URBEX

ur ban expl orati on

Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but foot-
prints - Urban Explorers codex.
Exploring bunkers, tunnels, catacombs, old factories and
ghost-towns, Urban Explorers find beauty in decay.
Urban Explorer and photographer Jan Emil Christiansen
shoots abandoned locations, and models in Urbex environ-
ments.
This book shows 67 of his photographs, all of them tied
to one-liners, stories and lyrics by Maja Vind & Umpff.
locations : abandoned dolls : high-class girls : nude models : horror
URBEX.ABANDON.DK
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URBEX.ABANDON.DK
urban exploration nude art hidden abandoned structures old factories decay urban ruins tun-
nels hidden places the city derelict nude models tripod ghost-town catacombs horror aban-
doned flash-lights chernobyl natures takes back abandoned dolls adventure exploring rusty
industrial decay beauty heritage access secret examination unseen creepy high-class girls
hauntingly beautiful trespassing photography low-light take nothing but pictures leave
nothing but footprints bumper-car model environment naked fences locations forgotten
plants urban exploration nude art hidden abandoned structures old factories decay urban
ruins tunnels hidden places the city derelict nude models tripod ghost-town catacombs horror
abandoned flash-lights chernobyl natures takes back abandoned dolls adventure exploring
rusty industrial decay beauty heritage access secret examination unseen creepy high-class
girls hauntingly beautiful trespassing photography low-light take nothing but pictu-
res leave nothing but footprints bumper-car model environment naked fences locati-
ons forgotten plants urban exploration nude art hidden abandoned structures old factories
decay urban ruins tunnels hidden places the city derelict nude models tripod ghost-town ca-
tacombs horror abandoned flash-lights chernobyl natures takes back abandoned dolls adven-
ture exploring rusty industrial decay beauty heritage access secret examination unseen creepy
high-class girls hauntingly beautiful trespassing photography low-light take nothing
but pictures leave nothing but footprints bumper-car model environment naked fences
locations forgotten plants urban exploration nude art hidden abandoned structures old
factories decay urban ruins tunnels hidden places the city derelict nude models tripod
ghost-town catacombs horror abandoned flash-lights chernobyl natures takes back abandoned
dolls adventure exploring rusty industrial decay beauty heritage access secret examination
unseen creepy high-class girls hauntingly beautiful locations trespassing photography
take nothing but pictures leave nothing but footprints bumper-car UrBex
URBEX
photos by Jan Emil Christiansen
words by Maja Vind & Umpff
urban exploration
locations
abandoned dolls
high-class girls
horror
nude models
Settled dust littering the factory floor and the abandoned desks
placed haphazardly around one side of the hall, clearly in disuse,
is a solemn remnant of past industry.
The large mechanical apparatures standing in the other side of the
hall are covered in rust, and cobwebs are woven between them, a
testament to the decline of the building.
Wrought-iron beams loom overhead, the dilapidated state of the
huge open hall making them seem perilously close to falling, gi-
ving the scene even more of an atmosphere of complete disrepair
and dangerous decay.
The dim orange light of a setting sun makes bits of glass on the
floor shimmer, and moist spots reveal the cracks in the skylight
they came from.
Background-noise filters in through a few broken windows sounds
of trucks, industrial-grade cranes, the grinding of steel meet-
ing steel and a few coarsely bellowed instructions all in stark
contrast to the bleak, run-down production-floor, breaking the il-
lusion of post-apocalyptic neglect and disrepair.
The only sound from inside the hall is muffled staccato-clicking
from the camera capturing the gritty, gloomy scene and the whir-
ring lens zip in and out to find the perfect balance between the
desolate background and vibrant centerpiece.
A sudden shifting of the feet causes the model in front of the ca-
mera to break the relative silence as she unwittingly kicks a bolt
a few feet, hitting the iron-plated side of a desk.
The sound momentarily reverberates through the whole room, and she
apologetically bites her lip, throwing me a sheepish look.
