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Photographing Ruins
Also, nature taking over - trees, bushes, make these views hard to get physically.
Saying all this, I'd love to get some wide angle stuff on a lot of places.
-- Andrew Tierney, May 2, 2002
You left out what could be the most important piece of information about this subject and that is how to find places
like this. So, how do you find these buildings and how do you gain access?
-- Paul Wilson, May 15, 2002
Regarding the question about finding ruins:
The means I use isn't a method per se, but seems to work pretty well.
A lot of urban ruins can be found in transitional suburbs. Areas which used to be a mix of houses and factories, but
which are now in between. The warehouses and manufacturers have packed up and left, but the developers have yet
to move in. Along rivers is a good place to look, and if you are in a port city, just upstream from the ports. Near
railway lines is another good place to look. It usually doesn't matter if the lines are abandoned or still in use (but be
aware of which applies!).
The biggest issue is access. Trespass is not fun, but a little courtesy runs a LONG way. If a security firm operates on
site, contact them and ask how to go about getting in touch with the owners. And more often than not, a lot of great
details can be photographed without ever setting foot on a site. There is an old mill near where I currently live with
some AMAZINGLY (by modern standards) detailed brickwork.
In rural areas, well, ruins are everywhere. Along train lines is still a good one, since so many railway stations have
been shut, pretty much everywhere in the world. Old farm buildings are another standard, but the most interesting
ones (in my opinion) are the ones which are still just good enough to still be used. In the wool growing regions of
Australia there are some amazingly decrepit gates, fences, sheep ramps which are still in use. Get a wide angle lens
on some of those and you can have a lot of fun with perspective and putting things in, or out of, context.
-- Keith Lenghaus, May 16, 2002
First I want to say, "Thank You" for publishing this article. It is a great inspiration to me everytime I visit it. There
needs to be many more articles that illustrate how a COLLECTION of images can be used to tell a story instead of
trying to say everything in one shot.
On a more practical note, I'm wondering what equipment tricks and techniques you have come across in working in
these abandoned landscapes. You mention getting access to these sites. Is there a pre-made liability waiver that you
can present to someone to get access to these sites. You mention the sunlight that is often inherent in these types of
places. Have you ever had cause to use a flash? Some places I have encountered are definite candidates for fill flash.
If you have had to use flash, could you comment on any suggestions to keep in mind; maybe diffusion techniques
you have had success with.
I'd also be interested to see what you experience has taught you about lense selection. I'm particularly curious about
http://www.photo.net/architectural/ruins/ (17 of 19)7/3/2005 2:17:50 AM