abandoned

End of the world

/ mikeosbornphoto / 29 Comments

Dungeness vistaThis remote nub of land on the coast of south-east England is like none other. Dungeness is not a fully formed seaside resort packed with amusement arcades and throngs of noisy sun seekers. It is a strange place, dotted with sturdy little cottages, two lighthouses and even a nuclear power station. An added touch of the surreal is a miniature steam railway that whistles its way to a most unlikely station.

The scrubby, shingle landscape is scattered with beached boats, tumbledown sheds and long-forgotten waste. But an array of beautiful flowers thrive in this apparent wasteland, while there is a sense of tranquility close to the sea.

I always wanted to visit Dungeness with my camera, but thought it too remote to reach without a car. It has a wealth of architecture, natural wonders and landscape to capture. But above all else is the depth of mood that you find there. Desolate and distant, even slightly unnerving – but fascinating and thoroughly photogenic.

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Filthy nature

/ mikeosbornphoto / 16 Comments

I walked out one morning in search of grunge. This quest took me to a stretch of London’s Grand Union Canal which is anything but pretty and quaint.

The stretch between Willesden Junction and Kensal Green in the city’s north-west straddles a major railway confluence. It’s heavily industrialised and nature has almost been squeezed out by the excesses of human activity.

Dilapidated warehouses line the banks, along with spray-painted walls and the occasional mound of rubbish. But the area is full of textures and shapes, oddly alluring to the camera. 

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The Photo Shop

Vacated

/ mikeosbornphoto / 9 Comments

Vacated

This office – Room 7540 – has been empty for months. The doors are locked and I have to take a photograph through the glass doors. It used to be a bustling place, filled with desks, journalists and everyday life. In the glass office on the right, editorial meetings took place every weekday morning. All that’s left now are a couple of abandoned printers in this shell.

I worked in this place for many years. The other occupants have moved to new showpiece premises in the centre of London, while my work keeps me close to the old office. It’s an empty, eerie experience walking past. BBC Television Centre is gradually winding down before closure next month. My place there enables me to capture abandonment and memories.

7540

See Upstairs Downstairs, about a well-known staircase at BBC Television Centre