Old ghost towns have always intrigued me, because I can almost sense the spirits of the people that once inhabited these remote places. This photograph is set in the ghost town of Tahawus, an old iron and titanium mining town now abandoned and decaying in the heart of the Adirondacks. Roofs are collapsing, trees are growing through old porches, and the forest has nearly hidden some of the structures.

On the side of one old shingled house, I photographed this Virginia Creeper vine in autumn color. The lovely lines of the vine contrast beautifully with the aging cedar shingles. Both the vine and the shingles show their age—and an element of grace.

Location: Tahawus, Adirondack Park, Upstate New York, USA

Lee Rentz