Anyone can design a concrete box with some windows and call it a building – but it takes a skilled and talented architect to design something that everyone would appreciate even decades after it was built. Thankfully, there are many structures and buildings present today that make us stop for a few moments to appreciate its wonderful existence.
Whether it be scientists or artists, or just about anyone else, nature is the source of most wonders, and wonders ought to be appreciated. The photographers, who are just as much scientists that capture important data as they are artists, are probably among the most important pillars that bolster our curiosity and interest in nature. Because of this, they deserve appreciation and acknowledgement for what they do, and it’s good to know that they actually get it. The annual Nature Photographer of the Year award, to which we owe thanks for letting us share the amazing images of these talented finalists, does exactly that. But let’s not keep it away any longer, and let’s take a look at what this year has brought for us in terms of nature photography.
Anyone can design a concrete box with some windows and call it a building – but it takes a skilled and talented architect to design something that everyone would appreciate even decades after it was built. Thankfully, there are many structures and buildings present today that make us stop for a few moments to appreciate its wonderful existence.
One of the most prominent features of architecture is the aesthetics of a building. An architect has to keep various things in consideration before creating a building, including the shapes, sizes, alignments, and patterns as well as the cultures and contexts in which they are being made.
Some architects have mastered the skill of creating magnificent establishments through sheer talent and hard work. We have collected 30 finest examples constructed by the best architects all around the world. Scroll below to dive into the beauty of these artistic structures.
I am Janine Pendleton, and I am an explorer of abandoned places. I travel the world in search of amazing lost locations and I photograph them to share with the world. I think there is much beauty in what humanity leaves behind when we move on and leave our ruins to be reclaimed by nature.
Even the mightiest buildings succumb to the ravages of time. This huge complex was once the administrative headquarters of one of the biggest steel companies in France. This was the repository of all the industry paper records, documenting the deals and finances over the decades. It was purpose-built in the 1890s to both store records as well as to showcase the company’s steelwork. The huge atrium boasts an impressive skylight. All that glass and concrete is held up by the iron girders, which they manufactured in their own nearby steelworks. The French steel industry collapsed in the 1980s, and the offices were closed and left to decay.
With real-life facts often being far stranger than fiction, there’s nothing like a good history book to get your noggin’ joggin’ and make you appreciate life from a whole different perspective. I might have started my love affair with history as a subject with the amazing Horrible History book series, but I’ve since then graduated to thick and dusty tomes.
However, I still have a yearning for the more fun and unusual aspects of history that first drew me in. And that’s where the Weird History Twitter page comes into play. A page with 172k followers that’s been active since September 2011, Weird History is the brainchild of Andrew Rader who does, well, pretty much everything: from book-writing to cool space stuff.
I’ve been exploring abandoned places at night for a few years, and for 2 years, I am working on a photo project to enlighten them in my own way with many colors.
The lighting gear is important for those images. Everything is captured on location, and the post-processing is mostly enhancing colors. I experimented a lot with light painting, so I can create an image with only one flashlight if I don’t have anything else. But most of the time, I carry a few speedlights in my bag. How many I bring depends on the size of the location, how long I plan to be there, my intuition from the research I did before, among other factors. I want to avoid carrying gear that I won’t use, but on the other hand, if I brought 8 flashes and 2 are enough for a photo, it is fine.
I focus on quality before quantity, trying to make something unique, so I do not often come back with more than one or two photos. And sometimes there is no framing catching my eyes so I come back with nothing interesting.
For the past year, I explored a lot on my own. It gives me the ability to move spontaneously, but I enjoy having company when it’s possible. Often, I need to place a character in the frame to give some depth to the image, and when I’m alone, I have to be the character. But the images are not about me, those are rather small stories, disconnected from me.#2
I really like when a place is in the middle of a forest. It gives time for a nice hike, then I set up my tent, and I can enjoy a beautiful morning after a night of taking photos.
