urban exploration

blackoutbunny · 27-02-2008 07:57PM #1

are there people on here that are into urban exploration?
i have visit many old houses and abandoned buildings like brewery's and asylums to do photographic work. Im around Cork now if anybodys interested in doing some? Or wants to exchange info on buildings in this country?!

elven · 27-02-2008 07:59PM

Would love to but not too hot on the old trespassing/danger of serious injury involved

GristlyEnd · 27-02-2008 08:00PM

It's something I would love to do as well. In fact I will be heading down to Cork soon after seeing photos of an abandoned railway station.

magicbastarder · 27-02-2008 08:02PM

most old buildings in ireland have been knocked or turned into apartments.

blackoutbunny · 27-02-2008 08:24PM

yeah i heard about them from a friend a while back and then i asked a cab driver who gave me the whole history behind them!! nice guy indeed and that definately a place when i will be going soon too, there are a few i guess state owned buildings ive gotten into that are close to the city. i can post pics when i get home- but no doubt they will be sold for some kind of development pretty soon

this is a great link for a guy who does something similar-

http://www.abandonedpast.co.uk/

i use the images i collect themselves and print them up in the dark room, do print making with them and try to create installations with things that are left behind that are like fragments of somebody's personal past. i do digital/video work in some sites depending on whats relevent.

if you let me know when your coming i might be able to bring you to parts of the old station or just give u more info on it?

L1011 · 27-02-2008 08:28PM

I'd see myself as "in to it" but not actively doing it much. Theres very little improperly secured in Leinster, theres very few people doing it, and its a bit more illegal here than the UK... and I've not done it for absolutely ages.

Will try to dig up some photos from a few years ago here later, but they're on transparencies and my scanner is atrocious. Improperly corrected colours here we come!

www.28dayslater.co.uk gets a lot of people who do it for the photography angle (as well as those who do it for the thrill/the hobby and don't really care about photography or documenting stuff).

blackoutbunny · 27-02-2008 08:41PM

MYOB wrote: »

I'd see myself as "in to it" but not actively doing it much. Theres very little improperly secured in Leinster, theres very few people doing it, and its a bit more illegal here than the UK... and I've not done it for absolutely ages.

Will try to dig up some photos from a few years ago here later, but they're on transparencies and my scanner is atrocious. Improperly corrected colours here we come!

www.28dayslater.co.uk gets a lot of people who do it for the photography angle (as well as those who do it for the thrill/the hobby and don't really care about photography or documenting stuff).

oh cool i would love to see what you have done! im not sure about how illegal it is exactly....but i had always thought a bit of friendly banter and armed with my 3 camera's and god know's what else, and i wouldnt ever get into too much trouble!!(she hopes!) im sure it would make a nice change from the packs of scumbags that also tend to seek out similar places to drink and do awful tags!

i was in a beautiful old warehouse a few weeks ago and the front door was just left open!i took a lot of pictures of all the textures and the retro machine fittings and fixtures. upstairs i found a beautiful old hand drawn plan left in a pile or rubbish and rat killer! made a lot of prints with the design in the end.
there were plans of proposed buildings for the city - right on the water that never happened. though it was great seeing this futureistic cork stuck amongst the reminents of the past

L1011 · 27-02-2008 08:44PM

In Ireland, for just entering and photographing:
Civil issue if on most lands
Criminal on railways/legally active former railways and military land

But if someone says you were causing them fear (!) / caused damage / etc it gets messy. Very messy. I've had to reason with a garda over it before and thats never fun! I make sure not to have anything even approaching a tool or weapon on me, including lighters (arsonists), just the camera, phone and car keys...

elven · 27-02-2008 08:55PM

blackoutbunny wrote: »

create installations with things that are left behind that are like fragments of somebody's personal past.

That sounds fantastic.

rymus · 27-02-2008 09:31PM

if you're doing a few around Cork give me a shout, I wouldn't mind tagging along.

