My first Urbex

ancient_mariner

ancient_mariner

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Toni
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Well kind of. I've actually visited the location 3 times now, over the last few weeks. First time I was very much feeling my way, extremely nervous and not especially comfy, and also restricted to a 28mm lens that wasn't really wide enough for many scenes. Second time I felt a little better about things and the third time I was able to go a little further still. I have approached this carefully, only entering through a gap in the fence, and touching nothing, taking no more than pictures when I'm there.

The buildings were, AFAIK, originally built to house some POWs, then re-purposed for military personnel, including apparently a nursery & junior school, before being left empty when the military shipped out more than 20 years ago. Local yoof have been in there since, smashing most smashable things, and now the place is quite literally falling down. These are a little disappointing because there's very little of a personal nature left behind, and the rooms are mostly empty. However the corridors have a lot of character, especially where things have been dropped or left behind, and looking at some of the pictures again makes me feel slightly uncomfortable.

Passing the guardian
Location A-8210 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

And down the first corridor
Location A-8226 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

Darts anyone?
Location A-8242 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

Another corridor
Location A-8710 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

On location
Location A-8751 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

Free Kosovo office
Location A-8912 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

Coming down
Location A-8777 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

The way out?
Location A-8920 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

I've processed these differently from usual - please comment if you feel inclined, not on individual images, but on the overall feel & set. There's a lot more in my Flickr 'Location A' album.

Thanks for looking.
 
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I like them and think the processing suits the subject, this look is very popular for urbex and can see why.
 
Love the Corridor photos, they have an exciting mysterious feeling about them. I love the feeling you get, from dilapidated old buildings.
 
Definitely prefer the corridor shots Toni, although the cheeky selfie in the toilet made me smile!
 
There's some fairly nice corridors there but I can't help thinking that the urbex term allows for photos that are not as good as the photographer is capable of generally? Running around taking snaps & giggling imo doesn't lead to quality, memorable photographs. If you held your ground & were committed to exploring the shot maybe it would be different?
 
Maybe we have slightly different ideas of urbex. I'm in my mid 50s and semi-consciously risk-assessing where I'm walking (will the ceiling fall on me, can I get past the brambles without losing blood?) plus aware that this could be considered trespass. At the same time I'm trying to convey a feeling of what it's like to be in this place while looking for stuff that will be meaningful when presented to others. It's a genre I'm learning, but you can only work with the material at hand as represented by these shots.

Thanks to some Canadian friends I did get to explore an abandoned house a couple of years ago (the original post is here: https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/inside-an-abandoned-house.555312/#post-6421973) but this is urbex in the sense that it's true exploration of the unknown, rather than popping next door.

Thanks for commenting though Darren. :)
 
Sorry, bit blunt in my post. But I may continue to be feisty/confrontational ;-)
I'm sure it's fun for a gentleman of your years to go into an abandoned building but this is a photography site, where's the photo quality?
In theory I love the idea of photographing abandoned spaces but where's the story telling? Why doesn't anyone do any preparation in terms of taking in props or just doing anything that's more than flaky paint!!
TBH
ancient_mariner said:
this is urbex in the sense that it's true exploration of the unknown, rather than popping next door.
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is cobblers.
Darn, reluctantly, most 99% of urbex is masturbatory mush
 
Ah, gotcha. Taking props - ain't going to happen, because to me that's counter to the spirit of the thing. It might be cobblers to you, but I didn't know what I'd find, and so it was exploring the unknown. [shrug]

There's a photo story in the first 8 images (entry passage room passage room etc). There's a sign on the floor for the free Kosovo office. There's an image of me reflected in a mirror. I've been careful to use light & dark to create atmosphere in the images, some more successfully than others. The story is there if you want to see it.

This was never a private home with abandoned breakfast items on the table or the contents of a book case spilled on the floor, but an ex-military installation carefully cleared. I provided the BG info in the intro, and I'm showing the state of the place now - sorry if that doesn't work for you.

Trying to mine the crit you've given for something I can use - what do you mean by 'holding my ground and exploring the shot'? What would you have liked to see apart from props and possibly a model in this kind of place?
 
I've always been interested by the thought of Urbex, but find the prospect of me falling through a roof/ceiling/floor & getting slashed by those pesky brambles is a inherent risk, that I'm not willing to risk!

With regards to Image A-8758 I like how it looks like the brambles have literally forced their way through the glass!

I look forward to seeing more of your work and forays into the unknown! May I suggest a mental asylum? That could provide so interesting shots and a very strange atmosphere?
 
