$(document). ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({"containerId":"embeddedSampleGallery_0949592309","galleryId":"0949592309","isEmbeddedWidget":true,"standalone":false,"selectedImageIndex":0,"startInCommentsView":false,"isMobile":false}) }); Photographing abandoned spaces has gained a reputation to some as a voyeuristic act, with little respect paid to the subject or its history.

But for Matthew Christopher, it's much more than 'ruin porn. ' He runs Abandoned America, and his interest in photographing abandoned structures started a decade ago with an asylum in Philadelphia. Working at mental health facilities, he calls exploring Philadelphia State Hospital a life-changing experience. He picked up photography and started keeping a record of the places he visited at Abandoned America.

He tells Resource Travel 'If there was one thing I’d hope to achieve, I suppose it would be encouraging people to see abandoned spaces not as eyesores but as the treasures they sometimes are. ' He's also aware of the often sad stories behind the buildings he enters, and encourages those looking to follow in his footsteps to do two things: 'be careful and be respectful. . . just because these places are abandoned, doesn’t mean that nobody cares about them or that it’s OK to loot or vandalize them. Leave them as you found them. '

You can read the full interview with Christopher over at Resource Travel and see more of his images.

2016-10-1 14:50