Urban Exploration Photography

Are you a photographer who loves to explore out of the way, hidden and unusual places? Well, now might be the time to bring out the inner traveller in you and bring your usual photography up a level with urban exploration photography! Read on to get to know all about this unusual genre of photography!

What is urban exploration (urbex) photography?

Popularly known as urbex photography, urban exploration photography can be considered a sub-type of the travel photography genre and street photography genre. It is an outdoor photography pursuit that revolves around exploring and capturing places that have been abandoned and are now in a natural state of decay. Finding these places, and uniquely capturing them is the real challenge for urbex photographers.

You will need to explore urban regions in depth to successfully find abandoned places, and even then, there may be difficulties in entering the property to capture the interiors. Urban exploration photography is not as easy as it sounds! If you are going to try this for the first time, the major challenge would be in finding a destination in the first place. For first timers, here’s a few tips on the right way to start your urbex journey!

Find a location

If you can ask around, find and get access to an abandoned property anywhere near your locality, that could be a good place to start. However, if you wish to go a little more remote and travel to faraway places in search of a better location, you can always search online. Google Maps Satellite View is the place to start your search. You can spot abandoned looking houses and buildings on the map and visit them to check whether these are actually abandoned properties.

There are numerous forums online especially created by and for urbex photographers where you can trade locations with fellow urbex photographers.

Sometimes people also charge a certain amount to share their geotags if the place is worth it. This can also turn out to be a source of income if you can find a lot of abandoned places.

Still not so easy!

Just finding a location is not enough. Sometimes if you enter abandoned places without the permission of the owner, it can be legally defined as trespassing, and you could very-well be placed behind bars for it. Hence, it is a good idea to obtain permission from property owners before visiting.

Responsible urban exploration photography

You will be visiting properties that are in natural states of decay. If the property has some interior designs, paintings, artifacts, furniture and such as a responsible photographer make sure you don’t touch or alter any of the surroundings of the location. Ensure that the building remains as it was when you found it. A golden rule of urban exploration photography is ‘take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.’

Then all you need to do is take great photographs! Take them in RAW format so that you have a wider scope for post-processing later on!

Places to try urban exploration photography

Now that you know how to look for locations, here’s a detailed list of the type of locations you should look for.

Abandoned houses

The first thing that usually comes to mind when considering urbex photography is abandoned houses. However, make sure that these houses have been abandoned for a very long time and are in an appalling state of decay. Otherwise, there may not be as much fun!

When searching for exploration targets look for houses that have slumped roofs, overgrown weeds around, unmade gardens and broken walls. These are signs of a location with good potential for urban exploration photography.

Warehouses and factories

Search for factories or warehouses that have been abandoned or shut down due to any reason. You can search industrial areas to find places like these. Moreover, these locations may have machinery and equipment that is also in a rusty state which allows more scope for photographers to experiment and include more subjects in the picture rather than just capturing an abandoned empty area.

Historical attractions

Some places or fragments of medieval or ancient architecture that have been neglected for a long time can be the most amazing places to visit for urban exploration photography. For example, old palaces, local temples, old statues, etc.

Other interesting places that can offer various perspectives on urban exploration photography are places such as asylums, sewers, fall-out shelters, etc.

Tips for urban exploration photography

Here are some tips for you to capture the best urbex shots!

Long exposures

All abandoned places will have very limited to no sources of light. If you are planning to shoot with natural lights only, it would be best to capture in long exposure, as it will allow a greater amount of light onto the camera sensor. You will also need a tripod for this technique to hold the camera steady for the extended shutter speeds required.

Wide angle lenses

You never know the areas you may end up in. It is best to select the widest lens available to you as you can easily adjust and capture smaller dimensions with a wide-angle lens as well.

An understanding of urbex

We hope you now have a greater understanding of the unique genre of urban exploration photography. All of this is sure to set with a good foundation for your urban exploration journey.

Channel the explorer in you and challenge the photographer in you with the exciting and thrilling experience of urban exploration photography, but remember you must gain permission of the property owner before entering!

Urbex images look great on social media

Urbex image invoke a sense of curiosity in their weird, dark and unusual appearance. They will invoke interest from viewers, so upload your best processed images to your website and to your social media accounts including TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.