Inside Snow AKA Negative Space

These photos were taken in an abandoned sanatorium in the Sierra de Guadarrama just north of Madrid.
This is the first time I used the photo gallery of wordpress, but these photos are best viewed with a black background to make the negative space (black parts) disappear and make them entrances into nowhere…
So please click the photos to see the best effect of the negative space!

(both 1/25, F5.6, ISO400, 10mm)

Tags: Abandoned, Architecture, Exploration, Interior, Light, Lines, Madrid, Negative, Photo, Photography, Ruin, Sanatorio, Sanatorium, shadow, Snow, Space, Stairs, Tablada, Texture, Urban, Urbex, wall, Window

115 thoughts on “Inside Snow AKA Negative Space”

camerapacker on March 25, 2016 at 20:21 said:

Good, interesting images which work well in color as well as B&W.

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TERE on March 4, 2016 at 13:31 said:

Aunque la foto en B&N no esta mal, prefiero la de color, la luz es mucho mas interesante aqui.

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Paula on February 29, 2016 at 15:42 said:

Ron, this is wonderful. I really love it. Yesterday’s challenge is in B&W but otherwise it fits so well.

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MercV on July 25, 2013 at 12:16 said:

I love those shots. They’re right up my street.

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greenmackenzie on April 30, 2013 at 20:54 said:

Wow, these are stunning photos, the angles are breathtaking and I love the way the colours have come through in your processing. You’ve got hooked after just one post!

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Laurie Merritt Photography on April 12, 2013 at 21:16 said:

Visually stunning! Thanks for another like of my post “Turbulent Ocean” and “Crescent City OR Marina”.

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- rondje on April 15, 2013 at 13:35 said:
  
  Hi Lauri,
  
  Thanks for the compliment, nice to hear you enjoyed this one and I only like what I like, so you´re very welcome,
  All the best, Ron.
  
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Hattie Wilcox on April 3, 2013 at 16:13 said:

Wow again. This location is a photographer’s dream and you certainly know how to capture its secrets.

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- rondje on April 3, 2013 at 17:28 said:
  
  Hola again, Hattie
  Actually i was a little disappointed after illegally entering the building and to find it empty – i especially like it when it looks like its been left 40 years ago and i am the first to enter 😉
  But the light in these places is marvelous mostly…
  Thanks for flattering me (again)
  Greetings, Ron.
  
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samia2010oct on April 2, 2013 at 20:49 said:

Simply beautiful…. the light… the colors…. amazing work. Thanks for sharing….

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- rondje on April 3, 2013 at 17:26 said:
  
  Hi Samia,
  Thank you for all the compliments; great to read you enjoyed it.
  Sharing is easy as long as i get such responses 😉
  Have a great day, Ron.
  
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  - samia2010oct on April 6, 2013 at 17:09 said:
    
    You are most welcome dear.
    
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    - rondje on April 6, 2013 at 19:21 said:
      
      🙂
      
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newsferret on April 1, 2013 at 11:24 said:

Photographing steps correctly like you did surely make them dramatic.

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- rondje on April 1, 2013 at 16:19 said:
  
  thanks very much! It wasnt only the steps here i hope, the curves and texture of the walls and the light caught my eye to; ofcourse the main attraction to the human eye will always be stairs 😉
  Thanks for your visit,
  Greetings, Ron.
  
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infraredrobert on March 27, 2013 at 00:10 said:

Great shots – thanks for documenting this before it is gone…

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- rondje on March 28, 2013 at 16:09 said:
  
  Hi Robert, thanks for the compliment! Well, the snow will be gone soon, i hope, but these places will stay were they are for a long time, cuz nobody really cares about them for 40 years already. Have a great easter and geetz, Ron.
  
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  - infraredrobert on March 28, 2013 at 18:16 said:
    
    Let’s hope they stay. The problem we have in the US is arson – When that happens the city gets all twitchy about making sure no one is allowed in and around abandoned places. Keep up the good work.
    
