Thanks to the arrival of smartphones, urban exploration – finding ways to get into abandoned buildings, ruins, rooftops and tunnels to capture unique pictures – is more popular than ever.
This over 20-year-old activity has certainly been transformed and become tons more accessible, now that you can shoot and share brilliant quality images instantaneously.
Adventures in your own backyard
Danish photographer Kenneth Nguyen loves the rush of it all. He bikes around his city, Copenhagen, venturing into places most people would never even imagine going to, let alone try to enter. “It’s an amazing adventure you find in your own backyard. It’s free, too,” he says. “With my photos I want to show people another way to look at Copenhagen, one you don’t find in guidebooks.”
For the next month, Kenneth will be carrying with him the best smartphone there is for an urban explorer, the Nokia Lumia 925. He’ll be taking it to the pipe tunnels below the old Carlsberg Breweries, to the towers of the famous Tivoli Gardens, and to loads of places he doesn’t even know himself about yet. Next week, he tells us, he’ll be visiting Iceland, too.
Kenneth is one of the most talked about young photographers in Denmark, and an experienced urban explorer. We asked him to share with us five things he loves about his Nokia Lumia 925.
1. It’s unbeatable in low light
“A lot of urban exploration happens in the dark, and that’s why the Nokia Lumia 925 beats everything I’ve used before. The images taken in low light are very sharp, while the daytime ones are just super sharp.”
2. It needs no bulky add-ons
“Thanks to optical stabilisation, you don’t have to carry any extra equipment like a tripod.”
3. It’s featherweight at 139g grams
“The 925 itself is very light, ideal to take with you anywhere.”
4. It lets you seize the moment
“I love the autofocus and lighting, it’s perfect for spontaneous photography. Rather than having to go to settings first, you just see something, grab your 925 and shoot.”
5. It’s got a flair for sharing
“There’s no need to edit your photos, so you can share them instantaneously.”
To see the results of Kenneth Nguyen’s experience with the Nokia Lumia 925, stay tuned to his blog and Twitter. We’re glad he’s enjoying the ride so far and well impressed with the photos, too.
So, are you ready to take your Nokia Lumia 925 on an urban exploration tour? If so, take care and stay safe, as Kenneth wants to remind any wannabe explorers. “Remember,” he says, “if a place looks like a wreck, that doesn’t mean it’s not interesting. Play with light, and try not think of your phone as a cameraphone, but as the proper camera that it is.”
Particularly true, if you have a smartphone like the Nokia Lumia 925 in your pocket! We hope you and Kenneth both have a blast on your adventures in urban decay. And, don’t forget to let us know how you go in the comments below.