A Photography Cruise

A week or so ago, I got a new lens for my Nikon D3100 and decided to go on a 'photography cruise' with a good friend of mine, Ben. We both hopped into our cars wired with 2 way radio's and found a old run down 7 story carpark building.

There was graffiti, which looked amazing, all the way through it. There were cars that had been left to rot which had broken windows, stolen tyre's and more rust than metal. The carpark was located to a very popular beach, believe it or not.

As we climbed up and up each level of the car park we eventually hit the top 7th floor, there was nothing there, no cars, no graffiti, all there was, was a door, which we only found because a rat ran over to it and climbed through a large kicked out portion of the old wooden door.                     

Ben, observing the kicked in door.

We decided that we should check to see what was inside the old emergency stair case, I mean, who wouldn't?

What we found?.. A mess, an absolute wreck, the walls were coated with graffiti, the room wreaked of fowl smelling odors which I dare not to imagine what could be producing them.

I looked down over the stair railing, a long 7 stories down you could see at the bottom lay emptied cans of beer, soft drink, energy drinks as well as a load of rubbish left over the years. However looking up the stairs, which I could only imagine would take you onto the roof of the building, as we were on the top level, there was a blue tarp hanging over the railing.

This seemed odd as who would of left that behind? Did someone camp out?..

I took some pictures, with each flash of my camera the dark, cold room lit up brightly illuminating every cob web, dead bug, mouse and a lot of rubbish laying about.

Ben and I decided to climb up the last flight of stairs to see what was right above us, what else was left behind for us to find?

We climbed up kicking the cans as we climbed, holding our breath not to smell the fowl odors in which the room was using as oxygen. I managed to take one photo, I was standing directly behind the tarp you see in the picture above, facing back and up the final flight of stairs.

The only picture I managed to take.

After I took that one image, a man popped out from laying right there, center of the image just out of sight. Screaming for us to leave him alone and to get the F#CK out of his room. This came as quite a shock, scaring the living snot out of myself, and Ben.

We couldn't of raced back down the stairs faster and out through the hole in the door, breathing in all the nice ocean fresh air that the outside area was filled with. Looking back at the door from a safe distance we heard rustling, as though he was moving his presumed beloved tarp. Shadows could be seen in the small amount of light that was in the room.

We decided it was best not to go back in to get more pictures of the crazed man, however I can give this brief description of him:

• Long, greasy grey hair.
• A dark grey beanie.
• Long dirty, dark brown jumper.
• Yellow teeth.
• Squinted, with his left eye entirely shut.
• Very sweaty.

Who was this man?..

We decided it was best not to go back and find out. We are both under the assumption that he is some poor old homeless man using the old carpark as a beach-side shelter, king among the 'hobos'. 

But, we cant rule out that he is not some old crack head using the location as a local drug shop for his selective customers.

or even possibly a washed up man who partied to hard the night before and found refuge, I mean, there are lot's of pubs and clubs around the area.

But, decide what you like, I really don't know what to think of him, I didn't really get time to look at him or ask him who we was as I was kind of startled to the sudden "WHAT THE F#CK ARE YOU DOING? GET THE F#CK OUT OF HERE YOU C##TS THIS IS MY ROOM" just after I took a photo.

All I can say is, I'm glad that I had the camera strapped around my neck, and that this was one 'photography cruise' that I shall not forget.

ZAKEYY OUT!