A Millworkers Lament - Michael Drapeau

Photography
12 Photos, 18"x24"

“Millworkers Lament” is a 12-image photo essay about a ghost trapped in an abandoned mill. It explores themes of isolation, nostalgia, and reflection.

Black and white photo of a person taking a photo with a Pentaz camera
Michael Drapeau

Michael Drapeau is a skilled cinematographer passionate about creating impactful visual stories. Earning his BA in Media Production at the 鶹Ƶ, he blends technical expertise with creative vision for each project. With experience directing magazine visuals, photojournalism, and working on film productions, Michael’s work reflects his dedication to captivating and resonating stories. Whether behind the camera or shaping a visual narrative, Michael strives to craft content that inspires and engages, leaving a lasting impression on audiences.

A Millworkers Lament

The image shows a dimly lit industrial interior with metal staircases, pipes, and machinery scattered in the darkness. Two barred windows at the back provide faint light, framing a ghostly figure draped in a white sheet standing in the shadows. The floor is cluttered with debris, while the rusted equipment and overall darkness enhance the eerie, abandoned atmosphere.

The scene takes place in a dark, abandoned interior with graffiti-covered walls and a dusty, open space. In the foreground, a ghostly figure draped in a white sheet sits on a torn and worn-out armchair, surrounded by rubble and shadows, evoking a surreal yet unsettling atmosphere.

The image shows a dimly lit industrial interior with metal staircases, pipes, and machinery scattered in the darkness. Two barred windows at the back provide faint light, framing a ghostly figure draped in a white sheet standing in the shadows. The floor is cluttered with debris, while the rusted equipment and overall darkness enhance the eerie, abandoned atmosphere.

The image shows a dimly lit industrial interior with metal staircases, pipes, and machinery scattered in the darkness. Two barred windows at the back provide faint light, framing a ghostly figure draped in a white sheet standing in the shadows. The floor is cluttered with debris, while the rusted equipment and overall darkness enhance the eerie, abandoned atmosphere.

The image shows a dimly lit industrial interior with metal staircases, pipes, and machinery scattered in the darkness. Two barred windows at the back provide faint light, framing a ghostly figure draped in a white sheet standing in the shadows. The floor is cluttered with debris, while the rusted equipment and overall darkness enhance the eerie, abandoned atmosphere.

This black-and-white image features an abandoned urban setting with a rusted metal door, barred windows, and graffiti-covered brick walls. A ghostly white sheet draped behind the bars and rubble-strewn ground emphasize the eerie, desolate atmosphere.

The image shows a dimly lit industrial interior with metal staircases, pipes, and machinery scattered in the darkness. Two barred windows at the back provide faint light, framing a ghostly figure draped in a white sheet standing in the shadows. The floor is cluttered with debris, while the rusted equipment and overall darkness enhance the eerie, abandoned atmosphere.

This photo features the exterior of a derelict brick building with a doorway at its center, partially engulfed in overgrown vegetation. Emerging from the dark doorway is a figure shrouded in a white sheet, creating a haunting focal point against the graffiti-covered walls and shadowy surroundings.z

The image shows a dimly lit industrial interior with metal staircases, pipes, and machinery scattered in the darkness. Two barred windows at the back provide faint light, framing a ghostly figure draped in a white sheet standing in the shadows. The floor is cluttered with debris, while the rusted equipment and overall darkness enhance the eerie, abandoned atmosphere.

The setting is an overgrown courtyard enclosed by crumbling brick walls covered with graffiti, some of which depict ghostly faces. Among the debris of corrugated metal sheets and rubble, a figure cloaked in a white sheet crouches, blending into the scene’s haunting atmosphere.

This project dives into a story about isolation and disconnection, but creatively I am expressing how I’ve matured as an artist. I’m making “Millworker’s Lament” as a way to explore new ways of storytelling outside of a single channel video format that I’ve grown accustomed to. With the use of celluloid black and white film to aid me in my journey, and my fellow peers assisting me with shaping the final 12 photos of this project in a 3x4 format, I am looking to illicit a tone of nostalgia, sorrow, and reflection from the audience.