So You Want To Photograph Abandoned Buildings?
Urbex. Urban exploration. Exploring abandoned places. We’ve all been mesmerised by places that have been forgotten. We’ve all wondered about the secrets hidden behind crumbling walls. We’ve all imagined what life would have been like when we see an old school, hospital, or industrial building. Urbex elicits many different feelings. Feelings of fear and excitement at the sight of a glorious, abandoned building. Feelings of daring about wanting to explore the old remains. Feelings of being watched, of a haunting, of an eeriness about what could be unseen.
Even though these places attract and fascinate us, I think there’s a general reluctance for people wanting to explore and photograph these places. I think there’s a stack of very valid reasons for this, like safety, a lack of accessible places, and a fear of getting in trouble with the Fuzz. Urbex was one of the reasons I picked up a camera in the first place. I was sick of taking crappy photos with my phone. When I got my first ‘real’ camera, I started taking crappy photos on that instead! For a while, I ran a relatively successful Urbex-inspired Instagram account and became somewhat of a local expert on the subject in southern Queensland.
My love for Urbex was recently re-ignited on a day trip I took. One of the places I explored was essentially a train graveyard, and I was enraptured by the decay, grime, and silent reminders of time gone by. I noticed during my walk-through of the train graveyard, a small but steady flow of passers-by stopping to see the rusting hulks, but no-one getting out to see. No one even got out, even for a closer peek. So with that in mind, I wanted to share my experience on how to get into Urbex, and Urbex photography.
Do your homework.
Urbex just doesn’t happen. It takes prior planning. Finding appropriate locations, understanding how to access the locations, and having an idea of what you’ll be photographing. I used to find places on Instagram using local urbex hashtags. Whenever I was out, I would always be on the lookout for places that looked abandoned — rusted roofs, places with stuffed letterboxes, overgrown gardens, and graffitied buildings. You might already know of landmarks in your region. Whatever, or wherever you’re heading, do as much research as possible. One thing you’ll find with many experienced Urbexers is they get very protective of locations, especially ones that haven’t been ruined by graffiti artists or idiots. Don’t be surprised if you get a big fat ‘NO’ when you reach out and ask someone about a location they’ve shot! The very nature of abandoned places often lends itself to somewhat unsavory characters. I’ll talk about safety later, but even practical things like finding where to park your car can make or break an adventure. Can you wing it? Sure, however in my experience preparation definitely makes the shoot better.
Personal Safety.
Safety is a big one. A really big one, to be honest. I mentioned before that abandoned places can, and often do attract unsavory people. I’ve been to plenty of places that had the homeless, drug-addicted and generally nefarious take up residence. If your gut tells you no, pay heed. How can you improve your personal safety? Take a friend, make sure someone knows where you’re going, and have a safe escape route. Don’t take gear, clothing, accessories, etc that may make you an attractive target.
Environmental Safety.
Safety isn’t just about keeping you safe from other people. There’s a stack of environmental concerns to keep in mind for any abandoned building. Abandoned buildings are often decaying buildings. This can mean rotten floors, steps, and supports. Always be aware of your footing, what you’re leaning on, and what is weight baring. Air-born particles, like asbestos or industrial waste, are super prevalent in abandoned buildings. Don’t be scared to bring a mask, hand sanitiser, or appropriate equipment to keep you safe from environmental risks.
Gear.
Abandoned places are usually dark places. Unless you’re outdoors (like a train graveyard!), consider bringing a tripod to help get those lower shutter-speed captures. There’s nothing worse than having to sit your camera on the floor, or a grimy beam to keep it steady while you take those longer shutter-speed shots! There’s no right or wrong gear to take, however for your first few explores, don’t take your best gear. Expect to be in grimy, dirty, moist environments. Try not to change your lens ‘in the field’, keep the lens cap on where possible.
It’s hard to take an exciting photo of a boring subject.
This is something I learned over time. I’d visited plenty of abandoned warehouses and houses. When I looked through my photos, later on, I found myself seriously underwhelmed. Why? Because I was taking photos of empty, graffitied places that were totally disinteresting. There was no character to the building, apart from the fact that a homeless bum peed in the corner, a junkie had left needles everywhere and some punk spraypainted a wiener on the wall. If the building is boring, you’re probably going to get shots you’re underwhelmed with. It can be hard to find interesting buildings, objects or places, and photograph them well. Really hard. They’re out there, you just have to find them.
Dealing with the Fuzz.
So the elephant in the room. Break and enter. Trespassing. Private property. I’m not going to be prescriptive because this is essentially up to your conscience. Have I explored places on private property without permission? Yes. Have I been approached by police or security? Yes. Have I ever been charged? Nope. Measure the risk to the reward, if you get approached by the Fuzz, be honest, and open, show them your camera, show that you’re not there to smash anything, break anything or set the place on fire. You will be approached by security and/or the police eventually in your Urbex journey. Expect it.
Enjoy it.
It’s that simple. Enjoy it. This list isn’t meant to scare you off. The contrary is true! I developed a lot of skills through Urbex, like composition and shooting in low light. It was a steep but valuable learning curve. I loved finding new locations, I loved exploring, I loved (and still love) capturing abandoned places. The first time you squeeze through a rusted fence or jump through a smashed window is an amazing rush. The vibe you get when you’ve captured crunchy grime is delicious. The glug of wet shoes as you tramp back to your car after shooting an untouched abandoned location is sublime!
Whether or not Urbex is a passing fad, or you’re a serious enthusiast who wants to document the decay, you’re in for a definite treat. Finding the history of locations is a thrill, finding a kindred community which you can share with is amazing, and enjoying this daring passion is very satisfying!
Have you done Urbex? What has been your experience? Have you got any tips for those wanting to start out?
