Blank stares or a “that’s cool…?” is the response I get more than half of the time when I tell people I have a blog dedicated to mostly abandoned buildings. It’s grown to incorporate to nature photography, pictures of interesting structures in general, cute photos of my friend’s farm animals, but at its foundation are abandoned buildings. I’d like to think I have a special skill for being able to pick them out everywhere I go. Whether it’s a rural or more urban area, I’m able to zero in on them right away, it’s like being drawn to them. I feel like I understand these buildings, I can recognize their beauty and sadness because it’s what I see in my own life. I empathize with that feeling of the world moving on around you and you feeling left behind. I’m always curious about what led to each building’s vacancy, about the lives that played out behind doors.

There is small but growing community of fellow explorers who share the same curiosity and passion when it comes to documenting forgotten treasures. In no particular order, the following are my top ten tips that I’ve gathered and created for myself when it comes to getting out on the road and starting to photograph these decaying relics.