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In a world where the human footprint is increasingly predominant, it is fascinating to observe how nature can take back its rights, slowly but surely. This new series of photos entitled "When Nature Reclaims Its Rights" takes us on a striking visual journey, capturing those moments when lush vegetation, untamed wildlife and natural elements reclaim places abandoned by man. Through my lens, we experience the raw beauty and perseverance of nature reclaiming its territory.

Each shot in this series illustrates an impressive transformation. From derelict buildings overgrown with vegetation to deserted roads now blanketed in verdant moss, the photographs reveal how nature seeps into the cracks of human urbanism. The lens captures the gradual metamorphosis, with images taken over periods ranging from months to years, providing a unique perspective on the natural pace of the recovery process.

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#1

Palacio, Portugal

Palacio, Portugal

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hitex
Community Member
2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Gorgeous stain glass still remaining. They should try to salvage this

El Cucuy
Community Member
2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The roof carvings are also quite nice. This one deserves to be salvaged/restored.

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BC
Community Member
2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not that I’m going to be alive, but I’ll put $200 on the table that the majority of our planet will look like this in 200 years…

Cosmologist wannabe
Community Member
2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fück yeah, nature! Repeat after me! Fück yeah, nature!

Kelsie Marx
Community Member
2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That would make an awesome wedding picture!

SourDizzle
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

Himangana Panwar
Community Member
2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Love seeing nature claiming its rights...we humans create a lot of waste...

Gabriel Chandler
Community Member
2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They could probably take the glass out but those plants are old old and their roots are deep. They have reclaimed the wood as their own.

"When Nature Reclaims Its Rights" offers a contemplative look at the complex relationship between man and nature. Through these captivating photographs, I manage to immortalize these moments where the human imprint fades and where nature gradually takes back its space.

Celebrating the beauty of natural resurgence, this series invites us to reflect on our impact on the environment and appreciate nature's quiet persistence in the face of urbanization.

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    #2

    Castle, France

    Castle, France

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    TheGoodBoi
    Community Member
    Premium
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I want to explore it!

    DPNY 53
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Doesn't look like you could get thru the door!

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    Toni Epple
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't speak french, but it seems it belonged to Josef Mengele, which would explain why nobody wants it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvs-myxSz6w

    ArodTheHorrible
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Any place with that many hearths must be wonderful :D

    Gabriel Chandler
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Spooky Cool. The French influence is obvious

    Paul Bushell
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I am amazed this is not on Chateau DIY!

    Gabriel Chandler
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Spooky cool. The French influence is obvious

    The Original Bruno
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Is every big house in France gonna be called a "castle" on the internet? Medieval? No. Fortified? No. Moat, battlements or tower? No.

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    #3

    Manor, France

    Manor, France

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    TheGoodBoi
    Community Member
    Premium
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Makes you wonder the story, or the stories the began and ended in these places.

    hitex
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Again such beautiful glasswork. Why is this not maintained?

    hwatinternation
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Financial difficulties? In most places, you also can't just have properties seized to be maintained by some authority just because it looks nice and the previous owners can't afford it.

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    m L
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Good timing and positioning with the moon.

    Dee Rutherford
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Very nice photo. Especially with the moon in the background

    Kim
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Can I have it since no one else seem to care?

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    My journey as a photographer has been exciting and evolving. My love for photography began as a teenager when I received my first camera. Capturing moments of everyday life and exploring different perspectives has always fascinated me. Over time, I honed my technical and artistic skills, learning the basics of composition, lighting, and image processing.

    However, what really kicked off my journey in photography was the discovery of urban exploration, also known as urbex. The idea of ​​capturing the mysterious and sometimes dilapidated beauty of abandoned places captivated me. Urban exploration allowed me to combine my passion for photography with my interest in history and architecture.

    #4

    Synagogue, Romania

    Synagogue, Romania

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    Michael Fuhry
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Considering European history over the last 100 years, the story of this synagogue shouldn't present too great a mystery.

