"Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."
- Anton Chekhov

Many photographers like to visit the things other people have discarded; there's a certain aesthetic to decay and neglect. I've certainly spent my fair share of time on the wrong side of "No Trespassing" signs, camera in hand.

Not that I'm endorsing doing that...

But the attraction of things that are broken isn't limited to urban explorers, rust and rot. Mundane, everyday objects can be fascinating studies once their intended purpose has ended. If there's a municipal garbage collection where you live, this is a great opportunity to gather some temporary subjects or simply try a new spin on street photography.

Other things that can be broken aren't even things; photographers can show relationships and states of being as well. Use your imagination, and look through your own personal collection for images that illustrate the theme. New images are welcome, too.

Perfect assignment Matthew! I am looking forward to what we'll see.
I remembered this one I took a few months ago, at a pay phone:



uli

Thanks Matthew for this assignment

Warehouse window

hey, neat irma, do you know what the yellew triangles inside the window are? lights?

Thanks Uli...

I really don't know what they are but I think they are papers or plastics..

This was taken last weekend, at an abandoned brickworks north of the city. There were two of these very large wheels, and I have no idea what they were used for.

All great shots so far. I am particularly impressed by the lighting on all of these.

matthew Wrote:This was taken last weekend, at an abandoned brickworks north of the city. There were two of these very large wheels, and I have no idea what they were used for.

Ooo cool... any more pics of the abandoned brickworks? Urban exploration type shots?

That particular facility wasn't very interesting; the interiors were empty and there wasn't much around. Here's one from the inside of the same building as the previous:



and a couple more of the chimneys, which were being reclaimed by the woods:





I do have a bunch of other photos from a very popular site in the city, but it comes with a SERIOUS bandwidth warning. (This is a collection of 20+ photos from 2005.) http://fotoproject.blogspot.com/2005/11/...-2005.html

An old and abandoned turbine propeller, hope it qualifies. I converted it onto B&W with a little old age effect.

Hmm, I like the black and white, Janika!

here is another one, kind of sad. Imagine the kid going home without a kite....



Uli

Mathew: do your abandoned old buildings usallly have RAZR cell phones lying around in them?

Ah the kite on the razor wire... very poignant.

Toad Wrote:Mathew: do your abandoned old buildings usallly have RAZR cell phones lying around in them?

well, they're as likely to have that particular cell phone as they are to have an Olympus camera. When I'm alone, I don't go snooping unless I have a phone and someone else who knows where I am and a time that I'll check in by. If I'm with someone else, then I'm comfortable with just the phone and someone who'll miss me. For this particular photo, I was thinking about how cell phones are vital in disaster situations, and trying to capture the phone with some fire damage.

It's renovation season! Some people need it more than others....

Broken.

well done all some interesting pics here!

here is one from me I think its beyond broken

Wow, NT - that's a neat shot, and makes for three toilets in a row. That's got to be a Shuttertalk record.

Russ, that's definitely broken. I'd say it's beyond repair. A very interesting find.

I got a bunch of useful photos today.
A broken web or two:



A broken building:



Old media:



And broken values:

Another demolition, the last of the cheaper accommodation in my town, which was a sleepy holiday resort - now all becoming boutique hotels and much, much more expensive.

Ahhh yes.. now this is my kind of assignment!
I don't even care if I end up with dud photos - I just love going exploring through old broken stuff.

Great posts so far everyone..


1. Kitchen Memories - This is a kitchen in a house that's waiting to be demolished just near where I live. I found it quite haunting as I took this shot - wondering what kinds of family conversations had taken place around the kitchen table that would have once been there, and picturing the kitchen as it once was. I felt very different in this home to when I go exploring abandoned commercial buildings - as if the people were still there and I was a guest. It was much more personal.


2. Breaking and Entering - This is a shot of smashed glass from front door of the same house (with a suspicious-looking brick). It had been abandoned for a while and had been completely gutted and graffitti'd. I had a bit of a chat with the neighbours about the house, but they were just renting and didn't know much about its history apart from the fact that kids still go through it at night sometimes. When exploring areas like this, if you get a chance to have a chat with some locals, do it (and be friendly and open). Not only can you find out some interesting things yourself about the place, you will reassure them that you aren't doing anything wrong and are far less likely to find yourself in an unpleasant situation.


3. Outdoor Dunny - Following what seems to be becoming a theme in this assignment, here is my effort at an old loo. This one is from Queenstown on the west coast of Tasmania, and the slant that you see in the building was actually there - it isn't a crooked photograph.


4. NOT Broken! - In the mid 80's there were massive protests throughout Tasmania in response to a plan to dam the Franklin River, a river that runs through a large and important (and protected) area of pristine wilderness in the south west of Tasmania. It was national front-page news for quite a while, and eventually the Australian federal government stepped in to overrule the state government's decision to let the dam go ahead. The dam was never built, and twenty years later the river appears as beautiful and untouched as it has always been. This is a photo that could have been of a broken river, but thankfully it isn't.

nice Kombi! Love the light, particularly in the last one.

I think pretty much everything in here was broken:

My photo of something broken..

Its an old house bout two miles down the road.. when I drive by I always find it interesting.

Hi Teri, that's a place I'd love to get into. Have you been able to look around inside?

No I have never gone inside, my brother has though he says theres nothing in it.

Well, "nothing" is a relative thing. I'd never ever advocate trespassing, of course, but sometimes even nothing can be very photogenic.

Working on the idea of photographing the place I'm already in, I found an open door and had to use it. It led here:



And here are the bike wheels from the lower-left corner:



...that's about as broken as it gets.

Yeah Very cool. I never thought about it before...I never thought about taking a picture of a sign either till I came here...Theres not a no trespassing sign so maybe next time I go by there I will have to go inside.
I dont know why really I never thought about going inside because I got my camera and trying to find answers on things I found you guys and all these assignments I always see everything now when Im out Hey that would be a good picture.