Finding your nitche

I have been in a turmoil over what it is I like to shoot. Personally, I think one can be great at shooting everything, but I also think you have to have that ONE thing that you are the best at and love to shoot no matter what. What I mean by that is, the one thing that you will drop everything for.

Lately it is urban exploration for me.. I am not sure why though. Maybe its the fact that I love history, and a lot of the places I visit are all apart of history. A great resort that started in the early 1900's or a old castle that someone did something great in or an old factory that was apart of the growth of a new city. I want to preserve the history, the location and the memories of a lifetime that has long past.

But it also could be argued that there is a some sort of high about going into a place that you aren't supposed to be in, that you could possibly get hurt in or breathe something that could potentially make you sick. Or there is the possibility  of coming across vagrants that live in some of these places or gangs and teenagers who are there to specifically ruin these places as well. You do need to be very careful in what you do. I think for me it is a mixture of both while I love preserving the memories and history, I get to do research and study the location, what happened there, what is was used for, who visited and so on. But I also get the rush of going to these places and walking in the footsteps of the original people who worked, visited, vacationed there as well.

I have to admit though, in my travels it is very sad to see some of these places. When you see how they originally looked when they were in their hay day, and what they have amounted to now is very disheartening to say the least. I have a real hard time with this fact out of everything. Why you ask, because of the entitled society we now live in is what it comes down too. People think that because a location is vacant that that fact entitles them to go in and do whatever it is that they want to do. Take a resort I visited in July, beautiful place and 100 years old. Yes it was pretty much run down, roof was leaking, floors where coming apart in places.. and yes there had been vandals in there as well. But when I went back to photograph the rest of the location just a mere few weeks ago it was far worse then back in July. The windows in the indoor pool were all tagged, in the main entrance it was also all tagged and it looked like people were pulling down walls. When you got to the other side of the place thought it looked like people were fixing the place up, new sheet rock, but the floors where all gone. Very odd to say the least.

When I left I have to say I was very sick. Please if you visit any place like these wear a mask be proactive with things. You never know what you are going to breathing in. Even though you are healthy you might not leave healthy. Also be prepared to run into vandals, homeless who are living in whatever location you visit. I carry pepper spray in my camera bag, I know not lot of protection but it could give me the time I nee to get out of there. Wear gloves and boots as well, as you never know what you are getting into. And lastly do your research, look at satellite photos, find out the history of the place, ask others who have been there before. And please beware of police traffic and nosy neighbors. For example, I went to a location last weekend, no intentions of going inside, but I was just looking. I shot all around the building but neighbors came right out once they knew I was there and followed me until I went to my car.

Some might say that even a photographer is doing the same thing as a vandal. Now I might not agree with that statement I do understand what it means. For me it is all about preservation, the history and documentation. But not all photographers think that way either. For them its about getting into locations that are off limits. What I mean is, if someone like me gains permission or entrance to a location, I go in shoot, do my thing and eventually post the images on my blog here or web site, it means for the next photographer who doesn't do things by the rules that this place is free and open and no matter what they can get in there and do what they want. I guess that is a little cluttered, but what I mean is, its an open invitation. So I guess I have mixed feelings because I too see images on the net and I want to go there too and be able to see and record and shoot as well.

So what are your thoughts?

Early morning sunrise