Urban Exploration Lensography

            <h3 class="subtitle">Take Only Photographs; Leave Only Footprints</h3>

Urban Exploration is about exploring in all areas, not always with permission. You might stand on the street and take photographs from a safe distance. You might wander into a storm drains, tunnels and sewers. You might climb to the highest rooftops and take a photo of your feet hanging over the edge looking down at the world below. You might go inside abandoned industrial buildings to photograph huge and mysterious machinery. You might go looking for signs of ghosts (and find raccoons) in a ruined farm house. You might venture into hidden, forbidden or just unknown areas of a city and photograph sites unseen. You might love finding a ghost sign, or a ghost town. The adventures are endless. Just dress accordingly, wear reliable footwear and pack your map and a camera into your trusty backpack before you start.

Where to Write About Urban Exploration

There are some great sites about #urban exploration. Sites which encourage you to share your photos and some of your story and as much of your adventure as you care to type out.

But, if you are a writer and want to have more than a now and then thing… here are some sites where you could have your own byline and publish as often as you like, weekly even.

Untapped Cities

Atlas Obscura

Sign Collectors

Sign Collectors on Facebook inspired me to write about collecting signs. I don’t collect them myself but I will photograph old signs I see along the way.

I also found a Facebook page about fake signs. How would you know if an old sign was really old or just made to look old and weathered? I wouldn’t even have thought about someone creating fake old signs.

Restoration for Ghost Signs

            Should <a class="expresscurate_contentTags" href="http://wreckyratbird.com/tag/ghost-signs/">#ghost signs</a> be restored? It gives me a funny feeling, as if something important is being lost, or faked or ruined in some way. I don't think a ghost sign can be restored perfectly. Even if it can be, should it be? Does it lose it's history when we try to restore it. Like patina on antiques, is a ghost sign something which keeps value once it gets updated or cleaned?

Eddy’s Bread Ghost Sign Restoration Project

Salisbury, NC Ghost Sign Restoration Project

Green Burials and Homemade Headstones

Facebook Group: Homemade Headstones.

Sundial and Stardial Pendants | ThinkGeek

via – Sundial and Stardial Pendants | ThinkGeek.

It may not be as accurate as modern technology but it is interesting to use historical technology and… you wouldn’t have to buy batteries (or recycle batteries).

I can’t wear a battery operated watch. For some reason the batteries die within a week or two. I was looking for a mechanical watch. So far I haven’t found just the right one. This would be interesting but… the reviews say it isn’t very accurate. Still tempting to try it though.

Vancouver Heritage Club

The Vancouver / Fraser Heritage Club Chapter represents members in the Vancouver and Fraser Valley area of British Columbia. Welcome to our web site. The site has been created for our members and friends of our club to reference club activities and events and share club photos.

Vancouver Heritage Club.

Imaginary Ruins

Imaginary Ruins.

Vestigial Architecture

I was fascinated by this recent podcast and article over at 99% Invisible about “Thomassons,” architectural elements on structures or properties that no longer have a function and yet are maintained. These architectural leftovers–stairways leading to nowhere, boarded-up or bricked-up windows, telephone poles that no longer carry lines–are named after Gary Thomasson, an American baseball player who played for the Yomiuri Giants in Tokyo, Japan in the early 1980s. Thomasson was paid exorbitant amount of money for a two year contract, but lost his game in Tokyo and was benched for much of his contract (i.e. he had no function, but was maintained…ouch).

via Thomassons: Vestigial Architecture | Rust Belt Anthro.

Nail Houses: 10 Amazing Home Owners Who Refused to Sell – ODDEE

Nail Houses: 10 Amazing Home Owners Who Refused to Sell – ODDEE.