Last May I blogged about the abandoned pod development in San-zhr on the north coast of Taiwan. It has proved to be one of the more popular posts on this site, so last week a friend and I headed out there for a photo shoot. The first time I was there, I stayed outside as the pods are decaying and a little unsafe. I was there alone, so I opted for a safety first approach. This time I ventured inside, as I had someone to rescue me if the need arose (it didn’t). All photos were shot on a Canon 40D with 17-40mm f4L and the interior shots also had a 420ex with softbox attached with an off-camera shoe cord, with the speedlight held above my left shoulder.
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Craig Ferguson Images | Cultural Photography. One of the key aspects of life that we humans identify with is culture. We label people, places and events according to our ideas of what they are, ranging from the broader scale defined by tradition and place down to the small scale subcultures and tribes. Craig Ferguson Images is consistantly creating new visions in the field of cultural photography. From traditional festives and customs to modern, urban subcultures, Craig Ferguson Images is in touch with the changing world. From our base in Taipei, Taiwan we are perfectly positioned at the crossroads of the ancient and the modern.
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All content © 2010 by Cultural photography from Asia | Craig Ferguson Images
Cool pics, the 7th pic reveals that the aliens brought Whisbey with them to earth.
what a waste, Craig. it’s really unfortunate because i think the place looks incredible – i’d live there. the rooms are quite a bit larger than i thought. thanks to your excellent photography i was able to see inside these pods for the first time. it’s a shame that superstition rules people.
Thanks for the comments. I plan to go back for my 3rd visit sometime in the near future and take some light stands and light the insides properly. If you guys are interested in coming, we should try and organize something.
@Todd – yes, whisby is an alien creation. No human could have invented something so awful
@MJ – It is an incredible place. I’d love to shoot a model there, but I’d need to find a model first.
I would have never imagined such shaped buildings in Taiwan, Good pictures and I can tell that the artistic spirit was present, Cheers.
The place does look incredible and the shots are really nice. I like the use of the speedlight as well. Gave great results.
I’d be interested in going as well, but it will have to wait once I return to Taiwan in late April. I’m sure my wife would like to go as well, she’s an avid photographer.
wife=jorees.
Terrific follow-up Craig. This place looks amazing! How is it you find the most interesting places to blog about and photograph? Who fills you in on these special out-of-the-way places on your travels around the world? What kind of research do you do before you embark on a journey?
Thanks all.
@range – I love the place, so I’m always interested in a trip there. Even if I go back sooner, I’d be tempted to take another trip in April. There’s a lot of other interesting sounding places in the area, but you need a car to get to them and I don’t have a car.
@carrie – I usually find stuff by either hearing someone mention something and asking questions, googling and the like, or browsing the galleries at http://www.dgphoto.com.tw (the best Taiwan photo site IMHO) and dragging out a map and searching for the location mentioned on the gallery. The site is good because you can browse by city/county within Taiwan and I get to learn a few new characters as there’s no English on the site. And it has the best Taiwanese photographers on it.
Thanks Craig. I’ll have to check the site out for Taiwan Photographers. I’m always looking for new contributors. I hope to meet up with you soon.
Do you sell any of your photography in Taiwan?
Carrie – I do occasionally. I’ve got a few things in the works at the moment, and hopefully when the day comes that I have an open work permit either through marriage to a Taiwanese woman or in 2 years when I qualify for an APRC (which is the more likely option at the moment), I should be in a position to live solely off photography in Taiwan. At least, that’s the plan.
Great shot, Craig. This place looks so strange, I’d like to visit. I would love to shoot with you sometime. If I ever make it over there …
I’d be interested to hear about your lighting setup, sound interesting. I have a 580 EX II and am still trying to learn the ins and outs.
Stevo, thanks. It’d be great to get together one day – here, there or somewhere else. As for lighting, it was a simple setup. I had a softbox on the speedlight and the flash was attached to the hotshoe with an OCSC. To shoot, I held the camera in my right hand and the flash above my head in my left, moving it around as necessary. I was supposed to have a 550ex as well, but the guy I was getting the 550ex off wasn’t able to meet me before the shoot, so I was stuck with the 420ex only, which is a very basic speedlight. A good resource for off-camera lighting is http://www.strobist.com I’ve learned a lot there, they also have a Flickr group (same name) that has lots of good info.
Great photographs! I especially like the one of the breaking waves.
[...] The development — which resembles a rotting, zombified version of the Monsanto House of the Future from Disneyland — was never finished, and has sat empty for all these years, going to wrack and ruin. This abandoned hyper-futuristic San-Zhr Pod Village, a rotting, curvilinear housing complex has been cursed since its inception, killing and injuring some of its construction crew. Photography by Craig Ferguson. More Here [...]
Uh, hey Craig-
You still alive? I mean, you stepped on cursed ground to take such beautiful shots of the abandoned San Zhr complex.
Really great shots!!
Thanks.
Wow, this looks incredible. I can't believe this is sitting there and was never finished! The places looks pretty big and amazing. Too bad it never became a reality. Amazing shots, thanks so much for this second, closer look!
Thanks Patrick. It would have been a very cool development if it were ever finished.
Really great shots!!
Thanks.
Wow, this looks incredible. I can't believe this is sitting there and was never finished! The places looks pretty big and amazing. Too bad it never became a reality. Amazing shots, thanks so much for this second, closer look!
Thanks Patrick. It would have been a very cool development if it were ever finished.