One form of architectural photography that has seen a massive resurgence in recent years is the coverage of abandoned locations. Just as previous generations were enthralled with the mysteries of ancient ruins, modern documentarians indulge us with the unexplainable pleasure of viewing unloved locations with far more recent origins.
Dutch photographer Roman Robroek walks us through his explorations within these empty spaces.
/Roman Robroek
Five years ago, Robroek was reading an online article about an abandoned castle in Belgium, when something about it lit a fire under him. “Photography itself always fascinated me but I had never made a serious effort to learn,” Robroek tells us. “Combining it with visiting abandoned buildings seemed like a great idea and I quickly found out there was a big 'scene' behind this hobby. ”
Robroek started out by exploring sites near to where he lived but inevitably began traveling further and further afield. Sometimes this meant researching online, scouring Google Maps and digging into historical articles for days, while other times it required the more proactive approach of just getting in a car and driving around.
Eventually Robroek discovered that in order to find more of these places more efficiently, engaging in tit-for-tat information swapping with the abandoned photog community was essential.
“In all honesty,” Robroek explains, “the most common way [to find a place] is probably to share a location you've visited with another photographer that you trust. You will get a location in return another time. I'm quite sure every urban photographer has his own 'small network' for this. ” He adds that the tricky part is keeping this knowledge out of the hands of less honourable types who may vandalise or steal from an unwatched spot.
/Roman Robroek
Robroek explorations have led to some admittedly bizarre situations beyond the standard police and guard chases from trespassing. In his travels he’s found everything from Nazi letters signed ‘Heil Hitler’ to dead animal heads in jars. It is that dice roll of discovery that drives Robroek.
/Roman Robroek
“With these photos, and the histories I look up about the places I visit, I want to share with my followers a peek behind doors that would usually be left closed,” he says. “I still find it unbelievable what's being left behind to decay. ”
The hobby does come with some dangers. Many of these sites Robroek visits are in terrible states of decay and he’s learned over time to be careful for both his own sake and that of his gear. Though he’s tempted to replace his Lowepro Slingshot 202 camera bag with an Everyday Backpack from the Peak Design range, Robroek has stayed intensely loyal to his Canon 650D, which he has kept safe over these five years.
Equally impressive is that in sneaking over an uncounted number of walls and fences, Robroek also hasn’t damaged any of the Canon (10-18mm, 50mm) and Sigma (10-20mm wide-angle) lenses he takes along. The lineup provides a full range of perspectives and gives him some flexibility in his shoots. “I like to see lines in my shots,” Robroek says, “I like them straight and centered and see that as my challenge. It doesn’t always work out the way I want though!”
Having travelled throughout much of central Europe already, Robroek has given himself a personal goal to visit at least one new country every year. This year alone he’s already been to four and his future plans are nothing if not daring.
/Roman Robroek
“Next year I plan on shooting a report at Chernobyl,” Robroek says, “I've been reading books about the terrible disaster that happened there and I want to see what's left of it with my own eyes and my camera. I also plan to visit Scandinavia and Serbia. ”
It may seem odd to some to find such joy in dilapidated hospitals, warehouses and mansions but to Robroek seeing these unseen worlds will never cease to be a treat.
“These sites are filled with history which fascinates me. It's special and I feel honored to be able to visit it. ”
/Roman Robroek
You can see more of Roman Robroek's work on his website, Instagram account, and on Twitter
. digitalrev.com2016-10-7 03:00