I received a phone call from an environmental engineer who was remodeling an old office build on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The building included an old photography lab, and it contained left over photography chemicals. He requested I help him determine how to properly dispose of the photography chemicals.

In the process of that work, he took me to Launch Complex 19, the launch site of the Gemini space missions. I knew instantly I wanted to photograph this launch site. It soon became apparent that there were a number of other deactivated launch complexes that could be photographed.

Abandoned in Place, Atlas Complex 11, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, 1991

Did you face any challenges prior to taking photos of them — such as getting special permits?

All of the sites I photographed for Abandoned in Place are located on secure NASA, military, or private commercial facilities. This necessitated that public affairs or security personnel escort me when making these photographs. It took a couple of years to acquire the level of access required to document these sites in the manner I desired. Once I had made a couple of excursions and showed the photographs I made to NASA and the Air Force, they then gave me their blessing to continue the work.