Reader's Comments - Index of - Free

Photographing Ruins
In conclusion, you may find that in your part of the world there are unique places that once played an
important role in your local history, they may be worth a peak since this is the heritage we have gained from
the past. That old ruin on the edge of town may have more to offer than a quick glance would suggest. This
is living history, often much more interesting than the cleaned up versions found in a museum.
Ask permission from the owner of the property before you attempt to photograph an abandoned site since
most sites are posted against trespassing. These places can be quite dangerous so use common sense and
caution when moving around these sites. Be aware that there may be air born toxins in these older buildings,
asbestos dust and lead paint among them, so a quality respirator (not a paper dust mask) is an essential piece
of gear to carry.
Top
Text and photographs Copyright 1983-2002 Shaun O'Boyle. The photographs are from The Modern Ruins Essays
viewable at OBoylePhoto.com
so@oboylephoto.com
Reader's Comments
Although the wider perspective puts the building in context, a lot (if not most) ruins are impossible to photograph in
a wide enough perspective to do this.
Quite often it is a good thing not to put the building in context like this, as by it becoming a ruin, people have
forgotten what it was used for, a lot of others don't know it is even there. It's the smaller things, the human factors,
that make the big difference.
http://www.photo.net/architectural/ruins/ (16 of 19)7/3/2005 2:17:50 AM