It is incredible what story two pictures, put side by side, can tell us. And what a difference decades or hundreds of years can make to our landscapes, architecture, and overall history. Therefore, something like rephotography has gained huge interest from people by showing contrasting images, one from the past and one from the recent times of the same place.
We will never run out of sights to rephotograph, therefore, the subreddit OldPhotosInRealLife will always have something new for us to explore. In this post, we have selected photos that illustrate the most visible changes. A place that was just a plain field has more recently been inhabited by fish. Some places that were full of life are now abandoned and overgrown, or vice versa.
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Seeing how much, in the relatively short period of time that cameras have existed, things have changed, we can only imagine what the world was actually like thousands of years ago. Luckily, in the future ahead, our grandchildren will have something to look back at, but for now, we invite you to explore the already existing shift. And if you feel hungry for more, see our previous posts on Bored Panda here and here.
In addition to this post, Bored Panda got in touch with an incredible photographer named Mark Hersch who specializes in rephotography and adds his little twist to it. Instead of putting pictures side by side, he combines the images into a single one, which reveals parts of the old world and the new one. Feel free to visit his website and for the interview, read down below.
More info: markhersch.com
#1 Today I Got To Fly In My Grandfathers Restored WW2 Hurricane!
Image credits: missbazil
#2 Elsie Allcock Has Lived In The Same House For 104 Years
Image credits: MrMacBro
#3 My Hometown Kharkov In Ukraine 2022-2022
Image credits: DmitriyBragin
Mark is one of the many people who have an interest in both history and photography. That has led him to rephotography. Mark has shared with us his experiences with this style of images. “Photography and history are two of my lifelong interests. A few years ago, after coming across some really historical photographs of Chicago, I went to those locations to recreate the photographs in the present day. But I wasn’t content to look at them side by side, so I started experimenting with ways to combine them into one. As my technique improved, I did many more.”Make sure to take a look at Mark’s adaptation of this style. It is truly incredible.
Even though most of his images were taken in the US, you will find some from England too. “Today I have over 500 images across 16 US cities plus London, England.”
#4 Before-And-After Photo Of Abandoned Building Renovation
Image credits: EmmaOlivia402
#5 The Pines, Fallsburg, NY. (1950’s-Semi Recent)
Image credits: PugetSoundOgre
#6 Crater Lake In 1982 And 2022
Image credits: humblehomiesco
In order to recreate images that match the original, photographers must have a basic knowledge of composition and lighting. But besides that, there are more things to consider. Mark shared with us his process of choosing the perfect location and what he looks into to make the image more interesting.“I look for locations that are easily recognizable by viewers. These would include popular neighborhoods, streets, buildings, and landscapes. I also look for pictures that contain a lot of era-specific reference points (e.g. clothing, vehicles, etc.). When I go out to shoot my contemporary photographs, I take great care to match the angle, perspective, focal length, and even the season and time of day of the original image.”
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For most photographers, the afterward editing should not take too long, but Mark takes his time due to his unique method of merging the photos. “Once I’m back in my studio, I merge them in a way that reveals the most compelling portions of each image. I use very detailed and time-consuming editing techniques to make a seamless and believable transition from old to new.”
#7 Abandoned Mansion In Poland, Left In Ruins. But Now, It Has Been Restored To Its Former Beauty
Image credits: stevejollifee
#8 Waiting Area In Michigan Central Railroad Depot, Detroit (1965 And 2014)
Image credits: hankmeisterr
#9 From Abandoned To This
Image credits: EmmaOlivia402
Some knowledge of rephotography comes from experience only. So before you go out to make your first shot, we advise you to learn from Mark’s experience in the field. “I’ve had to adapt over time to accomplish what I set out to do. Early on, I just assumed I could find the original location and start shooting. I came to learn that some of those locations either don’t exist anymore or the viewpoint of the original photo has changed, making recreation impossible. So now I use a variety of finding aids, including Google Street View, to ensure I can get the shot I need to create the final image,” shared the photographer.
All of these images have something to say to us. Everyone picks up the message they seek, though we wanted to know what is hiding behind Mark’s rephotography. “My work is intended to convey to the viewer a sense of wonder. To show how things change over time, but also in many ways stay the same.”
#10 Gaardbrug Utrecht, The Netherlands
Image credits: TheRickerd120
#11 The Paghman Gardens In Afghanistan 1967 And 2008
Image credits: randomguyfromafrica
#12 Machu Picchu, Peru 1915/2020 One Of The New 7 Wonders Of The World
Image credits: Wavywizard8
You can re-take the shot without any regard to the specifics mentioned before, such as the season, right angle, and such, but to get the best possible results, science comes into play. “I often say rephotography is both a science and an art. Science typically comes first. This is where all the technical parts of photography come into play: shutter speed, aperture, focal length, and lighting. All of which have to match those of the original image. It can be tricky because the equipment we use today is very different from a hundred years ago. It just takes practice and a fair amount of trial and error. Once I get the science right, the art is in creating an image that pleases the eye,” shared Mark.
