digital camera magazine 09|04
Last update: 07|10|06
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This month, Geroge Carins explores the art of photographing derelict buildings.

Britain's derelict buildings provide a rich source of atmospheric subject mater. Abandoned corridors, broken wndows and boared up doors offer the type of image that wouldn't look out of place in a horror film. If you approach your shoot as if your filming a scary movie, you'll find an extra source of inspiration for your photographic work.

Get Permission

Before you enter a derelict building, always make sure you're allowed in side - your local council should be your first point of call. As well was the dangers caused by rotting floorboards and collapsing roofs, if you have to break open a door or smash a window you might be breaking and entering [You ARE breaking and entering - don't even go there - Simon]; if you remove a souvenir from the location, you're committing theft and could be charged with burglary.

Britain has turned many of its derelict buildings into tourist attractions, so you can explore these locations safely, with no photographic restrictions (although a chat with a member of staff to check where you're allowed is advisable).

Shhoting the derelict Languard Fort in Felixstowe made me feel like a horror film director, as I explored its labyrinth of curving coordiros leading to rooms littered with abandoned military equipment. Due to the low lighting and lack of tripod, I had to place my compact camera on the floor or on window ledges to keep it steady, adding suitably unnatural perspectives to the already unsettling location. Derelict buildings can be precarious places to shoot in, so think twice before taking your expensive SLR on the shoot.

Off The Beaten Track

Some photographers such as reader Simon Cornwell are passionate about exploring some of Britain's less accessible derelict buildings, like the Cane Hill asylum near Coulsdon. When shooting derelict buildings, Simon sees himself as a photographic conservationist: "I'm interested in recording them before they're gone. The history and architecture of these buildings is suerb! Asylums were built with such attention to detail that the are quite marvellous places to explore." As we see from his shot above, these more inaccessible locations can provide extremely striking images. The Cane Hill asylum is worth a visit to capture its atmospherically photogenic exterior. There's a public footpath that runs past the building, so there should be no problems with trespass issues, as long as you stay on it.

The Human Touch

Derelict buildings don't just offer the photgrapher architecture and atmosphere. Inside many buildings are traces of people's lives as Simon Cornwell explains: "In one asylum, there was someone's suitcase on ab ed. It as packed as if its owner was ready to leave. It just sat there for ten years."

Shooting inside derelict sites is something that requires careful consideration as Simon Cornwell continues: "With some of these sites you're taking your life in your hands. Cane Hill has deteriorated to the extent that I wouldn't go back in there." He advise photgraphers to adopt the motto used by pot-holers: "Take on photos, leave only footprints." For more information and inspiration, check out Simon's website at www.simoncornwell.com/urbex





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