Urban-exploration photographers

[Marlton Mom]

Here is an interesting video from Yahoo on Urban-Exploration Photographers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_weekend/20101210/ts_yblog_weekend/lost-treasures-of-the-city

Essentially, these are photographers who choose to document urban decay through artfully composed photographs. These photographs simultaneously reveal much about a building's past and its current state, as it falls victim to neglect, disuse and the elements.

Perhaps some of you would like to post some of your images of this type of photography. I know Gdad has posted some interesting pictures reflecting this subject. Anyone else want to share?

Here are some pictures I managed to take on a July 2010 visit to Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary. I had to wrangle a group of kids and the place was packed but I managed to get 2 I liked. If I had had an opportunity to do this alone I would have planned to go when it was less crowded and I had had the opportunity to study the way the natural light was impacting the subject I was trying to capture.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5125/5252942114_e864c8190b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlton-mom/5252942114/)
Eastern State Penitentiary Windows and bars (http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlton-mom/5252942114/) by Marlton Mom (http://www.flickr.com/people/marlton-mom/), on Flickr


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5130/5252331901_d1c7912995.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlton-mom/5252331901/)
Eastern State Penitentiary cell block walkway (http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlton-mom/5252331901/) by Marlton Mom (http://www.flickr.com/people/marlton-mom/), on Flickr

:santa:

Marlton Mom

[NateNLogansDad]

I have a small list of things similar to this that I'm planning on photographing next year when both boys are in school full time. If you want to tag along I will be more than happy to have you and anyone else join me. So far there are several building I'm planning on attacking on this side of the bridge from Chester to Center City but I want to extend over to your side of the bridge also eventually. Thanks for the link, I loved it! :thumbsup2

[omghidanielle]

I used to do this frequently in college in this abandoned mental hospital close to my neighborhood, but never took any pictures. I was a little pre-occupied with trying not to die. I wasn't too bright back then, clearly.

(I did not take any of these pictures. Some incredibly brave (or legally able) people did.)

Here is a photo of a hallway. It's pretty obvious that this was the least safe place to be, ever.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/8/9591848_10d391b201_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/inajeep/9591848/in/photostream/)

You wouldn't catch me doing anything like that nowadays, unless it's a place you are actually able to tour (like Eastern State!). One place in particular that I'd love to go through is the Divine Lorraine. It's an abandoned hotel in North Philadelphia that was the first in the US to be racially integrated. It has a nice bit of history (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Lorraine_Hotel) behind it, PLUS it looks a lot like the Tower of Terror!

This (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kicey/sets/72157594415329397/with/314554916/) person in particular has a wonderful set.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1440/1454151998_3356960831_z.jpg?zz=1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgmundie/1454151998/)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10398853@N07/1456250582/

[omghidanielle]

I have a small list of things similar to this that I'm planning on photographing next year when both boys are in school full time. If you want to tag along I will be more than happy to have you and anyone else join me. So far there are several building I'm planning on attacking on this side of the bridge from Chester to Center City but I want to extend over to your side of the bridge also eventually. Thanks for the link, I loved it! :thumbsup2

What places do you have in mind?

[ssanders79]

I am very interested in this stuff. I just have 3 problems. 1) have not found anyone to go explore with [safety in numbers] 2) free time 3) interesting places to explore in my area.

As for keeping up my interest I found this amazing site a while back. http://www.opacity.us/

The coolest place I've had the opportunity to visit is the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio (http://www.mrps.org/). This is the location made famous in Shawshank Redemtion and other movies. I shot video the one and only time I went. It is a really cool place only a few minutes from my uncle's farm. If I still lived in Ohio I would be there in a second. They offer tours and have overnite opportunities in the fall for ghost hunts. It is well worth the time to take a visit.

[spinetnglr]

Marlton Mom would love to see some more of your pictures of the Eastern State Penitentiary. Its on my short list of things to photograph for 2011. My son lives in Philly and I am hoping to go there for a photo day on one of my visits to Philly next year. annnewjerz if you are reading this, it would be a good place for us to meet up for the photo walk that we didn't get accomplished in 2010. I never knew about it until recently when it was on the visitPA Facebook page as a place to visit for good photo ops. If you are on Facebook and don't already "like" the visitPA page you should look it up. They post often on interesting things to do and see around the state.

[NateNLogansDad]

What places do you have in mind?