Her lithe form twist and bend, angling to mimic the rigid design
of the disused facility while showing off her fabulous figure.
URBEX
- Urban Exploration, locations, abandoned dolls,
high-class girls, horror, nude models
Copyright 2011 by
Jan Emil Christiansen (photos)
Maja Vind (words)
Umpff (words)
Art-work & graphic design by Maja Vind & Umpff
Preface by Patrick Rattleff
Photo-editing by Ursula Damgaard
ISBN:
First edition, first printing, 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any matter
whatsoever without written permission from the copyright-holders, except
in the case of brief extracts embodied in critical articles and reviews.
PREFACE
eight
Long, dark hair caress her neck, shoulders and breasts, leaving
something to the imagination while still being unmistakably erotic
and sensual.
A carefully placed hand shield her womanhood, keeping vulgarity
at bay. This is art, his art, and the blending of the vivacious,
fragile, alluring young lady against the harsh, barren backdrop of
the once-busy hall is the perfect motif.
As the sun sets and darkness is about to bring the secretive shoot
to a conclusion, the model walks off to the side to get redres-
sed, and the photographer sets down the camera on a tripod, makes
adjustments with meticulous care, and presses a button before jog-
ging off to lean against a large, defunct device in front of the
camera.
As the Canon 50D shutter closes a final time, the photographer
marvels at the scene in the twillight, and is unable to suppress
a broad smile.
His name is Jan Emil, and hes behind the camera on this type of
shoot as often as he possibly can; this marvellous foray into a
seldom-seen branch of photography marks him as part of a stealthy,
roguish, curious subculture - Urban Exploration, or Urbex.
His passion and calling, a raison dtre for the young profes-
sional. The thrill of discovering scenes and places few will ever
see and fewer still appreciate for their unconventional beauty
and mood - that is what these pictures are all about. Letting him
capture a scene in a unique, untouched environment, digitally pre-
serving it from further ravages of time while adding to the scene
in a significant, artistic and tasteful way.
Patrick Rattleff, 2011
LOCATIONS
The plants are taking back the paved areas.
The water is taking back the iron.
The air is freed from smog.
The amusement park can soon be called nature again.
twelve
The boys parents had divorced. He had moved to another
town with his mother, but even after a year he didnt
feel at ease there. He missed his school and the rest
of the family. He missed the tree in the backyard and
he missed building soapbox cars with his brother. He
hadnt seen his brother for a while, but he had called
on the boys birthday and had promised to take him to
the new amusement park in April when they opened.
I wanna try the bumper cars, can we do that? Sure,
but you gotta promise me to be careful then. No stick-
ing your hands out, okay? Promise? They went there on
a sunny Saturday. It had become late April, and the
boy had been anxiously impatient the entire month. The
park was crowded with energetic people, still enjoy-
ing the newfound daylight and warmth. The queue is
too long, itll take hours for us to get in there. Do
you wanna try something else before we try the bumper
cars? Maybe therell be fewer people later. I dont
wanna wait, I wanna ride the cars. Cant we just stand
in line and maybe it wont take that long?
His brother didnt feel like it. To stand there in the
sun, getting all baked and sweaty and pushed around by
the other visitors.. He really didnt feel like it.
Hmm.. Okay, but Im sure itll take longer than you
imagine. Its okay. But can we ride a car together?
Sure. They waited. The sun really was baking but the
boy just kept a smile on his face. His brother wasnt
quite as patient, but seeing his kid brother so happy
was worth it. They waited..
fourteen
Old heap of rusty metal.
Youre old and cold and slow.
Your beauty has decayed, overpassed by time.
Your services are no longer needed.
Now youre nothing but a photograph in a book.
sixteen
Billy loved his car.
All the things he had to do, for himself, Patty and
their unborn child. Billy had sworn that his family
should have all he hadnt had, growing up with a mother
who didnt care and a father who went for cigarettes
and never came back.
