned of Tumblr's plan to begin (or continue) selling user content to OpenAI and Midjourney, which is the last straw for me and my presence on the site. Regardless of their claims that users can opt out of this, I frankly just don't believe them.

I've used Tumblr since 2010 when I started photography, and this blog is the largest existing archive of my work on the internet. It's a liability for me to continue to allow it to be hosted on a site that is now actively contributing to the theft of art, directly from artists. I know my photos have already been stolen, repurposed and claimed countless times over the years from Tumblr and other sites, but I have to draw a line here. I will unfortunately be removing all my past work from this blog, perhaps something I should have done when the suspicions first arose about Automattic's greed.

Many aspects of my creative career have been negatively impacted by AI already, I just see this as one less path in which to be exploited.

That being said I want to thank all of you for the support over the decade plus I've been active on here, I stuck around much longer than most because of my appreciation for a website that was a huge influence to my early creativity as a kid. I still think it was the best format for social media, and I really am going to miss Tumblr and the creative community it used to be.

I will still do my best to utilize this blog as a place to make announcements about any new projects, such as my upcoming book I aim to release at the end of the year.

You can still find me and my (Glaze/Nightshade protected) work elsewhere on the internet at Instagram, Twitter, and my website.

So long,

Brendon

#Goodbye #Tumblr #AI

[burtoo]

Hi Brendon, giant fan of your work!

I know you get a ton of questions and hope they don't annoy you or repeat endlessly, and that you havent already replied to these and I just havent seen it <3

Firstly, based on what do you name your projects? Do the titles just come to you or are they deeply thought-out? Do you have a favourite one maybe?

Secondly, I know literally nothing about photography, so sorry if this question is entirely ignorant or offensive, I came across your work on accident and have been obsessed ever since, but I don't generally take much interest in this artform in particular, what I'm wondering is, how much of these pictures are photoshopped? Are they photoshopped at all?

Thirdly, how much time does it take for you to finish a project? And how do you manage to find the time to explore all these places? Do you have a 9-5 job or is your primary field of work photography? Or just a hobby? How far have you traveled for your photography?

Thank you so much ahead for taking the time to reply! This is basically an interview with the amount of questions I've asked, sorry. Also, english isn't my first language so excuse any grammatical errors.

Hello, appreciate the questions!

I don't really like naming my projects so I often just name my sets the month they were taken, occasionally I will think of a singular name for a series but rarely does it come to me before I've made the entire body of work.

Most of my images are not edited beyond color grading, but I do occasionally composite or tweak elements to fit the vision I have for an image. I am a retoucher as my day job currently so I do my best to capture what I want in camera to avoid spending any unneeded time in front of the computer.

I spend most of my free time exploring, I always have since I got my first car. I I love finding strange new places, especially in rural America. I get homesick for the isolation. I'm lucky to live in an area that is completely surrounded by farmland and forest. As for photography being a field of work for me - I have my day job so I can cherry pick the client work I take on. I was freelance for a short period but I knew I didn't want to be forced to take on work that wasn't a great fit. I'm extremely grateful to be hired for my vision by clients who trust me.

Furthest I've traveled for photography would probably be Northern Saskatchewan. Doesn't seem like much, but being 3 hours away from the nearest civilization in a ghost town really shows how big North America is. Really want to go further into British Columbia and the Northwest Territories someday.

#ask

[burtoo]

I understand your inbox must be filled with these types of questions, but i wondered if you had any advice on getting started with photography? any beginner level equipment recommendations?

This is a good question, and definitely one that I had when I first started photography. The internet is a great resource, but it does get very overwhelming due to how saturated and accessible the medium is. It's also very easy to think you need a specific camera or editing method to achieve what you want, but that's definitely not the case!

I started shooting expired 35mm film with a little Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 I got in a big dirty ziplock bag at the local Salvation Army for 5 dollars. It was an awful camera, the film was close to unusable but just the act of using it and seeing results that were somewhat close to what I was envisioning was a thrill that I still get 10 years later shooting. Cameras are a tool, some are better than others but the quality of the image is dependent entirely on the person who made the choice to capture it. To me the longevity of photography is in the act of experiencing and collecting. It has pushed me to live a much more exciting life.

My advice to anyone starting photography now is to avoid hesitation related to equipment or lack of technical skill, shoot with whatever camera you can get your hands on (even your phone!) and remember that you are shooting for your own gratification. Shoot what actually interests you.

A quote that has stuck with me since I started taking photos - Audience and actor are the same. I live my life as a spectacle for myself, for my own edification. - Susan Sontag

#ask

[burtoo]

Hello. I really enjoy your images (I came here from a link from Juxtapoz). I was wondering one thing: do you come up with ideas for your images before you shoot them, or do you go about it and go with the flow. If you brainstorm, what are some ways you come up with ideas?

I used to brainstorm ideas and my photos were a lot more deliberate in the early stages of my work, but I've found the most satisfaction in just blurring the line between real and fiction, and assembling the story afterwords. It’s the most fun when you can find the common thread or language in a collection of images after the fact. The bizarre things found consistently exceed any expectations or plans.

