Breathtaking Examples Of Ruins Photography

Breathtaking Examples Of Ruins Photography

Photographers worldwide hunt for opportunities to photograph long-abandoned places as the subjects of ruins photography. Far off the beaten path, these secluded, abandoned sites sometimes require a bit of a hike, some bribery, or maybe even a smidge of trespassing in order to gain access. And when you see the images they capture, you'll see why it's well worth their efforts.

30 Years Old Abandoned Russian Space Shuttles

30 years old abandoned Russian space shuttles
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Crumbling Under The Weight Of Time

The subjects of ruins photography illustrate so poignantly the intersection between humans, nature, time, and technology. Maybe it's a building that has fallen prey to the power of the wilderness, overgrown with vines and crumbling under the weight of time. Or perhaps it's a location that is relatively unchanged, a frozen snapshot in time, as though all the people in it just suddenly vanished in the midst of whatever daily task they were doing.

Apartment Building In Russia

apartment building in russia
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....a dilapidated factory with rusted machinery frozen as if they were stopped mid-production.... a decaying shopping mall with trees bursting through cracks in the tile floors...a neglected and trashed old cinema with graffitied walls, faded seat cushions, and its final film posters still in their frames...

Equal Parts Chilling And Intriguing

Last Popcorn left in a theater
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There's something about an abandoned place that is equal parts chilling, sad, and intriguing. Even looking at photos of provides a visceral experience -- you can almost feel the heavy stillness and hear the mournful echoes throughout these once-vibrant structures.

Swinger's Tiki Palace

Swinger s Tiki Palace
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John Koenig, the creator of The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, coined a new word for this feeling: kenopsia. He defines it as "the eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that's usually bustling with people but it now abandoned and quiet ... an emotional afterimage that makes it seem not just empty but hyper-empty, with a total population in the negative, who are so conspicuously absent they glow like neon signs."

The Feeling Is Kenopsia

Fukushima disaster left radioactive cars
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When a photographer is talented enough to capture that feeling of kenopsia, the results include some of the most haunting, most somber, and creepiest images you'll ever see. Click through this gallery where we have collected some of the most amazing examples of ruins photography.

19th Century Mansion Library

19th century mansion library
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1871 Asylum

1871 Asylum
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Abandoned Airplane Lost In The Forest

Abandoned airplane lost in the forest
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Abandoned Aquarium In Melbourne

abandoned aquarium in Melbourne
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Abandoned Bowling Alley

abandoned bowling alley
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Ghost Town In Russia

Ghost town in Russia
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Lost Tracks In Lake Tahoe

Lost tracks in Lake Tahoe
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Man Made Island In Japan

man made island in Japan
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Nature Eats Everything

Nature Eats Everything
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Skull Graffiti New York

New York
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Abandoned Bus

Abandoned bus
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Closed New World Mall In Bangkok

Closed New World Mall in Bangkok
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Demon Statue In Old Mausoleum

Demon Statue in old mausoleum
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Engine Rusts On The Beach Of Iwo Jima

engine rusts on the beach of Iwo Jima
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Fighter Jet Taking Some Time Off

fighter jet taking some time off
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Abandoned French Chapel

Abandoned French chapel
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Route 66 Dinner

Route 66 Dinner
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German Expedition Cruise Ship

german expedition cruise ship
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Girls Bedroom Stuck In Time

girls bedroom stuck in time
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Greenhouses With Futuristic Design

Greenhouses with futuristic design
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Abandoned Elmo Toy

Abandoned Elmo toy
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Movie History Rotting

movie history rotting
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Cabin Under A Rock

Cabin under a rock
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WWI Trench In France

WWI trench in France
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Abandoned Hotels Before Construction Was Finished In Sinai, Egypt

Abandoned Hotels before Construction was finished in Sinai  Egypt
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Jet Graveyard

Jet Graveyard
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Original Batmobile

Original Batmobile
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Castle Torre Scola, Italy

Castle Torre Scola  Italy
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Subway Cars In The Ocean

subway cars in the ocean
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Abandoned German Tank

abandoned German tank
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Swiss Treehouse Abandoned

Swiss treehouse Abandoned
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Wooden Prototype Of Space Shuttle

Wooden Prototype of Space Shuttle
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Drive-In Theater

drive in theatre
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Old Bucket Wheel Excavator

Old Bucket Wheel Excavator
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Abandoned House

Abandoned house
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Chernobyl Reactor No.3

Chernobyl Reactor No
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Wrecked SS City Of Adelaide

Wrecked SS City of Adelaide
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Last Billboard For Spaceballs

Last Billboard for Spaceballs
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Abandoned Roller Coaster

Abandoned Roller Coaster
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Flooded Mine In Washington State

flooded mine in Washington State
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Power Station

power station
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Truck Forgotten For 26 Years

truck forgotten for 26 years
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Beach House In North Carolina Slowly Being Relcaimed By The Ocean

Beach House in North Carolina Slowly being relcaimed by the ocean
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Abandoned Theater

abandoned theater
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Land Of Oz Theme Park

Land of Oz theme park
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Spooky Abandoned House

Spooky Abandoned house
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Star Wars Movie Set In Tunisian Desert

Star Wars movie set in Tunisian Desert
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Intersection Change Of Plans

intersection change of plans
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Lawrence of Arabia Ambushed Train In The Arabian Desert

Lawrence of Arabia Ambushed Train In The Arabian Desert
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Russian Abandoned Buran Shuttles

Russian base to see two abandoned Buran shuttles
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Ocean Liner In The Canary Islands

ocean liner in the Canary Islands
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Apartment In Yekaterinburg Russia

Apartment in Yekaterinburg Russia
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Creepy Statue, Alter & Stage

Creepy statues   alter and stage
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Detroit Falling Apart

Detroit Falling Apart
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Last Radio Shack Sign

Last Radio Shark Sign
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Abandoned Train Bridge In California

Abandoned train bridge in California
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Submarine In Jungle

submarine in jungle
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Tree Taking Over In Norway

Tree Taking Over In Norway
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Presidents Heads In Virginia

presidents heads in Virginia
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Abandoned Train Yard In Hungary

Abandoned train yard in Hungary
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P-38 Lightning Wreckage In UK

P 38 Lightning wreckage in UK
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Lost Road In WA

Lost road in WA
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Plague Fort, St. Petersburg

Plague Fort  St
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Rail Bridge In Taiwan

Rail Bridge in Taiwan