Abandoned Locations - Inspiration for Setting

Real-Life Apocalyptic Places

Pripyat, Ukraine

Hashima Island, Japan

To add another level of depth and realism to my characters and the storylines, I wanted to find some real-life abandoned cities and places that could inspire the setting for an apocalyptic story. 

For Claudia, I imagine her living in a completely run down apartment block in Georgia, USA. She is 'veiled' by her obsession with horror films and her agoraphobia so does not leave her home. What she is unaware of is that the outside world is full of devastation and dirt. Hashima Island was known for its undersea coal mines, however, when the supplies ran out the mines were closed and the residents soon departed after. It has since been abandoned for three decades. The buildings depict exactly how I envision post-apocalyptic life and where my characters will live. The interior of her apartment will be cleaner than the outside, but with smudges of grim and blood. I will set up a dirtied white background in the studio to depict this. The dirtiness and grime shown in the photos will also be reflected on Mrs Laderman as she experiences this world in full force compared to Claudia. 

Mrs Rose Laderman escapes the clutches of Claudia and is on the run in the scene in which I am designing her to fit into. After being dirtied down in and around her home town, she runs for miles through the miles in attempt to leave her old life behind and find a new group of survivors. I want her to find a new positive life and a location like an abandoned town like Pripyat would be ideal. This city was abandoned by its 50,000 inhabitants after the Chernobyl disaster. Due to radiation, it has been untouched since and will be for a very long time into the future. The images demonstrate an apocalyptic world in the modern day. The photo of the neglected fair ground is an interesting one as this could be an area where she meets Rick and the current survivors, a fun and joyful enjoyment to reflect her relief and the positivity of finding them. However, a place like this will be hard to find locally! So I feel like I will photograph Mrs Laderman on the run through the woods, on the way to her new life.