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50 Of The Most Breathtaking Forgotten Places, Shared In The 'Abandoned Beauties' Facebook Group

50 Of The Most Breathtaking Forgotten Places, Shared In The 'Abandoned Beauties' Facebook Group

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There aren’t too many opportunities to feel like an adventurer in modern times. However, exploring abandoned places and finding unexpected treasures can give you that deep thrill. You might not bring anything physical back to show for your efforts, but the photos you take and the first-hand experiences make for even better souvenirs.
The ‘Abandoned Beauties’ Facebook page is dedicated to urban exploration (aka Urbex or UE) and showcasing gorgeous images of abandoned places and objects. Both past and present. We’ve got a beautiful selection of photos from them to share with you today, Pandas, so go on and have a scroll down into the mysterious, uncharted wilds of Urbex. Upvote your fave photos and, if you’ve ever gone exploring like this yourselves, tell us all about it in the comments.
A very strong note of warning, dear Pandas: your safety is of paramount importance. If you plan on exploring any abandoned places, you need to take the necessary precautions and be extremely careful. I know that you’re all very capable, but you can’t go adventuring without the proper preparations if you want to stay safe. More on that below.
I reached out to photographer Dominic Sberna for some advice about how to keep our photography gear safe while exploring new areas, how to get the right lighting for photos in dark settings, and to understand just how vital camera angles are.
Dominic told Bored Panda that camera angles are important when it comes to showing off the scope of a large building. "A lower angle is going to intensify the view, just as a high vantage point would. The vantage point really matters as well. Depending on what you're going for in your shot, you'll want to have a nice showcase of the scene in front of you when exploring any abandoned property," the photographer explained. You'll find the full interview below.

#1 Mcdermott's Castle, Abandoned Fairytale Irish Castle In The Middle Of A Lake, County Roscommon, Ireland

Mcdermott's Castle, Abandoned Fairytale Irish Castle In The Middle Of A Lake, County Roscommon, Ireland
210points

"A wide-angle lens is always a great option for any confined space, but again this all depends on the look you're going for and is absolutely dependent on the scene in front of you. If you're in a massive industrial warehouse, you could lose some impact to your image if you have a super-wide-angle lens," photographer Dominic told Bored Panda

"At the end of the day, just like any genre of photography and anything in life, practice makes perfect. But don't beat yourself up if your images aren't 'perfect.' You should always try to take them for yourself. If others like them, that's an added bonus and you'll stay true to your creative self by knowing you did things for yourself," the photographer suggested that we focus on what makes us happy instead of trying to please absolutely everyone else.

#2 Abandoned House In The Swamp

Abandoned House In The Swamp
193points

#3 A Very Little Key Will Open A Very Heavy Door. Charles Dickens

A Very Little Key Will Open A Very Heavy Door. Charles Dickens
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178points

"The best way to keep your camera safe is to always keep it attached to you. That might mean different things to different people. Generally having your camera strap around your neck is a good thing. But, if you feel more comfortable holding it, that way if something unexpected does happen, you can move as needed," Dominic said.

When it comes to lighting, your camera's inbuilt flash might not be enough. He shared that he will "always advocate" for a tripod and a long exposure when shooting in dark settings.

#4 The Garden Of Ninfa Is A Landscape Garden In The Territory Of Cisterna Di Latina, In The Province Of Latina, Central Italy

The Garden Of Ninfa Is A Landscape Garden In The Territory Of Cisterna Di Latina, In The Province Of Latina, Central Italy
The garden includes the ruins of the ancient settlement of Ninfa, whose name seems to derive from a classical era nymphaeum, a temple dedicated to nymphs, located on an island in the small lake.
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176points

#5 Abandoned Castle In Italy

Abandoned Castle In Italy
175points

#6 Abandoned Casino In Romania

Abandoned Casino In Romania
175points

"If you're wanting an action shot in the dark or a more illuminated subject, I'd recommend using an external flash or using external lighting altogether," Dominic suggested. "Depending on the look you're going for will depend on your preferred light source."

He noted that the flash on a camera has a fairly harsh and direct light. "You're going to cause a lot of harsh shadows and as a general rule, I would recommend staying away from the on-camera flash unless you absolutely have to use it," the photographer told Bored Panda.

#7 The Stairway Of An Abandoned Button Factory

The Stairway Of An Abandoned Button Factory
173points

#8 A Perfect Place For Peaceful Thoughts And Meditation

A Perfect Place For Peaceful Thoughts And Meditation
171points

#9 Abandoned 19th Century Greenhouse, France

Abandoned 19th Century Greenhouse, France
164points

The ‘Abandoned Beauties’ project has quite the member count over on Facebook. A whopping 435.8k people follow the page. It’s easy to see why.

The photos are stunning and evoke a sense of mystery, adventure, and uncovering lost secrets. The photos are also peppered with a heavy dose of creepiness that makes us just uncomfortable enough to keep us alert.

#10 Abandoned Glasshouse

Abandoned Glasshouse
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163points

#11 Abandoned Mansion, Belgium

Abandoned Mansion, Belgium
158points

#12 Abandoned Chapel In France

Abandoned Chapel In France
154points

The founder of the ‘Abandoned Beauties’ project notes that they credit all the photographers for their work. If you notice a gorgeous photo without any credits, then that means that the image is either part of the creative commons license or the page wasn’t able to find the original photographer.

If you have any questions about all of that and you want to give the photographers a follow but can’t seem to find the original source, try asking the page moderator or the community itself. You never know, you might find someone who’s in the know!

One thing to keep in mind is that, overwhelmingly, the authors of the photos don’t add details about the precise locations. This is done very much on purpose, in order to protect the locations and objects from vandalism.

#13 The Ruins Of Bannerman’s Castle, An Abandoned Military Surplus Warehouse, Still Stand In The Middle Of The Hudson River

The Ruins Of Bannerman’s Castle, An Abandoned Military Surplus Warehouse, Still Stand In The Middle Of The Hudson River
141points

#14 Fairy Tale House

Fairy Tale House
132points

#15 I Don't Understand Why People Abandoned Beautiful Properties Like This

I Don't Understand Why People Abandoned Beautiful Properties Like This
132points

Keeping the locations secret is a very practical approach. While a handful of urban explorers visiting an abandoned ship (which is dangerous in itself) might not do much harm (especially if they don’t remove anything as souvenirs), the same can’t be said about dozens, hundreds, or possibly even thousands of visitors.

#16 A Library Inside An Abandoned 19th Century Victorian Mansion. Who Wants To Explore??

A Library Inside An Abandoned 19th Century Victorian Mansion. Who Wants To Explore??
131points

#17 Italy

Italy
126points

#18 Ballysaggartmore Towers Are Two Ornate Entrance Lodges (One Also Acts As A Bridge)

Ballysaggartmore Towers Are Two Ornate Entrance Lodges (One Also Acts As A Bridge)
They are situated on the former Ballysaggartmore Demesne approx 2.5 kilometres from the town of Lismore in County Waterford, Ireland. The structures are were constructed for an Anglo Irish Landlord, Arthur Keily-Ussher no later than 1834.
120points

Imagine if a huge flood of urban explorers would end up going to a single location. Some of them might be veterans who know to treat the location with care, however, others might be amateurs who damage the place willfully or by accident.

#19 The Magnificence Of An Abandoned Place

The Magnificence Of An Abandoned Place
117points

#20 A Roman Bathhouse Still In Use After 2,000 Years In Khenchela, Algeria

A Roman Bathhouse Still In Use After 2,000 Years In Khenchela, Algeria
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115points
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