    Alexandru Bucur
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is the Ashkenazi Synagogue in Constanta, Romania. Built in 1911 and damaged by an earthquake in 1977, it was abandoned after 1989 when the small Jewish community (never more than 2000 people all told) in Constanta mostly emigrated to Israel. There are some good news on the horizon though - 1.5 million euros have been allocated for it's restoration with the contract being signed in June of 2023, the construction itself slated to take one year and a half.

    LadyHermit
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The Great Synagogue of Constanta, Romania. A breathtaking example of Jewish architecture, too bad in Romania, as elsewhere, old culture and values are made redundant by misunderstood modernism.

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    #5

    Castle, France

    Castle, France

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    TheGoodBoi
    Community Member
    Premium
    2 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wonder if it's haunted O.o

    shopgirl0270
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'd LOVE to get in there in the late afternoon to explore!

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    Every place I explored had a story to tell. Abandoned buildings, disused factories, and forgotten spaces were like blank canvases loaded with emotions and stories. My goal was to capture these moments frozen in time, to pay homage to their past while presenting them in a new and artistic way.

    #6

    Castle, France

    Castle, France

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    hitex
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ceilings were once magnificent. Shame to see it in decay

    #7

    Factory, France

    Factory, France

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    JM
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wow - I think I'd get vertigo on that tiny staircase

    Brazen
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These types of staircases are all over Montreal. The first and only time I had to go up and down one I had a panic attack. I'm afraid of heights and get vertigo...it was not a fun experience.

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    Malfar
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Looks like a screen from a videogame. Maybe some obscure arthouse project, or some point and click ,asterpiece of old.

    Photographing abandoned places is both an engrossing and demanding experience, and it comes with special challenges. The hardest part of capturing these unique environments often comes down to preparation and security. Before you even start photographing, it is crucial to thoroughly research the place you want to explore. Abandoned buildings can be dangerous due to their state of disrepair, the fragility of the structures, and the possible presence of harmful substances. It is essential to plan each visit carefully, ensure you have the right safety equipment and respect local rules and private property.

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    Light management is another major challenge. In abandoned places, lighting can be limited, unpredictable and often unflattering. Finding ways to work with available light while preserving the ambiance of the location can be complex, requiring mastery of exposure and post-processing techniques.

    #8

    Castle, France

    Castle, France

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    Kim
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What is wrong with all these french catsles??? Have they been left since the revolution?

    Fabian Bernard
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    For the most, in the afterwards of Révolution, they did. Used as carries for stones, burnt, etc...

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    Cosmologist wannabe
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The little arch is for the elves. Who else would they be for

    Jeremy Crocker
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It wasn't unusual to have one for people on horse back and wagons and a smaller one for people on foot.

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    #9

    Airplane, Bulgaria

    Airplane, Bulgaria

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    MotherofGuineaPigs
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Abandoned air base: https://www.plitvicetimes.com/incredible-photos-abandoned-plane-at-zeljava-airbase/

    JM
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    thank you, so much, for this information, MoGP!

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    James Edwards
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I would like to know the story behind how it got there

    Xenon
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No visible damage so towed there. Why, I don't know. Usually defunct planes go to a plane "graveyard".

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    TheGoodBoi
    Community Member
    Premium
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Would be cool to make it a home!

    The part of the creative process that I enjoy the most is the discovery and creativity inherent in urban exploration photography. Entering an abandoned place, discovering its past stories and feeling a connection with these spaces frozen in time is a unique experience in itself. The feeling of exploration and adventure, as well as the excitement of capturing details that often go unnoticed, add a captivating dimension to my photographic practice.

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    #10

    Car, France

    Car, France

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    TheGoodBoi
    Community Member
    Premium
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Look at that, already has a steering wheel cover. How much you want for it?

    DadManBlues
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    After a minor restoration, they would advertise it in Hungary as an accident-free, low mileage car from an elderly Swiss doctor :)

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    #11

    Castle, France

    Castle, France

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    JM
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I find myself wondering about the families who lived in the beautiful homes - joy, sadness, memories now lost.

    censorshipsucks
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Chateau. In English we distinguish the two. Chateau = big house in the french style. Castle = military fort with crenellations.

