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third-culture-blog · 10 years ago

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Sigma Ruins I

Film: Fujifilm Velvia 100

Camera: Fujifilm Klasse W

If you've been following my photos for a while you'll know that I love Urban Exploration/Urbex/Ruins or whatever you want to call it. I recently saw this massive factory complex getting torn down on the train a couple weeks ago and was really excited to check it out. I waited until the following Sunday to shoot it though, knowing that demolition workers would be on their day off. I didn't see any security around so hopped the fence and ventured in..

It was a huge area that once held various factories that belonged to Australia's main pharmaceutical drug wholesaler, 'Sigma Pharmaceuticals'. I did a quick google search on the site and found that the site was bought up by 'Cedar Wood Properties' and they are planning to redevelop the site into a residential zone which will hold around 250 apartments/town houses. It's pretty cool having these kinds of photos of the area, pre housing zone, as these factories will most likely be forgotten or not even known about by the people living there years from now.

Once inside the complex it felt like I was in some eerie post-apocalyptic wasteland...it was crazy. Everything was half torn down, burnt out and in piles of rubble yet there was hardly any graffiti besides what looked like some teenage kids doodles in a couple rooms. There was about 6 buildings, 2 of which were probably the main factory areas and were HUGE. Every room in these main two factories was gutted, wires hanging from the ceilings and no windows or doors. There was also huge holes in the brick walls between rooms. The other buildings consisted of a burnt out pharmacy/office space, some kind of cafeteria looking building, and others that were gutted to the point where I could only speculate what they once were.

I really regret that I didn't bring my Ricoh GR because I only had about 20 shots remaining in my roll of film loaded in my Klasse W! Everywhere I looked was awesome photos but I had to only take what was necessary to conserve film. I walked around for around an hour and still felt like I hadn't covered the area properly. I would love to go back but it's probably been totally demolished by now. The shots came out slightly over exposed, but these were the best of the lot.

Also, after some feedback from a friend I've decided to start putting the audio tracks on each post at the beginning rather then after the photos. I'm not sure if anyone actually ever listens to the songs I post but it's cool, it's more for myself anyway hah!

#Melbourne Urbex #Melbourne Ruins #Urbex #Urban Exploration #Urban Exploration Melbourne #Australian Urbex #australian street photography #Sigma Pharmaceuticals #Sigma Clayton #Sigma Factory #Cedar Woods Properties #Cedar Woods Properties Clayton #Clayton #Clayton Melbourne #Melbourne #Fuck Big Pharma

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third-culture-blog · 10 years ago

Text

Sigma Ruins I

Film: Fujifilm Velvia 100

Camera: Fujifilm Klasse W

If you've been following my photos for a while you'll know that I love Urban Exploration/Urbex/Ruins or whatever you want to call it. I recently saw this massive factory complex getting torn down on the train a couple weeks ago and was really excited to check it out. I waited until the following Sunday to shoot it though, knowing that demolition workers would be on their day off. I didn't see any security around so hopped the fence and ventured in..

It was a huge area that once held various factories that belonged to Australia's main pharmaceutical drug wholesaler, 'Sigma Pharmaceuticals'. I did a quick google search on the site and found that the site was bought up by 'Cedar Wood Properties' and they are planning to redevelop the site into a residential zone which will hold around 250 apartments/town houses. It's pretty cool having these kinds of photos of the area, pre housing zone, as these factories will most likely be forgotten or not even known about by the people living there years from now.

Once inside the complex it felt like I was in some eerie post-apocalyptic wasteland...it was crazy. Everything was half torn down, burnt out and in piles of rubble yet there was hardly any graffiti besides what looked like some teenage kids doodles in a couple rooms. There was about 6 buildings, 2 of which were probably the main factory areas and were HUGE. Every room in these main two factories was gutted, wires hanging from the ceilings and no windows or doors. There was also huge holes in the brick walls between rooms. The other buildings consisted of a burnt out pharmacy/office space, some kind of cafeteria looking building, and others that were gutted to the point where I could only speculate what they once were.

I really regret that I didn't bring my Ricoh GR because I only had about 20 shots remaining in my roll of film loaded in my Klasse W! Everywhere I looked was awesome photos but I had to only take what was necessary to conserve film. I walked around for around an hour and still felt like I hadn't covered the area properly. I would love to go back but it's probably been totally demolished by now. The shots came out slightly over exposed, but these were the best of the lot.

Also, after some feedback from a friend I've decided to start putting the audio tracks on each post at the beginning rather then after the photos. I'm not sure if anyone actually ever listens to the songs I post but it's cool, it's more for myself anyway hah!

