Nature reclaiming
Me and an equally stupid friend visited RAF Church Fenton, a collection of derelict buildings near York.
The tomb at Harewood got me interested in abandoned places that soon will be recaptured by nature. The RAF barracks was huge so I got plenty of photos but the aspect of nature wasn't as dramatic as I'd hoped. It's only been a few years and the growth was impressive but maybe my jump from the original subject of trees was a bit of stretch.
I was surprised at how unnerving it was to enter the buildings alone. My friend was running late so I had a quick look on my own. Straight away my senses were heightened and I was very on edge. The fact it's an abandoned place perhaps gives it a no mans land feel and it felt like a set from The Walking Dead.
There were signs of the outside trees slowly suffocating the building and even breaking through windows.
My friend turned up and we explored the rest of the base after it got dark. It was fun to do but not sure I'd be brave or stupid enough to do it alone as some of the floors were unstable.
The temptation to capture the more spooky aspects of the abandoned environment took over my search for a narrative and I struggled to find a meaningful link with nature that I wanted. I thought the project could focus on the emotions I was feeling while exploring. Feelings that you don't experience as often in day to day life..fear, tension, fight or flight, thrill seeking, high alert.
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