Ronny Salerno 4/11/21 Ronny Salerno 4/11/21

The Salton Sea

The 104 degree temperature heightened the smell—salty water and rotting fish with a breeze of wildfire forming a haze over the horizon. Even as we fought off constant swarms of flies and left footprints in the sludge-ridden shore, this was somehow one of the most beautiful places I’d ever been.

Ronny Salerno 3/29/21 Ronny Salerno 3/29/21

Late in Life Skateboarding and The Legend of Rock-A-Hoola

A story about aging, an abandoned waterpark, and a broken hand.

Ronny Salerno 3/14/21 Ronny Salerno 3/14/21

A Day When “Nowheres” Prevailed Over the “Usual Somewheres”

Venturing from Vegas through the desert en route to Phoenix with many stops along the way.

Ronny Salerno 3/4/21 Ronny Salerno 3/4/21

[Suburbia Lost] McDonald’s - Forest Park, OH 2

Abandoned fast food places dot the American landscape everywhere you look, but it’s rare to find a shuttered McDonald’s still standing. Sometimes you get lucky, though, and find the White McWhale of derelict suburban architecture.

Ronny Salerno 2/23/21 Ronny Salerno 2/23/21

The Rest of Vegas: Summer 2020

Travis sold me on the idea of giving this city another look, devoting more time to exploring beyond the glow of neon lights and tourist traps. We enjoyed ramen at a hole-in-the-wall, took in the city’s Koreatown and Chinatown, wandered the Arts District, sipped drinks at a strip mall tiki joint, and wandered Fremont St. from its light show experience all the way down to the parts that still echo the work of Fred Sigman.

Ronny Salerno 2/18/21 Ronny Salerno 2/18/21

Circus Circus

Documenting a slice of kitschy Vegas charm known to outsiders of a certain age and cultural persuasion. This was the place you’d see on television and in travel magazines. One day it may be gone.

Ronny Salerno 2/10/21 Ronny Salerno 2/10/21

Las Vegas: Wings of Gold

The first in a series from a trip to the western United States—a combination of digital and 35mm, rumors of witchcraft, inspiration from 1995, and the vestiges of a Vegas that was not its normal self.

Ronny Salerno 1/14/21 Ronny Salerno 1/14/21

A Big Boy Graveyard + Other Assorted Film Shots

A collection of various 35mm shots made in 2020 that didn’t necessarily have a place in a larger story or post.

Ronny Salerno 12/28/20 Ronny Salerno 12/28/20

Spilt Coffee in St. Louis

An upended future, two arches, a quote by Joel Meyerowitz, and a search for clarity in the Midwest.

Ronny Salerno 12/21/20 Ronny Salerno 12/21/20

The Riviera of the Midwest

They say "there's more than corn in Indiana," and they're right. There's a classic boardwalk amusement park sitting on a midwestern lake: fried food, roller coasters, games, and all.

Ronny Salerno 12/14/20 Ronny Salerno 12/14/20

Kings Island in July 2020 via 35mm Film

Otis Redding sat on “the dock of the bay.” I sat near the edge of man made pond on a German-themed patio that served Mexican food.

Ronny Salerno 12/9/20 Ronny Salerno 12/9/20

What Happened to Queen City Discovery?

Looking for QueenCityDiscovery.com? It still exists and there’s more to come, but life changes…

Ronny Salerno 7/30/20 Ronny Salerno 7/30/20

Having Lunch with Nana and Papa

“I tell ya, I’m old. I wear a mask, but I’m not like you,” she says with a New York accent that has persisted longer than her desire for me to have children. “If I get it, I get it. If I die, I die.” This isn’t morbid. This is just Nana.

Ronny Salerno 7/26/20 Ronny Salerno 7/26/20

[Kings Waffle] Chapter 16

The pandemic continues and with it comes limited hours and extra safety precautions. I wondered, though, even in a world where the operating times weren’t just 6 A.M. to 2 P.M., would anyone be hanging out late into the night still?

Ronny Salerno 7/23/20 Ronny Salerno 7/23/20

[Kings Waffle] Chapter 15: Kelli Week

The retail store I worked at closed at 9 PM. On an ideal shift, when no one was being difficult, I was out of there at 10. I could be at Kings Waffle with a fresh pack of Camels and warm coffee by 10:20. After the post-amusement park rush died down, I could then order some food and talk with Kelli. That is, only if it was “Kelli Week.”

Ronny Salerno 7/21/20 Ronny Salerno 7/21/20

The House I Grew Up In

There have been a lot of abandoned places over the years. For awhile, the subject of "urban exploration" was the main focus of my photographic and written work. Since I was 17, I’ve had the opportunity to document many captivating subjects in both the historic and visual sense. Sometimes I was with a guide or showing up with an invitation—other times it was more of an “adventure,” if you will. From “ghost ships” to subway tunnels to stadiums and amusement parks—the types of places have varied, but there are two distinct categories in which I’ve viewed these derelict locales: the ones I knew and the ones I didn’t.

Ronny Salerno 7/19/20 Ronny Salerno 7/19/20

[35mm Ohio] Roll No. 06-08-20-01

Note to self: see file "06-08-20-01" on Scrivener.

Ronny Salerno 7/17/20 Ronny Salerno 7/17/20

[35mm Ohio] Porta in May 2020

Pentax K1000 with Kodak Portra 800.

Ronny Salerno 7/16/20 Ronny Salerno 7/16/20

[Kings Waffle] Chapter 14: The First Family

I gripped the handle and kept an eye on the rolling, digital numbers. Right around $10, I let go of the pump. “That oughta be good for now,” I figured, just enough gas to get me by until the next payday. I hopped in the car and got ready to head towards my job of the moment. It wasn’t a bad gig by any means, but it was a stop gap—a situation I had never thought I’d find myself in. As I got ready for another night of anxiety surrounding my future and pretending I knew how to sell shoes, a Fed Ex truck passed me and my phone rang.

It was...

Ronny Salerno 7/13/20 Ronny Salerno 7/13/20

[Kings Waffle] Chapter 13: Physical Expressions

Sometimes Kings Waffle manifests itself in physical form, not just in people.