Inside Medfield State Hospital
This shoot was unreal, as most shoots in this place are. I was not expecting this shoot to happen in the first place, but I am so glad it did, as I was able to shoot some 35mm film as well for my photography class's final critique.
Before this day, I had only entered two different buildings at Medfield State Hospital: Building #7 in November 2018, and the chapel this year in September. The three buildings we had the opportunity to explore this time were breathtaking. The first images were taken in Building 2 (large West Hall), the next few were taken in Building 5 (E-2, near the chapel), and the last few in 27-A (Food Prep Dining).
Building 2 (West Hall)’s first floor had recently been transformed for an upcoming TV show, so it was cleaner than the others. This one was one of my favorites because of the textures that were added before filming. The second floor had more light thanks to the exposed windows, and it was so fun to shoot in different colored rooms! The green, yellow, and pink tones of cracked paint were beautiful.
Building 5 (E-2) was next. The first floor was pretty dark since those windows are boarded up most of the time, but I’m glad we shot right before sunset since the second floor had gorgeous light coming in through all the windows. The peeling layers of paint highlighted the inevitable passing of time. One specific door had three layers of texture: Baby blue on the surface, white in the middle, and the original wood at the very bottom. I could honestly admire the paint on this floor for hours. We came across many bathrooms too, and took many mirror selfies in them.
Building 27-A (Food Prep Dining) was close to pitch black on the first floor, but the second had the most charming blue archway. This spot is pretty well known amongst the local urbex photo community for its skylights. I’ve been admiring it for quite some time on social media. I’d love to go back to that spot sometime.
This place is very special to me, but it’s hard to put my appreciation for it in the right words. It’s hard not to feel drawn to the history and emotional energy of the hospital. I’m very grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to get to know MSH at a deeper level. I hope you all enjoy looking at these portraits as much as I do!
INTERIORS
PORTRAITS
35MM FILM
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Thanks for staying till the end :-)