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    - rondje on April 1, 2013 at 16:21 said:
      
      Aah, okay, no problem here, maybe if youre in the city center of Madrid, but most of the villages and buildings i try to find are outside and mostly pretty remote. And ofcourse in Spain you know that anybody that doesnt want you there, will be having a siësta between 2 and 5pm 😉
      Thanks again for your visit and have a great week, Ron.
      
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Sallyann on March 26, 2013 at 21:45 said:

So right about the black background. I always forget to think about things like that. Thanks for the tip. 🙂
Great photos too. 😀

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- rondje on March 28, 2013 at 15:57 said:
  
  Thank you for visiting and good to know you like it on black and took the effort to try; even thought about temporarily puttinh my background to black, but this is a better solution i think. Have a good easter, Ron.
  
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drawandshoot on March 26, 2013 at 20:53 said:

Ron, these are truly fantastic. The snow on the steps – Fabulously beautiful and emotive.

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- rondje on March 28, 2013 at 15:41 said:
  
  Thank you, Karen! If you didnt read it youre probably the first to notice it as snow and not worn out steps 🙂
  Happy easter, Ron.
  
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Candace on March 26, 2013 at 05:30 said:

Beautiful! Your photography is just gorgeous!

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- rondje on March 28, 2013 at 15:49 said:
  
  Thank you, Candace! I never get tired of hearing such wonderful words; very much appreciated.
  Hope all is well! happy easter, on.
  
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vastlycurious.com on March 26, 2013 at 01:24 said:

Your photographs are just amazing- love the mood!

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- rondje on March 28, 2013 at 15:47 said:
  
  Hello Katrina, very happy to hear you enjoy my photography!
  Thanks for the support and a great easter to you, Ron.
  
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sunmallia on March 25, 2013 at 18:52 said:

Great talent, these are fantastic

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- rondje on March 28, 2013 at 15:45 said:
  
  Thanks so much, Sunmallia, thats very flattering to hear, hope i live up to such compliments 😉
  Happy easter, Ron.
  
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ladyfi on March 25, 2013 at 18:05 said:

These photos are simply stunning.

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- rondje on March 28, 2013 at 15:40 said:
  
  Thanks very much, LadyFi, thats very nice to hear, have a great easter and greetings, Ron.
  
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Patti Kuche on March 21, 2013 at 23:24 said:

Love the power in these fantastic shots! I want to go up those stairs and turn the corner!

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- rondje on March 27, 2013 at 17:04 said:
  
  Thanks, Patti! Than I won´t tell what´s there to keep the mystery 😉
  But I used another staircase to keep the snow on the steps untouched here
  All the best to you, Ron.
  
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Geedebee on March 21, 2013 at 22:52 said:

De like knop doet het niet bij mij, dus “LIKe” ²… (in ‘t kwadraat).

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- Geedebee on March 21, 2013 at 22:52 said:
  
  Nu wel, dus…
  
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  - rondje on March 27, 2013 at 15:25 said:
    
    Whooaa, ik vind een kwadraatje toch vaak ingewikkelder dan een ´like´ 😉
    Volgens mij moet soms laden ofzo, weet niet, maar bedankt dat je zoveel moeite gedaan hebt, groet, Ron.
    
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joserasan66 on March 20, 2013 at 16:44 said:

Una Vez Más Una Fotografía Impresionante,… Siempre Es Un Placer Ver Tus Fotografias… Un Saludo.

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- rondje on March 27, 2013 at 15:24 said:
  
  Muchas gracias, Jose! Esoy siempre muy halagado con tus comentarios (lo siento por mi malo español, pero espero entiendes?)
  Saludos, Ron
  
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erassima on March 20, 2013 at 15:05 said:

Wat een mooie uitgesleten treden.

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- rondje on March 20, 2013 at 15:15 said:
  
  Hoi Wilma,
  sorry dat ik je teleur moet stellen 😉
  Het is eigenlijk sneeuw, als je rechtsonder in de gallery op full size klikt kan je de vlokken beter zien!
  Groet en dank, Ron.
  
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  - erassima on March 20, 2013 at 15:24 said:
    
    Inderdaad! Maar het blijft net zo goed mooi.
    
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    - rondje on March 22, 2013 at 18:59 said:
      
      Gelukkig, dank je en goed weekend, Ron.
      
