Here Are My 14 New Pics Which I Took At Abandoned Places At Night Using A Lot Of Light

I’m always on the lookout for abandoned places to photograph at night. It has been almost a decade since I started to explore decaying buildings, and along the way, I realized that I can be much more creative when it’s all dark.

Once the sun is gone, I can play with colors, lights, and shadows.

Yet, being in the right location at the right time is the result of a whole process that you don’t see in the pictures.

Taking night photos indeed requires a bit of logistics. The places I’m interested in aren’t always close to Berlin, the city I’m based in. It wouldn’t make sense to travel just for one location, so I prefer to go on a road trip and explore several places, for a week or two.

The organization needs to stay very flexible because I can’t know in advance if I will want to shoot at night somewhere or not. We know which day we will go back home but that’s all.

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14 PHOTOS

#1 Dinner For Two - A Restaurant, Abandoned For 30 Years

I say we, because most of the time I have a friend along, it’s much better.

Down the road, we scout buildings during the daytime. If it’s an interesting one, I take some time to film it. If I judge that there is a good potential for a night image, we need to find out where to sleep after the photo session.

As much as I’m a night bird, I also need to sleep to be fit for the next day of adventures.

#2 Retro Radar - An Abandoned Radar

#3 Signal Lugubre - I Biked 120km For This Photo

When we’re far from big cities, it’s easy, we can put our tents in the forest, sometimes right next to the spot we’re photographing.

Otherwise, camping places can be practical (did you say warm shower?). You won’t see us near a hotel unless it’s abandoned.

Navigating at night in a decayed building can obviously be dangerous, and I advise you to not do it without having a lot of experience in daylight exploration.

#4 La Messe - The Chapel Of A Sanatorium

#5 The Guardians - On Top Of A Mountain, They Watch All Night Long

For instance, this summer, we took some pictures in a sanatorium, lost in the Italian mountains. It was abandoned for 20 or 30 years, and some areas looked unstable. Having time there during daylight allowed us to spot the unsafe areas, and we could safely go back at night.

Sometimes, those photos take place in deep bunkers. Underground facilities are practical in the sense that I can shoot at any hour of the day: it’s always pitch dark in there.

#6 Conciergerie - At The Entrance Of An Abandoned Jail

#7 Antre - The Machine Room Of A Bunker

The issue is that the cell phone network doesn’t get through, and if you get stuck, you can’t call for help. A good reason to be even more careful.

As the space is limited in those galleries, I find it easier to light them. Outdoors and huge rooms are way more challenging, in terms of lighting.

We’re often using a car for those adventures, and I have been curious to see how nice it would be to hit the road with a bicycle instead. So in the middle of the summer, I just packed everything I needed for 3 days and biked from Berlin to an abandoned Soviet base.

#8 A Small Cave

#9 Inside The Leviathan - Shaky Metal Stairways Going Deeper And Deeper

I only shot one photo (Signal Lugubre) but it has been incredibly fun, and relaxing.

There is a sense of freedom, with a bike you can cover a long distance, and yet stop so easily to enjoy the landscape.

I think that combined with trains, it is a great way to access remote abandoned places. You end up with some extra bags which you need to hide somewhere while you’re exploring, so that wouldn’t be the best in a city center.

#10 Reception - A Beautifull Abandoned Castle In France

#11 La Salle Du Fond - A Tree Is Growing In This Room, In A Sanatorium

I have upcoming exploration plans, but soon, I will present a new series of photos, featuring dinosaur skeletons. I’ll keep a bit of mystery for now, so stay tuned and you will see!

#12 La Machine Qui Ronfle - In A Bunker

#13 Winter Operation - In An Abandoned Soviet Base

#14 Deeper - In A Bunker