Sometimes I do something a little different, and try to persuade the world that I'm an actual photographer, not just a maniac with a camera. And to do that, I usually find a real human, with a pulse and everything, to be a subject. But I keep it urbex-related just because that's where I'm at my happiest.
This is my second time working with Alice in this capacity. Alice is a photographer and accomplished urbexer in her own right. She taught me how to actually use a camera, and I in turn didn't get her killed when we used an air vent to access an abandoned tower with a six-story drop. Alice does an entire photographic series of portraits with a creepy rabbit head, so we decided to combine our themes. We've done it on the rooftops before, admittedly to a more superior quality than I have done with this. But the rooftops are easy. This is my first time photographing someone underground, with no natural light.
Well, except here. But this is the tunnel entrance.
To be clear, this is not a sewer. Many, many years ago it was an actual river, and the powers-that-be decided they wanted Shrewsbury to be there instead, and quietly shunted it underground. It's possible to access this tunnel from both openings, one upstream and one downstream, and sometimes it's possible to see frogs and fish living down here, completely unaware that sunlight even exists.
But of the risks involved here, we can probably rule out the likes of campylobacter, giardiasis, or methaemoglobinaemia, which is terrific. I don't want anything entering my body unless I can pronounce it.
Truthfully this whole photoshoot thing is a little bit silly, but then when something like this is right on your doorstep, you've exhausted the exploration of it and documented it to completion, what's left to do but have fun with it? Because first and foremost a hobby should be fun. You remember what fun is, right? I know this is the era of Facebook, where we're just expected to stand around lugubriously and complain about vegan sausage rolls, other peoples genitalia, and a bunch of other shit that doesn't really matter, but out here in the real world the whole point of life is to have fun.
To be honest, despite having no natural light in this subterranean playground wrought with hazards and possible death, these came out alright. It's almost like I know what I'm doing.
I don't. It's *like* I know.
As a quick disclaimer or cautionary warning, exploring structures like this is very dangerous. It's a passage of flowing water, with numerous drains joining on, and if there was any sudden heavy rainfall this place can quickly become a literal death trap. There are real cases of urban explorers dying in storm drains. The water can get pretty fast, the floor can be pretty slippery, and there may be debris flowing along and other hard things to whack your head on. I don't go underground unless it's been a dry day. There's no phone signal and no natural light, so if something goes wrong, it can go VERY wrong.
I can't speak for Alice, although we are on the same page about a lot of stuff, but I sort of envision her rabbit character as a type of cryptid, or slenderman-ish entity that is glimpsed but never actually interacted with. People may see it, but if they turn their head or blink, the rabbit will be gone, vanished in a puff of someone else's problem.
Naturally I will conclude with one of Alice's photos of me wearing the rabbit head.
It's pretty cool. Obviously Alice is a superior camera person to me, but the entire shot in contrast the opening shot also shows what difference a wide angle lens can do. I was very jealous.
And that's about it. It's just a small one before I start focusing on my travel blog again. I have something kinda big coming up, which is great because my recent posts here have all been kinda small.
If you like my blogs and want to stay updated, then unfortunately social media is the best way. Because the big three (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) are all algorithmic hellscapes with more bots than fleshbag humans, that seem to serve only to bait us into arguments. I'm trying to focus my energy more on the likes of Bluesky, Vero and Cara. Social media does need to change. The internet was never intended to be the misery factory that it has devolved into. It needs to be about sharing creativity and hobbies, whether that's photography, art, writing, or even showcasing a collection of something. That's the internet I want. So definitely give those last three a chance if you fancy taking social media in that direction.
Thanks for reading!
Very creepy indeed.
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