Samara Blue - My Way Of Art

One warm summer weekend, the three of us spontaneously decided to head out on a Lost Place adventure. Our destination was this unassuming apartment building in Germany's nearby Eifel region. It had stood abandoned for decades, was hardly known and, remarkably, had not yet been vandalised. One of my colleagues planned to make her way through the extensive gardens to reach the back of the house and let us in through the front door from the inside. We didn't really want to know any more details than that... The moment the house came into view, a man suddenly sat down on a nearby wall. His dog seemed perfectly used to this and did... absolutely nothing. It simply lay there. Was this really such a good idea? After all, we only wanted to have a look. So we strolled through the beautiful little park first. The only odd thing was this man with his dog, who now walked towards us, giving us a long look from head to toe. To be fair, our sturdy hiking clothes probably didn't make us look like ordinary park visitors. Maybe we'd better observe the situation a little longer and look for a parking space closer to the house. So... back to the car. Our instincts were quite clear. "No... this doesn't feel right." "Let's leave and find another place to park." After dropping off our local expert at the right fence, the two of us took another relaxed walk through the park. I happily photographed its peaceful atmosphere while my partner kept an eye on the mysterious man with the dog, who didn't seem to know exactly where he wanted to go either. Everything felt perfectly relaxed. For the moment... ________________________________________ For a short while we split up so we wouldn't lose sight of him. When we met again, a postman suddenly stopped beside us. What were we doing here? He'd already seen some "photo people" around earlier that day. So I casually showed him the latest pictures on my camera. Naturally, the ones I had just taken in the park. Apparently he liked them, because within moments he enthusiastically started telling us stories about the area. About local history, groundwater levels, the people who lived there... and all those things you never really expected to learn. ________________________________________ As we passed the house once again, the front door suddenly opened. Our colleague had obviously managed to fight her way through the undergrowth and was now letting us in from inside. So, against my better judgement, and completely innocent of course, I entered the house. I do enjoy these little human encounters... By now our attentive citizen seemed to have disappeared, so I cautiously began my first, still fairly relaxed, tour. ________________________________________ While we were quietly taking in the atmosphere, a message arrived from our third team member. "Our good citizen is standing on his balcony." Well... let him. It's his balcony after all. An almost surreal atmosphere of sunlight and drifting dust surrounded me. In the dim light, the charm of a traditional old German home slowly emerged from the shadows. I was captivated instantly. The place was untidy. But nothing had been vandalised. Nothing had been covered in graffiti. What could have caused its former residents to leave so suddenly? ________________________________________ Our third man remained outside. We tried to take as many photographs as possible. But first things first. Where exactly was the escape route? Ah... The bathroom. With a step ladder. Apparently another ladder was waiting outside. Well... that sounded like a plan. Still, it was a shame to have to work under pressure. ________________________________________ Where should I even begin? Very little time. Very little experience. No chance to change lenses. Poor light. Pretty much a typical working day for an urban explorer. ________________________________________ After several rather hectic attempts, I suddenly discovered them. Old family photographs. Black and white. Smiling faces. Precious memories. Exactly the things that inspire me. Don't think. Raise the camera. Press the shutter. Then quickly on towards the staircase. There were supposed to be several more floors. Who knew what treasures might still be waiting for us? ________________________________________ It's a pity I wasn't much better at photographing in low light back then. Take a deep breath. Start again. Maybe the flash will help. It does. Unfortunately, flashes can also be seen from outside through half closed blinds... ________________________________________ Once more my eyes wandered across the ground floor. Reluctantly, I tore myself away. ________________________________________ But we still wanted to explore at least one more floor... ________________________________________ One last look back towards the front door. Bathed in the evening sun, everything suddenly seemed strangely peaceful. ________________________________________ Then our colleague came running from the back of the house. She hurriedly gathered her equipment. "Someone's at the front door. They want to come in. They expect us to open it." Needless to say... "Maybe we should have..." 😉 Oops... Where exactly was that escape route again? As so often in situations like this, first impressions can be wonderfully misleading. ________________________________________ Backpack on. Camera around my neck. My monopod dragging somewhere behind me. No mercy for the equipment. After all, my last relay race at school had been quite a few years earlier. Window open. A little small... ...but manageable. Now where on earth was that promised ladder? Oh... About one metre away from the window. Not happening. Quick glance down. About two metres. That'll be faster. So I probably fell out of the window more than I jumped. No. Thorn bushes have never bothered me very much. ________________________________________ Only our colleague knew the exact way back. From somewhere behind me she loudly directed me through the overgrown back gardens. Maybe just a little faster... It's amazing how large and labyrinthine these hidden gardens can be in the middle of a town. A brief stop. The camera has to go into the backpack. The old Nikon certainly isn't to blame. Quick check. Everything's there. Nothing broken. Nobody following us. Just a few more steps. The final fence. I somehow manage that one too... ...although with rather shaky knees. ________________________________________ Well... what can I say? It was pretty cool. 😄