Frequently Asked Questions |
abandoned-places.com
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Old buildings, abandoned hospitals, industrial palaces overgrown with plants and trees,
the remaining walls decorated with graffiti, smashed windows, rain dripping through the roof...
These places have become hard to find, difficult (or illegal) to access, dangerous to explore ... great to spend the day !
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Today, the pyramids of the industrial revolution just uselessly stand in the way, they're a scar in the landscape.
The deafening noises have been replaced by silence, but if you listen carefully they will tell you their story.
Abandoned hospitals where you can still smell the anxiety of the ill,
where you can hear the coughing of the TBC infected
and where once doctors and nurses walked through the shiny corridors.
A 100 years old hotel, standing proudly at the waterfront, arrogantly overlooking the beach
and fiercely withstanding all the storms of the past century, a decayed symbol of wealth for the rich.
Why are abandoned places so attractive ?
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I was born on august 22nd 1968 in Brussels, Belgium. At age 16 I got my first camera and at 20 I made my first photos at the Buda Marly plant (and got arrested straight away). Professionally
I've been a pilot since age 22, first on the Boeing 737, then 767 and
also the airbus 320. |
please note : everything on this site is subject to copyright © Henk van Rensbergen
F.A.Q. |
What does your book look like, how can I purchase my copy ?
What photographic equipment do you use ?
Can I use your photographs for the design of CD sleeves, to decorate my website, ... ?
How did you start doing this ?
How do you find out about these places ?
Do you take special precautions ? Is it dangerous ?
What was the most scary or dangerous place you visited ?
Do you always explore on your own ?
How different are night time explorations ?
What stories do you make up when you get caught?
Can you give me directions to this and that site, I'd like to go there myself ...
If this hasn't answered your question, you are more than welcome to send me a mail.
back to the index page | back to the photowheel 1 | back to the photowheel 2 | back to the photo-tube 3 |
What does your book look like, how can I purchase my copy ?
abandoned places - the photographer's selection (Book 4, 2014)
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Prices include shipment | Belgium/Netherlands |
Europe |
World |
Standard | 50 euro |
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Priority+ insurance | 60 euro |
70 euro |
You can order directly from this website. Send me an email stating your name and address and the message you would like me to write in it. I will sign your copy and send it insured with TNT in a protective envelope.
Generally USA and worldwide customers will use the paypal system for payment, EU based customers wire transfer from bank account to bank account. Mail me for transfer details, or click the "buy now" button for paypal.
I've published 4 books so far.
In 2007: abandoned places (sold out)
2010: abandoned places 2 (sold out)
2012: abandoned places 3 (sold out). Check the preview on youtube
2014: abandoned places -the photographer's selection (still for sale)
Some comments :
(K. from Belgium) : Was gisteren pas laat thuis en jawel, daar lag -netjes ingepakt- een boek op mij te wachten. Tnx, heb de indruk dat het bij elke editie sterker wordt :-)
(J. from Hungary) : It's amazing, like a caleidoscope, so different places in the world, so different kind of cultures, buildings... where most of us could never get to. So many abandoned places you've explored for us! You did a very good job again! I can't put it down.
(J. from France) : ça faisait un moment que je surveillais la sortie du volume 3, voila c'est fait, j'espere que tu me le dédicacera comme les autres, c'est noel!
What photographic equipment do you use ?
In 2006 I switched to digital reflex cameras and never looked back (although no camera is as beautiful as a Leica M). My first camera was a Canon EOS 5D ... in terms of dynamic range it didn't beat the Leica with film, but this type of camera really was more adapted for architectural photography. It served me very well. In 2009 I bought a Canon EOS 5D MarkII and in 2013 the Mark III. I've used a range of different lenses such as the Canon EF 14mm 2.8 L USM (Mark II), the EF17-40mm f/4L USM. Sinds a couple of years I'm only using tilt/shift lenses ranging from the 45mm, over the 24mm and the 17mm. These are extraordinary lenses in all regards, delivering stunningly sharp prints up to 1.2m x 1.8m for a single shot.
Is
Leica old fashioned, expensive and for snobs ? Yes and no : yes, it's old
fashioned, but at the top when it comes to quality, sturdiness and size
of equipment. It's a thing of beauty. |
Prints are available for sale either directly through me or through a selection of art galleries. The number of prints is restricted to 8 or 10 and prices may vary from 1000 till 8000 euro depending on the series. My photos are finished as diasec on sizes roughly between 1 meter and 2.5 meter (a typical photo would be 1m x 1.5m or 1.2m x 1.8m)
If you wonder what size print you should chose follow this simple method : take a newspaper and cut it to the size of your choice. Simply hold or paste it to the wall you're intending to hang the photo. Take a couple steps back and judge how that size holds up in its context. Continue to experiment with different sizes until you're satisfied.
