For over a decade, photographer Chris Luckhardt has been traveling the world in search of the ruins of abandoned places that once held great importance in the lives of the people in the area he is visiting.
Luckhardt uses simple online searching, as well as word of mouth from other explorers, to find and select the locations for his photos, although he notes that sometimes, you can stumble upon something great without even realizing it. His travels have taken him across Canada and the United States, as well as countries such as Japan and Belgium.
One of his main areas of exploration is the abandoned school buildings that dot the landscape across the United States and the world.
According to Luckhardt, his interest in abandoned locations stems from his observation that "Witnessing the decay of the past can be a reflection of the possibilities of the future."
Although these abandoned places generally lack formal security, Luckhardt notes that he won't damage any property when accessing locations to shoot.
As he puts it, "I don't break and enter; I just enter." That's not to say he hasn't had any run-ins with the authorities — he's had to deal with everyone from local police up to Homeland Security.
