HDR shoot at the Medfield State Hospital

I was really excited when I read about this HDR shoot at the Medfield State Hospital organized by Ian Murray (see below in blue). I was going to attend and also see if local camera club members might be interested in a field trip there. Ian has recently updated this photo session because of an uncoppoerative project manager. He is asking for our help.

Announcing a new Meetup for Photography Workshops!
What: Shutter Island Location - Medfield State Hospital - HDR Workshop
When: Saturday, February 5, 2011 10:00 AM
Price: $30.00 per person
Where: Medfield State Hospital 45 Hospital Road Medfield, MA 02052
Join Professional photographer Ian Murray for this chance to try out some HDR photography at the abandoned buildings of Medfield State Hospital. The buildings are legally open to the public from 6am to 6pm daily and provide a backdrop for stunning HDR or regular photography. You can create black and white images or highly textured HDR pictures that are moody and dark and filled with foreboding. The location was used as the set for the recent movie "Shutter Island" and if you managed to see it you will know that there is greast potential here for some stunning photography. We will meet at 10am and leave around 1pm. There is a strong possibility that we will meet up for lunch at a locall restaurant at the end of the workhsop. Of course, you are aslo free to continue photographing on your own once the meetup ends.
A tripod and spare fully charged batteries for your camera will be useful. The buildings are likely to be cold so don't forget to bring some warm clothing.


Here is the write-up from Wikipedia: The hospital was built in 1892. At its height it included 58 buildings, on a property of some 3.6 km2 (900 acres), and a capacity of 2,200 patients. It raised its own livestock and produce, and generated its own heat, light and power. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, the property was closed in April 2003 and was shuttered, and has recently been reopened legally to the public and is open every day from 6 am to 6 pm. It has been used as a filming location for major motion pictures such as Shutter Island and The Box.
In setting up two photo-shoot workshops at Medfield State Hospital I came across some very mixed messages from State and Town officials regarding photography on the site of the abandoned hospital.


I eventually came up against Mary Beth Clancy who is the Senior Project Manager for the Division of Asset Management - the Mass State Department responsible for the Medfield Site. Not only did she refuse any access whatsoever, but also refused to entertain any discussion on the subject, abruptly and rudely hanging up on me twice.

We all know that people have been allowed access to the site to film major motion pictures like "Shutter Island" and "The Box". So a point blank refusal is not necessarily the final say.

In addition to pursuing the matter with my contacts at Governer Patrick's office and Bill Galvin's office I would like to start an email petition to Mary Beth Clancy to let her know that the first line of her department's mission statement reads "to serve the citizens of Massachusetts" and that the citizens of Mssachusetts include a vast number of photographers who would like to be granted the same courtesy of limited and supervised access to the site as that granted to major film makers.

The text of the petition is below.

If you could cut and paste it and send it in an email to marybeth.clancy@state.ma.us

It may help us get some kind of limited access to the site. In the meantime I will continue to doggedly pursue other channels.

If you are a member of any other camera club or have photographer friends please encourage them to sign this and email it to mary beth. I think she needs to see the strength of interest in the photographic community. It will only take a second or two to email her and who knows we may make some inroads into gaining access.

Here is the subject line:

Request to allow photography at Medfield State Hospital

Here is the text:

As a keen photographer I join my many colleagues in questioning your point blank refusal to discuss limited and supervised access to the Medfield State Hospital for the purposes of artful photography. I am aware that access has been granted to film-makers on more than one occasion, even when they are representing for profit interests that are located outside of the State.The mission statement of the State Department in which you are employed begins with the line

"To serve the citizens of Massachusetts" .

I respectfully ask that you re-consider your point-blank refusal to discuss this and I encourage you to enter into a dialog to explore ways in which controlled and limited access can be granted to the citizens of Massachusetts, whom you serve , for the purpose of enagaging in the art of photography.

Other States afford access to abandoned buildings for photographers on a controlled and limited basis. It is shameful that Massachusetts prevents it's own photographer's the opportunity to create such art, when major a major exhibition of abandoned hospital photography is crrently taking place within its own borders. I refer to the "Care of Ward 81" exhibit of stunning photographs by Bill Diodata that is about to open at the Hallmark Gallery in Turner's Falls. The photographs in this exhibit are all taken in an abandoned state hospital in Oregon.

Again I ask you to re-consider your refusal to discuss this and instead become willing to explore creative and manageable ways in which to support this art form.

Ian Murray, Organizer of the photography group "Photography Workshops" and its 330 plus members are ready to talk at any time. You can contact Ian Murray by email at murrayphoto@comcast.net.