ADVERTISEMENT

I discovered urban exploration at the end of years 2000 through rooftops, subways, and the city's unofficial catacombs. At that time, I found another subject for interesting photos: documenting the unseen side of the city. Climbing roofs to see the city from the top, going at night in subway tunnels or spend whole days underground in the catacombs exploring the tens of kilometers of galleries looking for beautifully carved rooms: I found a thrill in that activity, the adrenaline that I have been looking for in everything I do in my life.

Roaming in abandoned places looking for graffiti, I came to realize the intensity of the atmospheres and the beauty of the spectacle of time passaging: rust, decaying and peeling painted wall, broken windows, natural forces taking back to create unbelievable sceneries that were stunningly photogenic. For me, all that urban decay appeared as infinite poetry.

More info: Facebook | Instagram | Instagram | jonk-photography.com

Today, five years after, I have visited more than seven hundred of these beautiful places in more than thirty countries on four continents.

With time, my interest has concentrated on what appeared to me to be the strongest, the most original element in this vast subject of abandonment: mother nature taking back its habitat. It is poetic, even magic, to see nature retaking what used to be hers, reintegrating through broken windows, cracks on the walls, spaces built by Man and then neglected, until sometimes guzzling them entirely.

#3

I Travel The World To Capture Amazing Pictures Of Nature Taking Back Abandoned Places

Jonk Photography Report

Add photo comments
POST
sharronlparsons avatar
sharron lynn parsons
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is very interesting for sure, what seems to be statues in the back were left behind, not nice.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#4

I Travel The World To Capture Amazing Pictures Of Nature Taking Back Abandoned Places

Jonk Photography Report

Add photo comments
POST
leannemariedantoni avatar
Agnes Jekyll
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Woah. This looks like a relatively recently built house (restaurant? hotel?)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
#15

I Travel The World To Capture Amazing Pictures Of Nature Taking Back Abandoned Places

Jonk Photography Report

Add photo comments
POST
leannemariedantoni avatar
Agnes Jekyll
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

nature knocking at the door and trying to get in. Looks like a great place to shoot a film

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#16

I Travel The World To Capture Amazing Pictures Of Nature Taking Back Abandoned Places

Jonk Photography Report

Add photo comments
POST
totengruft avatar
Alexandru Bucur
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Heh. My first thought when I saw this picture was "Hmm, this looks like a Hungarian State Railways (MÁV) class 301"... And sure enough, it actually says on her "301,006" and Google pretty much confirmed my hunch that this picture was taken in Istvántelek railway repair shop, Budapest...

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#23

I Travel The World To Capture Amazing Pictures Of Nature Taking Back Abandoned Places

Jonk Photography Report

Add photo comments
POST
#26

I Travel The World To Capture Amazing Pictures Of Nature Taking Back Abandoned Places

Jonk Photography Report

Add photo comments
POST
bryanr_rickena avatar
Bryan Richhart
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Amazing, the 2 floors above that piece of machinery fell and it is still there like nothing happened!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#29

I Travel The World To Capture Amazing Pictures Of Nature Taking Back Abandoned Places

Jonk Photography Report

Add photo comments
POST
debbiebarnes66 avatar
Debbie Barnes
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Whenever I see buildings like this, I just look at the potential of turning them into homes. The building looks structurally sound, so it's a shame it's just been abandoned.

#30

I Travel The World To Capture Amazing Pictures Of Nature Taking Back Abandoned Places

Jonk Photography Report

Note: this post originally had 70 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.