Mostly small buildings in and around Chester (I want to make it looks like a war zone aftermath,) There's a wharehouse in Southwest Philly that was a mess when I was a kid, some small machine shops down in Colwyn that my father in law used to work at, on the safer side....the Freemason's headquarters in Center City, and my grail is inside the ship SS United States on Delaware Ave. I have some other thoughts but haven't looked closer at them yet.

[Marlton Mom]

Marlton Mom would love to see some more of your pictures of the Eastern State Penitentiary. Its on my short list of things to photograph for 2011. My son lives in Philly and I am hoping to go there for a photo day on one of my visits to Philly next year. annnewjerz if you are reading this, it would be a good place for us to meet up for the photo walk that we didn't get accomplished in 2010. I never knew about it until recently when it was on the visitPA Facebook page as a place to visit for good photo ops. If you are on Facebook and don't already "like" the visitPA page you should look it up. They post often on interesting things to do and see around the state.

I'd love to post more but they have the boys in them and they aren't as artsy fartsy as those two. I had 4 boys going in different directions in a crumbling prison :scared1: so I wasn't able to really see, stop and compose! It was coming up on mid day and the prison was getting crowded. I did see more than a couple people dragging around tripods trying for shots so the prison is a hot bed for budding Urban Exploration photographers.

From some of the other shots posted I see the unimaginable popularity of "institutional green" paint in many of these buildings. Gov-Mart must have had a sale in the 50's on that color. :sad2:

On another trip, this one to Ellis island this summer, they were displaying photographs of the place before restoration and they also had some unrestored rooms set aside where you could view their actual condition. Institutional green was well represented! It just totally amazes me the way nature takes over and water damage absolutely ravishes a building in SUCH a short period of time.

I think that it's so interesting that such a state of decay calls out so strongly to our artistic nature. The juxtaposition between the beauty and the decay, the yesterday and today is very cathartic.

Finally, my secret wish for a photo walk would be to go to Wildwood NJ and photograph the neon signs and the Doo-Wop hotel architecture at night. I have been meaning to do this for the past two years but I'm thinking it would be better done during the "shoulder" seasons when everything is open but there are not that many people or cars to infiltrate the shots.

:hug:
Marlton Mom

[omghidanielle]

Finally, my secret wish for a photo walk would be to go to Wildwood NJ and photograph the neon signs and the Doo-Wop hotel architecture at night. I have been meaning to do this for the past two years but I'm thinking it would be better done during the "shoulder" seasons when everything is open but there are not that many people or cars to infiltrate the shots.

:hug:
Marlton Mom

I've tried to do this several times. It seems I just pick the worst times to go and am eventually aggravated by crowds to the point where I just want to leave, so this doesn't work out too well. Another time very few lights were on, so it wasn't a very fruitful venture :( I'm thinking it might be best to try this right before Memorial day?

[Marlton Mom]

I'm thinking it might be best to try this right before Memorial day?


I don't know about right before Memorial day... Wildwood has many people there even then. We usually go down the shore (Ocean City NJ) in early May when things are just opening up. At least that's what I was thinking... Stuff is open and on but you don't have the hoards of drunken college students and what not.

Even though I love them dearly, we could do without the Kids from MTV's Jersey Shore show :drinking1 passing out (or worse) in our pictures! :rotfl:


Marlton Mom

[Gdad]

Cool video- thanks for sharing.

I may have posted this before but here is a little story on Disney Exploring

http://shaneperez.blogspot.com/2009/12/discovery-island.html

[annnewjerz]

annnewjerz if you are reading this, it would be a good place for us to meet up for the photo walk that we didn't get accomplished in 2010. I never knew about it until recently when it was on the visitPA Facebook page as a place to visit for good photo ops. If you are on Facebook and don't already "like" the visitPA page you should look it up. They post often on interesting things to do and see around the state.

Karyl---you never knew about Eastern State? I figured everyone from the area knew you could take tours there. It is also on my list of 2011 places to go (wanted to go in the fall but they start "Terror Behind the Walls" and thought it might be decorated for that), so we need to make sure we follow through and do it! Spring 2011? Who knows, if there are any other local DIS photographers, maybe we can do a meet.

[spinetnglr]

Karyl---you never knew about Eastern State? I figured everyone from the area knew you could take tours there. It is also on my list of 2011 places to go (wanted to go in the fall but they start "Terror Behind the Walls" and thought it might be decorated for that), so we need to make sure we follow through and do it! Spring 2011? Who knows, if there are any other local DIS photographers, maybe we can do a meet.