Generally USA and worldwide customers will use the paypal system for payment, EU based customers wire transfer from bank account to bank account. Mail me for transfer details, or click the "buy now" button for paypal.
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Can I use your photographs for the design of CD sleeves, to decorate my website, ... ?
If you're looking for high resolution scans for your design (CD-sleeve, web-design, ...) : contact me, prices usually range from 500 euro for the first photo (if you require exclusivity) or 250 euro if you don't. Subsequent photos will be discounted. In return you get a 300 dpi, high quality jpg, 13x18 cm (5x7") scan either via email (free) or on a CD. You will be allowed to use this photo for all prints related to the cd : the cd itselve, promotion, tickets, t-shirts, ... If possible at least the CD booklet should mention my name. If
you want to use a photograph (that you can download directly from my site)
for non commercial purposes you can do so with the following conditions :
1) send me a mail, explain your plans and get my permission 2) credit me for my work by mentioning "photographs (c) abandoned-places.com" and
(if used on a website) link back to my site abandoned-places.com Most of you are on a tight budget and I'm willing to do an effort, but I can't give away for free. I take risks and invest a lot of time and money in my projects so I expect people who want to use my art for their own purpose to contribute a bit in the costs. |
How did you start doing this ?
I
must have done this all my life ... I remember vividly how my friend and
I explored an abandoned villa in the dunes of Oostduinkerke ... we must
have been 10. We all did these things when we were kids. Maybe I just
didn't grow up and kept exploring. My
first factory was Buda Marly in 1989. It was still operating then and
I got caught almost straight away but that didn't stop me from exploring
many other places. I can't go to any place in the world without looking
for that open window, that hole in the fence or that unlocked door (I'm
talking about abandoned buildings here). In the beginning the biggest thrill was to venture inside the building, always on my own explore and discover ... Later on I started taking photographs just to "prove" I had been up there. The last couple of years I started focussing more on the quality of my photographs and now the exploring pleasure is complete : the fun and excitement of the exploration, the pleasure of making the perfect shot, the satisfaction (or disappointment) when seeing the photos, the publishing on the web and the reactions of the visitors. |
Is there such a thing as "urban exploration ethics" ?
With the increasing popularity of urban exploration it is important to build a tradition of respect, to apply an unwritten code of ethics of how we behave once we've crossed the border between the normal world and our secret world. The old Sierra Club 's motto "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints" very much applies to the urban exploring community. Amongst urban exploreres vandalism, theft and troublemaking are considered poor ethics. We don't break anything for any reason, we don't tag our names to prove we've been here or there, we don't litter and we don't steal. The sites we visit are wonderful places we like to leave intact as we found them, just as we would preserve and protect a precious area of fragile nature. There is an interesting book written by ninjalicious called "access all areas" that can be bought online : it covers a lot of topics about urban exploration that can guide you through all sorts of questions (such as ethics).
Two quotes from this book : About tagging and graffiti (by urban explorers) : If you have nothing to say beyond a messy scribble of your name or your group's name, don't say anything at all. If you really can't suppress your instinct to mark your territory, please just wait until you get home and then urinate on your furniture until you get that weird evolutionary misfire out of your system.
About taking stuff : You don't need to take souvenirs to make both the experience and the site your own : you diminish your ownership of the place by defacing it or taking away a piece of it. Instead, adopt a zennish own-without-acquiring mindset (quote by Steven Wright) : "I have a large seashell collection wich I keep scattered all over the beaches of the world ... maybe you've seen it ?"
Think about it |
Why aren't you updating your site anymore ?
I have to admit that I haven't updated this website in quite a while. That doesn't mean I stopped exploring or making photos, it's just a lack of time I guess... However, there is a second website that focusses more on the photos and less on the stories, you may like it! In the mean time this website stays in the air. It's got a serious touch of vintage by now, which is kind of nice in this ever evolving world :) |
How do you find out about these places ?
In the beginning I spent a lot of time driving around areas that looked "right". I walked along fences trying to find a hole, hoping to discover an abandoned place (or the guard's dog) ... You may end up in a place you'd rather not be; I once witnessed a conversation between two mafia type guys on a car dump : they talked and handed over suspicious documents. Then they started walking my way (I was lying under a car), changed their minds and went away ... These were the early days. Now there's the website and a growing group of "urban explorers". We keep in touch and share new discoveries. That's a lot of fun, but it does take away a bit of the mystery of discovering your own "forgotten civilisation". For people who want to find out if there are any such places in their own neighbourhood, I suggest to drive and look around : it's a good way to start. Asking the local people is tricky : they may help you really well but they may ignore the existence of huge places right next doors ... After I had unsuccessfully tried to locate a place in Liege I asked the police : he kindly explained the shortest route :) that was nice and convenient. |
Do you take special precautions ? Is it dangerous ?
