Selected images from the book Night Vision - The Art of Urban Exploration Photographs by Troy Paiva, Foreword by Geoff Manaugh
A primary contributor to Night and Low Light Photography and one of three photographers to offer expert tips in the light painting chapter, Troy Paiva's images featured here are selected from his new book Night Vision. This monograph, published in July 2008 by Chronicle books, contains 115 images from Paiva's relentless nocturnal wanderings among the decaying cultural landscape of the American west.
In addition to his colorfully eerie evocations of sites in decay, Night Vision also contains a number of insightful essays about the locations depicted, which include the derelict Byron Hot Springs Hotel; the abandoned desert roadside; Oakland, California's abandoned Southern Pacific Train Station; several decommissioned military installations and an aircraft boneyard in the high Southern California desert.
Paiva's texts shed light on the history, philosophical mind-set, technical parameters and on-site experiences related to his work, and admired by a growing number of fellow explorers. Known as Urban Exploration, or the exploration of TOADS (Temporary, Obsolete, Abandoned and Derelict Spaces) this strange attraction of creeping through abandoned military-industrial complexes in the middle of the night is sacred to a growing audience of 21st century rouge archeologists.
In both Night Vision and Night and Low Light Photography, Paiva's nighttime shooting advice ranges from arranging access to tips on the use of accessory lighting and gels to warnings about wandering the back roads and hinterlands. He always makes sure he has a reliable vehicle and suggests keeping a cell phone handy. "But," Paiva says, "if you’re deep in the outback, a cell phone probably won't work anyway. Be prepared," he advises, "because it's likely you’ll have to figure your own way out of your predicaments."
Night Vision is widely available in bookstores, or for online purchase from Chronicle Books, Amazon.com,
or other online outlets. Signed copies of the book can also be purchased directly from the author's Web site.