    William Mclaurin
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'd love to salvage the floor boards, trim, and molding from these old places. Probably worth a fortune.

    DPNY 53
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This one HAS to be haunted!

    Jp@nda
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He has a loose definition of castle

    #12

    Car, France

    Car, France

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    Michael Fuhry
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oh, I think that's a Citroën Traction Avant! Lovely cars.

    JM
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hmm, the ground is filling up around it - eventually, this will just be a little hill.

    #13

    Castle, France

    Castle, France

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    Jeremy Crocker
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not every ruin is a former castle...

    Jessica Urquhart
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No kidding. The roof is all wrong for one thing to be a castle. There are palaces, manors and castles. Castles were fortified, usually quite large, and we're generally central to a village, town of city.

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    #14

    Palacio, Portugal

    Palacio, Portugal

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    #15

    Sanatorium, Georgia

    Sanatorium, Georgia

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    Jeremy Crocker
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    By definition it wasn't just crazy. Sanitariums were for healing, usually post ops, certain diseases, rehab and therapy. Asylums were for long term mental issues.

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    Mikie4332
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How many people noticed in the picture the resident still living there? 😅

    #16

    Factory, Romania

    Factory, Romania

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    JM
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Must have been the height of modern industrialism in its day. Imagine all the people employed there, and the families they raised on their pay!

    Jeremy Crocker
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's one way to look at it. But at the same time factories of this time paid dirt, abused their workers (including child labor) and were dearhtraps with no concern for worker safety.

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    Winter
    Community Member
    Premium
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Imagine walking up all those stairs to get to that little house-like building on the top! (doesn't look wide/big enough to have boasted a lift/elevator!)

    Alexandru Bucur
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's former Blast furnace No.2, in Reșița, Romania. Built in 1963 and classed as a historic monument after it's decommissioning in 2000, it's currently at the heart of a legal battle between it's current owner, a Russian company named TMK who want to demolish it and the local authorities who want to preserve it as an industrial museum.

    LuLuBelle
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hopefully soon all the factories on Earth will look like this. We don't deserve this planet, and I don't blame it for killing us off. The faster the better.

    censorshipsucks
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    totally would turn this into a nightclub.

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    #17

    Building, Bulgaria

    Building, Bulgaria

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    Maggie
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Glad that nature is beautifying this ugly edifice.

    hwatinternation
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've never really enjoyed brutalist style buildings myself.

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    LadyHermit
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No offence, but brutalist architecture always gives me the creeps... in a distubing, not fun, way.

    #18

    Ghost Town, Cyprus

    Ghost Town, Cyprus

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    Hugh Cookson
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Famagusta in the North of the island. Abandoned after the Turks decided to 'liberate' their Cypriot brothers - missing the fact that Turkish and Greek Cypriots had (mostly) been happily getting along quite nicely, without conflict or tension for several hundred years prior to this. I was a young English boy, holidaying in Famagusta at the time ... strange times. And here we are 50 + years down the road and a perfectly good city has been left to rot because some stupid old men can't agree to disagree and let the majority get on with their lives.

    Cosmologist wannabe
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Better than most towns worldwide. Nature vs. nurture. 19 points nature. 8 billion penalties nurture.

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    #19

    Eiffel Tower Replica, Romania

    Eiffel Tower Replica, Romania

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    hitex
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just hanging in middle of nowhere

    Alexandru Bucur
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This was built near Slobozia, Romania, in the 90s by an eccentric millionaire who also built himself a replica of the Southfork Ranch from the "Dallas" soap opera as a sort of theme park. At it's height, it saw over 10 000 visitors per summer, including actor Larry Hagman who played JR in the afore mentioned soap opera. Unfortunately, after the millionaire's death from a stroke in 2010, his properties were seized by creditors and remain embroiled in legal disputes to this day, hence why the tower only sees the barest of maintenance.

    Cloakred_Is_Bored
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Does anyone want to just walk around here with me?

    hitex
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Is it just me or does it seemed to be maintained at least minimally. There's a beaten path & no overgrowth

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    Xenon
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well that's pretty random.

    Adrian Nicolae Per
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes ! strange passion and people made it !

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