Ruin photography has always fascinated me. These places are falling apart; walls cracked, ceilings caved in, nature pushing through wherever it can. The buildings are crumbling, but you can still feel what they were built for, even if that purpose ended years ago.

What I find most interesting is how these buildings have started to merge with everything around them. Nature doesn’t wait, so roots push up through the floors, ivy climbs through windows and birds nest where roof tiles used to be.

What is Ruin Photography?

Ruin photography is the act of photographing buildings or spaces that have been left behind, long enough for nature and time to start pulling them apart. These aren't tidy places! They're often full of rubble, dust, abandoned furniture and more. What draws photographers in isn’t just the decay, but the stories you can glean from looking around.

This type of photography is very different from architectural photography, which often aims to preserve clean lines or celebrate design. Here, the focus is on what’s breaking down and what that tells us. You're looking at a place caught mid-transformation. Not quite gone, not quite holding on. More than anything, it’s about observation and exploration. You’re getting inside a place, paying attention to what has been left behind, and what it all might mean now that no one’s watching.

Ruin Photography vs Urbex

Urban exploration and ruin photography often cross paths, but they come from very different instincts. Urbex is usually about access. Getting into spaces that are hard to reach. It’s exciting and often adventurous, so the camera might come along, but it isn’t always the main goal.

Ruin photography, on the other hand, slows things down. It’s about taking the time to really look around. The focus is on framing, on light, on what the space is saying now. If you’re curious about the experience of photographing, take a look at my guide to urban exploration photography, which covers how to find, shoot, and stay safe in abandoned places.

Why Ruins?

Ruins are different from other abandoned spaces. Changing by the day, slowly being dismantled by weather, and sometimes trees that have decided the floor is a good place to grow.
Photographing them helps make sense of that process. It’s a way to ask questions: Why was this place abandoned? What role did it play? What does it look like now, out of step with its surroundings?

When I photographed the Michigan Theater, the building was part-ruin, part-parking garage. And somehow, that made it more powerful. A reminder that cities keep shifting, and that not every change means starting from scratch.

Working With the Space

Ruins aren’t always easy to photograph. The lighting is unpredictable, the floors aren’t always safe, and there’s usually a lot going on. I don’t try to control the space. I just work with what’s there.

I use bracketing a lot, especially when there’s a strong light source in a dark room. It helps me keep both the highlights and the shadows without losing what made the scene worth shooting in the first place. I explain more of that process in "How I Found My Unique Urbex Photography Style", if you want the backstory on how I ended up working that way.

Every time I return to a location, it’s different. At the Manicomio in Racconigi, the changes are always obvious and layered over one another as more and more time passes—more graffiti, more plants creeping in, things missing or moved. The building had once been its own world, meant to keep people in and everything else out. Now nature and explorers are coming through the walls.

Practical camera advice for ruin photography

Of course, your camera is your best friend when you’re exploring and you’re probably looking to get some great shots while you’re out there. Here are some tips to make the most of your time in the space:

Gear recommendations

A wide-angle lens helps capture tight interiors or full room scenes
A sturdy tripod is essential for low light and longer exposures
Bring a remote shutter or use your camera’s timer to avoid shaking the shot
Pack a headlamp, gloves, and dust mask in case of poor lighting or dusty air
Wear solid shoes or boots that can handle broken flooring

Best times to shoot

Early morning and late afternoon offer softer, directional light
Overcast days help avoid harsh shadows and blown-out highlights
If the roof is gone, midday light can work but requires careful exposure

Camera settings

Keep ISO as low as possible to protect image quality
Use slow shutter speeds and shoot in RAW to leave room for adjustment later
Bracketing is useful in high-contrast scenes (especially for HDR blending)

Post-processing

Focus on texture. Lightly lift contrast and clarity to reveal detail
Use tone mapping with care to avoid over-editing
Try not to polish too much; the imperfections are what make the image honest

The best shots often come from waiting, watching the light, and noticing the quiet things everyone else walks past.

Safety and Legal Guidelines

Ruins have a way of catching you off guard. A room might look quiet and still, but the structure can be fragile. Wood softens, metal rusts, and stairs don’t always lead where they used to. It helps to move slowly and stay aware of your surroundings. It can genuinely be dangerous, so don’t underestimate the building!

Legally, these spaces can also be tricky. Even if a building looks abandoned, it may still be owned, monitored, or protected by local laws. Always do a little digging before you go. If you’re not sure who owns it or whether you’re allowed to enter, it’s usually better to find another location. There are plenty of stories waiting to be told without risking fines or worse.

Respect matters, too. Leave things as you found them and try not to move objects. That also means no tagging and no souvenirs.

Framing What Matters

It’s easy to get overwhelmed in ruins. There’s a lot of detail, a lot of debris, and it can all feel important at first. I usually start by looking for structure; doorways, arches, staircases. Something to give the photo a shape.

Then I look for the things that have been left behind. A coat still on a hook. A floor pattern barely visible under the dust. These are the moments that feel honest. In the Racconigi asylum, some rooms were almost completely empty, but the light and the architecture told the story on their own. I didn’t need to add anything.

Why These Images Matter

People sometimes ask if ruin photography is just about decay. It isn’t, at least not for me. These places are part of larger conversations about what society remembers, what we let fade, and how we interact with spaces that no longer serve a clear purpose.

That’s what I wanted to reflect in "Abandoned But Not Forgotten". These aren’t just broken buildings. They’re part of a landscape that’s still evolving. Photographing them is a way of showing that they still matter.

Final Thoughts: Shooting Urban Ruins Takes Time

If you’re drawn to ruins, follow that. But take your time. Some buildings disappear before you get back to them. Others keep changing, even when they look the same at first.

The best photos usually come from staying in a space long enough to really see what’s happening. Not just what’s gone, but what’s still holding on. And maybe what’s quietly moving in to take its place.

Ruin Photography: How to Shoot Urban Ruins