Meh, learn by doing... not by trying to pick our brains.




*my on the fly spell check on this new Samsung is a moron and I'm a skim reading editor

It started with an idea for some photos in an active quarry when I was 17. I didn't want to go alone because its hella dangerous so I messaged one of my mutual friends that I saw had posted stuff before and asked if he wanted to go with. He said sure (later found out we had both brought knives just incase the other one was shady ad tried something) and thats how I got into exploring and met my best friend to this day. We've gone on road trips together and scaled cranes and high-rises. amazing stuff

For me, there was an abandoned building on the other side of the fence in my back yard. It didn't take long before me and a few friends made our way into the building (an old milk bottling and delivery company) and started looking around (we were probably 10-11 years old). That lead to exploring an abandoned water plant in the same town a couple of years later and I've been hooked since.

I started doing photography in high school and got into posting on Flickr. While browsing Flickr's explore I ran into a photographers work. The photographer in question was Noel Kerns. I was instantly entranced by the magical use of colored lights and long exposures in dilapidated places. After months of following his work, I happened across a photo of a grain mill geo-tagged at Greenville, TX. My very own small town! I decided to reach out and message him about the photo in question, asking how he got in and such, having never heard of urbex, and having only curiously poked through some dilapidated farm houses prior, I was received with a wise reply of something along the lines of "just go try it out."

Months and many many excursions of that grain mill later I joined this website and was received with a reply on my very first photo post by none other than the very photographer who brought me here. Although at the time we didn't know it as both our usernames were different from our Flickr accounts.

I later had the pleasure of hosting a meet up that Mr. Kerns would attend.

What strange circles life moves in!

My story is less conventional, but it's boring.

I was reading Paper Towns which kind of has an urban exploration motif even though the actual thing was referred to by name once. It was something that I had an interest in for a while, but that helped me put a name on it.

I don't know how my interest began, I'd say that it was only natural for me to begin liking it as I'm an adventurous person.

Had to stop burgling houses and stealing cars.

Yes, really.

Posted by uLiveAndYouBurn Had to stop burgling houses and stealing cars. Yes, really.

It was only top shelf stuff though, right?
Leno was onto you.
Eat the rich... lol, looks like you suffer a big pay cut.

Posted by blackhawk This is the kind of post many of us HATE. Right on the Main forum, first post by the OP and worse to help them do their bloody homework. Expect flames and uncontrollable mahem... Do YOU explore? Pics or it never happened.

Some might call it "research."

ANYway, I've always loved exploring, and I've always loved places that were, for lack of a better word, "creepy" or "spooky." It was like living a video game or something. In particular, I remember these structures out in the woods behind the other elementary school in my neighborhood. There were several abandoned toolsheds, and then a building that engraved tombstones, or at least that's what it looked like to us. It was cool because it was a rapidly growing area but there was still this patch of woods with these old structures in it. I've always been drawn to real-life adventures right in the middle of the day-to-day. It adds a little spice to life.

Posted by uLiveAndYouBurn Had to stop burgling houses and stealing cars. Yes, really.

stealing cars, even legally, was a bit of a rush I found.
(worked part time for a towing company in Tennessee back in 2000)

The dead mall phenomena, and cult of Dixie Square Mall.

Mine was art related. I had a final project in university and there was an a 4 story building down the street. I used the photos taken as the basis for my piece, it was a shitty Photoshop animation. Ever since abandoned building have become a recurring thing in my photos, even used them as art pieces.

I'm only an amateur and casual honestly but I do enjoy exploring and capturing the environments.

It's like living your wildest dreams. One of the few ways to have authentic experiences anymore...

Posted by theninjalobster One of the few ways to have authentic experiences anymore...

This. It's just you and maybe some friends out in the world doing something interesting, a genuine experience not crafted for you by a business and regulated, monitored, and monetized.

There's pretty much nothing like it that isn't *way* more illegal.

Having separated from my wife I was desperate to find something to connect with my teenage daughter. My father disappeared from my life at a similar age and I have never forgiven him, on the surface sure, but not deep down.

I needed something low cost, "edgy" enough to be cool to a 14 year old and easy to do.

I have always been an outdoor type so urbex came naturally to me. In reality I had done this stuff without giving it a name. I have a bunch of pictures of cool buildings I have found over the years, most of them in more rural situations.

We have been out a bunch over the last few months my daughter and I, shared some experiences that will last a lifetime. Plus I can impart some wisdom that only a father can bring tot he table.

Most importantly this is FUN. I have struggled with depression and have a dry cynical outlook on life. I have enjoyed games like fallout series, project Zomboid, the dayz mod for ARMA, recently Tarkov. Old, decaying, forgotten aspects of civilization appeals to me, people on the fringe of society interest me.

So yea,

Cant wait for warmer weather to explore more. I plan on contributing to this place so that I can earn a full membership and keep my daughter in my life doing something we enjoy.

B

What got me into urbex?



Well when you're a bored 13 year old you either find some shit to do or sit around a bitch about being bored. so I went outside and did something. I happened upon a junkyard in the woods on a weekend and decided. to check it out. after that the Urbex bug bit me and I started looking for other structures and areas. which wasn't too hard. I wasn't even aware of "Urbex" being a thing back then. so I just called it exploration. since then I've gotten about 20-30 different structures under my belt mostly around where I live but my reach does go out to some isolated spots around south west Michigan that I just happened upon in my goings to and fro.

I joined a UE website,
asked about what got everyone started,
got pissy about someone's answer,
and never came back after making only two posts.

i was watching Shiey videos on youtube and it piqued my interest, so i contacted a friend who was into it and he told me off for asking him directly then told me to look online, which eventually lead to me finding this site.

I feel like I may have answered this in another thread that was about "your first explore". Short version is my grandma enticed me into exploring an abandoned nursing home behind their property by telling me there were ghosts in there. I think I was playing too many video games and she thought I should play outside more. Just kind of snowballed from there. Really got into it after I bought my first DSLR

I don't have any reason to prove anything to anyone.

I got into Urbex because someone I loved is gone now; essentially urbex is just another way of getting closer to a stranger randomly killing me while affording me some interesting sights to see. This hobby is explicitly dangerous and I like that a lot. I need that right now in my life.

Me and my friends thought it would be fun and we always enjoyed seeing inside buildings that for the most part the general public rarely go inside to.. fast forward 10 years later and I’m doing the same.. just with less friends lol