Sebzy · 27-02-2008 10:22PM

Would be up for exchanging lists for sure.

Just uploaded 400 images from a urban decay project which is still under development.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sebastiandooris/

Still have to sort them into groups/sets

Masada · 27-02-2008 10:42PM

urbex is something im eager to give a go but cant find any decent locations, anyone got any reccomendations in dublin?
love some of the stuff you got there sebzy, although some of them might work better in colour imo.,
i like the thought of night time ones with low light and in colour.,:)

Sebzy · 27-02-2008 10:50PM

vtec wrote: »

love some of the stuff you got there sebzy, although some of them might work better in colour imo.,

Well never been one for colour but do think a lot of them are too dark so might re-visit when i get some time.

Urban Ex is best done in pairs any more and it looks very suspicious.

Dragan · 27-02-2008 11:00PM

To be honest i had never even thought about it. Fantastic idea though and something i will definitely look into.

Thank you very much for posting.

evilhomer · 27-02-2008 11:05PM

Just wear a Hard Hat and no one will even look twice. (unless there is a security guard / owner near by)

I quite like it, but as some have said, not too many places in Dublin to explore.

Of course I'm open to correction on this.

blackoutbunny · 27-02-2008 11:13PM

elven wrote: »

That sounds fantastic.

yup some times its hard to detach the buildings with the people who once occupied them,like in the asylums or old houses.
once came across a house that ended up being as much about the people who lived there as the building, pics from 1910, negatives, telegrammes when the sons joined the army, some of the girls went off to be teachers, there were photos of this journey, letters ect. the last sister was put in a home and when she died all the stuff was destroyed , broken or covered in rat poison. pity whoever got the place didnt have the respect for there past lives as they obviously did, we left it as it was, the vinyl clothes in the wardrope, the pics of jfk and jesus all over the walls, that had layers and layers of paper plastered over each other- years of different looks of the place peeling down. a bit ceepty but cool old house, i imagine its all gone to rot now though

blackoutbunny · 27-02-2008 11:22PM

rymus wrote: »

if you're doing a few around Cork give me a shout, I wouldn't mind tagging along.

yeah cool, i'll prob venture out again either sat or sun, i'll be in touch and let you know where we are going so.

rahtkennades · 27-02-2008 11:46PM

blackoutbunny wrote: »

yup some times its hard to detach the buildings with the people who once occupied them,like in the asylums or old houses.
once came across a house that ended up being as much about the people who lived there as the building, pics from 1910, negatives, telegrammes when the sons joined the army, some of the girls went off to be teachers, there were photos of this journey, letters ect. the last sister was put in a home and when she died all the stuff was destroyed , broken or covered in rat poison. pity whoever got the place didnt have the respect for there past lives as they obviously did, we left it as it was, the vinyl clothes in the wardrope, the pics of jfk and jesus all over the walls, that had layers and layers of paper plastered over each other- years of different looks of the place peeling down. a bit ceepty but cool old house, i imagine its all gone to rot now though

God that's just a bit depressing really. Not sure I want to end up being forgotten except for somebody poking around in my abandoned 'stuff'.

Good to hear somebody is remembering it though blackoutbunny.

blackoutbunny · 27-02-2008 11:47PM

Sebzy wrote: »

Would be up for exchanging lists for sure.

Just uploaded 400 images from a urban decay project which is still under development.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sebastiandooris/

Still have to sort them into groups/sets

cool, are your pics from cork? you have some really interesting there but a tiny bit of advice would be careful with the shadow tool when editing, it shows up around the edges a lot which can also look great but not on a lot of different pics, when i take digital pics and convert them to black and white they always look too grey. when i hand print i use filters to get high contrast so when i digitaly alter prints to B&W i use the tool a lot also to try get more of a punch!!

in the coming week i will be going to parts of that old abandoned railway, back to the asylum and an old storehouse if you are interested in any of these?

