I went up to Bradford over the Bank holiday weekend to try my luck at selling in the Alternative Market at the Infest 15 Electronic Music Festival. Never been to Bradford before - never felt the need, however around the University campus are rather a lot of derelict sites..........
I didn't intend any of this so was not in my usual tatty garb (dressed in Goth camouflage) so entry to these places wasn't high on my agenda. Hence window shopping.
The one I did get into, an old garage workshop gave me an experience I'll not forget, but I'll come to that later.
This place is North east of the campus and I spotted it as soon as I found the place. Don't know anything about it other than there is an Indian Restaurant tacked on to the back of it that is still open for business. It has been entered into many times but alas not by me.
Bradford 6 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Behind the gates
Bradford 4 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Through the window
Bradford 3 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Bradford 2 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Round the back
Bradford 1 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Moved on to here.
Bradford 7 by Infraredd, on Flickr
An end of terrace remnant behind a dead rock/metal club. Just after taking this a bloke appeared from nowhere (must have been inside) and picked his way through the crap to the back of the house. As his builders bum was fully on show and the rest of his ensemble projected vagrant I didn't fancy a conversation and shot these before jumping down off the wall.
Bradford 8 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Bradford 9 by Infraredd, on Flickr
See what looks like a boot outline at the bottom of the sheet? I think the bloke and possibly others were resident there and wouldn't have taken to kindly to me documenting their misery.....
Moving on
I found this place - some kind of garage/workshop. Climbed on the roof first to see if it was vacant
Bradford 11jpg by Infraredd, on Flickr
Shot through the busted door
Bradford 12 by Infraredd, on Flickr
So far so good. So I scrambled through the gap in my black leather and started to take pictures.
Bradford 13 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Got about this far in when the door marked toilet opened and a very disheveled woman with a syringe in her left hand appeared and wanted to know what I was doing and why I was taking photographs dressed as I was. I explained as best I could that I meant no harm, was not interested in her or her activities and hoped she would be too out of it to mind. However spying the Co op bag I was carrying containing my lunch for later, (food at the event was not to my taste) she asked if I had any food. So I arrived at that F... it moment........and gave her my sandwich. From the look of her she needed it far more than I did, and she duly disappeared and left me to it.
Bradford 14 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Bradford 15 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Bradford 16 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Junkie Des res
Bradford 17 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Scuttled back to the Festival and tried taking some band shots.
I used to be good at taking pictures of live bands but using a converted I/R camera is a nightmare.
The focus is out and artificial light does weird things in the camera
Future Trail by Infraredd, on Flickr
Full set here http://www.flickr.com/photos/infraredd/sets/72157635258569765/
Today's lesson - Inner city dereliction has unexpected confrontational possibilities I think I would be well advised to avoid on my own!
Thanks for looking
I didn't intend any of this so was not in my usual tatty garb (dressed in Goth camouflage) so entry to these places wasn't high on my agenda. Hence window shopping.
The one I did get into, an old garage workshop gave me an experience I'll not forget, but I'll come to that later.
This place is North east of the campus and I spotted it as soon as I found the place. Don't know anything about it other than there is an Indian Restaurant tacked on to the back of it that is still open for business. It has been entered into many times but alas not by me.
Bradford 6 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Behind the gates
Bradford 4 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Through the window
Bradford 3 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Bradford 2 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Round the back
Bradford 1 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Moved on to here.
Bradford 7 by Infraredd, on Flickr
An end of terrace remnant behind a dead rock/metal club. Just after taking this a bloke appeared from nowhere (must have been inside) and picked his way through the crap to the back of the house. As his builders bum was fully on show and the rest of his ensemble projected vagrant I didn't fancy a conversation and shot these before jumping down off the wall.
Bradford 8 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Bradford 9 by Infraredd, on Flickr
See what looks like a boot outline at the bottom of the sheet? I think the bloke and possibly others were resident there and wouldn't have taken to kindly to me documenting their misery.....
Moving on
I found this place - some kind of garage/workshop. Climbed on the roof first to see if it was vacant
Bradford 11jpg by Infraredd, on Flickr
Shot through the busted door
Bradford 12 by Infraredd, on Flickr
So far so good. So I scrambled through the gap in my black leather and started to take pictures.
Bradford 13 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Got about this far in when the door marked toilet opened and a very disheveled woman with a syringe in her left hand appeared and wanted to know what I was doing and why I was taking photographs dressed as I was. I explained as best I could that I meant no harm, was not interested in her or her activities and hoped she would be too out of it to mind. However spying the Co op bag I was carrying containing my lunch for later, (food at the event was not to my taste) she asked if I had any food. So I arrived at that F... it moment........and gave her my sandwich. From the look of her she needed it far more than I did, and she duly disappeared and left me to it.
Bradford 14 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Bradford 15 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Bradford 16 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Junkie Des res
Bradford 17 by Infraredd, on Flickr
Scuttled back to the Festival and tried taking some band shots.
I used to be good at taking pictures of live bands but using a converted I/R camera is a nightmare.
The focus is out and artificial light does weird things in the camera
Future Trail by Infraredd, on Flickr
Full set here http://www.flickr.com/photos/infraredd/sets/72157635258569765/
Today's lesson - Inner city dereliction has unexpected confrontational possibilities I think I would be well advised to avoid on my own!
Thanks for looking
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