Behind the lens: Manchester's abandoned spaces

'One day on a summer evening a friend gave me a call to say he was selling his camera, which was a Panasonic GF-3. I was unsure, but because the price was cheap I went ahead and bought it.

That to this day was the best thing that I have ever done.

I used to go on rides and walks with the Panasonic and capture Manchester like everyone else did. It was then I realised I needed to upgrade the camera and bring a different approach to things. Although I haven't been an urban explorer for long and only been a street photographer for around 18 months.

The mask was just one of those things that added visual effects to my pictures, the edge I was looking for. Wearing the mask created something mysterious in the derelict places that I explored. Rather than just throwing myself in pictures I decided on some creepy visuals.'

See more of Ronnie's work on Facebook and Instagram.

By Lee Baxter

By Jan Chlebik