Abandoned Building Photography

Abandoned Building Photography

Abandoned buildings are great to photograph. There is this a subtle, yet charming and an inviting lure to photographing vacant and abandoned buildings. A number of books and websites are devoted to just that topic and subject matter. Plenty of sites exhibit photographs made of abandoned buildings.

While this type of photography is going through a big of “trending”, the fact of the matter is that this subject has been photographed since people have been leaving buildings for reasons ranging from economic turmoil to fires, arson, and businesses being outsourced due to technology. So essentially, as long as photography has been around people have photographed the remains of buildings. For those that seek to explore abandoned buildings, there is an underlying motivator that compels them to investigate the remains of what was once a thriving and living property.

When a building is left to its self, left to alone to stand as a memory and testament to the industrial revolution, it dies. Without a human presence, without a viable life force occupying the space, there is no upkeep, there is no maintenance, there is no purpose for the building to breath and live. People are the heart and soul of buildings. Be it a school, hospital, factory, mill, or another type of building that was used for manufacturing, people inhabiting a building gave it purpose and life.

Three Windows

Day to day we pass buildings that meet these conditions. Some people view these buildings as an eye sore, a blight on the community, a waste of space and the building should be torn down. I have spent a lot of time exploring such buildings. I have been in vacant houses, factories, mills, schools, and hospitals. One of the most bizarre buildings was a former slaughter house/deli. They poses this sad, left a lone in the corner emotion. Each space is unique in its own history, but they all have similarities that can found if you’ve done your share of exploring.

Rolls of light.

On my most recent visit to a building, I went with my friend, Bob Gordon. I wanted to produce a set of black and white images and some color ones, as it doesn’t always have to be about black and white photography. Bob has an even greater interest in exploring vacant buildings than I do. He is a bit of an abandoned building nut. That is why he makes for a great companion and guardian, as he is a 6 foot something-er. The first time we met, face to face, was outside of a building.

We knew each other by name, but putting faces together came post physical introduction. I pulled the key from my pocket and placed it in the lock. I turned the key unhinging the lock from the chains. I swung the heavy gate open and took a step forward. I had intentions of making my way to the roof top. I knew what we were going to have for a sunset that evening and wanted to capture the breadth of the city from the top of the building. We had about half an hour light to change before I would need to be on the roof. I knew exactly what I was looking to capture and how long it would take for the light to fall into place. We crossed through tall grass and straw like flowers and found a set of concrete stairs. My friend started to brag about how he was in the building just before the fire. By the fire, he means the massive blaze of arson that attacked this behemoth of a building. In 2008 a teenager lit the building on fire. My friend had been in there two days prior.

He has regaled me in stories of all kinds of treasures and such they found. Great! All stuff I never got to see, or would for that matter. We stood in a the lower level of the burned out section. The aroma of the fire is long gone, but remnants of chard objects weigh in as heavy reminder of the more recent history of the building. To go into the full history of this building would be lengthy, in depth and require multiple posts. But what I can say in a few short lines is this: within the walls of this building, there existed a company that produced paper for all parts of the world. From drawing paper to paper for currency, they produced it all. Situated on a pre-planned canal system, water was fed under the building, powering the building to manufacture paper. They were around for a long time and closed in the early 2000′s. Fire destroyed a large portion of the building. See, that wasn’t as long winded as explaining every detail of the buildings history.

Pulp

I released the legs of my tripod and stand it up in the direction I aim to focus. I pull my camera from my side and lock it into place. I scroll through and set the camera to the desired settings. I bring my eyes across the room and quickly spot my composition. I move, pivot, adjust the head of the tripod to arrange the view I have spotted. I press the shutter open and record that moment. I have just made an image using that moment in the buildings history. It has been recorded and will exist past the buildings inevitable demolition. I turn ever so slightly, hearing the soft crunch of dirt and debris under my shoes. There is not a single step that could taken that wouldn’t involve stepping over something, around something, or moving around something. I focus my attention to the back of the building, where it is dark and harder to see. My eyes move past objects tossed aside, move, and shifted over the years.

The interior looks like a war zone, but yet, it offers this beauty and peace that becomes transcended upon by the light passing through the openings in the building. I move about the space, ever so slightly, being cautious of where I step. I can see where the floor has has a portion of the building fall through. I stay clear from that section knowing that it is not worth the risk, that and the fact it is obviously to dark to capture what I want. I continue to move about, tacking the light, following knowing that as the sun moves further down, different parts of the building will glow brighter in that magic hour illumination. Together we find our way up the stairs to the upper level.

Giant machines that once rolled paper now stand absorbing the setting sun like a snookie on a tanning bed. It is sad to see such a sight. My mind always wanders to such places as the day that machine was running, who was operating it, what that sound must have been like. A flood of mental images pour over me as I snap away making photographs. The sun has gotten to the point I wanted it at. I make haste and get my friends attention. I fight to get away from that space as fast as I can. I figure it’ll take me a few minutes to get back outside and another few minutes to make my way towards the top of the building, which is across a small court yard like space.