Toni, a man of your considerably advanced years shouldn't be doing this unless supported by a team of h&s folk, paramedics and a legal team. And don't forget your hi viz and hard hat. The corridors are the most visually interesting shots but I do think you need to work on creating a visually interesting shot rather than doing an estate agency shoot. That means serious consideration of lighting, mood and story. Experiment with hand held torches, flash and POV. Take a friend along to help and most importantly, for safety. Otherwise there is little point and you might get hurt in the process!
 
......and is that broken asbestos cement sheet visible in one of the shots? The H&S risks in such places are huge......have you really risk assessed it completely?

I can understand ignorant teenagers doing so but at a more mature age, you should understand more of the risks.

For those of us who have to go into empty abandoned buildings as part of our job, the list of checks and safety kit/need for a second person to be present makes me cringe at the unnecessary risks undertaken by the urbexers. You only get one life and we are not on a dress rehearsal for the real thing.

A lot of urbex pics are over-processed tone mapped and quite simply a genre that will be looked back on in years to come with some distain. Look back at photo styles and filters from the 1950s - 1970s. you don't find those being utilised a lot today because photography has moved on.
 
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I don't see what age has to do with it. I'm 49 this year and have been in more abandoned buildings than i can remember over the last 7 years (check the flickr link) a little knowledge and a lot of common sense goes a long way. There's a buzz you get from this type of photography i don't think you get elsewhere, it's the experience as well as the outcome. I enjoy landscapes as well so don't get me wrong, but it's a genre that few people understand unless you try it yourself.
 
The third shot for me with the OOF portion on the right and left of the image, really wants me to explore more of it and draws my eye down the corridor, well done.
 
Nick Owen said:
Toni, a man of your considerably advanced years shouldn't be ...!
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I think people might think my hyperbole above serious... I'm considerably older than Toni and think of old Ralf F walking across the antarcrtic. Age has nothing to do with it. No, my intent was more concern about entering potentially dangerous places alone.
 
I am nearly 55 and I would love to do some photos like the above and in such places like the above. But I would not have the b***s, to venture into such a place. The corridor shots do get my interest. What is at the bottom of those corridors? What is around that eerie looking corner? :) Yes, it is dangerous, you do not know how safe the floors are. Will the roof cave in? Are there any toxic substances pollutants etc, the list goes on. I suppose it is all about excitements vs risk. I am too much of a coward, to risk venturing into an old disused building. Or maybe just a sensible old fart. :)


PS

@ancient_mariner Toni, pity I am not near you. Would love to tag along. But, it would mean having an old fart in toe.
 
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EddyWelbz said:
I've always been interested by the thought of Urbex, but find the prospect of me falling through a roof/ceiling/floor & getting slashed by those pesky brambles is a inherent risk, that I'm not willing to risk!

With regards to Image A-8758 I like how it looks like the brambles have literally forced their way through the glass!

I look forward to seeing more of your work and forays into the unknown! May I suggest a mental asylum? That could provide so interesting shots and a very strange atmosphere?
Click to expand...

Thanks Eddy - if I can find an old & empty asylum then I'll happily explore.

Nick Owen said:
Toni, a man of your considerably advanced years shouldn't be doing this unless supported by a team of h&s folk, paramedics and a legal team. And don't forget your hi viz and hard hat. The corridors are the most visually interesting shots but I do think you need to work on creating a visually interesting shot rather than doing an estate agency shoot. That means serious consideration of lighting, mood and story. Experiment with hand held torches, flash and POV. Take a friend along to help and most importantly, for safety. Otherwise there is little point and you might get hurt in the process!
Click to expand...

Appreciate your crit very much, Nick. Estate agency shoot. ;) I shot at a variety of levels & angles, including often close to the floor - as a child often my dreams involved floating through buildings close to the ground & I tried to use that in some images here to give a sense of unreality. In some cases though I used more obvious shooting angles because they showed off the place more clearly, but I think 'explanation' has been allowed to hijack exploration, and I need to consider feeling more than illustration.

shreds said:
......and is that broken asbestos cement sheet visible in one of the shots? The H&S risks in such places are huge......have you really risk assessed it completely?

I can understand ignorant teenagers doing so but at a more mature age, you should understand more of the risks.

For those of us who have to go into empty abandoned buildings as part of our job, the list of checks and safety kit/need for a second person to be present makes me cringe at the unnecessary risks undertaken by the urbexers. You only get one life and we are not on a dress rehearsal for the real thing.

A lot of urbex pics are over-processed tone mapped and quite simply a genre that will be looked back on in years to come with some distain. Look back at photo styles and filters from the 1950s - 1970s. you don't find those being utilised a lot today because photography has moved on.
Click to expand...

Thanks Ian, the place is probably full of asbestos and that's likely why it hasn't been pulled down yet, but Asbestos is only dangerous if you get the dust in your lungs, and in a damp environment without significant air movement the fibres will be settled and not airbourne. I've not risk-assessed it completely, because as we've seen from Didcot power station last year "you can never tell". However I'm not climbing rotten staircases, crawling into basements or entering rooms where the roof structure is *obviously* shot. Maybe I'll find a hard hat & hi-vis so I can masquerade as someone official.

