How Urbex Photography Helps Mental Health and Creativity

Urban exploration (urbex) photography is about venturing into forgotten, overlooked, or abandoned places, camera in hand, to document the beauty in decay and ruin. It’s not just about trespassing into derelict buildings (though some photographers push boundaries), but about engaging with the unseen layers of a city: shuttered factories, graffiti-covered walls, faded signage, and peeling paint. Consequently, urbex photography turns the neglected into something worth noticing.

As a psychologist and photographer, I’ve found that urbex photography offers more than intriguing images. It provides a quiet, creative practice with real mental health benefits. Recently, I’ve been exploring Digbeth in Birmingham, using expired 35mm colour film to capture its hidden corners. Those moments behind the camera have given me a new perspective on the city, emphasising the importance of urbex photography for mental health and creativity.

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The Mental Health Challenges Facing Young People Today

We live in an age of constant stimulation—endless social media feeds, notifications, academic pressure, uncertainty about the future, and rising cost of living. It’s no surprise that anxiety, depression, and stress-related difficulties are now widespread among young people. Many describe feeling trapped: trapped online, trapped in cycles of comparison, or trapped in routines that leave little room for creativity, autonomy, or genuine self-expression.

What’s missing for many is a sense of space (physical and mental) where they can feel free to explore, reflect, and just be themselves.

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How Urbex Photography Supports Mental Health

My experience taking photos in Digbeth (Birmingham) has shown me how urbex photography can carve out this much-needed space. Here’s how:

• Connection with surroundings – Wandering through Digbeth with my Contax G2 and expired film, I start to see details I’d usually overlook. For example, the rust patterns on a factory door, weeds breaking through pavement cracks, or graffiti layered like a palimpsest. Paying attention to these details makes me feel more grounded and connected to the present moment.
• A non-judgmental creative space – Unlike posting to Instagram, where “likes” can become the measure of worth, urbex photography is first and foremost about seeing. There’s no right or wrong, no pressure—just the chance to experiment.
• A quiet space to be yourself – In the early morning, the streets of Digbeth are empty and quiet. For a city, this paradoxical silence feels almost rural. It permits you to slow down, think, and enjoy creating.
• Physical activity – Urbex gets you outside, walking, climbing stairs, and ducking into alleys. It’s a form of gentle exercise that also sparks curiosity.
• A sense of control – In a world where much feels uncertain, choosing where to walk, what to notice, and when to press the shutter offers a refreshing sense of autonomy.
• A break from everyday routines – Picking up a camera and exploring an unfamiliar corner interrupts the monotony of everyday life.
• Focus and distraction from worries – Composing an image requires attention: framing, checking the light, waiting for the right moment. In these moments of focus, worries fade into the background.

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The Soothing Side of Urbex Photography for Neurodiverse Minds

For some neurodiverse people, the textures, patterns, and subtle details found in urban decay can be particularly soothing. Specifically, cracked paint, rusted metal, and layered graffiti create intricate visual structures that draw attention and offer a predictable, rhythmic quality. This combination of visual complexity and order within apparent chaos can be aesthetically pleasing and calming, providing a form of sensory regulation.

When photographing abandoned factories or peeling walls, I notice how these details—often overlooked by others—hold a quiet, meditative appeal. In particular, framing, focusing on, and capturing these textures allows the mind to engage with beauty in decay, offering a unique form of mental rest and creative satisfaction.

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Urban Solitude: The Paradox of the City

Experts have long praised nature for its therapeutic benefits. But urbex offers something different: an urban solitude. At dawn, many towns and cities (like Digbeth in Birmingham) feel deserted—factories silent, car parks empty, streets quiet before the day begins. Consequently, this emptiness creates a rare space you can explore without distraction.

And if you encounter others—another photographer, a graffiti artist, or someone passing through—you’re often so immersed in image-making that their presence rarely intrudes. Thus, urbex allows you to claim your own space in the middle of the city.

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Tips for Taking Great Urbex Photos for Mental Health

When I walk with expired film through Digbeth in Birmingham, I always notice:

• Textures – Rusted metal, peeling paint, cracked walls, and weathered wood tell stories of time and decay. For many, especially neurodiverse photographers, these surfaces provide a predictable, rhythmic quality that can feel soothing.
• Patterns – Repeating windows, rows of bricks, or layered graffiti create visual structure within apparent chaos. Capturing these patterns can be both aesthetically satisfying and meditative.
• Colours – Expired 35mm film often shifts colours unpredictably—muted greens, washed-out reds, or ghostly blues. These subtle variations add atmosphere and make even the most neglected spaces feel alive.
• Decay – Collapsing roofs, broken signage, and crumbling walls offer rich visual narratives. Observing and photographing these elements allows the mind to engage creatively while appreciating impermanence.
• The unseen – Often the most intriguing shots come from looking where others don’t: behind fences, down alleys, or inside disused arches. Noticing what many people overlook trains your eye and encourages mindfulness.

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Final Thoughts

So, next time you’re weighed down or caught in routine, pick up a camera—film or digital—and wander into the overlooked corners of your town or city. Explore backstreets, disused buildings, or forgotten spaces, and notice what many people overlook without a glance. Capture the unseen, and permit yourself to create without judgment. Urbex photography won’t solve every problem, but it can offer a moment of calm, a spark of creativity, and a reminder that beauty often hides in forgotten places.

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Want more inspiration? Explore my other posts on photography, psychology, and pedagogy, where I share images, insights, and stories that connect the art of seeing with the science of wellbeing.