Quote - I would suggest photo references generally so you do not have to work from memory/good weather if you are going for a realistinc look.  If, however, you are going for the "feel" of it, then memory might be better.

Quote - I've been driving into some areas where I wouldn't normally go, just looking at the older, poorly maintained buildings to get some ideas.

If this implies a dangerous location or suspicious people, I would skip the camera. :-/

No camera, and I wouldn't want to stop long enough to take a picture.  The area used to be summer homes on a lake where people from northern Illinois, known locally as FISH or FIBs used to come.  Not that having money made them any better, they just recreated Chicago on a smaller scale.  Just one of the drawbacks of living that close to Chicago.  Now, if you see someone there, they're probably locals, and probably not in their right mind.  What they're using to have a state of altered perception of reality is what scares me.

Doric.

The "I" in Doric is Silent.