Photographing Ruins

[BEGM83]

Ok so im heading off to a place near here called Leiston Abbey this weekend Leiston Abbey : Suffolk : East of England : Find a property by map : Properties : Days Out & Events : English Heritage which is a ruined abbey amongst other buildings.

Any tips greatfully recieved as to how to capture a place like this at its best such as what angles are good, camera set up etc.


Thanks!

[dcclark]

Ruins are one of my favorite subjects -- we live surrounded by old copper mining ruins here, which can be very dramatic. Here are a few things I've discovered (take with a grain of salt, because these are just MY experiences):

- Ruins tend to have great textures: brick and stone walls, old worn-down building materials, etc. Go for some of those. From the photos on that page, that abbey will be texturiffic!
- Ruins also tend to have great lines -- long hallways, details in the stonework, fallen beams and stones, etc. I see some railings there that I'd love to get my lens on...
- Taking those together, a wide angle is often very effective. You can use the lines to your advantage to make something very dramatic, pulling your eye in. You can also use it to emphasize the scale of the ruins.
- But, don't forget some detail shots too. Small things that remind you that humans once lived here.
- Try composing some shots with a black & white conversion in mind. That can emphasize textures as well, and give a very dramatic effect if done with lots of contrast.

Page through my flickr stream if you're interested in a few ideas (especially my sets for Quincy Smelter and Mining Ruins). Good luck!

[gazsus]

I went to a ruined abbey last week, Welcome to Whalley Abbey - Whalley Abbey in the Ribble Valley got lucky with the weather and opted for an HDR day. I have a dozen or so on Flickr in my siggy.
Each bracketed at -2, 0, +2.
Some of the angles I used may or may not appeal, some were only taken to capture lens-flare for fun.

My reason for choosing the HDR route was the stone-work in old building and ruins, I love the colour and texture that HDR drags out.

Hope the weather behaves for you

[BEGM83]

Cheers for the tips. Both of your flickr sets are really cool, and certainly give me some food for thought!

I am tempted to go the HDR route but i have NEVER done it before so wouldn't have a clue with it and don't want to waste the afternoon trying it out iyswim. Or is it pretty simple to do?

Im HOPING it'll have snowed the day before and be a bright blue clear sky (which if this week is anything to go by is VERY likely!) sods law i'll get grey skies and rain lol

[dcclark]

I'm not intending to be contrary, but I do recommend NOT relying on HDR. It's an interesting technique, but hard to pull off well. Besides, you can get amazing lighting in ruins -- light comes in where it never would in a "whole" building, dust empasizes light beams, textures get hilighted, etc. Go for high-contrast, perhaps, or maybe wait until evening to get that warm, low light. Good luck!

[BEGM83]

Thanks! Yeah i think it's a great thing to do BUT, as ive said, ive never done it before so wouldn't want to waste an afternoon trying it out. If it's easy i'll try it for sure if it's more complicated i'll give it a whirl on a local place before doing it on a day out

Im heading up for mid afternoon to be there long enough to catch the sunset. Unless they boot me out of the carpark that is....

[matneym]

Looking forward to seeing your photos. I've visited that area many times during my assignment but never got to that particular abbey. Orford Castle isn't too far away (to the south) either if you're looking for more shots.

[OsmosisStudios]

Only thing I can recommend is a tripod. Ive done a few shoots in ruined buildings and, unless youre using a VERY complicated flash setup, a tripod is almost a necessity.

Also, be careful. Good shoes/boots, maybe even a pair of gloves, depending on the situation. Ive only once had to wear an N-95 mask (non-rebreather type) with a full-on steel-toe and hardhat getup, but it was well worth it.

[dcclark]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Also, be careful. Good shoes/boots, maybe even a pair of gloves, depending on the situation. Ive only once had to wear an N-95 mask (non-rebreather type) with a full-on steel-toe and hardhat getup, but it was well worth it.

Heh, good advice. More important than any gear is: keep your eyes open! Ruins tend to have cracks, holes, chasms, unstable rocks, old beams that give way when you stand on them... all kinds of dangerous goodies. Don't trust your weight on anything you're not absolutely sure of.

As far as the tripod... in my work up here, I've found that developing Hands of Iron helps a LOT. I took this shot at 1/30 sec, while I was contorted into a ball to get the right angle.

[BEGM83]

Thanks for the tips guys it was very much appreciated. I went to a different place though - St Botolph's Priory in Colchester here in Essex (which probably means nothing to those not familiar with this area of the world ) photos are on my snapixel page and also in SYS if you want a nosey.

I really do think i need to invest in a tripod though lol (Saying that though i dont think i'd have got the angles i did get if i had used one!)