For more than a decade, Brian Ulrich has been photographing the landscape of big box stores, shopping plazas and abandoned shopping malls. This summer, Ulrich and I talked about his exploration of the strange place where retail leaves its giant footprint. My essay explores his work and the place where he makes it. Ulrich's latest work, as well as his archive of suburban ephemera, can be seen on his website, notifbutwhen.