Three decades later the car is a play-house for Patty
and Billys grandchildren.
eighteen
Im a hell-rider
A high-heeled pedal-master on a bike
Clad all in rubber with a frosting of gold
On my bike
I ride into the sky
Golden rubber in a glimpse of an eye
No need to worry, no need to frown
Im always back in my place before dawn
twenty
Once we played good cop/bad cop.
You tied me up, rolled up your sleeves and shouted in
my face, it was ever so nice.
Then you morphed into the good cop, though your actions
wouldnt have been legal if it was real life.
I really enjoyed our play-time.
twenty-two
You make me dizzy Copenhagen
the way you try to grow
You make me dizzy Copenhagen
your standards are so low
Come on Copenhagen
share some love before I go
Come on Copenhagen
give me something more
You make me dizzy Copenhagen
youre all flat on your back
you want to be a-rockin and a-rollin
but youre just strollin down someone elses path
twenty-four
We used to play here.
Me with my matchbox cars, you with your imaginary tea
& biscuits and guests gathered around a table that
wasnt there.
One day someone told me about cooties and nothing was
ever the same.
We never played here again, barely talked when bumping
into each other in the streets.
We were way too young and far too old.
twenty-six
Life is back. But no humans.
twenty-eight
He hated school, it was boring beyond belief.
Geography was worst of all, who cares if Denmark is the
capital of Stockholm?!
Chemistry was the only class he enjoyed.
As a matter of fact, he enjoyed it so much he decided
to stay after school one day and experiment with that
Big Bang theory.
thirty
Im gonna make it...
Just a few more feet and Im ready to jump.
Im gonna make it!
thirty-two
When I was a kid my dad was high up in the Kremlin.
We were the only family in the neighbourhood who owned
a car and a tv, and the only ones who were really fat
from eating all that food.
My best friends family werent as fat, so they went
looking for love in Siberia. Those were happy days.
thirty-four
ABANDONED DOLLS
He was walking around looking at shops. His day had
been hard and he longed for home. But he had to do
this. He didnt know exactly what he was looking
for.
When he saw it he knew it.
It was the eyes.
The eyes were just as blue as his daughters this
doll would be her birthday gift.
thirty-eight
Black and blue
Glamour in trash
Chaotic peacefulness
The dust and the water, the flaking paint
Childrens toys in dead places
playing the game of silence
Your eyes are shut
your smile is stiff
your body is cold
your mind is numb
Feelings are gone, love has vanished
You pray for absolution
for the doll you left behind
forty
Hey, Im over here!
Someone please help me down?!
forty-two
Is this better or worse than a headache?
At least theres no head to ache here.
forty-four
I pledge allegiance to...
Your foot on the monitor
your way too tight t-shirt
your stretched out arm ending in a clinched fist
your heartfelt chanting of Metal is king!
forty-six
A peaceful face in an awful place.
forty-eight
As a child she dreamt of becoming a hairdresser.
She wanted to fill peoples lives with glamour,
make them feel beautiful, like movie stars.
She wanted to be the star of her own shop, her own
place of creativity and style.
She would be in charge, yet still be the caring
friend of all her customers.
She would make them relax, feel at home.
She would listen to their thoughts and worries and
stories of last nights dinner.
ffty
But, we were just playing
ffty-two
I cant believe Emily forgot to bring me home for
the holidays. I feel neglected, scared, alone.
I feel sick.
ffty-four
HIGH-CLASS GIRLS
Wonder if my ass looks big in this dress?
I need a mirror.
How can there not be a mirror in this place?
ffty-eight
Hes always so busy. Work, work, work.
Business and meetings all the time.
Sure, the house is wonderful, the clothes, the
food. I love the parties. But this wasnt what I
dreamed of.
I wanted love AND luxury.
Guess Ill just hug myself..
sixty
She had to get out of there. Get some privacy. She
felt naked in his company, vulnerable, weak. It
didnt use to be like this. They used to respect
each other. He used to respect her. He used to
treat her like a woman, not a thing. Now she felt
like a piece of furniture, a part of the interior
and nothing more than that. She had to get out. Get
some air. But she still felt naked. She couldnt
go out, there would be people there and she would
still feel naked, vulnerable, weak. Ashamed of what
she had let herself become, to herself and to him.
