 Photographing Abandoned Houses
I have started photographing old abandoned houses this past fall, and I am always surprised as to what I find in some of them. I’ve found that the Ilford HP5 gives me good contrast between the light and shadows that I want. I usually don’t go inside the houses, many of them look pretty unstable, although so far I have been lucky to be able to find a broken window or two I can poke my camera through and get some great shots. Here I will show some of my photos, and what I did to get that shot. As you will see, I used the same camera, a Canon EOS Rebel 2000, same film and pretty much the same lens, a 35-80mm. I’ve found something that works for me, and I stick with it. You can photograph these houses in color also, and I’ve done that to a few of them, but I prefer to shoot them in B&W. I don’t use flash when I photograph the houses; I want to capture them in the light that’s coming through the windows. So this usually means longer exposure time (slower shutter speeds). And I usually use an f/stop of about f/16 because I want good Depth-of-field. Now I usually don’t use a tripod for this…I know, I know. I can just hear it now. But a tripod would limit me as to where I can go…especially in tight places. I find something sturdy to brace myself against. Usually my shutter speeds aren’t any slower than 1/15 sec. So I can still hand hold it pretty steady with some help from a tree or window opening, and if I don’t drink too much coffee.
One thing to remember about walking around these old houses is to watch your step. Many of these places may have open wells or large holes that you might step in and get hurt. So be on the look out. Also be aware of your surroundings and smells. Yes, I said smells! For example, if you smell a skunk…RUN!!! I was photographing and house one day and the closer I got to the other side of the house, the stronger the smell got. So I figured it was time for me to go. A skunk is an abandoned houses guard dog. So please be careful, many animals make these houses their home.
When I look through these houses to find great shot, I often think to myself, what kind of people lived in this house, what kind of live went on here? Was there happiness or sadness? Did children play in the rooms and have birthday parties? What was Christmas like in this house? At one time, this was someone’s home, and now it just sits, being neglected and exposed to the elements of nature. Now nature has made the house their home. Trees growing through the floors, small animals are raising their families in the houses now.
Abandoned Dreams
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Shot with a Canon EOS Rebel 2000 and Ilford HP5 400 film.
I used a Canon 35-80mm lens. Exposure was 1/15 @f/16.
I was so tickled when I pocked my head through a broken window and saw an old chair sitting in what would have been the living room. For this shot, I metered at a darker area of the room, so I could retain the detail in the whole image and especially in the wallpaper that was being exposed behind the chair. This was the house where I smelled that skunk…so I did a HURRY UP and got the shot and got myself out of there.
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Canon EOS Rebel 2000 and a Canon 35-80mm lens. Ilford HP5 400 film. Exposure was 1/30 @f/16. I metered the floor since there was so much light coming from the windows. This way I could retain all the detail in the floor and the walls. I used f/16 so the whole image would be in focus, from the rubble in the foreground to the back door.
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Looking Through
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The Sink
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Canon EOS Rebel 2000 and a Canon 35-80mm lens. Ilford HP5 400 film. Exposure was 1/15 @ F/16. You may be wondering why most of my exposures are about the same for most of these pictures, well, these exposures seem to work well for me. You may ask, “why aren’t you using a tripod for this slow of a shutter speed”, and that’s a good question. I probably should be, but I wouldn’t be able to get the shot I want, because I wouldn’t be able to lean through the windows. I try and find something I can lean against to steady myself. So far so good. For this shot I metered the ceiling, again to keep the details in the house visible.
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Same steps were done for the outside shot of the houses. I metered on a neutral subject, like the ground or a shadow area. Since this house was white, it would have given me a false reading, so I metered to the right where there was a shrub in the shade, locked in my reading, recomposed my shot and took the picture.
Canon EOS Rebel 2000 with a Canon 35-80mm lens. Ilford HP5 400 film. 1/125 @ f/11
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Watch Your Step
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Window Light
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Canon EOS Rebel 2000 and a Canon 35-80mm lens. Ilford HP5 400 film. 1/15 @ f/11. Same metering set up as the other indoor shots. I metered away from the light. Locked in my exposure, re-composed my shot and took the picture. If you aren’t able to lock in the exposure on your camera, just take a reading and remember what it says the exposure will be, and set it manually. Sometimes I do this also. It takes a little time, but the outcome is well worth it. |
Happy Shooting!
Vicki McLead © 2002
About the author:
I first got interested in photography when I was in High School. My Uncle, who was also a photographer, bought me my first real camera, although I was taking pictures before I ever had a camera.
Just in the past 5 years though, I was finally able to afford to by my 35mm camera equipment (Canon) and started shooting seriously. I mostly shoot nature, but also enjoy Macro, still life and fire photography, color and B&W. I have sold a few of my fire photos to a firefighter magazine (Firehouse Magazine). And have also had photos published in our local calendar. I live in Iowa with my husband (who is a firefighter), and have been married for 17 years. I am a member of the Sioux City Camera Club.
My favorite photographer would have to be Margaret Bourke White. I love her style of photography.
I like to photograph the beauty in everyday things, things that most people would overlook. There is a lot to see in the world, not all of it is landscapes, and pretty flowers. Some may just be the simplest things, you just have to know where to look and keep an open mind.
© 2002 Vicki McLead
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