Photos of decaying urban environments are all the rage these days, and while some of them are probably deserving of the “ruin porn” epithet that gets thrown at them, the majority have a curiously compelling and emotive quality to them. NYC photographer Will Ellis was something of a pioneer of this style — his blog Abandoned NYC is dedicated to exploring the forgotten corners of the city, and his photos are both fascinating and somehow deeply moving (especially since many of them catalog the ruins of asylums and hospitals — the majority of these pictures are from North Brother Island). One of our favorite photo blogs, the consistently excellent Feature Shoot, recently took a look at Ellis’ work. Here are some of the highlights.
Photo credit: Will Ellis
Photo credit: Will Ellis
Photo credit: Will Ellis
Photo credit: Will Ellis
Photo credit: Will Ellis
Photo credit: Will Ellis
Photo credit: Will Ellis
Photo credit: Will Ellis