No cave trolls or balrogs here, as far as I know. :)
This is not a scene from Lord of the Rings, but is a section of the basement in one of the abandoned buildings at the old State Hospital in Traverse City, MI.
This is one of the "total darkness" sections, so the light was from a powerful (7000 lumen) portable light rig I built specifically to use in these environments. Originally the rig was capable of 9000 lumens, but that ended up being overkill, and was quite heavy to haul around as well.
I like this particular part of the building, as there really isn't a bad way to shoot it. There are several such places in these buildings, which is part of what makes them so enjoyable to go through again and again. Most people shoot this series of arches head-on. Some use individual lights behind each arch to light them up that way, which is a very nice effect. But the aisle is really not that long, and shooting them from this angle makes it harder to discern that. If you don't look closely you can easily imagine it going on for a very long way. It gives the illusion of eternity, but then lets you know very quietly that it is only an illusion. A very apt allegory for this building, given its history and its future.