[burtoo]

sorry if youve already been asked this before, but do you have any tips for getting started exploring abandoned places?

I do have some tips! I’d like to preface them with a word of warning that exploring abandoned places is very dangerous in certain parts of the world compared to others, only go inside of a building if you’ve determined it’s stable, safe and empty.

To scout locations: google street view is your best tool. Learn to look for the telltale signs such as missing mailboxes, rotten roof, broken windows.

There is safety in numbers, bring a friend that can watch out for you and help you in cases of emergency.

Do not break and enter, and if a door or window is open - close it when you leave. This should go without saying, but still need to note this.

Wear a respirator if you have health issues, a lot of old places have some gnarly mold or asbestos that can be kicked up by disturbing the air.

If you have mobility issues or are not able to move fast don’t risk getting trapped somewhere, use risk assessment.

On the note of gut feelings - if a place feels off, it likely is. I’ve been exploring abandoned places for over a decade now and it took some time to recognize warning signs, but when I had a gross feeling about a place it was always right.

If you get caught: don’t become confrontational or push an argument. You will be in the wrong legally if there are any no trespassing signs, so it’s always best to be honest and just explain you are exploring out of curiosity. I usually get away with it by asking a landowner about the history of the space. People love to teach other people a lesson when they know they have the upper hand, let that lesson be a friendly conversation rather than a punishment.

Finally: leave no trace. The main reason people do not share locations is due to the fragility of the setting, one asshole can easily destroy a really beautiful, one of a kind house. Be cautious who you share locations with, and try your best to be delicate while exploring.

I hope this helps. Good luck to all explorers!

[burtoo]

what was the creepiest moment that happened to you while exploring new places and taking pictures? (also you're my all time fave photographer🌻)

I've had a lot of really strange things happen in abandoned houses but the scariest is discovering someone else is in the house with you. The most intense event that happened to me was at an abandoned lodge in Southern Oregon near my hometown, it was in a very remote mountain community that had a lot of shady stuff happening in the forests. I was still new to exploring abandoned places just out of high school so I was much more careless. On one visit I came across a local group stripping copper out of the walls who then stole my camera along with my friends' and attempted to drive away but jackknifed their car with the trailer they were using to haul the pipes and other valuables. We started trying to open the car to get our stuff back before another local resident came by on a four wheeler to help us. He then kinda publicly shamed one of the girls (who was the daughter of a pastor apparently) for getting mixed up with addicts and getting into so much trouble etc. It could have gone a lot worse and I'm really thankful that man was nearby and stepped in to help some stupid kids get their stuff back from people who could have reacted violently. That event was a learning experience to say the least.

In terms of the most unsettling thing I've come across was in a ghost town in South Dakota. The last house I got into before it got dark was one on the outskirts of town and was disturbingly well preserved. Cigarette butts still in the ash trays, dusty glasses on the nightstands, signed photograph of George Bush etc. I had to have been one of the first people inside since the owner left/died. I went down into the basement (dumb) and found a separate, closed off room that had some antlers scattered around and a small bed. On the floor was a freshly dead rabbit. Couldn't have been dead for more than 72 hours. I told myself the rabbit simply got trapped down there and died, but the room had no windows and the door had to be shoved open. So that is a mystery that still sits with me.

Some photos from that house:

[burtoo]

loose lips sink ships, so whats the usual process for finding locations. spotting during exploring, talking to locals, inner circle?

It's an evolving challenge. If I'm interested in a single location like an abandoned house I see online I'll reference multiple photos featuring the subject to get a general idea of what town it's near through the captions, then move to Google Maps street view and scout the area virtually.

If it's an entire area I'm interested in documenting I'll get a bit more personal and try to contact locals before visiting or do a lot of research on the history and just sort of use my instincts once I'm there. The real challenge arrises when searching for a specific, ordinary thing. I've spent the past few days scouring the internet for an idealized location in my head: a giant live oak tree in the Deep South. I have some leads but really the best spots are usually found on the ground and in the moment, it's a lot more thrilling that way as well.

[burtoo]

what inspires you?

Lately there's been a lot

Movies:

The Reflecting Skin

Night of the Hunter

Badlands

Blood Simple

There Will Be Blood

The Assassination of Jesse James

Cure

Ivan’s Childhood

Memories of Murder

Saint Maud

In the Mood for Love

Body Heat

Let the Right One In

Grey Gardens

Books:

Blood Meridian - Cormack McCarthy

A Good Man is Hard to Find - Flannery O'Connor

The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

Slouching Towards Bethlehem - Joan Didion

Hold Still - Sally Mann

Beloved - Toni Morison

The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides

House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski

The poetry of Mary Oliver 

What the Caves Are Trying to Tell Us - Sam Kriss

The Crane Wife - CJ Hauser

TV Shows:

Chernobyl

Sharp Objects

True Detective (Season 1)

Better Call Saul

Severance

Station Eleven

How To with John Wilson