Hi Jan (thought I had replied but it's gone). Anyway, I'd seen your site (but with your 'nick' here being different it didn't register. But some wonderful shots, especially industrial and sculptures! And yes, I do travel: working on a series of the Antwerp region (east) at the moment and I've been a prolific Urbexer (Urban Exploration), mainly in Wallonie, Belgium (Clabecq steel mill, a crystal factory south of Liege, cokerie, a huge US 50's & 60's car cemetery near Luxembour, several 'chateaux'. Arrested twice, handing over filmGetting up at half past 3 in the night, a friend of mine driving, entering the location before sunrise, that sort of thing.
I've a cousin who used to work in the Venlo area, still has a house there, which we use as a holiday pied-à-terre sometimes. Maybe we can meet up one day!? There's an abandoned factory near Liege for example (one of the few Urbex sites I've never visited), I forgot the name (have to check my notes....Hasard Cheratte comes to mind now), it can be spotted from the motorway. You probably know Zollverein (and may even have been there)?
As far as portraits are concerned (thanks for the compliment); just ask people; get them near a window, against a white wall (watch your metering, spot metering is often best as matrix or centre weighed will cause under exposure of course, a black dress the opposite, avoid direct sun if you can, place the model/person under a tree -if enough foliage that is-), a great thing to do working with people, very rewarding.
Reply With Quote
. It's a good excuse in case the police show up so probably worth the investment. My friend and I somehow just never got around to visiting it. But Wallonie is -or used to be- a great area for Urbexing indeed (looks like your friend Joerg has been to quite a few of them too), although -especially- the Belgian-French police don't like Dutch and prob Germans as well roaming around. And indeed, rather awkward with LF-gear, although, once being spotted it's best to act the innocent/unwary instead of making a run for the exit 
(I almost managed to talk ourselves out of an arrest, stating there were no fences on one side of Clabecq, the guard -who had reported us to the police- acknowledged this to the police. But the police wouldn't budge, saying 'au commissariat' as I refused to hand over the film -but my friend didn't want to take the chance-). After that I switched to digital (making a few shots on one card, then the real stuff on another, which enabled me to come home with a full series -having switched and deleted the first card during the second arrest, although I later learned that the files can still be retrieved). But no fun in digital.
Originally Posted by HoodedOne
Bookmarks