18 Haunting Photos Of Abandoned Buildings By Matthew Emmett, The Forgotten Heritage Photographer

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Matthew Emmett, or Forgotten Heritage Photography, takes haunting photographs of abandoned locations.

Explaining why he takes photographs of urban settings, he had this to say:

There is a thrill in exploring an environment that allows you to step into a previously unknown world and discover something first-hand, taking your time and noting the details as you go. Having a camera with me allows me to prolong that thrill long after the building is gone. It’s an often-quoted cliché but there really is a strong sense of palpable history present in abandoned buildings, the items left behind like paperwork in a drawer or plaques or signs in an industrial plant, allow you a glimpse into the past. I consider experiencing these places to be a great privilege.

From the point of view of a photographer there is a total lack of distraction in the stillness of a derelict building; the sound and movement associated with people or workers has been removed, for me this makes them far more sensory than when they are occupied. Your mind can easily focus on what is around you and takes in so much more. The building’s voice is clear and a character and visual aesthetic emerges that was much harder to notice than if it was a busy, populated environment. Capturing this character and stillness comes across well in the photos and is something my audience tell me they love about the work.

Like him on Facebook here.

Get his prints here.