Earlier this year I discovered the world of Instagram, but it wasn't until I came across other photo-editing apps that I really found my feet with it. The filters and borders on Instagram are very limiting I think, plus it doesn't tend to save a copy to your camera reel. Both of these factors meant that I started using Camera+ more often than not for my IG uploads.
About three weeks ago, I saw Instagram's weekly blog entry and it highlighted the work of an American photographer that takes photographs of derelict buildings in his home of St. Louis, Missouri. I was really intrigued by them and it reminded me of the amazing houses in my own town in south Wales. Much of the area where I live, specifically my town, was built between 1870-1890 with the boom of the coal industry in the Valleys. The houses, which would have been owned by the mine-owners, are grandeur and almost like estates with coach houses and folly-style Summer houses at the bottom of their garden.
However, a small proportion of these stunning examples of Victorian architecture have been allowed to fall into a terrible state of disrepair over the past forty years. Some (like the three-storey redbrick hotel on the seafront or the four storey detached house with turrets and a roof garden) were bought by an unscrupulous 'businessman' for redevelopment. When permission wasn't granted, they had mysterious fires or internal supporting walls were demolished until they were ordered to be pulled down. Other buildings, through the sheer weight of financial upkeep have become derelict and abandoned.
Luckily in the last three-five years there has been considerable interest in the remaining treasures, resulting in massive renovation and restoration. It meant it was a bit difficult to find any of them to photograph when I went on a hunt, but I did manage to snap some. I wish I'd thought of this three months ago and I would have been able to photograph the beautiful single-storey church school (which I'd had my eye on for when I won the Lottery) before it was ripped down.
I've started posting these photos onto Instagram using the hashtag #VictorianDecay, but not everyone (including my husband) has access to the network. Here they are:
[slickr-flickr tag='VictorianDecay']
I've been shortlisted for the MAD Blog Awards in the Photography category. If you like these photos, I'd love it if you could vote for me please? Voting closes on 6th June. Thank you
Love the pictures, #victoriandecay looks good.
Sad isn't it, they really were magnificient buildings.
Looks like such a rich history existed there. Really gorgeous houses, such a shame they are disappearing.
Lovely decade for buildings, so much style, though you could make a 1970's pre-fab building look special with your eye for photography!
Absolutely wonderful. There's been two gorgeous houses pulled down near us I'm the last few monthsone has been replaced by a really quite fabulous woodand glass new build but I'm dreading seeing the other replaced by flats Liveotherwise
They look magnificent in their decay too – but I hope that some of them can be restored: In Ireland we also have the problem of rogue fires and other damage to old and once beautiful buildings that results in them being condemned sadly
i love old buildings whether they are in a state of decay or still being lived in. there is a building at a cliff edge at Westward Ho! which reminds me of a building from a novel like Wuthering Heights and I aways wished I could go inside and have a nosey.
your photos are really good, i like the filter you have used which really makes them stand out even more. such beautiful architecture , such a shame many are in decay or just divided up into flats or bedsits and not looked after x
Really lovely photographs. I'd never heard of the Camera+ app until you wrote about it here. I LOVE Instagram!
These look great. I love the one with the birds x
It's you that's actually started me using Instagram because I adore the Victorian Decay photos you take (and the others too.) You do such amazing stuff with your phone camera it's stunning!