And on some occasions, you will have to adapt to the location even more. Mark told us about the most challenging locations in his past and what it takes to capture them. “Occasionally I’ll find a source image that wasn’t taken from ground level. So I may need to use a ladder, lean out a window in a building, or even pilot a drone to get the shot I need. For one particular image, I had to have my assistant stop traffic on a busy street long enough for me to climb up a step ladder in the middle of the street to get the shot. A few motorists weren’t happy, but I got the shot!”
#13 Before-And-After Renovation
Image credits: EmmaOlivia402
#14 Manufaktura, Łódź, Poland (1994 And 2014)
Image credits: hankmeisterr
#15 Unlucky House In San Francisco, 1936 And 2022
Image credits: Pandalism
#16 Main & Delaware St, Kansas City, MO (1906 vs. 2015)
Image credits: RigatoniNoodles123
#17 Lake Mead 1983 vs. 2021
Image credits: ZhouLe
#18 Tried My Best To Find The Same Location. Satiam Wagon Road, Oregon. 2022 vs. Date Unknown. Road Was Used 1860-1930s
Image credits: llaawwll
#19 “Almost Certainly A Canoe Tree Cut By The First People. These Impressive Photos Of A River Red Gum Are 130 Years Apart!
Image credits: Achilles_za
#20 Düsseldorf , Germany – 1990-2019
Image credits: Marciu73
#21 Minami-Sanriku (Japan) 2011 vs. 2020
Image credits: PreviousBed98
#22 The Oldest Surviving Camera Negative – Lacock Abbey, England, 1835 And 2022
Image credits: miiyouandmii2
#23 My Dads Old Ski Cabin Now (50 Years Later) vs. When They Were First Building It
Image credits: jqnavarra
#24 The Glynne Arms, Also Known As The Crooked House
Image credits: Disagreeable-Tips
#25 Before & After ~ Move It Or Lose It!
Image credits: EmmaOlivia402
#26 Warsaw City Centre, 1944/2022
Image credits: mieszkogs
#27 Crawford Notch In New Hampshire, As Depicted In 1839 vs. 2020
Image credits: ziggygersh
#28 View Across Central Park In NYC Towards The Beresford Building – 1932/2022
Image credits: idkwhattopicktoday
#29 Swimming Pool Section Of The Grande Hotel Beira, Beira, Mozambique (1958 And 2015)
Image credits: hankmeisterr
#30 Baghdad 1967 vs. 2017
Image credits: MarceloWallace
#31 Chicago 1930s vs. Chicago Today
Image credits: KlutzyAscent
#32 Edinburgh, Scotland
Image credits: icantfixtheliquids
#33 My Mom And I Sitting On The Stoop Of The Bronx House That’s Been In Our Family For 100 Years, Recreating A Photo Of My Great Aunt And Great-Great Grandmother Taken In The ’40s
Image credits: Delighted_Strawberry
#34 St. George’s Hall In Liverpool. 1890s And 2022
Image credits: lindbladlad
#35 Old Market Street, Bristol (1895 And 2020)
Image credits: hankmeisterr
#36 Eureka, Colorado 1899/2020
Image credits: Public_Basil_4416
#37 Western Theatre Of Laodicea On The Lycus (Turkey). Before 2003 vs. 2021
Image credits: dctroll_
#38 Elizabeth Tower From Westminster Bridge. C 1869 & 2022
Image credits: iAlyVee
#39 Normanton Church, Rutland, UK. 1970s – Present
Image credits: TogderNodger
#40 Aracaju, Brazil
Image credits: respadof
#41 WWII Japanese Mini-Submarine Abandoned In Alaska. 1943 And 2022
Image credits: ktbffhctid
#42 Site Of Hagrid’s Hut From Harry Potter In Glen Coe, Scotland: 2003 vs. 2022
Image credits: TerribleFruit
#43 1939/2021
Image credits: mrl33602
#44 Avon Gorge Bearing The Famous Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol (1810 And 2021)
Image credits: hankmeisterr
#45 Looking North On Main St From 7th St, Kansas City (1893 vs. 2022)
Image credits: RigatoniNoodles123
#46 Lawton, Oklahoma (1916 vs. 2022)
Image credits: RigatoniNoodles123
#47 The Billups Neon Crossing Signal, An Experimental Railroad Crossing In Grenada, MS That Utilized Neon Lights And An Air Raid Siren. It Was Never Replicated Anywhere Else Due To High Costs And Technical Problems (1940 vs. 2014)
Image credits: TheBitterSeason
#48 Cancun, Mexico
Image credits: reddit.com
#49 West 207th Subway Station In The Manhattan Neighboorhood Of Inwood, Served By The 1 Train
Image credits: chazwazzle
#50 Main St Of Mansfield, Ohio
Image credits: RigatoniNoodles123
#51 View From The Top Of Cave Rock, Lake Tahoe, East Shore, Nevada 1866 And Now
Image credits: stumpjungle
Source: boredpanda.com