Other End of the Hall

The stairs are wooden and well worn from heavy foot steps. In the center of every step there is a curve, an indent of the history of a working class generation walking up and down the stairs every day. The stair wells are dark, very little ambient light enters the building on this side, leaving us to walk with flash lights. The disorienting curves in the steps make it slightly hard to keep a balance walking up. We have three flights to climb and a small doorway to pass through before we are to the top. It was by chance that this spot was discovered some months back. Knowing it is available though, affords the opportunity for the image I want to capture. Rounding each corner takes us closer and closer. I am genuinely excited as we approach. The view is different up here than other area roof tops. We can look out into a part of the city that goes unseen, from this perspective, unless you’re up there or higher up. I kick the door open. Light fills the room up. I look out onto the gravel roof top, leaning forward with a step to stand on. I push through and am out on to the roof top.

The view is incredible. It is exactly what I was looking for. I make my way out even further. I do not like being on the edge of anything, be it a roof top, building, side walk, or ladder. I stay clear away from the edges. I move about with my tripod and camera. I am in bliss making photos. The roof is covered in a tarred gravel. Underneath that is a very old wooden structure that is still standing after so many years. Some parts are more softer than others, but for the most part, it is easy to walk across. I have been in portions of this building that were buckling and bowing as if it was ready to collapse.

It is always a dangerous feat to explore such spaces, but the photographs that are the result, are both historic and important to the greater understanding of our culture. If not for those characteristics, than for the simple sake of, “for the sake of Art.” The sun is getting lower and lower now. The clouds have thickened a little bit, adding to the beauty that we were already standing in. I have made the photos I set out to make. I close the legs on my tripod, motion to my friend that I am clear and ready to venture back down.

Cog

This is your friendly disclaimer: Exploring vacant buildings is like mountain climbing or trekking through an urban jungle. Ive been in very few buildings that were 100% structurally sound and didn’t come with a multitude of safety issues. If you are given access to a building and can be guided through, chances are the person giving you the tour will know where to go and where not to go. I’ve been in buildings that have entire floors collapsed, or partially collapsed floors. Sometimes it is the roof that poses a serious threat. Others it is the act of trespassing. There maybe instance in which you are not permitted to be in a building. Most of the places I explore I am allowed access to. But if you do find a place in which it is seemingly open proceed with caution. As attractive as it is, it can still result in serious danger and consequences.

Light

There is no real guide to photographing an abandoned building. It is more or less make photos but dont do this, such as vandalism and other malicious acts. Although graffiti is art, vandalizing a building is sure to end in something rather embarrassing. Every building and space has its own charm and personality. Each one is its own living breathing structure. If you are skeptical that there is life in a building after people have left, just listen to the sounds they make. Those are the sounds of the pain of emptiness. The sounds of a building dying and naturing taking back what it gave to produce the building. If you have ever been in a vacant building, depending on where they are, what was inside, what was produced there, they all have a similar aroma about them. The aroma is woven into the building like DNA.

The sounds and air that pass through buildings is quite similar to. When you enter buildings around the same time, (just different locations) you will start to get a sense of how light works its magic inside. It becomes like photographing people, but rather, you’re making portraits of buildings. Like I have mentioned earlier, books have been written on this subject, both photographically and historical, sometimes combing both. A good friend of mine completed a college thesis using the interior of a vacant building to show the exterior of another vacant building. Her image was divided into many pieces in which the viewer could navigate through and become a part of. The possibilities are endless in terms of what you can create when you explore. Be mindful of where you are, make photographs, and stop to think of where you are standing and what once took place where you stood. You would be surprised at how a little bit of thinking can transform the way you see a space.

Must haves: Always, and I mean always have a flash light with you. Keep spare batteries and make sure the light works. You never know when you’re going to run out of day light, natural light, or need to pass from one building to another. If you plan to explore underground at all, you will want a light source. A tripod. This is key, because there will be moments when you cant hold the camera in your hands and make a clear image. A nice wide lens. Something that is fast and opens up would be most ideal.

An f-2.8 or a f-1.8, hell if you have a f-1.4 then you can let it ample amounts of light in the dim lit areas. A wide angle can really capture some great open shots of interiors and exteriors. Swapping your lenses around while in an abandoned building can be very dirty and dusty. If you have a second body, then use it. Keep one lens set for one body and the other on the opposite body.

A good pair of boots. You will be walking all over god knows what. Some buildings can just be empty shells, some, well they can be filled with chemicals and all kinds of dirty things you dont want. So keep your Sperry Topsiders on the Yacht and grab your work boots.

I always keep a large zip lock bag tucked inside my camera bag. If there is ever a need to protect your camera, that is a cheap means to keep it dry. Extra cards and camera batteries. There might be a rare chance that you can explore a very large building for a long period of time. Be prepared. Keep your phone close to your hands, incase you need to make a call for safety or in the event something does happen.

Be Safe & Happy shooting!