Photographically speaking, these have just gone through Lightroom, and while I wanted a little of the urbex look, I'd consider these images to have benefited from the process than become the murky HDR types sometimes seen.

R0bb0 said:
I don't see what age has to do with it. I'm 49 this year and have been in more abandoned buildings than i can remember over the last 7 years (check the flickr link) a little knowledge and a lot of common sense goes a long way. There's a buzz you get from this type of photography i don't think you get elsewhere, it's the experience as well as the outcome. I enjoy landscapes as well so don't get me wrong, but it's a genre that few people understand unless you try it yourself.
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Mark - I agree, and I'm glad to have someone with more experience than me comment. I've seen some of your work already on Flickr, and it's really good: the link didn't show up in your post. https://www.flickr.com/photos/74561856@N04/
 
coddy72 said:
The third shot for me with the OOF portion on the right and left of the image, really wants me to explore more of it and draws my eye down the corridor, well done.
Click to expand...

Thanks Paul - I've been amazed at how ready plants will grow inside buildings. There was another building elsewhere on the site where elder trees were growing in the foyer, but at that time I could only see in through the front door & the building is long gone now.

coddy72 said:
The third shot for me with the OOF portion on the right and left of the image, really wants me to explore more of it and draws my eye down the corridor, well done.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the compliment Paul, these are the kinds of feelings I hopes these pics would evoke. :)

Nick Owen said:
I think people might think my hyperbole above serious... I'm considerably older than Toni and think of old Ralf F walking across the antarcrtic. Age has nothing to do with it. No, my intent was more concern about entering potentially dangerous places alone.
Click to expand...

Tongue taken as firmly pressed on cheek about the age thing. Your point about being alone is good, although I'd probably tell someone where I was going than take others with me. ;)

jonbeeza said:
I am nearly 55 and I would love to do some photos like the above and in such places like the above. But I would not have the b***s, to venture into such a place. The corridor shots do get my interest. What is at the bottom of those corridors? What is around that eerie looking corner? :) Yes, it is dangerous, you do not know how safe the floors are. Will the roof cave in? Are there any toxic substances pollutants etc, the list goes on. I suppose it is all about excitements vs risk. I am too much of a coward, to risk venturing into an old disused building. Or maybe just a sensible old fart. :)
Click to expand...

Compared to much that I see this place is safe: solid floors & at ground level, no machinery, no chemicals, asbestos mostly painted & contained. It is exhilarating, but I also find it hard to push past the feelings of "you shouldn't go in there".
 
It's still scabby corridors ;-)
It's interesting that you went for the unconventional in going into an abandoned space but you found a conventionality within that? No props, no models, no imagination?
 
shruggy63 said:
It's still scabby corridors ;-)
It's interesting that you went for the unconventional in going into an abandoned space but you found a conventionality within that? No props, no models, no imagination?
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Props and models would then become the subject, instead of the location being the subject. But you have a good point about finding a more exciting location or making the location look more exciting - in a lot of ways this has a strong cross-over into landscape work.
 
ancient_mariner said:
Props and models would then become the subject, instead of the location being the subject. But you have a good point about finding a more exciting location or making the location look more exciting - in a lot of ways this has a strong cross-over into landscape work.
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That is what I was thinking, you went in to explore what was inside. You are hardly likely to find scantily dressed ladies, walking those lonely corridors.
 
jonbeeza said:
That is what I was thinking, you went in to explore what was inside. You are hardly likely to find scantily dressed ladies, walking those lonely corridors.
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One can only dream, though it might be 'nightmare on elm street'. ;)

I think I understand the desire to add those things, and I've seen some spectacular shots where it's been done, but I'm not that photographer, and don't have any plans to become them either.
 
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jonbeeza said:
That is what I was thinking, you went in to explore what was inside. You are hardly likely to find scantily dressed ladies, walking those lonely corridors.
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I'd be very worried as to what those scantily clad ladies were up to...definitely would not take my shoes off!

As for props & models, if you're going on another Urbex, if you take along a friend to also shoot with you, not only would you have the above mentioned safety factor (Make sure its someone you can outrun, always helps if being chased by wolves, zombies, Freddy Krueger) you'd have a person to potentially model if there was a particular shot that sprung to mind. I.e cool portrait by a broken window or even the use of their shadows in the corridors to give a haunted feel. Obviously this would take away from your desire to shoot the location and not people/props.
 
