It's been a while since I posted anything remotely "urbex" on Hive. A barrier to urban exploration is finding locations, especially easily accessible ones for huge photographers like me! But by far the biggest barrier is "progress". Let me explain.....
The following is a set of unseen images from George Barnsleys, an abandoned tool factory originally constructed in Victorian times in the city of Sheffield.
The area where George Barnsley's is located is surrounded by new developments for mainly student apartments. Every which way you look in the centre of Sheffield is a building site with a crane swinging away like some phallic student dream. The factory has been abandoned and left to rot away for many years with no-one seemingly taking responsibility for the building's struture.
I may be wrong here but I'm convinced that leaving such an important historic building to rot is deliberate. The developer buys the property in order to play the long game. Wait a few years for the building to become so unsafe that the council is forced to allow it's demolition to make way for more soul-less student flats. All the developer has to do is cover themselves by trying to keep the property secure. George Barnsley's is one such location currently collapsing under the weight of it's own decrepitude.
Regret
This has to be my favourite location for a model shoot which I never shot. Imagine a model sat on the chair, perfectly posed on the rule of thirds, maybe even a Christine Keeler style pose. Alas it will never be. I can't get in the building anymore and getting a model to agree to join me in this filfthy place is more difficult than you would imagine!
Sketchville
I'm not exactly lightweight and walking up these stairs to a very dangerous upper floor is not recommended. Since I shot this, I would imagine it's even worse by now.
Scary
I've been experimenting with Photoshop presets lately, customising or modifying colour schemes to my taste. I'm surprised to find I prefer dark and moody. Would you want to see what's up those stairs? I wouldn't either lol.
The only way in
To get in to George Barnsley's it was necessary to climb through a 3 foot diameter hole in a wall and make an undignified shuffle like a sea lion to the other side. As you alight through the hole, you are faced with a scene of devastation.
Everyone has shot this before
Many urban explorers have visited here before me and this is the kind of shot they take. I did too....
And maybe this one:
The Healthiest Place in Sheffield
I'm not sure how wise it was to venture in to this office of decay. Back at the car after this visit, I wiped everything down with anti-bac wipes including me!
Where urban explorers fear to tread
I set up a small RGB light at the rear of the scene determined to get a shot like this. As I walked across the floor boards to place the light, the floor seemed to move an alarming amount. Needless to say I trod carefully!
The Footbridge of Folly
It's good to have a built in sense of preservation and to even think about crossing this absolutely dangerous footbridge would be damn right stupid. Imagine being by yourself and your corpse not being found for a few weeks before the next urban explorer happens to drop by!
Private
I only took one image of this scene, probably because the air in here was so rank. When I see a shot like this, I usually take a few at different exposures or maybe even focus bracket. But I got this and was happy. The colours in the original shot were very muted which in my own mind reflects the barren and decrepit state of these once well lit and airy offices.
About me:
I don't like to be labelled as shooting one particular genre of photography but usually I specialise in shooting lightpainting images and occasionally dabble in urbex and artistic model photography.
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I am surprised the hole stayed open for so long. What happened.. a load of concrete turned up and blocked it?
@slobberchops There was a fire in the adjoining newer building which you had to pass through to get to the hole. They then blocked up the big doors with concrete blocks and scuppered any chance of getting in. A few weeks later someone made a hole in the big doors and I popped my head through to see mountains, literally mountains of debris blocking the access to the hole. I think maybe I'm due another trip to check if said crap is still there! I'd love to get back in again with my shiny new 14mm G Master!
LOL, nothing stays the same for long, in this game.
I love the shelves room... Could almost be a library but was probably a workshop of some sorts. 🔥🔥🔥
Thanks @gunnarheilmann mate, I would have liked to shoot here in the dark but it was too dangerous with all the pitfalls (literally!). The factory once manufactured chisels, files and small tools which would explain the shelves everywhere.
Nice location.