#Melbourne Urbex #Melbourne Ruins #Urbex #Urban Exploration #Urban Exploration Melbourne #Australian Urbex #australian street photography #Sigma Pharmaceuticals #Sigma Clayton #Sigma Factory #Cedar Woods Properties #Cedar Woods Properties Clayton #Clayton #Clayton Melbourne #Melbourne #Fuck Big Pharma

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third-culture-blog · 10 years ago

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Christ Conscious

Film: Fujifilm Velvia 100 & Kodak Ektar 100

Camera: Fujifilm Klasse W

Some random flicks from Tokyo & Melbourne from the past month. I called the post Christ Concious because the first photo (and second to a degree) remind me of the end scene from Joey Bada$$'s video for 'Christ Concious'. The guy in the photo looks like he's getting beamed up.. Or it could just be a lens flare..

#35mm film #35mm #FUJIFILM KLASSE W #Fujifilm Velvia 100 #Fujifilm #Fuji Klasse W #Kodak Ektar #Tokyo Street Photography #JBS Tokyo #Joey Bada$$#Joey Badass #Christ Concious #Invader Neko #Invader #Northern Tattoo #melbourne street photography #thirdculture photography #thirdculture

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third-culture-blog · 10 years ago

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Kabukicho with the GR

Camera: Ricoh GRV

Continuing on the late night creep...I took my Ricoh GR for a mission around Kabukicho, Tokyo's infamous red light district and naturally the epicenter of Tokyo's 'undesirable' population.

Historically the area was known as Tsunohazu and was originally a swamp but after WWII, it got bombed and out of the ashes a new city emerged. There was plans for a Kabuki (traditional Japanese dance/drama play) theater to be built in the area, although it never happened, the name Kabukicho stuck. Over the years it developed into the red light district it is today and is home to thousands of bars, clubs, strip clubs, illegal brothels, massage parlours, love hotels etc. It's estimated that Kabukicho holds the largest Yakuza concentration as well and it's pretty obvious even just walking around..that they are everywhere and running the show down there. It is also considered home to Tokyo's unofficial Korea Town, although technically Shin-Okubo (right next door) is the official Korea Town.

Walking through Kabukicho on any day of the week in the PM, is an interesting side of Tokyo that many people don't see or want to see. There are countless drunk youth, drunk salary men, homeless people everywhere. People hustling you on every corner to either come to their establishments, buy drugs or check out their girls. The later it gets the more uninhibited it gets.

During the two times I ventured through to get some shots, I saw yakuza fighting, people getting arrested and drug deals go down. It actually proved pretty hard to shoot photos as mostly everyone is suspicious and doing illegal shit. It doesn't help that I stand out being a young foreigner.

That's why I chose to bring out the GR, my favorite undercover street photography camera. It is essentially silent...all black and you can turn off the LCD screen and all lights so its perfect for street. I held it by my side and whenever I saw something I wanted to shoot (and wouldn't prove too risky..like shooting the fighting Yakuza) I would just fire it off and point it up in the direction of the shot. Worked out not too bad.

Next time I'm back I'm definitely gonna venture back into Kabukicho. It's such a crazy place...I love it.

Note to the photography nerds...Kabukicho and the surrounding area of Shinjuku is Daido Moriyama's (Famous Japanese street photographer) favorite place to shoot in Tokyo and he famously uses a Ricoh GR (film) to shoot most of his photos. So it felt like a bit of nod to the man to be shooting with a Ricoh in his stomping grounds! Check out the video below of him in action if you haven't seen it, it's an insight into the mind of an amazing photographer..

While I was in Tokyo my homie Louis Mitchell was there too and shot a video of the famous artist Shohei Otomo (son of Katsuhiro Otomo, creator of my favorite manga and anime, 'Akira') and Shohei talks about the underbelly of Tokyo's society...which fits pretty well with this post. Plus it's just a really cool video and I gotta give Louis props. Check out his Tumblr for some great street photography, and his Vimeo for other epic videos (Expired 16mm Kodak Aerochrome III Infrared Film!)

www.louis-mitchell.tumblr.com

www.vimeo.com/louismitchell

#RicohGRD #RicohGRV #Ricoh #RicohGRStreet #RicohGR #Shinjuku #Kabukicho #Kabukicho Street Photography #Tokyo #Tokyo Street Photography #Grimey Tokyo #Grimy Tokyo #Daido Moriyama #Shohei Otomo #Katsuhiro Otomo #Akira #Yakuza

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