An empty, foggy diner with the tables still set. An abandoned aquarium, complete with shark paintings on the walls. A desolate church, with architecture still so immaculate, worship could begin tomorrow.
How did 23-year-old photographer Johnny Joo find these awesome structures still intact? The idea for his new book, Empty Spaces, began when he was 16, while exploring an abandoned farm house.
"We walked through the falling foundation, across tilted floors which had been shifted by the Earth, examining this space that had once been full of life," Joo says. "This moment felt so peaceful. From that day on, whenever I would see a decayed structure that had been left to fall, I would find a way to explore it. Shortly after I learned this was actually known as urban exploration and became hooked on learning the history of the places I would explore."
He shared some of his favorites with us below. His work reminds us why we love abandoned structures so much. If you want to see more of his work, check out his Facebook page or pre-order his book here.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Captions below are provided by the photographer.