I do like to do a spot of what’s called ‘Urban Exploring‘. Basically, it’s photographing in derelict spaces.
I like to go with my pals James & Aiden, and we recently decided we’ve all been a bit busy working of late and we decided we needed an ‘Urbex’ break
The policy is basically not to break into a place, but if it’s accessible, we explore!
We’d recently heard about people gaining access to a MASSIVE school in Hyde Park, Leeds (lots of posts on Flikr showing the insides), so we started the day there
Outside on the floor was an excellent old school Fire Extinguisher)
But sadly, and as happens regularly with abandoned buildings, recent access has been noticed and it’s been more enthusiastically locked down by the authorities.
There’s nothing like tall walls anti-climb paint & razor wire to keep a man down.
So we decided to mosey on elsewhere.
On the way I saw this cool poster, seemingly not advertising anything other than a mysterious sentiment.
So off we drove to place James & Aiden had been a few weeks before, an old machinery factory out near Ilkley.
I rather like the Lightroom processing I created to yellow the leaves a bit,
The old front door, again with yellowing leaves.
The fascinating thing about noseying around buildings that have been closed for years is seeing what was left when it closed and how time’s just spanned around that.
It appeared Holly Valance was one of the ladies of favour once upon a time.
Though it seemed she had competition, as there was a whole wall of carefully cut and pasted 70’s ladies and various impressively dated calendars of 70’s ladies sats in cars or working machinery with their paps out… (images perhaps not entirely suitable for a wedding blog!)
This place used to be a laundry machinery factory
There were loads of amazing rooms full of old bureaus busting at the seams with technical drawings
Cool stuff eh?
Back from a time when things were drawn with pens.
No one likes HDR much.
It’s really so interesting seeing things like this.
And in another area was one of the milling rooms. 
With old piles of nails still sat waiting to be used.
Big meaty machines, rusting quietly
There were loads of bulbs lying about too.
I like this catch of James reflecting in a mirror
A chunky hook.
I’m informed that if you don’t break in and you’re doing nothing criminal, it’s only a civil offence to be caught UrbExing
Though whether the cops’d agree is anyone’s guess.
But it’s so cool to be able to see somewhere lost to time in such a sanitised society.
Aiden decided to bring his old manual film camera, cos he still loves dropping it several rolls into the lab and being surprised later at what’s on there.
Doesn’t look like they’re so clean any more.
As James & Aiden had been papped, it seemed only right to pap mesen in a skanky mirror.
We found this other cool room, and shot a few more portraits
and a few more bulbs.
I like that shooting for fun like this, I can play around a bit more at the extremities of my lenses, eg at f1.2 on the 50mm like the above
There was an ace punching in area
with a clock that long ago gave up the ghost
Dude’s timesheets still sat quietly
I quite liked this space, next to an old phonebooth and office.
This is probably my fave image of the day. A great combination of nature, light and dereliction
I also liked the shapes and crumbling paint of this crop
This old chair sat infront of old work posters & used dusty teacups 
While James tried to snap me from high while I sat on the chair above, I caught it crumble beneath him!
Interesting old posters about not being allowed to work more than 7.57 hrs per day.
I love how time paints a white room all kinds of new colours.
Light shafts burnt in over nudey calendars & an old chair
At one stage I looked up and caught James snapping this.
To see loads more exploration I’ve done, click the ‘Blog Categories’ menu and select ‘UrbEx’.
For some reason, the old Leeds International Swimming Pool post is still one of my most highly viewed blog posts!