Urban exploration aka urbex has become immensely popular over the past decade to the point that it is mainstream photography. When increases in processor power made HDR processing available to every photographer, dilapidated buildings could be made to look interesting in completely new ways.
Of course, I have been guilty of a little exploration myself, as I love wandering through old, abandoned sites and checking for some unique vista that speaks to me. When moving through a building, I let my mind wander and lose itself within the possibilities of transformation through fantasy.
Part of my process relies on visualization of the alternate spin that I can put on the image, so that viewers can feel themselves transported into an alternate reality. Allowing my imagination to roam free across the landscape of my mind is an enjoyable, stimulating aspect of photography, which is very much enabled by HDR processing, about which I will write more in a future post.
The site of this image was the farm for a state hospital; the structure has been razed since I captured this image. On the day that I captured this image, the outside light was extremely bright and harsh, giving enough light to get the great definition in the floor and walls.
We’re looking past the animal stalls toward an open door, a possible exit from the dark, stark area, where we find ourselves. Is it a safe exit, or will it lead into a dimensional trap/
Leave a Reply