the police may ask me to move along

they have no legal right to do that unless you were causing an obstruction.

I’m struggling to think of any examples of this. I’ve taken pictures of plans and stuff while exploring, but ancient blueprints in a derelict factory aren’t exactly intellectual property.

i’m not using you as a reference. trademarks,design rights and IP are often appropriated by artists. Warhols Campbels soup or Banksy with ronald mcdonald and mickey mouse for example.

bencooper – Member
Is that the book about Chorley? What got me interested was that tens of thousands of people worked in the Scottish explosives industry – at one point Scotland was the world’s largest manufacturer of explosives – but no-one has bothered documenting any of it.

Not got that far into it, but I don’t think it specifically is. It’s called Bomb Girls by Jacky Hyams. I was looking for a new book for the Kindle and this was in the store for £1.60 or thereabouts, reduced from £17 so I thought it worth a read. I regularly like to read historical books such as this.
The first two chapters have ‘set the scene’ and explained the requirement for large munitions factories, where they were etc. I think the rest of the book is real accounts from women who worked in the factories.
So far, it’s an OK book. An interesting subject, but perhaps not fantasically written. Probably worth a look for £1.60 though!

they have no legal right to do that unless you were causing an obstruction.

True, but that doesn’t stop them both threatening you and then arresting you for not complying….

A general question here but in Ben’s vague direction…

I’ve spent hours pouring over these sites as I find them fascinating but are many of these derelict places closely guarded by security? I’ve often wondered how you overcome this to gain access? I would imagine flash photography in otherwise dark places draws the attention somewhat 🙂

Security guards are underpaid and undermotivated, and usually stuck in a portacabin at the front gate. Also, for insurance reasons, they’re usually not allowed inside the buildings, they just have to patrol around the outside.

So usually I work out a way around the back, avoiding their obvious patrols, and into the building – once inside you’re sorted. Yes, flash is a bad idea usually – besides, light painting usually produces better results.

they have no legal right to do that unless you were causing an obstruction.

Point this out to them and they just charge you with causing a Breach of the Peace. Or suggest you’re acting strangely and this gives them grounds to search you for drugs.

Ahh I see, thanks for the reply. I’d always wondered how so many get access to these derelict places but never had chance to ask anyone in the know.

Looking at some of your shots (they’re great by the way), the fact a lot of these visit seem to be made at night and what you said regarding flashes, do you just tend to use a really slow shutter speed?

It’s also perfectly legal.

But laws aren’t really hard rules, more like rough guidelines 😀

do you just tend to use a really slow shutter speed?

Yes, and light painting – basically opening the shutter and waving a torch about for a bit.

But laws aren’t really hard rules, more like rough guidelines

11th Commandment – Thou Shall Not Get Caught 😉

model paper machine from a mill in Inverkeithing, which is now sitting in my shop

Either it’s small and the shop is far away, or you’ve got a **** great big paper machine in your shop 😀

It’s 8ft long and weighs 300kg – small for a paper machine 😉

Occasionally some urban stuff on http://www.thisiscolossal.com

This led to me doing a lot of research and getting a tour of an entire derelict airfield by some chaps who fully researched it. I just found the site when exploring bridleways a few years back:

It was his last public concert before vanishing en route to France.

They’d be even more awesome if he hadn’t HDR’d them to death

Infra Red isn’t it?

First one looks like it but I don’t think so – the rest are HDR.

Great stuff.

@Footflaps , that’s Sofaking from off of here’s site .

Well he’s very talented. Must take a lot of effort to create.