She used to respect herself.
She had to get out of there.
sixty-two
Why is that kid so demanding?
He never wants to eat the food I make him..
What have we done wrong?
sixty-four
The sun burns my skin
as Im used to living within
these empty rooms
of decadence and skin trade
where boredom looms
A life
in a wooden-paneled coffin
is no fun
when all you need is loving
sixty-six
What is this?
Last thing I remember is being at home, in my
apartment, doing the dishes and waiting for Friends
to come on the telly.
And whats up with the camera?
sixty-eight
Her husband was on a business-trip. She had sent
the servants home for the weekend. For the first
time in years she was completely alone. The house
felt like an empty labyrinth, and she had the map
imprinted.
seventy
Cmere you .. you .. Ah, I cant think of anything
but chocolate right now.
seventy-two
Mmm, this carpet is so soft!
I want to be wrapped in it forever.
seventy-four
The realtor did talk about the beautiful light in
this room. But I never imagined it to be so ..
.. invigorating.
seventy-six
I love dancing. I love dancing alone
I feel elegant. I feel free
People can see me and I dont care
They can look all they want
Im fine just the way I am
I dance alone
seventy-eight
What is it about men like him?
Is it the clothes?
The dirt on their hands?
The sweat on his muscular body?
The thought of scrubbing his back, getting him
clean and ready.
Hes probably going home to a tiny apartment.
He could have all this. He could even have me.
eighty
HORROR
The wires that provide the modern world with so-
called necessities, the plastic which the girl
is wrapped in. The metal and ink, the army-like
haircut. The soft body of a beautiful woman.
eighty-four
She never was a big fan of pajamas parties.
eighty-six
The evening was going quite well, he thought. She
was kind, beautiful, funny. She enjoyed his stor-
ies and seemed earnestly interested in him.
They had been to a restaurant not exactly a fancy
one, but the food had been nice, the atmosphere
good, and the wine had done its job. After that,
they went to a bar. Just for a single beer she
said.
She liked him. For the first time since that
disastrous time with Mike, she was sincerely en-
joying a date.
They had both gotten rather tipsy, and when they
left the bar they just walked. Nowhere to in par-
ticular, none of them had thought about it. They
just walked and talked and enjoyed each others
company. They got to a deserted place. They didnt
know where they were but they didnt care.
If it hadnt been for that one small remark, they
probably wouldve met again. But she aint meeting
no one no more.
eighty-eight
You put your dead arm up
you put your dead arm down
up down up down
you rise up from the grave
you do a droolin-mummy-dance
and you turn around
thats what its all about
Uh-uh the droolin-mummy-dance
Uh-uh the droolin-mummy-dance
Uh-uh the droolin-mummy-dance
Gaze-wrap, arms stretch
Gargh! Gargh! Gargh!
ninety
Do you wish me to disfigure this dolls face?
Do you want me to rip off its head?
Do you want me to burn it and piss in the ashes?
Or would you like to come to a party with me and my
dolls?
Cups and cakes,
oh what good tea mommy makes.
ninety-two
Mmmm cherries...
Its always the season for a big bowl of cherries.
ninety-four
A good days work.
ninety-six
NUDE MODELS
Come on, couldnt he be just a little bit slower?!
So freaking indecisive.
I gotta get some food before the shops close.
Oh, and shampoo. I need that too.
Stand like this, tilt your head a bit no, to the
other side. Dance like a trained fucking monkey?!
This isnt worth it. Wonder if hell even pay me.
one hundred
zero
What a party!
Im quite alright, except for the sun in my face.
one hundred
two
Ready to attack.
one hundred
four
Imaginary strings on my wrists and a mask on my
face. Im a puppet to a photographer. Im dancing
in a deserted place. Postures and positions and
stilettos on concrete.
one hundred
six
What does that tag say? DiR Aah, thats a C.
one hundred
eight
They wont find me here. Im too clever for them
all. Check the fox behind my ear, its so sly you
could film it and call it Rocky.
one hundred
ten
Schyy, were playing hide and seek.
one hundred
twelve
What an idiot...