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wayne on March 20, 2013 at 06:27 said:

I love the shape and contour of the ceiling along with the negative space and stairs. Great shots!

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- rondje on March 27, 2013 at 15:02 said:
  
  Thank you, Wayne, i was fascinated with all these curves and corners as well; nice to hear you appreciate these to.
  Thanks and greetings, Ron.
  
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dbubble12 on March 20, 2013 at 03:57 said:

Just Amazing! Looking forward to checking out your work. Thank you for stopping by bubblemomentpages.

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- rondje on March 27, 2013 at 15:01 said:
  
  Hi Dawn, thank you for returning the favor and very glad you like this, lots of old and new shots coming up 🙂
  Warm greetings from Spain, Ron.
  
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Touch2Touch on March 20, 2013 at 02:22 said:

Knockout photos. You are a master of atmosphere and chiaroscuro.

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- rondje on March 27, 2013 at 14:59 said:
  
  Wow, thank you so much, thats very flattering to hear and I love the word chiaroscuro and what it stands for 😉
  Hope all is well and greetings, ron.
  
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Graham Stephen on March 19, 2013 at 21:49 said:

Superb! Wonderful work.

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- rondje on March 25, 2013 at 17:56 said:
  
  Thanks a lot, Graham, thats great to read. appreciate it! Greetings,Ron.
  
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Noeline Smith on March 19, 2013 at 11:32 said:

Lovely light, colours and textures – and those steps are just wonderful! The concept of ‘negative space’ on the black background works really well too. Thank you.

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- rondje on March 25, 2013 at 17:56 said:
  
  Thanks Noeline! Great to hear you tried it on black, works way better i hoped so too!
  Steps are snow and not deteriorated, well that too, but thats underneath the snow 😉
  Have a great week, Ron.
  
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  - Noeline Smith on March 26, 2013 at 09:48 said:
    
    Snow?! Didn’t expect that. The trouble is that I’m using a small laptop at the moment 😦 Enlarging the image I can see now that it’s snow. It also adds an extra dimension to the shot – sorry I missed it first time around. I must hurry up and get that new computer!
    
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    - rondje on March 27, 2013 at 14:56 said:
      
      Haha, no worries (although if you can effort one, you SHOULD :). Lots of viewers thought they were worn out, so its just about the size on here, only on the full size and in print it is obvious i think; definitely thought that the snow made it even more intrigueing and still wondering how so much came in, but being high up in the mountains it must get lots of snow and winds…
      Well, good luck with finding new computer, til then I won´t make it difficult anymore 🙂
      Have a great week, Ron.
      
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simon0252 on March 19, 2013 at 06:58 said:

Fabulous photos. Beautiful colour and tones – marvellous location.

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- rondje on March 25, 2013 at 17:52 said:
  
  Thank you very much, Simon, thats great to hear,i love these places, although they are totall uninteresting for most Spanish people, i love em and happy to find out there are people out there who enjoy em through my photos 🙂
  
  Greetings, Ron.
  
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Angeline M on March 19, 2013 at 06:18 said:

Definitely better viewed in the gallery mode. And I love the shape of the steps, they look soft, if that makes sense.

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- rondje on March 25, 2013 at 17:51 said:
  
  Thank you, Angeline and great you took the time out to look it up with the blackbackground, much betteri thought.
  and actually the stairs are snowy, soft and untouched (took another stair!); you can see it in the fullsize version (right bottomcorner in the gallery)
  
  Warm greetings, Ron.
  
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bluebrightly on March 19, 2013 at 04:43 said:

Great shots! The composition and flow are perfect.

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- rondje on March 25, 2013 at 17:47 said:
  
  Thank you so much, Lynn, i hoped this would be an intrigueing one to dig into 😉
  Greetings, Ron.
  
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endlessframe on March 19, 2013 at 01:39 said:

stunning. every single one, absolutely incredible !

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- rondje on March 25, 2013 at 17:49 said:
  
  Wow, thats very cool to read,thanks so much for telling me that, Frank!
  All the best to you, ron.
  
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sedge808 on March 19, 2013 at 01:13 said:

Superb Ron.

