UNINHABITED 2019 - 2024
“Uninhabited” is an ongoing project which will take around four years to complete, due to the slowing down of the world with the global pandemic.
In this series, I take you to some of our planet’s best ghost towns, villages, and cities – the making of this series and the work is also shown via a behind-the-scenes video on my youtube channel. It is also a larger-than-usual series, due to the fact I visited a large number of locations.
– Exclusive Limited Editions of just 10 per format/size for this series only – priced slightly higher with prices starting from £239 for an 84cm sized piece. This is due to limited exclusivity.
From Left to Right | Kolmanskop
A beautiful house with a broken open door, which has since been filled with sand in Kolmanskop, a Germany built diamond mining town in the desert.
Bang The Drum | Kolmanskop
Brightly colored wallpaper peeling off the walls, dilapidated houses now inundated in rolling banks of sand and outhouses left to decay.
A Blanket Of Sand | Kolmanskop
One evening in 1908, a Namibian railway worker named Zacherias Lewala was shovelling the railroad tracks clear of the creeping sand dunes when he saw something shining in the low light. Lewala’s German employer identified them for what they were: diamonds. Lewala was not paid or rewarded for his find.
Part Submerged | Kolmanskop
Soon, hordes of prospectors descended on the area. By 1912, a town had sprung up, producing a million carats a year, or 11.7 percent of the world’s total diamond production. This is one of the former workers houses that is now hidden at the back of the town, with some homes nearby inaccessible.
Aztec | Kolmanskop
Wealthy Kolmanskop became a well of luxury in the barren desert. There was a butcher, a baker, a post office, and an ice factory; fresh water was brought by rail to the area from a nearby underground well.
Teal Tones | kolmanskop
People were becoming rich overnight simply picking diamonds off the desert floor, but German authorities wanted greater control over the incredible riches. They cracked down, declaring a vast area of Namibia a Sperrgebiet, or restricted zone.
Ever Shifting | kolmanskop
This series was shot ready for release as a one off set. The official release is due to take place in Holland with an exhibition in late 2020.
Orange & Lime | Kolmanskop
Another portrait orientation image, this time in a side building which is difficult to access.
Open Door Policy | Kolmanskop
Today, as many as 35,000 tourists visit the site every year, bringing money to the nearby coastal town of Lüderitz. There are three possible permits you can buy which allow access to the town.
Softly Lit | Kolmanskop
By 1956, Kolmanskop was completely abandoned. The dunes that once rolled over the railway tracks now burst through the ghost town’s doors and in through the windows of houses, filling its rooms with banks of sand.
Ajar | Kolmanskop
Same room as the shot "The Magician", however a unique angle and with the morning glow of the sunrise back-lighting the scene.
Three's A Crowd | Kolmanskop
We visited over the course of four mornings with the last simple done do record a youtube video - which can be seen on my channel.
Diamond In The Sand | Kolmanskop
This set was shot ready for release as a one off release. Officially due to take place in Holland with an exhibition in late 2020.
The Watchman | Elizabeth Bay
Elizabeth Bay is another mining town in southern coast of Namibia, 25 km south of Lüderitz. It was formerly another site for diamonds and is now a ruin.
EUROPE
Home to many ghost towns
Shapes & Patterns | Kayaköy
A few independent tourists make their way to Kayakoy, a ghost town just 5km ish west of the tattoo parlours, British pubs and dance clubs of Hisaronu, a raucous tourist resort on Turkey’s southwest coast. More can be seen in my blog post and youtube video on the subject.
Lost All Hope | Pripyat in Ukraine
Hospital 126 in the lost city of Pripyat. Made famous recently during the HBO series, Chernobyl. It was on the 26th of april 1986 the biggest nuclear disaster in human history took place. After an experimental shutdown, reactor #4. of The Chernobyl nuclear power station went into a meltdown.
The Fallout | Pripyat in Ukraine
An area of 30 square km was evacuated after several days as the then Soviet Government tried to conceal the worst of what had happen. But reality was due to kick in, and days later the residents of Pripyat were evacuated. These people would never return.
Soviet Views | Pripyat in Ukraine
Both 29 & 31 years after these events I had the chance to visit the Chernobyl region, the military area called Duga and the abandoned town of Pripyat. Things are due to change in the zone in the coming years that is for sure - as the town was declared an official tourist attraction in 2019.
Popping Out | Pripyat in Ukraine
Inside the Palace of Culture are a few of the best shot examples left in the city. Receiving less footfall over the years due to the ban of one day tours from entering the building the state of disrepair is not as bad as other buildings of importance.
The Gymnasium | Pripyat in Ukraine
About 10 kilometers south of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant there was a top-secret area, Chernobyl-2, also called Duga. It was one of the three Soviet Union's ‘over the horizon’ early detection systems to detect threats against attacks.
THE MIDDLE EAST
Forgotten gems
Sand Filled | Al Madam (UAE)
The stunning little ghost town, is made of 2 rows of houses and it has a mosque at the far end of the village, which looks cool buried in the very orange sand. All of the houses here have now succumbed to the ever shifting sands. The decade long abandoned village, is situated in the middle of the Sharjah desert.
The Mosque | Al Madam (UAE)
Built as late as the 1970’s or 1980’s, people left very quickly. After it was discovered that the climate is harsh. The sand here is really inhospitable. The main residents of the former town were part of the Al Kutbi tribe. I took a few hours to explore the town, photograph it and then produce a video for my youtube channel.
Orange Glow | Al Madam (UAE)
The highlight for me here was the drone shot that I took of the mosque, such a unique photograph. I can see why so many people have taken this shot, I first remember seeing it sometime around 2015. But, there is other images to be had town-wide.
Green Flakes | Al Jazirah Al Hamra
Situated in Ras Al Khaimah in the North of the UAE in the Middle East, Jazirat Al Hamra literally means “The Red Island”. The once flourishing town, was known for pearl diving. These days the ghost town consists of ruins and muddy narrow roads as it has been abandoned since the 1930’s.
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Other Projects
Neglected
My second abandoned architecture series, shot in locations much further spread across Europe, from Poland and France to Italy and of course the UK.
Domum Dei
In this series entitled "domum dei", I take a look at just a small handful of the forgotten and derelict churches, chapels and religious buildings.
Scorned
In this 2017 series I looked at ornate abandoned architecture across Europe specifically palaces, ballrooms or halls in the UK, Portugal and Romania.
Lebanon; A Paradise Lost
Lebanon and Beirut’s architecture in particular, was heavily influenced by Paris and there are still amazing examples of this.
Concealed
Concealed represents my movements throughout 2018 through to 2020, looking behind closed doors in search of hidden architecture.
Falling
At first glance, these heritage homes may seem alike, but if you look closer you can discern their individual personalities and unique traits. I found each architecture example unique, also varying in colour palates from bright teals and clean whites to soft orange and yellow hues. These homes were colourful, fascinating, and historic.