Church buildings have been a mainstay feature throughout Europe for centuries. From quaint country chapels to luxurious and majestic cathedrals, the “Old World” is home or has been home to hundreds of churches. Some of them are maintained in pristine shape, highly regarded as national treasures, while others meet a rather different ending, being left in the hands of time and its relentless way of decaying things. Italy is a perfect example of a country that, although greatly valuing its history, architecture, culture, and connection with the Church as an institution, still features its share of abandoned churches. In this post, you will find 100 photos of abandoned churches and chapels that I photographed throughout Italy.
Convicted Urbex Photographer now selling NFTs of his work
Urbex photographer Isaac Wright AKA DrifterShoots was caught and arrested for breaking and entering felonies across several states. Now he’s grounded and is selling his series Where My Vans Go as NFTs, becoming one of the highest valued photographers in the crypto art world.
Female photographer explores the hidden and forgotten relics of abandoned worlds
It’s been a while since I last photographed an abandoned place. It’s been quite a long time since I even last wrote about it. So, when I discovered Janine Pendleton’s work, I was instantly reminded of how much beauty and mixed emotions one can fit into urbex photography. And this is exactly what Janine’s images are filled with. So, if you’ve been looking for new urbex photographers to follow, let’s dive into Janine’s work.
The Sarcophagus’s Labyrinth: Photographing the unseen parts of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
It’s been nearly 10 years since I first visited the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. It was a great experience for me. I could finally see the place I’d previously only known from books and TV and the tart taste of the Lugol’s iodine I had to drink a few days after the disaster. After many visits to the plant, I was finally even allowed to enter the damaged Reactor 4 and see the notorious control room. It was here that the failed experiment resulting in the reactor exploding and the uncontrolled emission into the atmosphere of terabecquerels of radioactive isotopes was conducted. A decade ago, obtaining the necessary permits to see the epicenter of the events of April 1986 was extremely arduous and complicated. Today, this place is a must-see on most tourist excursions.
Today I return once again to the plant. This time, I want to see new places that I haven’t yet photographed. When I got permission after several months of efforts, sending letters and making phone calls, I was very excited. As one of the staff members in charge of my visit said, I had been granted exclusive access to the nuclear power plant. I can’t wait to find out what this actually means. So, I will be spending the next two days taking photos that I hope to use in the next HALF-LIFE album. It probably won’t be done any time soon, so in the meantime I’ll share with you my thoughts about my visit to the power plant and tell you what it was like to photograph it. But, who knows, maybe 10 years from now, you’ll be able to see these places with your own eyes.
Forgotten app shares abandoned places for photography, killing urban exploring for everyone
This is one of those things that’s definitely going to split people up into two camps. In one, there’s those who’ll think it’s awesome, and in the other, there’s those who believe that the types of locations to which this app allows access should remain secret.
You guys can discuss the camps to which you belong in the comments, but let me introduce you to Forgotten, a new mobile app for iOS and Android. It’s an app to help you discover new place to shoot or “sell” your locations. It’s the latter part of that which Forgotten says makes them different from similar apps and services that have popped up in the past.
Philadelphia urbex photographer killed after flash flooding swept her away
A 30-year-old urbex photographer Rebecca Bunting died after flash flooding swept her away in on 2 June. She was reportedly shooting photos in Pennypack Creek when the water level quickly rose and carried her away.
I took a trip to Chernobyl’s exclusion zone and photographed it in infrared
We always hear praises of the might of Mother Nature, how it renders useless mans’ creations, and bears life above the ruins. Well, it’s something that is always felt, but never on such a huge scale. This place IS the place for these contrasts. It’s pretty hard to describe the overall atmosphere I experienced during this trip. Despite the events of 1986, the ruins, and the rust, I didn’t have grim feelings while traveling there. On the contrary, it felt like I was in a “kind of” paradise on a different planet.
Dying for Likes
In the usual places we’re seeing the monthly “Urbex (urban exploration) photographer dies in fall” story making the rounds. These are guys that trespass on rooftops, on ledges, in abandoned buildings, and so on, to take photographs. You’ve probably seen their pictures. The peeling paint covered over with graffiti, the rooms filled with mysterious junk, the long long hallway. Sometimes they bring a hot model along to decorate the scene, sometimes not.
Back up.
Urbex photographer Eric Paul Janssen dies after falling from Chicago hotel
Photographer Eric Paul Janssen died tragically on Monday afternoon at the age of 44. While taking photos, he fell from the 20th floor of the LondonHouse hotel in Chicago. He landed on the sixth-floor, and according to the medical examiner, the fall was an accident.
Tips for finding and shooting abandoned locations in an unknown city
While I lived in my hometown, I visited and photographed most of the abandoned buildings in it. I knew exactly where I could enter and how. Sometimes, you can just walk right in. Other times, there’s a guard you need to ask for permission and hope he’s in a good mood. And sometimes you need an official license if you want to shoot somewhere.
Unfortunately, when you go to a new city or country, all these things aren’t something you know from the start. I moved to another city last year, and I am learning and exploring anew. This is why I’d like to share some tips for all urbex enthusiasts who are planning a short or a long trip, or who are moving to another city. From my experience, I’ll share the best ways to find great locations, get inside and shoot without trouble.
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