There is something about fire escapes on old mill buildings that I find extremely photogenic. With the early morning sun casting long shadows against the side of the building, this fire escape became a perfect b&w subject. What really drives my imagination, though, is the last stage of any of these old fire escapes. No matter how you slice it, there is going to be a good 3 to 5 foot drop off the bottom ladder. Imagine a factory full of World War II era women of all ages scrambling down this fire escape only to face that ankle-busting drop at the end. It's no wonder modern buildings no longer include this mode of egress.
Post processing started with a classic filter in Topaz B&W FX. I adjusted color sensitivity sliders, adaptive exposure, boost black, boost white, and contrast. A levels adjustment and sepia photo filter were added in PSE.
