Whenever I have the opportunity to shoot at a unique location, I take it. I realize there are a lot of people who don’t see the beauty in abandoned buildings, but a lot of times, they’re like utopia for a photographer. The handful of times I’ve been in said buildings, I clearly remember the feeling of being overwhelmed with the textures and colors of each. They’re unlike anything you can create overnight in a studio.
Being in an abandoned building is almost like stepping back in time. I remember in one building, there was a calendar from 1985 still hanging on the wall. On a more recent trip, there were typewriters still sitting on the desks in an office. No signs of computers anywhere. In addition to the photographic opportunities, the exploration aspect is a lot of fun as well. Who used to work here? How long was this place open? What kind of reputation did it have? So many questions usually left unanswered.
I was recently given permission to visit an abandoned property by the property’s owner. His first reaction was, "You wanna take pictures in there??!!" I was elated when he said I could! What was I going to do now? Take full advantage of the opportunity of course!
The first opportunity to present itself was a senior portrait session with Andrew. Teenage guys always like places like this, so I thought he would be the perfect candidate for this setting. I guessed that his mom would be less impressed, so I made sure to take Andrew outside and get some "mom" pictures as I like to call them. I also pulled my fisheye lens out of my bag and gave Andrew a chance to have some fun.
It was a blast! Andrew and I had a great time exploring. He had never been in a place like this so it was fun watching him react to the different rooms as well as all the old junk we found along the way.
Below are some of my favorites from the session. Andrew – thanks for coming along for the adventure.
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