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- rondje on March 22, 2013 at 20:03 said:
  
  Thanks a lot Gavin, almost black and white, huh? 😉
  Great weekend to you, Ron.
  
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mobius faith on March 19, 2013 at 01:08 said:

A great pair of images. Not sure which I like best. Both of them have a lot of virtue and they look good together.

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- rondje on March 22, 2013 at 20:01 said:
  
  Thank you, Terry, couldnt choose between em as well, funny thing they didnt work together the other way around for the way the stairs are going; couldnt explain that, but just didnt work. Thanks for all your support, Ron.
  
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bits and pieces on photo on March 19, 2013 at 00:35 said:

Amazing work!

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- rondje on March 22, 2013 at 19:59 said:
  
  Thanks a lot, Mekala, nice of you to comment.
  Have a good weekend, Ron.
  
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Richard Guest on March 18, 2013 at 23:51 said:

These are wonderful, Ron. You’re right about the gallery too.

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- rondje on March 22, 2013 at 19:57 said:
  
  Thank you, Richard
  Glad you tried it and it worked for you, was thinking about how to show them on black without too much effort for the viewer
  greetings, Ron.
  
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Tina schell on March 18, 2013 at 22:19 said:

Wonderful, moody shots.

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- rondje on March 22, 2013 at 19:55 said:
  
  Thank you Tina, guess my photos can be pretty dark and moody, but not always i hope 🙂
  Greetings, Ron.
  
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Lilly Sue on March 18, 2013 at 21:43 said:

Wow, these are awesome photos.

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- rondje on March 22, 2013 at 19:53 said:
  
  Thanks very much, Lilly Sue, very nice of you to say, have a great weekend, Ron.
  
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  - Lilly Sue on March 22, 2013 at 23:51 said:
    
    You too!
    
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Chillbrook on March 18, 2013 at 20:34 said:

P.S. And you’re right, the pictures work really well in the gallery with the black background!

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- rondje on March 22, 2013 at 19:52 said:
  
  Cool to hear you tried it,think black background works much better to get totally rid of the rectangle form of a normal photo 😉
  Ron
  
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Chillbrook on March 18, 2013 at 20:33 said:

Fabulous images Ron!

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- rondje on March 22, 2013 at 19:51 said:
  
  Hi Adrian, thanks for that, Always great to hear from you, have a great weekend, Ron.
  
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Truels on March 18, 2013 at 19:58 said:

Hi Ron – Amazing that you can keep finding these great abandoned placeas. And even more amazing is it how you manage to capture such brilliand photos: You are a master of light and colors – like Bente writes above!!!!

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- rondje on March 22, 2013 at 19:01 said:
  
  Wow, thanks very much, Truels, so nice to read and happy you like them so much. There are more than 500 abandoned villages in Spain and next to that even more abandoned hospitals, military,churches etc everywhere, so lots to see and photography,very Lucky with that i guess.
  Thanks for saying and have a good weekend, Ron.
  
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shiroknowes on March 18, 2013 at 19:20 said:

Love the light and the corners of this staircase, beautiful !

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- rondje on March 22, 2013 at 19:50 said:
  
  Hoi Sérach, ik zag dat je ook Nederlands sprak; dankjewel voor het compliment, goed weekend, Ron.
  
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  - shiroknowes on March 22, 2013 at 21:46 said:
    
    O wat leuk ! Vind je arte werkjes heel mooi en volg je daarom nu ook…..ben in Alkmaar geboren en getogen, waar kom jij vandaan ?
    
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Know-All on March 18, 2013 at 19:13 said:

everytime i view your photographs i learn something new…really wonderful!

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- rondje on March 18, 2013 at 19:26 said:
  
  Thanks very much, thats inspiring to hear, thanks for your support, really appreciate it, greetings, Ron.
  
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bentehaarstad on March 18, 2013 at 19:11 said:

Great pictures, you are a master with light and colours.

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- rondje on March 18, 2013 at 19:22 said:
  
  Wow, thanks a lot, very nice of you to say! All the best and warm greetings from the South, Ron.
  
