Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye, 15mm, F 16, ISO 100, HDR, 5 Exposures

I figure that we are due for another grungy UrbEx shot.

I’m not sure about you, but there are so many times when I get a wacky idea to compose a shot in a certain way only to bail out on it after psyching myself out. I tell myself, “ehh, this is going to be a stupid shot”. That was the case with this shot. I remember walking from one room to the other, while Bob was shooting something else behind me, and thinking about this composition. I set everything up and just before I started exposing the brackets, I started talking myself out of it.

But the more I think about it, the more ridiculous that is. We have at our disposal SO much capacity on our media cards and on the hard drives in our computers. We can store thousands upon thousands upon millions of images without batting an eye. So, with that in mind, I ended up taking the shot and I’m so thankful for it because when I got home and really started processing, this shot became one of my favorites from the day.

With today’s technology and massive amounts of storage available at an affordable price, it simply doesn’t make sense to forsake a shot.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye, 15mm, F 16, ISO 100, HDR, 9 Exposures

Getting this shot was something of a redemption for me. About two years ago, shortly after I had picked up the Canon 15mm Fisheye lens, I went to go shoot the Fed in downtown Boston. I thought it would make a perfect subject for major distortion. So, I set out towards the end of the day after businesses were closed and started composing my shot. Sure enough, within two minutes, I had two federal police officers on either side of me, telling me to leave. Now, to be fair, I was technically on government property so I didn’t have much of an argument. The shot that I ended up getting can be scene here and you can even make out the silhouette of one of the officers approaching me on the bottom right of the frame.

While I was happy with the shot, I always wanted to redeem myself and get another version without being rushed. So, a few weekends ago, I went back to the Fed and started testing the waters. I set up my tripod but just stood by it for a minute or two. No guards. Cool. Then, I started composing the shot. No guards. Sweet. Finally, I let the brackets fly. Still no guards!

Whatever the reason, I had ample time to grab a few different comps and it gave me a great sense of satisfaction. So, for those of you who miss out on a shot because of the authorities, don’t give up. Try going on weekends when the overall crowd may be thinner and security may not be as strict.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM, 14mm, F 2.8, ISO 100, HDR, 9 Exposures

There was a period in my photo pursuits when I did everything in my power to get rid of distortion. I don’t know why I did, or what caused it – because I never used to really pay much mind to it. But, at some point, something really did snap in me and I went all out with trying to correct for linear and barrel distortion. And then, probably 3 or 4 months ago, I started embracing it again. I realized that there is merit to distortion. I saw shots that my peers would post, and I found a lot of great qualities there.

And that’s when it sort of hit me. Distortion can be a very viable element to the shot. Let’s lay it out here – there are two types of distortion:

1. Intended
2. Not intended

So, the more I thought about it, the more I was trying to get rid of the ‘Not intended’ distortion to the point where I wasn’t even allowing for the creative outlet of factoring it in. So, I upgraded to the Canon 14mm Prime (Canon’s widest lens until their insane 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye comes out). And what I started doing was going totally against the grain, for me at least. I started looking for objects and elements to distort. I wanted the distortion to convey some visual feature. And that is how I came about the shot above. Getting in close and at a low angle provided this unique look to the motorcycle, along with creating some great lines through the frame.

So, if you do have a tendency to eliminate a facet of photography, try to qualify what would happen if you incorporated it in a meaningful, or intended way. I’ve never looked at distortion the same way since.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L, 17mm, F 4, ISO 100, HDR, 9 Exposures

<Pun Alert>It’s great when a scene is sitting there, waiting for you to shoot it.</Pun Alert>

Sometimes, there is an element in your scene that is clearly the focal point of the image.  You know that you want your viewer’s eyes to go directly to it.  And, there are plenty of ways to make that happen. In the scene above, I ended up tilting my 17mm T/S lens upward to change the plane of focus to the lower portion of the frame, where the clock face is.  I also ran the image through Focal Point, part of the OnOne Plug-in Suite family, to accentuate the shallow depth of field.  Finally, I ended up dodging the clock face so as to make it pop, while burning the rest of the scene and adding a vignette.

There are tons of ways to focus the attention of your viewers and it should be a major consideration with any image that you share.

PS – You can save 15% off the purchase of any OnOne product by using the coupon code MATIASH at checkout.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM, 14mm, F 4, ISO 100, HDR, 9 Exposures

I’m not a superstitious person. I try to keep a level head about most things (and usually fail at that) but there are certainly some things out there that just unnerve me… like a pentagram when I least expect it. I was walking around this abandoned mill area of Holyoke by myself when I came across this cheery bit. It was one of those things that stopped me in my tracks and really made me swivel around in a 360-degree angle, as if seeing this sign triggered whatever it was that would cause my demise. And that’s my mind for you, my friends.

I know that a lot of the UrbEx shots that I post excite people. I love the comments, tweets, and emails that you share. And it is the responsible thing to give my fellow UrbEx adventurers out there two pieces of advice:

1. Wear a thick skin (literally and figuratively) – There is so much debris, sharp objects, and overall crap that can physically hurt you in a lot of ways so be sure to wear some thick-soled shoes, cover your arms and legs, and wear a cap. Also, you will likely see a lot of the ugliness of people through mindless graffiti and tags (like the one above). And this is relatively tame compared to some of the things that my friends and I have seen. So, consider that before you head out. If you are easily offended, prepare to jolted.

