Urban Desolation

This photograph is part of a study I’ve been developing on marginal architecture—spaces neglected by urban development yet still clinging to presence. The building isn’t ruined in a picturesque way. It’s just exhausted. Scarred concrete, flaking plaster, and rusted grates stand as accidental testimonies of permanence beyond usefulness.

I composed the frame to draw the viewer’s eye along the length of the structure, ending with the blurred outlines of new buildings in the background. The juxtaposition isn’t subtle—it wasn’t meant to be. These walls hold layers of past usage, from the makeshift repairs to the graffiti tags now fading like old memories.

Technically, the photo rides a fine line between documentary and aesthetic indulgence. Shot in black and white, it avoids the distraction of colour to focus on texture and decay. The exposure leans slightly toward overcast neutrality—no dramatic shadows, just flat realism, which I felt was the only honest way to portray this scene.

Sharpness is consistent throughout the depth of field, which helps anchor the disarray of the subject. I was careful with tonal range; shadows are intact, highlights not blown out, and midtones bring out the peeling surfaces in crisp detail.

This isn’t about nostalgia or romanticising abandonment. It’s an observation on how cities forget some of their own bones while constructing their shiny new skin.