Why did he have to go and pick up cigarettes?
All signs pointed in the direction of the perfect
first date up until now.
one hundred
fourteen
Beer, beer, beeeeeer.
one hundred
sixteen
Found ya..!
one hundred
eighteen
Im steel, I can carry heavy weights.
Im flesh and blood, I can carry heavy thoughts.
In whatever position you choose for me to stand,
I will always remain human.
one hundred
twenty
Light! Air
No way out. Ive been running through these tun-
nels for how long? Cant remember. It feels like
months. I can hear traffic up there. It must be a
highway. But where? Someone! Anyone!! Please help
me out of here!! Help me! God.. How did I even get
here? I remember the motel, but.. Was someone else
in the room?
Why has this happened to me?!?
one hundred
twenty-two
Follow the pipes and feel the floor.
Listen to your footsteps in the water.
See the light and touch the darkness.
See what you find at the end of the corridor.
one hundred
twenty-four
Living the nightmare.
one hundred
twenty-six
He said four years, three more to go.
I wish hed write me letters, time passes so slow.
one hundred
twenty-eight
This modern Eve in this modern world, deserted,
dilapidated, alone, in a hidden house of peace and
loneliness. And she can stretch her arms and sway
her hips too.
one hundred
thirty
Am I a plant?
Your plant?
Or the last evidence of life in the big city?
I need sun and water.
one hundred
thirty-two
Flying.
Vrooooom.
one hundred
thirty-four
I hate spiders webs, even when the last spider is
long since dead.
The webs are like a thousand sticky hands reaching
out for me, for no reason but to touch.
Please wake me so I can wash my hair, it feels all
sticky and gross.
one hundred
thirty-six
Camera - check.
Passport - check.
Sunblocker - check.
Stamps for the postcards for my mum - check.
I love Urbex-shirt for my nephew - check.
I just cant escape the feeling that theres
something Ive forgotten...
one hundred
thirty-eight
I hadnt planned on being a runaway bride, but
things got a little out of hand at my hen party, and
I accidentally married the cab-driver as I had no
money to pay the fare, and I didnt feel like being
neither a prostitute nor a runaway.
Now I am a runaway, but at least Im no bigamist.
one hundred
forty
one hundred
forty-two
Jan Emil Christiansen
Urban Explorer, curious, photographer.
Internet programmer. Horror film-lover, daddy.
http://www.abandon.dk
Maja Vind
All-round artist, writer, graphic designer.
Student, debater. Nerd, music-addict, science-freak.
Umpff
Producer, remixer, musician, lyricist, librarian.
Webmaster, designer. Comic-freak, lover of words, daddy.
http://www.umpff.com
http://soundcloud.com/umpff
ABOUT EQUIPMENT
Because of the low-light conditions and dust from decaying, I use
the following equipment when shooting Urban Exploration photos;
Camera:
Canon 50D digital DSLR
fine ISO performance
2*SanDisk 16Gb
fast and reliable
Lenses:
Canon EF-S 10-22 f/3.5-4.5 USM
wide-angle is perfect for capturing the locations
Canon EF-S 60 f/2.8 Macro USM
macro for the small details
Sigma AF 30 f/1.4 EX DC ASP HSM CA
very nice for hand-held low-light photos and model photos
Tripod:
Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 Carbon tripod
light-weight and very stable
Flash light:
Maglite
allows me to adjust the beam
Most of my photos are shot with the camera on tripod. When using
long exposure I use the Maglite to light up the dark areas.
Jan Emil Christiansen, 2011
DONATE
We hope you enjoyed this book - if thats the case, please feel
free to donate any amount you find suitable at:
http://www.abandon.dk/donation
Your donation will help us to produce more books faster.
Thanks in advance!