They say a picture’s worth a 1000 words and since I couldn’t find any words this week; thought I’d share a few pictures.
There’s something about old derelict buildings that draw my eye. I’m not sure if it’s the weathered textures or geometric shapes, but I spend a fair bit of time hunting and shooting them. If we’re in a hurry I make a mental note, so the next time I’m in the neighborhood I can have a closer look.
There’s a name for it in the city; URBEX. It’s a shortened form and vowel of Urban Exploration. The act of going to and exploring places that are not normally visited or often even accessible to the general public. Places like abandoned factories, derelict buildings, unused nuclear bunkers, old Military buildings, etc. RUREX or Rural Exploration might be a better description for exploring the derelicts that litter the countryside.
Back in the film days I enjoyed shooting with Kodak Tri-X, Fuji Neopan and Ilford but I used them mostly for people. Derelict architecture and URBEX never really grabbed my fancy like it does now. I think the shape and texture of derelict buildings work well in high contrast Black and White.
Vickie, like most folks has little interest in entering the old derelicts we find. So, exploring the bowels of these old buildings is almost always a solitary endeavor. It’s like scuba diving though, having a buddy is a lot safer. She generally explores outside and leaves the guts to me. Occasionally I coax her inside, if there’s a floor and it still looks fairly sturdy.
Every derelict tells a story about how it got that way. Rotting, crumbling, or completely invaded by nature, abandoned buildings can be as creepy as they are fascinating. Old schools and churches are some of our favorites to explore.
Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. ~ Ferris Bueller
Here’s a link to the SmugMug gallery, it might be better for phones. 3mph is optimized for bigger screens.