I don't often pop in here, and rarely comment. But....

shruggy63 said:
It's still scabby corridors ;-)
It's interesting that you went for the unconventional in going into an abandoned space but you found a conventionality within that? No props, no models, no imagination?
Click to expand...

Some people find scabby corridors more interesting that props and models.:p

I think it's refreshing to see some straightforward photography in a documentary mode which doesn't go down the over processed camera club route. Nice work.(y)
 
shruggy63 said:
It's still scabby corridors ;-)
It's interesting that you went for the unconventional in going into an abandoned space but you found a conventionality within that? No props, no models, no imagination?
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sorry Darren but that really is cobblers, its needing props etc. that shows lack of imagination.
these spaces that are slowly being reclaimed by nature hold a fascination for a large amount of people
 
niko said:
sorry Darren but that really is cobblers, its needing props etc. that shows lack of imagination.
these spaces that are slowly being reclaimed by nature hold a fascination for a large amount of people
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Exactly, it as also about keeping a historical note, in photographic form. In many years to come, people could view the images and see what the interior of a building looked like. It would not be the same with props and models etc. Besides people interested in old buildings, would probably be looking beyond the models and props, and be trying to see the building's structure instead.
 
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Not a bad first attempt!

From a critique perspective, I'd say, that what you've shown is pretty good, but there's not much variation in the selection. It is easy to get seduced by the broken windows, peeling paint etc, when you first explore, and TBH, sometimes that's all there is to shoot. I enjoy the challenge of finding something else, something different, and it can be very hard, even after shooting 50+ sites. Sometimes it's about the little details, or adjusting the composition or camera position - a lot of these are looking down corridors or of broadly similar composition. But overall, a decent set.

As for props and models - it depends if you want the place to be a backdrop to a scene you create, or whether the place IS the scene that you are documenting. Either approach is valid, however, the logistics of doing something like that when indulging in a spot of recreational trespass (i.e. without permission) are somewhat onerous - finding a willing model, transporting gear (potentially through awkward openings and across questionable floors, etc), remaining discrete, etc.
 
Thanks for your input Andy. For future use I'll be much more selective so that only the very strongest images get presented - there's too many here all looking similar as you rightly point out.

I'm no purist, but I want the subject to be the building itself, though I might see if I can take a flash in next time I try.
 
Nick Owen said:
Toni, a man of your considerably advanced years shouldn't be doing this unless supported by a team of h&s folk, paramedics and a legal team. And don't forget your hi viz and hard hat.
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Stop giving away all the secrets.. All the young kids go for that fence-hopping lark, but once you get to a certain age it's so much easier just to walk through the gate with high viz and a clipboard..

shruggy63 said:
It's still scabby corridors ;-)
It's interesting that you went for the unconventional in going into an abandoned space but you found a conventionality within that? No props, no models, no imagination?
Click to expand...
Quite frankly, those comments could be made about a very large part of the landscape and portrait sections of the forum. So why single out one post because the word "urbex" pushes your buttons?
 
ancient_mariner said:
Thanks for your input Andy. For future use I'll be much more selective so that only the very strongest images get presented - there's too many here all looking similar as you rightly point out.

I'm no purist, but I want the subject to be the building itself, though I might see if I can take a flash in next time I try.
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I tend not to use a flash myself, it's a good way of giving away your location to any on-site security, landowners, etc

Alastair said:
Stop giving away all the secrets.. All the young kids go for that fence-hopping lark, but once you get to a certain age it's so much easier just to walk through the gate with high viz and a clipboard..
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High vis and hard hat = urbex camo. Dress like that and then walking round like you're meant to be there can be effective at throwing curtain twitchers off the scent!
 
i find them boring with nothing to hold your interest ---- sorry
i have looked at a good few of your pictures and i think marmite
you either love them or hate them
maybe try a camera club to try improve your shots
 
Holty, I don't think you're going to like my pictures and that's OK, but thanks for commenting.
 
viewfromthenorth said:
High vis and hard hat = urbex camo. Dress like that and then walking round like you're meant to be there can be effective at throwing curtain twitchers off the scent!
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Curtain twitchers.. you can sometimes walk past security with a middle-aged smile, a tartan thermos, and a copy of Pevsner or another respectable reference book.
 
Been doing this 11 year now its a acquired taste not for everyone. Do it long enough you pick up things others miss like hazards but then life is full of them. Most people walk by these places without seeing them, do it long enough its the first thing you notice is a place is empty. As for age that's no barrier me 51 and doing s solo run in 3 weeks in eastern Europe. MY friends are doing western Germany but was there in November and decided to go elsewhere.
 
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Thanks Billy. I don't think age really comes into it, but I mentioned that because of the idea that it was for kids running round carelessly. I do find trespass a difficult thing to do because it seems inherently wrong, even though I know that I will do no damage, but that can sometimes be overcome.
 
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