Yes,
I take precautions, and yes, it is potentially dangerous, very dangerous. Let
me start by saying that exploring abandoned places is potentially dangerous,
dirty and unhealthy. There are excellent web -sites on the subject
and you don't have to go out and do it yourself ! First
precaution is to let someone know where you are : I always take my mobile
phone (with a loaded battery) and give my location when entering the premises.
There is one disadvantage about mobile phones : they ring and it would
be typically Murphy’s law that someone would call you when you are holding
your breath because of a security guard around the corner (I know, you
can turn the sound off and the vibrations on, but believe me you'll forget
it until it's too late). Clothing
is very important : use hiking or army boots with thick soils : there
is broken glass and nails everywhere. They should also be waterproof :
you don't want colourful chemicals inside your socks. Equipment
is very limited but important : I use a flashlight that I fix on my head
(hands free), always charge the batteries the day before. I also take a
small spare flashlight and I can use the batteries of my photo-flash as
a back up. A knife could be interesting although I've never had to use
it. A leatherman is a good tool to have : versatile and handy. I used
to carry a door handle that once "saved my life", but it's out
again (until I lock myself up again somewhere). How
dangerous is exploring ? I've
been doing it for more than 15 years now and I've never been hurt once
... and I've never renounced to explore the most remote
places. However there is a moment to say "stop, this is the limit",
and you better say that once too often. Concrete
structures are almost always very sure and solid. Steel and iron, if not
corroded are very solid too. Wood is very treacherous : it can be dry
and intact yet completely rotten inside : to be avoided at all cost. Apart from these "technical" aspects there
is one BIG mistake that you should never make : don't walk around in abandoned
places as you would in a cathedral : walking around and looking up, thinking
"wow this is beautiful" : your next step will take you 3 floors
down, forget about your mobile ! |
What was the most scary or dangerous place you visited ?
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Do you always explore on your own ?
Yes. I
get the most satisfaction when being on my own, learning to know a new
building. You need a special mental attitude when exploring an unknown
place : it's dangerous yet intriguing, it's mysterious and you want to
know more, you want to know what happened here, who worked here, who died
here, who fell in love, ... you have to listen carefully to what the walls
have to tell you, sit down, be quiet and let the ghosts tell you their
story, let the place become your friend, earn its trust make it reveal
its secrets, soak up the atmosphere like a sponge. Sounds
loony ? of course ! but that's how I do it, and I can only do this on
my own. This
being said, I do from time to time go out with friends photographers and
spend the day somewhere. But that's pure for the photographic fun, the
ghosts stay in their corner those times. Also a (girl)friend of mine has been a model in several abandoned buildings ... she's somewhere on this site taking a shower !!! |
How different are night time explorations ?
I
never do night time explorations ! That would be like suicide : never
explore an unknown place at night. I've
been to several places at night though : but only places I knew well.
I've done this on my own and I can assure you that it's scary like hell
! No more "sitting down quietly and enjoying the view" : only
"what's that sound ? did I see something move there ? was that a
flashlight ?". When
I do this I always go there before sunset : to make sure the place is
"mine". When the night falls there is this special atmosphere.
And then, when it's been dark for a while, slowly your instinct starts
telling you it's time to go. Of course some places are more scary at night than others : the Buda Marly factory is not scary, the Lemaire hospital simply is haunted !! |
What stories do you make up when you get caught?
None ! if you get caught don't try to be smart : it will only make it worse, these security guys aren't stupid. Simply say what you're doing, say that you understand that he's doing his job and that you're sorry causing him any trouble. Of course every situation is different : offering a cigarette and start a pleasant chat may be the solution, but it may as well get you a fine for a non-smoking violation.On the other hand, if you anticipate being caught : hide your exposed film rolls and put a new film in your camera : they might confiscate it. |
Of course you can, every other link promotes the site. However
I insist that my work shouldn't be linked to political ideas. If you like you can use the banner below (just copy) and resize it if needed. Let me know when you're done ! |
Can you give me directions to this and that site, I'd like to go there myself ...
I get too many requests from people who ask directions to a certain place without even knowing in what part of the world it is ! This is not a tourist office : you've got to do the basic research yourself (google the name of the place, use a route planner to find the exact location). Of course, if you've done your part of the research (and believe me, it's simple) and haven't found what you were looking for, I'll be glad to help |
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