Last summer, for instance, I slept in the ruins of a castle in France, on a hill surrounded by a huge forest. It made me wonder how it was to live there, way before the invention of electricity. I took some rest and woke up just before the sunrise to capture a mysterious and delicate ambiance, just between the night and the day.#4
Sometimes I need to be ready to move fast, like the time I shot a photo of an old temple on the top of a small mountain. It had been raining so hard that I had been stuck at the bottom. I had to rush to reach the summit before sunset. While I was working on my lights, some people showed up, looking for a sight to photograph the thunderstorm still ongoing further (and which can be seen on the background of my image). It is rare that I meet people at night, and it is usually not a problem. Another thunderstorm was slowly coming toward us and I rushed back to the bottom!#6
In the forest, especially in mountain areas, you cannot rely only on your phone GPS to find your way. I was planning to shoot in such an area and a friend lent me an old map. It was from 30 years ago, but I didn’t mind. I didn’t do my research correctly, and the ruin I shot this day was actually one hour away from the parking spot. The map allowed me to find it. As dusk came, I finally reached it, after going on a sketchy downhill path, which I didn’t want to climb again in the dark with my heavy backpack. I shot a photo with 8 speedlights and checked the map for an alternate way to go back up the hills. One of the paths looked way easier. But the way got smaller and smaller, the grass longer and longer, and soon I had to find my way through ferns. I was too far to go back. So I climbed the slope through the vegetation, until I found my way back up, all sweaty and thirsty. Small adventures like this are fun, and I would have been happy even if I didn’t take any photos.#8
For this new season, I’m starting to bring people along again. Having someone with me is nice! My friends aren’t always familiar with abandoned places, and I like to share those exploration moments. Sometimes it’s the beginning of a new passion for them, and this is great!
Follow me on Instagram to see my latest photos!#10
I am a french artist photographer based in Berlin. I explore abandoned places at night, and I put them in a light you’ve probably not seen before. Playing with colors is a big part of my life ! Read more »
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Originally from Volvic, in a volcanic region of France, Bastien Soleil has not always been a photographer, but his art has naturally imposed itself on him. At first a designer, marketing, and communication expert, the artist changed his life and his vision. It was the first snorkeling dive in Thailand six years ago that the love affair between the photographer and the underwater world began. Three years later, he invested in a camera and appropriate housing, which allowed him to capture the beauty of it. The result is striking pictures, which call for letting go, abandonment, and faith. “I believe in Freedom, not the freedom to act senselessly, but the Freedom to be free from one’s past and history, from everything we think limits us. With the help of Water, I realized that we are unlimited, it’s about energy and letting go”, he explains.closevolume_off
Originally from Volvic, in a volcanic region of France, Bastien Soleil has not always been a photographer, but his art has naturally imposed itself on him. At first a designer, marketing, and communication expert, the artist changed his life and his vision. It was the first snorkeling dive in Thailand six years ago that the love affair between the photographer and the underwater world began. Three years later, he invested in a camera and appropriate housing, which allowed him to capture the beauty of it. The result is striking pictures, which call for letting go, abandonment, and faith. “I believe in Freedom, not the freedom to act senselessly, but the Freedom to be free from one’s past and history, from everything we think limits us. With the help of Water, I realized that we are unlimited, it’s about energy and letting go”, he explains.closevolume_off
I created several watercolors of cities that show how the sun shines and how it changes the atmosphere of these places. You may see more on my Instagram.
My name is Dimitri and I am a photographer and also a freelance graphic designer, based in France. I am also known for my brand name Jahz (Jahz Design).
I travel the globe looking for places in decline—therefore, my latest series centers INNUEDO TEATRO, one of the most beautiful abandoned theaters in the world.
Also, check out my posts about the most beautiful abandoned castles, Georgian Soviet-era spas, and lastly my most beautiful abandoned places around the world (part 1,part 2, and part 3).
