Photography in derelict places

[Answerprancer]

I wonder if anyone can advise me on this.
I am looking for derelict/delapidated buildings (hospitals/schools/factories ...houses) where I can either
a) easily obtain permission to enter
b) gain entry without getting caught - preferably with the minimum of disturbance and not involving any damage to boarding/locks etc.

I live in SW London so ideally I am looking for places in that vicinity.

Why ? you may ask ..here's an example of why:
http://www.reflecting...9/h1AB5E014#h1ab5e014

[Quassia]

I've never seen that before, interesting!

[saxy_jag]

You might want to have a look around the forums here: http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/ . Looks like you should be able to get some advice from them too.

[askyourgran]

Great pictures AP. I hope you find the ones you are looking for.

[Answerprancer]

Thanks v much Saxy and AYG.
Quassia - it's not that difficult to get into if you consider having a go yourself.
You need to take three (or more) pics of the same scene at different exposures then use a bit of software (I use Photomatix) to 'tone map' the images.
A similar effect can be done with just one photo, it's not 'true' HDR but can give pretty amazing results - the second of my three examples was done with just one pic.

I made this one with three exposures:
http://i1028.photobuc...reasinternational.jpg

[wolf63]

That one is really good. Is the idea to make the pic artistic or realistic?

[jubieanna]

you are very clever AP. I love your photos

[wolf63]

Just a thought before I go to bed - are the old civil defence bunkers still around? There are bound to be tons of war related tunnels in the UK.

[Answerprancer]

Wolf - yes and no seems to be popular thought.
Some people produce 'extreme' HDR imagery, pushing it to the limits and often over saturating the colours, in which case afaic it's artistic. Then there are those who use it more subtly to enhance and bring detail out of the shadows thereby compensating for what the human eye/brain perceives that photos can't normally reproduce.
There seems to be a fair bit of controversy about HDR in the photography scene, some people love it, others hate it and the rest claim it is misused.

Thankyou Jubieanna - I aim to please :-)

[Quassia]

AP , I haven't a clue regards photography/exposure times ect.. My hobby is in comparing old archive & present day pics to see how much an area has changed. I think though, that particular style of photography is brilliant!

[classylady60]

I love your photos AP, excellent work thank you for sharing them.

[Huderon]

There is one on Lavender Avenue near the junction with Mortimer Road in Mitcham. If memory serves it used to be the offices of a printing firm, but won't be as dilapidated as the one in your link. Streetview shows the estate agent dealing with it is Quentin Scott. I'm over that way tomorrow so I'll check if the building is still up for sale and let you know.

There is also the office block that used to be Brown and Root many years ago at Colliers Wood. It has been empty for more years than I want to think about, and it is boarded up (bits have been known to fall off the building !), but again there may be some contact name around there somewhere.

Part of the site of the old Wolfson unit on Copse Hill has now been sold off and is being redeveloped. Some of the old nurses residences still intact last time I drove past there. Again, they won't be particularly decrepit, but if you are in the area it may be worth seeing if you can have a look round one of them.

Can't think of any others round this way - developers tend to snap things up pretty quickly.

[Answerprancer]

Thanks for that Huderon - much appreciated.

[Huderon]

Answerprancer, you can forget the Lavender Road site I mentioned yesterday - it is now rubble.

However, if you were willing to head over Lewisham way, the old baths at Ladywell is a bit derelict and was still standing last weekend. An old photo of them is at https://picasaweb.goo...n#5589804317580952322 and if you use streetview you can see the state they are in today - the building is on Ladywell Road (B236) opposite Church Grove. You may have to be a bit quick though - there were a couple of containers in the grounds lat the weekend, so I think the site has been acquired

[DrFilth]

the pictures are excellent thank you for posting them

[boxtops]

AP - come to Dover..... http://www.flickr.com...doverpast/4162868581/ Burlington House has been empty for at least the past 13 years, there is an NCP behind it which is empty too. The old Snoops nightclub in the road behind, too - all empty "awaiting development". I can't vouch for access but there are a lot of boarded up properties in the town.
Or pay £15 to go to Dover Castle, and have a look at the officers' mess, awaiting development - it was going to be a youth club then a conference centre, still empty as far as I know (but you'd need to check first that it still is empty). http://www.dover-cast...org/magazines/issue3/
http://www.flickr.com...doverpast/2236522723/

[DrFilth]

show my age i was on one of the last trains to use this station

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-4ph3jRcG4

[ChuckFickens]

Hi AP....

Can't answer your question, I'm just going to leave this here though to make you wish you had access to this sort of place...

http://vimeo.com/22050735

[Answerprancer]

Yeargh ! I could have gone there, I have friends that live near Wichita.
Thanks for the responses Boxtops, DrFilth - food for thought and possible visits !