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Mark Simms on March 18, 2013 at 19:03 said:

Great light on these again Ron – brilliant!

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- rondje on March 18, 2013 at 19:19 said:
  
  Thanks, Mark, very cool to hear that from you! Hope all is well, greetz, Ron.
  
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Emilio on March 18, 2013 at 18:57 said:

What struck me the most in these images are the worn-down steps.

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- rondje on March 18, 2013 at 19:18 said:
  
  Hello Emilio, I hate to disappoint you but thats actually snow 😉
  If you click full size in the gallery window you can see it better, I think
  sorry and thanks for your thought, Ron.
  
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  - Emilio on March 18, 2013 at 19:40 said:
    
    LOL – my bad! 😉
    
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jakesprinter on March 18, 2013 at 18:39 said:

Great composition 🙂

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- rondje on March 18, 2013 at 19:16 said:
  
  Thank you, Jake!
  
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enmanscamera on March 18, 2013 at 18:15 said:

I do like these images. You have created an image that lets the viewer step into the story. well done.

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- rondje on March 18, 2013 at 18:55 said:
  
  Thanks John, very much; exactly what I´m looking for nowadays is to be more of a story than just a good photo!
  Nice to read your feedback, greetings, Ron.
  
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Louis on March 18, 2013 at 18:00 said:

Excellent pictures. The composition is very strong, especially the location of the light source and the choice of perspective. The light emphasises the textures and shadows, creating dramatic contrasts.

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- rondje on March 18, 2013 at 18:50 said:
  
  Thanks, Louis, your appreciation and the way you describe it are much appreciated, very much hoped those qualities makes the viewer try to find more there.
  Gracias and greetings, Ron.
  
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Anette Kinter on March 18, 2013 at 17:37 said:

Impressing! Fantastic shots.

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- rondje on March 18, 2013 at 18:48 said:
  
  Thanks, Anette, very nice of you to say, hope you tried it with the balck background to make the form of the stairs come out even better 😉
  All the best,Ron.
  
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Carlos GF - fotografía on March 18, 2013 at 17:19 said:

Que buena esa luz !! La escalera desgastada es impresionante.

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- rondje on March 18, 2013 at 18:46 said:
  
  Hola Carlos, no estoy seguro, (y lo siento por my español) pero la escalera no es desgastada (mi novia ha dicho lo mismo!) pero en el version grande es mas visible, esta nieve 😉
  Saludos y gracias por tu visita, Ron.
  
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  - Carlos GF - fotografía on March 18, 2013 at 19:51 said:
    
    Wow ! Sorry for mistake, I see the ice now, I thought that was the passing of time in this mysterious site. Thanks, Ron !!
    
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margaret21 on March 18, 2013 at 17:17 said:

Wow! Amazed at the difference the black background makes.

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- rondje on March 18, 2013 at 18:42 said:
  
  Thanks, Margaret for trying it on the black background, was hoping for people to try it, although I know it means a lot of clicking, so thanks.
  Even thought about changing my blog-background for a while to black til its of the frontpage 😉
  Have a great week, Ron.
  
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Hanno Phenn on March 18, 2013 at 17:04 said:

Wonderful play of light and shadow ,nice details like the steps and the patina on the walls.

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- rondje on March 18, 2013 at 18:39 said:
  
  Thank you, Hanno, all those things grabbed my attention as well, but the untouched snow on the stairs as well; guess thats only visible in the full size version! Greetings, Ron
  
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  - Hanno Phenn on March 18, 2013 at 19:40 said:
    
    Sorry I missed the snow ,please forgive me I just used my iPad mini and the app isn’t just showing a small image this detail I had missed.
    
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    - rondje on March 18, 2013 at 19:41 said:
      
      No worries, but I saw that its hard to see on any screen, time to print it big, i think 😉
      Thanks for your feeback, Hanno, all the best to you, Ron.
      
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skriptum/skryptoria on March 18, 2013 at 16:52 said:

Great effects, no question!

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- rondje on March 18, 2013 at 18:36 said:
  
  Thanks very much, it was really nice to think of the lighter parts against a total black backdrop!
  All the best and thanks for stopping by, Ron.
  
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