2. Do your due diligence – There are a lot of things that you can do to prepare but for now, my one piece of advice is: make sure you give your destination, route, timetable, and agenda to a loved one or a friend. While I don’t really recommend going at one of these UrbEx shoots alone (especially if you’re new to it), if you do, ensure you make routine check-ins. Some of these places are MASSIVE and getting lost can be very easy.

I do love these shoots – I’d do them every day if I could. And if it interests you, I hope you get the opportunity to, as well. I just want to make sure that you all approach it safely. We’re all here to have a great time and make amazing images. See you out there!

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, 50mm, F 11, ISO 100, HDR, 3 Exposures Handheld

I tip my hat to the architects and city planners who do such a great job of meshing new and contemporary structures inline with other heritage buildings. I can’t imagine that it is an easy feat but when it’s done right, it looks awesome. There are several buildings in and around Boston where this is currently happening. And it’s great to see that there is so much methodology involved with preserving the legacy of the city and not razing everything in sight.

This particular shot was taken in the Downtown Crossing area of Boston. It’s a grabbag of good and bad, and I think it’s safe to say that about most heavily concentrated areas of any city. But, there is a real charm to Downtown Crossing. It’s always thriving with pedestrians and it offers up some very cool architecture to appreciate. I took this shot during a lunchtime stroll a few weeks ago. I’ve framed this shot in my head a dozen time before but I never found the right conditions to actually shoot it, so I was really happy to check this one off the list when we had the perfect weather for this particular scene.

For me, what really makes me smile is the overall juxtaposition of the two structures. There are a lot of competing elements. You have the massive, ultra-modern, cool blue, glass superstructure dwarfing this classical, warm-toned, stone building. In one fell swoop, you feel hopeful looking into the future while also being reminded about the past.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L, 17mm, F 9, ISO 100, HDR, 9 Exposures

I don’t think I’ve shot any major Urbex locations by myself in a long time. In fact, just about every shoot of this nature has been with my grunge brother, Bob Lussier. The thing is that when we are shooting, we naturally stray away from each other. It’s nothing intentional, but rather second-nature. We come here together to shoot alone and there is so much to say about that. Going on a shoot with someone, anyone for that matter, should be a serious consideration. Now, I am not advocating to shoot alone – not even close. What I am saying is that you really need to be introspective about who you shoot with if you are going with other people.

Do you prefer the social aspect of shooting with others? Then align yourself with those kinds of people. For Bob and me, we tend to retreat to our own places when we shoot. He goes off and makes magic, I go off and try to do the same. We regroup after 30-40 clips, partly to ensure that neither of us is dead and partly to continue to spur our own creativity by comparing brackets. It is a perfect situation for us and I guess my story here is that all of you should make sure that you think about what your perfect situation is. Sure, it can be a solo walk with just you and your thoughts. By all means.

Just be keen to tap into whatever parameters it is that coaxes all of your creativity out when you shoot. It’ll help you concentrate on getting the best possible shots and it’ll also aid in you having the most fun doing it.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L, 17mm, F 16, ISO 100, HDR, 9 Exposures

The trouble with a scene as rich with detail as the one above is not so much how to shoot it but rather, how not to shoot it.  It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the gimme shots, not that there is anything wrong with those.  I know that I have more than my fair share of gimme shots. But, it was like kids in a candy store for Bob and me. In fact, I seem to recall us shaking each others hands when we first entered this room, a combination of amazement and congratulations over the sheer neglect of the place. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.

But back to the point. What I ended up doing is what I am recommending here, especially for those of us who get easily distracted – get the gimme shots out of the way. The gimme shots are those shots that require little-to-know thought in terms of composition and style. They are usually your head-on shots taken at eye level. I advocate taking these shots up front because they will free your mind of the nagging itch to get them (because you’ve already gotten them! ). Doing this will free you up to really start composing some creative shots.

It wasn’t until after I got my fill of the gimme’s that I started really looking at the scene for what it was worth. And, sure, if that meant taking up some space on a CF card or two (and subsequently on my hard drive), it was worth it. I started experimenting with angles and vantage points because I knew that I had the gimme’s in the bag.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM, 14mm, F 16, ISO 100, HDR, 9 Exposures

It’s pretty awesome when you are on a photowalk with some buddies and one of them knows you well enough to call out a particular shot that you may have missed (ok, definitely missed).  I was with my buddies, Laz and Rich, roaming around the downtown Boston area, trying to beat the heat and snap some cool shots. Laz saw this particular scene and knew that I was giving my new 14mm prime lens its inaugural go-round. He pointed it out and said, “This can be a cool shot, right?” Sure enough, he was on the money.  The distortion that the lens added to this already-angular facade was right on.

I know that I’ve written about the positives regarding solo shooting but I tell ya, having some great buds with you can be such a great thing, too.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L, 17mm, F 16, ISO 100, HDR, 8 Exposures

So right off the bat, I can tell you that this shot is dedicated to my friend, the Usher of Urbex, and Alt Perspective Alum, Jacques Gudé. As soon as I saw that hammer & sickle, I knew that this one was going to be a shout out.

I cannot express how excited I was to shoot in this abandoned structure over the weekend my friend, and additional Alt Perspective Alum, Bob Lussier. Bob had the crazy notion to find this place out and upon walking inside, we were both radiating. We still had that afterglow the next day. There is something so amazing about seeing what happens to fully built out structures when they are left in utter neglect for years upon years. To see the vegetation and nature just take over. To see these manmade objects whither, crumble, fracture, break, snap and splinter. It’s something else.

And the scene above. There is so much angst here. I look at this scene and I think get wound up. I imagine what took place here. What is the story? I guess it’s a tale best left to the imagination at this point.