A Guide to Urbex Photography

What is urbex photography? Explanation, tips and locations

All the information you need for urbex photography.

Silence, emptiness and mystery: that sounds like a goldmine for many photographers. What could be more fun than capturing a special, abandoned domain? That is what urbex photography is all about: the quest of photographers for mysterious, abandoned buildings.

We all know the remarkable photos of the quiet places around Chernobyl or other ghost villages in poorer countries. Wonderful examples of urbex photography, but travelling far for that perfect shot is not necessary at all. The Netherlands also has beautiful urbex locations!

Urbex photography: what is it actually?

The word ‘urbex’ is an abbreviation of ‘urban exploring’. When you embark on an urbex trip, you search for special, abandoned buildings. Along the way you might discover unique, photogenic spots.

Urbex photography with high ISO value

In special, abandoned buildings it is often very dark. On the other hand, you often deal with broken, smashed windows. That leads to an intriguing interplay between light and dark. If you want to create a beautiful, mysterious image, it’s best to shoot at a high ISO value with the help of a tripod. Choose, for example, ISO 1600 and always shoot in RAW. That way you can easily recover the overexposed or underexposed parts afterward. Also interesting for urbex photography is experimenting with the shift function of a tilt-shift lens.

7 beautiful urbex locations in the Netherlands

Many urbex photographers keep their most beautiful locations secret. It is also one of the unwritten rules of urbex photography: no one may know where you took that amazing shot. That’s tricky, because you are not allowed to simply enter an abandoned building. Nevertheless, even in the Netherlands, there are quite a few great spots for urbex photography. Below we list seven of them for you.

• Land van Ooit – Heusden
  Have you ever been to the Land van Ooit? This beautiful family park was permanently closed in 2007. The park was set up as a real ‘land’ and although it is abandoned, there is still plenty to explore for urbex photographers. Be quick, though, because the Land van Ooit now has a new zoning plan.
• Strokartonfabriek de Toekomst – Scheemda
  Cardboard made from straw? Unfortunately, this cardboard factory no longer produces it. This is a special urbex location from the last century, as production ceased as early as 1968.
• Aardappelmeelfabriek – Ter Apel
  In the 19th century, potato starch in the Netherlands still came from Ter Apel. The factory has been abandoned since 1981, resulting in special empty factory halls.
• NDSM-werf - Amsterdam
  Once the largest shipyard in the world, today an ideal setting for the perfect photo. The Nederlandse Dok Scheepsbouw Maatschappij went bankrupt in the 1980s, resulting in a now messy yard with rusty warehouses. Does this sound like music to your ears? Then be sure to check for any events first.
• De Wageningse Berg - Wageningen
  Many football enthusiasts must have heard of it: the Wageningse Berg. It is a true showpiece in football history but has stood empty since the bankruptcy of F.C. Wageningen in 1992. Do you understand the charm of an old, abandoned football stadium? Then this is the ideal urbex location for you.
• Papierfabriek - Nijmegen (From Het Perfecte Plaatje)
  Anyone who follows Het Perfecte Plaatje may already have been curious. Remember that large, robust factory that produced impressive images? That was the abandoned paper factory in Nijmegen. A popular urbex location for (hobby) photographers.
• De vlindertuin - Emmen
  Butterfly gardens are special photo locations anyway, but the butterfly garden in Emmen is truly unique. The location is now overgrown with dead and living plants. This popular urbex location has a charm you’ll find in very few other places.