No Ann I never knew about it until recently. Technically I'm not from the area but Jason knows his way around pretty well and he never mentioned to me as some place to go for a photo outing. I talked to him yesterday and asked him about and of course HE has been there. He said too it gets pretty crazy around Halloween and its best to go early or when you can catch the last light of the day. I'm up for a Spring '11 meet there and if this weather gives us any breaks at all in the next few months I might make a trip to Philly just to do the penitentiary.

[NateNLogansDad]

Is it busy there on the weekends?

[NateNLogansDad]

Just a heads up, I finally sent an email over to some people to get the ball rolling on a few things I've had in the back of my mind. There's a good amount of underground rooms and tunnels in and around Philly that are off limits to the general public. My first attempt is a nuclear bomb shelter that's been abandoned for about 50 years or so. There's still supplies down there so permission is essential. If you might want to tag along in few months, let me know.

[JoeDif]

Here are a couple I took at Eastern State. I could spend hours there, just so many photo opportunities.

We should do a Philly area DIS meet at ESP.

http://joedif.smugmug.com/Street-Scenes/Philadelphia/061910ESP011/907625968_nJdG5-M-7.jpg

http://joedif.smugmug.com/Street-Scenes/Philadelphia/071410ESP005/937650784_S4z26-M-7.jpg

[JoeDif]

Is it busy there on the weekends?


It depends on how many tours are going on. I've been there twice on Saturdays, once when it was crowded. The other time not so much. I think the trick is to get there at opening before the crowds start to filter in.

[Marlton Mom]

Here are a couple I took at Eastern State. I could spend hours there, just so many photo opportunities.

We should do a Philly area DIS meet at ESP.

I'm In! :thumbsup2

It depends on how many tours are going on. I've been there twice on Saturdays, once when it was crowded. The other time not so much. I think the trick is to get there at opening before the crowds start to filter in.

That was my experience this summer. We arrived when they opened and at lunch time it started to really fill up.

Just a heads up, I finally sent an email over to some people to get the ball rolling on a few things I've had in the back of my mind. There's a good amount of underground rooms and tunnels in and around Philly that are off limits to the general public. My first attempt is a nuclear bomb shelter that's been abandoned for about 50 years or so. There's still supplies down there so permission is essential. If you might want to tag along in few months, let me know.

I'm in! :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

There is also the http://www.fairmountwaterworks.com/index.php

I don't know if they would let us underground here but it is wicked cool. I think NateNLogansDad and I have been watching the same "Underground Philly" shows....

Marlton Mom

[JoeDif]

I went to shoot at the Water Works during October and except for a couple of cool Boat House Row photos I was really disappointed with my efforts.

I'd definitely be up to go back. One word of warning. Don't park in the Art Museum lot unless you enjoy paying $30 to park :scared1:

[NateNLogansDad]

I went to shoot at the Water Works during October and except for a couple of cool Boat House Row photos I was really disappointed with my efforts.

I'd definitely be up to go back. One word of warning. Don't park in the Art Museum lot unless you enjoy paying $30 to park :scared1:

Do they let you underground at all?

[NateNLogansDad]

I'm In! :thumbsup2


I think NateNLogansDad and I have been watching the same "Underground Philly" shows....

Marlton Mom

:rolleyes1


I'd like to know how these guys find out about stuff like that. It's not something you just stumble across.

The shows I saw were at least 10 yrs old (from WHYY I think)

[spinetnglr]

I'm in for a Philly photo/DIS meet. I would love to check out all these places in and around Philly

[JoeDif]

Do they let you underground at all?

As far as I know they don't. I know the building now has a restuarant so I'm not sure if the owner has the entire building or not.

[Experiment_626]

I think the trick is to get there at opening before the crowds start to filter in.That sounds strangely familiar ...

Scott

[JoeDif]

That sounds strangely familiar ...

Scott

:rotfl: :thumbsup2

[NateNLogansDad]

So, anybody in the area that would like to join me if we get in the bomb shelter, do you want to do this soon or wait till spring? I should be hearing back from City Hall soon believe it or not. Personally, I say if we get access to it we should take it but as the same time it's a little chilly out. I'm going to try for a weekend but I'm thinking that may be a little harder to pull off.

[JoeDif]

So, anybody in the area that would like to join me if we get in the bomb shelter, do you want to do this soon or wait till spring? I should be hearing back from City Hall soon believe it or not. Personally, I say if we get access to it we should take it but as the same time it's a little chilly out. I'm going to try for a weekend but I'm thinking that may be a little harder to pull off.


