Ex marks the spot I want to have ago at ‘urbex’ photography – it looks fascinating. How should I start?
There are risks involved in urbex (urban exploration) photography, especially with old buildings that have fallen into disrepair. There’s also the small matter of the law, and whether you are permitted to be there at all. I don’t want to sound like an executive from a health and safety committee, but it’s important you are aware of any risks. When I have photographed in old buildings, I’ve never gone alone – and if anything looks too risky, I back off.
But assuming you have weighed up any potential dangers and are OK to proceed, what I would say is that urbex photography can be quite addictive. While I’ve never been a full-on explorer of these places, I have dabbled a bit and thoroughly enjoyed myself. There is something endlessly fascinating about what happens to places when they are left to fall apart, and the result is always worth documenting in photos.
Lots of urbex images use HDR to bring out all the tones in the scene and consequently as much detail as possible. Personally I think it loses the mood of the place if the HDR is overdone, so I prefer to see images that are created with subtle HDR or using whatever natural light is available.
A tripod is an essential piece of equipment because, long exposures are usually required if light levels are low, so you will definitely need to have the camera on a tripod and fire the shutter using a cable release.
Take your time with composition. It’s easy to get carried away by the spookiness of a place without thinking about how best to frame it. There are no rules when it comes to the right lenses to use; I’ve used everything from a wide-angle lens to a macro for tiny details.
If the idea of venturing inside old buildings is too much for you, you can still find plenty of interest to photograph on the outside. Weathered facades and discarded items are equally interesting to the camera.