My journey as a photographer started in 2015 when I explored an abandoned theme park near my home. I used to visit it as a kid, so this seemed like a great place to start. I was hooked instantly and began exploring the UK soon after and then started abroad in 2016. I drove from Manchester to Europe and did a big loop of Belgium, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and France. I mainly shoot abandoned buildings, but more recently I am starting to shoot landscapes as well as wildlife to diversify a bit.

The most challenging part of the creative process is not knowing for sure if the places will be accessible. There is nothing worse than driving 3 hours to visit a place and finding it has been burnt down or sealed up tight. For this reason, I make a big map for a trip, with lots of locations to ensure (hopefully) there are many successes to go with the inevitable fails. It's all part of the adventure!

The part I enjoy the most is the road trip itself. Filling the car with local snacks and drinks I have never heard of. Getting the road trip music playlist on, and setting the next location in the sat nav. Then driving and enjoying the scenery and sharing the experience with close friends is where the best memories are made for me.

My goal is to present photos of beautiful abandoned places along with history and context. I always write an article to accompany each set of photos from a location, and I hope people enjoy the information I provide. I feel it is important to add context to these photos and to share the story of the lost place.

There are three main ways I find abandoned places. Firstly, by extensively researching online. I spend many hours scouring articles and records to find clues to places, as well as much time spent investigating satellite maps. Secondly, by working with my travel companions, who also share this passion for creating a shared map for a specific trip. Lastly, just by keeping my eyes open while traveling. I often find abandoned places randomly while driving en route to a planned location.

I am always trying to explore new countries, next up for me is probably Lebanon or perhaps Spain. I also have plans to revisit the Baltics, I didn't have time to visit Estonia on my last trip, sadly. 

I recently started shooting 35mm film using my grandad's Soviet-era camera. I hope to start a side project based on these photos, I think abandoned places on film might be an interesting direction to go in. I am having a lot of fun shooting with this camera, it is certainly a new challenge for me!