Sounds like a plan to me. As long as we have a few days notice I should be good to go.

[NateNLogansDad]

Will do!

[Marlton Mom]

Natnlogan's Dad said "So, anybody in the area that would like to join me if we get in the bomb shelter, do you want to do this soon or wait till spring? I should be hearing back from City Hall soon believe it or not. Personally, I say if we get access to it we should take it but as the same time it's a little chilly out. I'm going to try for a weekend but I'm thinking that may be a little harder to pull off."


Sounds like a plan to me. As long as we have a few days notice I should be good to go.



Me too!

Marlton Mom

[NateNLogansDad]

I can see it now, "Dis Meet 2011 In a Philadelphia....Bunker?":happytv:

[spinetnglr]

So, anybody in the area that would like to join me if we get in the bomb shelter, do you want to do this soon or wait till spring? I should be hearing back from City Hall soon believe it or not. Personally, I say if we get access to it we should take it but as the same time it's a little chilly out. I'm going to try for a weekend but I'm thinking that may be a little harder to pull off.

A couple days notice usually works for me too. If the weather isnt bad I can make the drive in about and hour and a half.

[prowlerregal335m]

natenlogansdad,count me in also.I'll pm you my email address.Thanks.

[omghidanielle]

I'd be totally into that! It'll bring me back to my days of spelunking in a nuthouse. Let me know as soon as you can about the date so I can see if I can get off of work. (I work every weekend :guilty: and I get 1 Saturday a month off)

It might be better to do that in the Spring, though. I can imagine it being super cold! I don't function well in bitter coldness haha

[NateNLogansDad]

Man I really hope this thing goes through! I will absolutely let everyone know a s a p

[omghidanielle]

Speaking of abandoned, has anyone ever been to Centralia? I've never been there, but apparently, this is where my Dad's family is from...pretty interesting.

Centralia is a borough in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. As a result of a 40-year-old mine fire burning beneath the borough Centralia is now the least-populous municipality in Pennsylvania with just 9 residents remaining. The borough once had seven churches, five hotels, twenty-seven saloons, two theatres, a bank, post office, and fourteen general and grocery stores. During most of the borough's history, when coal mining activity was being conducted, the town had a population in excess of 2,000 residents.

An exposed vein of coal ignited in 1962 due to the standard policy of burning the garbage on a weekly basis in the borough landfill, located in an abandoned mine pit in the southeast portion of Centralia. Attempts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful, and it continued to burn throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Adverse health effects were reported by several people due to the carbon monoxide produced.

State-wide attention to the fire began to increase, culminating in 1981 when 12-year-old Todd Domboski fell into a four foot wide by 150 foot deep sinkhole that suddenly opened beneath his feet. He was saved after his older cousin pulled him from the mouth of the hole before he could plunge to his probable death. The incident brought national attention to Centralia as an investigatory group (including a state representative, a state senator, and a mine safety director) were coincidentally on a walking tour of Domboski's neighborhood at the time of his near-death incident.

Route 61 has been rerouted around the abandoned portion. However, the underground fire is still burning and will continue to do so for the indefinite future. There are no current plans to extinguish the fire, which is consuming an eight-mile seam containing enough coal to fuel it for 250 years.

From Flickr:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1413/622124007_396892a162_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/veender/622124007/)

[NateNLogansDad]

Yep, 2 hrs from here. I've heard stories about it since I was a kid. The ground collapse warnings always kept my parents away from visiting it, for me it's the carbon monoxide present. They say in some parts, the ground will burn your feet and can melt the bottom of your shoes if you stand there long enough.

[omghidanielle]

Yep, 2 hrs from here. I've heard stories about it since I was a kid. The ground collapse warnings always kept my parents away from visiting it, for me it's the carbon monoxide present. They say in some parts, the ground will burn your feet and can melt the bottom of your shoes if you stand there long enough.

oh hey that's scary enough! I didn't know all that! NEVERMIND!

[rock_doctor]

Naw, it is safe to visit Centralia. I have been many times and the worst is a little smell and some of the gases are in the 350F range but just keep your hands out of any holes. If you are more local to my area you have the Laurel Run Mine fire (http://www.fifedrum.org/rhinohug/LaurelRunBB.html). I use to teach a field class that stopped at this mine. It is best to visit it after a rain. Lots of steam...looks cool. :thumbsup2