Rojo · 27-02-2008 11:52PM

I'm really interested!!! Are all those photos from the same building? The outside of it looks great - love the shattered glass.

blackoutbunny · 28-02-2008 12:29AM

rahtkennades wrote: »

God that's just a bit depressing really. Not sure I want to end up being forgotten except for somebody poking around in my abandoned 'stuff'.

Good to hear somebody is remembering it though blackoutbunny.

yup thats makes another argument, if u take some negatives...even if they are left in rot and from 1910...is it salvage or still some kind of identity theft? and being house in a small town in tipp i very much doubt my artistic vision would be apprecited at all!!! but i wanted to be respectful towards them in my own way, they had kept such small momento's for their entire lifetime. it was so sad to see it all just treated with such disregard.
the photos were great--- victorinna style hair in some and stark stiff clothing ,,,some were taken on a beach, men in full suits, women in beautiful attire and what must have been the best staying pin curls ever!! a bygone era of this country

we fix up one old large format enlarger in college and were acually able to make prints from some of the negatives!

blackoutbunny · 28-02-2008 08:15AM

Rojo wrote: »

I'm really interested!!! Are all those photos from the same building? The outside of it looks great - love the shattered glass.

yup its was lovely gothic inspired mental institution, unfortnely even this part of it is now being turned into flats despite being a land mark of building. A lot of buildings that should have been protected have be bought up for purposes of 'development'. I was sickened when the land the tower is on was sold for flats and their answer for protecting and retoring it was to paint it bright white! very inkeeping with the era i dont think!!
some of those developers must have some seriously deep pockets to get away with this kind of lunacy!!!

28-02-2008 10:17PM

I'd be in the same boat as MYOB,as in I've visited a couple of places in the past but haven't done much recently.I'll have to get back out there again.Nice shots of the asylum by the way.I'd love to see some more shots of the other places you've found.By the way I'm pretty sure there's an old magdalene laundry down in Cork somewhere behind a school.A bit of research might dig something up.Visiting it would certainly be an experience after knowing what went on there.

P.S Myob: Scummy

(Lets hope you have a good memory or you're going to think I'm completely mad!)

bradnailer · 02-03-2008 06:23PM

Nice collection of shots,missed them when they were up first

blackoutbunny · 04-03-2008 07:52AM

this weekend i will be setting out to photograph the old abandoned railroad system in cork, i'll be talking pics just outside the city and visiting some of the old stations in west cork afterwards if anyone in the cork area would like to tag alone i'll be heading out early sat.

blackoutbunny · 05-03-2008 07:31AM

Rojo wrote: »

I'm really interested!!! Are all those photos from the same building? The outside of it looks great - love the shattered glass.

yup its an old asylum

06-03-2008 12:07AM

You probably already know about this but if you follow the line to Ballinhassig there's a 1km long disused railway tunnel around there.There are some high res shots of the entrance and exits on google earth.

rymus · 06-03-2008 11:35AM

bloody hell.. why am I only finding out about this tunnel now?

Drove by the viaduct the other day and it rekindled my interest in climbing up there.

Must have a look on google earth for that tunnel.

Edit; Had a look, can't find anything. Care to give coordinates to the tunnel?

edit again; never mind, found it

amcinroy · 06-03-2008 03:28PM

Great stuff blackoutbunny. This kind of stuff really intrigues me and your images are very dark and moody.

I have done something like this up in Donegal in an old abandoned military fort.

You can see the whole portfolio here
http://www.andymcinroy.com/4port.htm

Andy

Rojo · 06-03-2008 03:32PM

blackoutbunny wrote: »

yup its an old asylum

Very cool! People should start posting up GPS co-ordinates or something! Wouldn't mind taking a trip to these places.

rymus · 06-03-2008 04:02PM

Fort Dunree is a bloody mad place. I could have spent the whole day there walking around among the abandoned buildings.

GPS coordinates is a spiffing idea.

urban exploration

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