Urban decay is something that is surprisingly interesting.  Many times it is the epitome of man vs nature and displays the result of nature always wins.  There is also something about an empty hallway that just makes you want to walk down it to explore.  Read more about the behind the scenes of Empty Hallway Los Angeles.

Urban Decay

As cities in the United States get older, and the last few decades saw accelerated migration out of inner cities, there became this urban decay in the cities.  As a result, warehouses, factories, even houses were just left to rot and let nature take back over.  This aging created an amazing backdrop for man versus nature and how nature always wins the struggle.

Behind The Scenes

This image, titled “Empty Hallway Los Angeles” was taken in the spring of 2015.  It was taken in a building near skid row in Los Angeles, CA.  The joy of this shoot is that I did not know I was going to have access to the building ahead of time.  As a result, the whole shoot was spontaneous.

With only a few minutes warning, I was told that I could have access to the building for about 40 minutes.  Therefore, I was just in reaction mode.  Grab camera, battery, lens, check the memory card, and go.  There was no time for a tripod, or waiting for the right light.  This was just go shoot, use available light, and enjoy the results.  This is a great opportunity to remind us to always have a battery charged for the camera, and make sure you have a card in the camera.  You never know when that split second you will need to be ready.

This building was such an amazing place. It was a brothel in the early 1900’s in the industrial section of Los Angeles.  Therefore, how could it not have a story to tell?  Unfortunately, not long after this shoot the building was torn down and replaced with high rise apartments.  This is a great time to remember that the world is constantly changing and photograph captures a small instance of that time in a small place.  When given these opportunities we don’t know if it will be the last opportunity for that space to tell it’s story.  In other words, always be prepared.

Thank you for visiting my site, and I hope you enjoy the image.

This photograph is in my shop Empty Hallway Los Angeles.

Hallway old building urban decay moody lighting muted colors photograph

Urban decay is such an amazing thing and this old hallway did not disappoint. The process of how things start falling apart and become more and more interesting is amazing. This is from a building that is scheduled to be demolished. To bad because it is fully of history and character. What a great place to shoot and walk around.

The Trip

It’s not every day that you get invited to shoot in an abandoned building.  The rush this case worked to my advantage.  As result of not having much time, I didn’t have time to map out shots that I wanted to take with certain lighting.  Therefore, I was just going for it when I got there.

The history visible in this building was amazing.  Therefore, it was amazing photographing it.

Empty Hallway Los Angeles was a great reminder to: 

  • Always have your camera ready for an adventure.  As a result, prep for your next adventure as soon as the current one is over.
  • Don’t pass on opportunities when they come up, even if they are a short window of time.
  • Make sure you have back up gear because you won’t get a do over.  It’s always good to have an extra memory card, because you don’t know when you will need it.
  • Remember to check your camera batteries and charge them.  Those batteries sitting in the bag need to be charged periodically, even if they aren’t being used.

If you like sunsets, then don’t miss my my behind the scenes of Couple Watching Warm Setting Sun.

More Fine Art Photographs

Don’t forget to look at the images on my site in the galleries starting at: https://mjvphoto.com/the-art/.  Hopefully you find some of them inspirational for your own photography adventures, or maybe you find an image you want to call your own.