Night Vision: The Art of Urban Exploration (Paperback)

~ (Author), Geoff Manaugh (Foreword)
Key Phrases: night photography, Air Force, Skaggs Island Naval Base, Fort Ord Army Base (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A booming subculture is on the rise: dubbed Urban Exploration, it involves sneaking into abandoned or off-limits factories, aviation 'boneyards,' decommissioned bases, and other derelict features of the military/industrial landscape. Troy Paiva is a foremost photographer of the UrbEx (as it's known to its devotees) phenomenon, and his distinctive blend of atmospheric night photos and lighting effects are the visual hallmarks of a scene that has drawn the increasing attention of the media and the public as seen in recent programs on both the Discovery Channel ('Urban Explorers') and MTV ('Fear'). Illuminated by histories of the sites documented, Night Vision reveals the remarkable discoveries of a new generation of explorers.

About the Author

Troy Paiva is an author, photographer, and urban explorer.

Geoff Manaugh is the author of the popular Web site BLDGBLOG. http://bldgblog.blogspot.com

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (June 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811863387
• ISBN-13: 978-0811863384
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #327,026 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The color of black, August 10, 2008

By	Robin Benson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I thought this collection of Paiva's night photos much better than his previous 2003 book Lost America: The Abandoned Roadside West mainly because Lost was issued by Motorbooks, a publisher of picture books rather than photo books which unfortunately meant that Paiva's images were mixed together with text in rather bland spreads. Chronicle Books are much more sympathetic to creative endeavors and with 'Night Vision' they give these remarkable photos the presentation they deserve.

All the photos pages are black which certainly enhances their appeal and air of desolation but it also throws up Paiva's use of colored spots which, by now, is clearly his trademark. The five photo chapters reveal a wonderful selection of man-made abandonment. Chapter five featuring photos of the Aviation Warehouse at El Mirage, California is my favorite. To my mind nothing looks so dead and poignant as scrapped jetliners with miles of cabling, spars and struts from a half dismantled fuselage and cockpits with dust covered instrument clusters. The twenty-six photos capture all this so well.

The four other chapters cover: the abandoned Byron Hot Springs Hotel between Oakland and Stockton, California; Desert; Southern Pacific's Oakland train station in all its crumbling splendor and decommissioned military bases. This last photo section could easily make a separate book with plenty of abandoned bases across the US.


In the front of the book Paiva writes about his photo technique and adventures as a solitary nighttime snapper. He also writes a short intro to each photo chapter. The layout and printing are fine (with 175 screen) though I thought the blue captions on each page are rather hard to read in a domestic lighting environment.

'Night Vision' delivers some wonderful images in a format they deserve rather than the bland presentation that weakened the photos in 'Lost America'.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful!, June 15, 2009

By	Sartre Priest (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This book is great! The photos are beautiful and surreal. If you like this book you might also check these out. Some of the creepiest urban exploration photos around:
Broken Places Volume IBroken Places Volume II

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful art guide highly recommended for any contemporary art collection, November 8, 2008

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Urban Exploration is the art of sneaking into abandoned or off-limits factors, aviation ' boneyards', and other derelict ex-military or industrial centers to photograph abandoned holdings, and NIGHT VISION captures these Urban Exploration results, comes from one of the foremost photographers of the phenomenon, and offers a blend of night photos and special lighting effects. A powerful art guide highly recommended for any contemporary art collection.