In this interview, I catch up with 32 year old travel, wedding and urban photographer James Kerwin to find out why urbex is so popular and share his experiences of the subject.
Hi James. Tell me, how did you get into urban exploration?
I’d been into photography for
about 4 years when I spotted some images online of an old mental asylum in the
UK. Although it wasn’t my style of photography, I was instantly drawn in and
wanted to see more. I researched the hospital, found it and placed it on a map
and I still haven’t been – yet!
What do you find most rewarding about urbex; what gives you
the greatest kick?
Honestly, the best thing about
it sometimes is the peacefulness of it. Once inside a building, there is no
noise, no people shopping or shouting; it’s tranquil. So much so that I find
myself walking off from other members of my group regularly just to experience
this feeling.
Despite living in Norwich in the UK, you’ve travelled around the world to
shoot spots of industrial decay; what’s been your favourite place to shoot and
why?
The Beelitz Hospital complex in
Germany really was something else. It
was a fantastic long weekend and the buildings are stunning both inside and out.
However the UK, France and Belgium all have some incredible buildings too.
How do you choose your locations, is there a lot of planning
beforehand?
Normally my trips are planned to
hit a few locations together as it is more cost effective this way. For
example, I’m going to Italy at the end of
November. The planning with Adam X (a regular exploring partner of mine)
went
something like this: “Wow Italy looks stunning, do you fancy a quick
trip
before the year is out?” Adam replied saying, “damn right!” So then it’s
a case
of researching the locations that we want to see and in my case, making a
short-list. With Italy we’re aware of the best-known places already, so
we had those
locations on a map. However, there weren’t enough there for a trip so we
continued
with our researching, unearthing more locations. In the end, you have a
longer
list and then have to prioritise.Slowing down and taking my time is something that has really helped me.Once you have your locations, you then need to work out how much daylight you have and plan each day, which enables you to pack as much in as possible. Next it’s hotel locations and transport and that’s all there is to it really.
How do you stay safe?
Staying safe is a priority at
all times, it comes with experience really. You know not to step on a rotten
floor board, a piece of glass or where and when to wear face masks to protect
from things like asbestos. Don't explore alone either, I always explore with a team that looks out for each
other.
Is it technically harder shooting in what are often dirty,
dark locations?
Yes, it really is! Photography
is about a few key elements but the main one is light. The first time I
walked
in to an old hospital near my home town I was shocked at how dark it
was.
However, when you think about it, it makes sense, these places are often
old and
derelict with no light getting in at all. Slowing down and taking my
time is
something that has really helped me. Again, experience has helped too,
you kind
of get used to it. If I look back at some of my earlier urbex images
they’re
terrible when compared to the work I’m doing now. There is one other key
factor too: a tripod! Dark places usually mean longer shutter times, so
the best quality comes from having the camera
sit still and this means using a good quality tripod.
With the growing urbex trend, how do you stay unique?
In every
place there’s always the shot, the photograph that most people would look to get if they went to that location. I also look for
other shots, but sometimes doing the key shot well and editing it nicely is my
way of doing it differently. I’m always looking to learn new processing
techniques and to try new lenses as well; I believe both of these things can
set you apart in any field of photography. For example, I recently tried the
12-24mm Sigma f/4.5-f/5.6, which is rarely used in photography. Placed on the
front of my Canon it was sharp, barely had any distortion and suddenly I could
take shots wider than most. A full frame camera with a 12mm lens is wide, very
wide!In the future I’m looking to start a blog about shooting in these locations and my trip experiences. This is another way of trying to keep myself unique, it's not just about your photography these days, it’s also about your brand.
What advice would you give to photographers who want to get
into urban exploration?
Try to buck the trend, and don’t
fall into the trap of creating over-processed HDRs! But seriously, just
because it’s abandoned does not mean the building alone is a good shot; look
for a subject as you would with any other photography type. Once you have an
interesting subject, then try and make sure you get in foreground and background, it gives the image depth. Detail shots can be lovely too, I rarely
do them now as I never have time, but I know some cracking urbex photographers
that will only shoot detail (almost macro) images. The key is as long as
there’s a subject, the viewer will be drawn in and it will make for a
compelling shot.Finally, I’d also add not to go exploring buildings or structures alone. Carry water and a tripod; make sure you know all of your local laws, you don’t want to get into trouble for trespassing, and be prepared for anything to happen.
Keep Up With James' Work
- James Kerwin Photographic on Facebook
- @JLKerwin on Twitter
- James' Website for portfolios of his work
